Recently local Young Republicans were under attack for being unprofessional and “living at home with mom and dad.” Not only are such baseless assumptions incorrect, they damage the future of our local Republican Party.
Many outstanding Ohio Republicans started out as just young people with a desire to support and expand the Republican Party and elect Republican candidates. In fact, for over 75 years the Ohio Young Republican organization was led by individuals such as Congressman Oliver P. Bolton, Congressman John C. Ashbrook, and the Honorable Paul C. Matia. Other notable former Young Republicans include Ohio Republican Chairman Bob Bennett, Ohio Supreme Court Justice Terrence O’Donnell, and Senator George V. Voinovich.
Contrary to some beliefs, Young Republicans do not sit at home eating potato chips and playing the latest X-Box game in their parents’ basement. They run voting drives, serve as poll workers, act as campaign managers, walk door-to-door for candidates and work at phone banks. In fact, in 2004 the Ohio Young Republicans won the prestigious President’s Circle Award for an incredibly successful voter drive.
Young Republicans are not just 20- or 30-somethings either, they include college students, teenagers and youths who are committed to the success of the GOP. The National Teen Age Republican organization lists its members in the tens of thousands! College Republican organizations are at almost every public and private college in the state.
Yet some “established” local Republicans devalue young leadership in the county party; by doing so, we endanger the very future of our party. When “established” Republicans diminish and demean the work ethic and dedication of young Republicans, they tell young GOP voters they are not needed nor welcomed into Reagan’s Big Tent GOP. This cold-shoulder attitude may very well undermine the future of the Republican Party in one to two generations when previously dismissed young voters become established enough to “properly” support the party and choose not to.
Think about this: Obama was elected into office with the support of an unprecedented number of young voters, many of which had never formerly declared themselves as an R or D. They voted for him because they felt Obama and the Democrat Party welcomed their support and saw them as valuable players in America’s future. Local Republicans of any generation do great disservice to the future of our local party if we ignore this fact.
The Erie County GOP is strong and vibrant, but the young people in our county need to be encouraged and welcomed into the Big Tent. The Erie County Young Republicans welcome all Republicans to our Happy Hours and Social Events in the hopes that we, as a community of Republicans, can build our party into a force to be reckoned with at the polls.
For more information on the Erie County Young Republicans, visit our website at www.eriecountyyoungrepublicans.com.
While I don't think anyone has questioned Alex's integrity or his passion for the job, I believe they question the amount of time that he could reasonably be assumed to devote to the process, his experience, and the highly unethical and deceptive nature under which he was elected.
ReplyDeleteAlex did not vote in the primary or general elections of 2009 or 2010 and is not legally a Republican because he has never voted in a primary. Not exactly a confidence builder for leadership. The person leading The GOTV drive, himself does Not vote.
Had The nominating Not intentionally tried to deceive the central committee by not disclosing these very pertinent facts then Alex Jones possibly could of won fair and square.
As far as Reagan and his big tent party goes.....I was actually alive when Reagan ran and won his presidency. You and your teachers misconstrue the term. Reagan 's legacy was built on principle... not popularity. He built a party built on principle and allowed anyone to join as long as they left their disagreements at the door. He did not use polls or surveys for what he should believe in.
Mr. Kraus,
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify, when I used the term "polls" in the above blog post, I referred to the location where voters cast their ballots. I was not referring to the surveying or polling of voters before or after an election.
Best of luck on your Congressional race! Let me know if you want to post on the ECYR blog regarding your race, as we'd be happy to oblige.
Holly Kamm
President, ECYR