Scott County leadership more interested in talking about themselves than informing the community at large about issues.
Yesterday, A. J Spiker , Chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, sent “A Message from the Chairman” to the Party’s e-mail list and also posted it on the Iowa GOP Web site. It is available here. The communication addressed current state party finances (which he maintains are in great shape) and the recent controversy over the issue of moving the 2014 State Convention to July from June. He explains how the initial decision to change the time came about and the process of reconsidering and changing it back to June.
Whether or not one agrees with any characterization of the Party’s financial status or arguments over a chain of events regarding the state convention, the communication was appropriate, addressing those topics in a mass communication. But “appropriate” does not go far enough as an acknowledgement of the importance of the the third topic Spiker raised . . . his obligation and commitment as Chairman to defend the principles of the Party as set forth in its organizing documents and platform.
His comments were inspiring and an effective defense that a Party is supposed to stand for issues and does not exist to simply be a club to further some of its members careers. He committed to continue to speak out on major timely issues in furtherance of our constitution and the platform. We note that Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus also publicly addresses issues and indeed the entire RNC issues resolutions on timely matters. Spiker’s predecessor, Matt Strawn, spoke out on issues as well.
Unfathomably Spiker has been criticized for speaking in support of core aspects to the State platform. Read Spiker’s very well stated comments here. The view to the contrary, as to the appropriateness to speak out, is a bane to the Republican Party’s electoral success.
That the leadership of central committees at any level would find it “inappropriate” to promote or defend Republican platform matters on major timely issues (local state or national) is either an appalling dereliction, a corruption, or reflective of unbecoming incompetence. Regrettably, we will settle for the term dereliction, to describe the performance of Scott County Republican (SCRCC) leadership toward that key responsibility at this crucial time for the future of the country.
No wonder at this time of intense national anxiety they cannot muster more than 40% of the supposedly committed Republican CC members to a meeting, and the same ones all the time at that. And some of those we suspect are there to stare in disbelief, or for the cookies.
Further reflective of a content free Scott County leadership is that the local platform is not posted on the Party’s open access portal to the community, its Web site. Why not? The State Party posts the State Platform , and has for years. Same for the RNC . . . however regrettably made to be as unspecific as possible upon the insistence of operatives of the Party’s most recent failed national banner carrier.* The latter providing a lesson, – you can’t win with saying nothing.
Indeed by our recent scan, the local Dems are not afraid to post their platform, which along with a current list of candidates is about the only functional page on their entire site. They stand for something and at least let the public view what it is, such as it is. SCRCC should do the same. R Mall
* The SCRCC Web does obscurely post a link to the RNC platform which has all the local and state marketing usefulness of , well, none. And by the way, it is a bad link. The good link is available above.
