State GOP Fertilizing Grass Roots
The state GOP picked up a “Diversity Chairman” and a “Victory Director” in recent weeks according to releases from the state party.
The party’s Diversity Chairman George Williams, a retired Army Major in Bay Minette, says in the release, “I look forward to working with all minority groups within the state; educating them on the history of the party, the party’s vision for the future and helping tear down the stereotypical walls that have been built around politics in Alabama for too long.”
The party’s new “Victory Director,” Michael Joffrion, started last week. According to that release, “As Victory Director, Michael will be responsible for building the grassroots organization of the ALGOP and managing the get out the vote efforts for the 2008 election cycle. This will include structuring a statewide volunteer organization and managing the voter registration and ballot security programs.”
Joffrion was Field Director for Rudy Giuliani’s Iowa Campaign Committee and most recently served as Political Director for “Charlie Ross for Congress” in Jackson, MS.
FWIW, I have heard from Republicans around the state who opine (and typically in an abrupt change of subject from the topic at hand) that the GOP grassroots efforts around the state are not strong.
One Montgomery insider told the Parlor about the efforts of the Business Council of Alabama to counter grassroots strengths of AEA and ALFA by using local Chambers of Commerce. Though BCA is a major player in Alabama politics, BCA has never been strong in the grassroots, and the business people and professional people involved in local Chambers of Commerce are “typically opposed to AEA and represent the potential for a Republican base, an embryonic grassroots movement.” The BCA effort - initiated by BCA head Bill Canary - can “use the Chamber to communicate with the community and with legislators.”
Don’t they meet some resistance to use the Chambers of Commerce toward this end, I ask? There are a lot of Democrats in these communities and in the Chambers.
“They are not going to be 100% successful in every county, and they are being very sophisticated about it. They are not saying, ‘This is what we are going to use to kick Paul Hubbert’s ass.’ No. It’s an opportunity to participate in BCA, the brotherhood. It’s about jobs. Preserve and protect the brotherhood. You want a local mailing list, a database? Then you want the Chamber. You got contacts. You got troops. Troops to rally.”
AEA has its fundraising and grassroots strength. ALFA, he said, had increased dues to hire John Pudner (Director of External Affairs) to work its grassroots. BCA’s interests are not the same as ALFA or AEA. This “embryonic grassroots movement” is BCA’s effort “to create grassroots pressure to offset the pressure that legislators get from AEA.”
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For what it is worth, Matt Chancey - the Roy Moore faction candidate for PSC president - fired off a press release attacking the GOP for naming a diversity chairman, saying that “diversity” was a “liberal code word.” He declared that he wanted the other PSC candidates (at least, unlike Twinkle and the GOP party, he acknowledges there ARE other candidates) to join him in denouncing the GOP over the “diversity chair.”
Excuse me, but what has that got to do with the PSC?
Jack Hornady just looks better and better and better.
Comment by Anonymous — May 9, 2008 @ 1:07 pm
joffrion sounds like a real winner…didn’t Rudy finish 6th in Iowa behind Ron Paul….and didn’t Charlie Ross finish 1st in the primary then lose to a longshot in the runoff….
Comment by Anonymous — May 9, 2008 @ 1:35 pm
Diversity is an old wooden ship . . .
Comment by Ron Burgundy — May 9, 2008 @ 2:03 pm
“BCA and grassroots”, a new entry for my list of oxymorons.
Comment by Anonymous — May 9, 2008 @ 2:11 pm
Don’t BCA and the Chamber Association share an office?
Comment by William Wyatt Wallace — May 9, 2008 @ 3:00 pm
Isn’t Pudner the guy who used to work for Ralph Reed of Christian Coalition/Choctaw Indian laundry fame? How does his prior eperience help him in this new venture?
Comment by Anonymouse — May 9, 2008 @ 4:36 pm
Pudner was the guy who led the GoP to victory in the Cullman Hoouse 12 election. Or at least that was the plan.
Comment by Anonymous — May 9, 2008 @ 4:46 pm
The BCA, ALFA and the Republican Party are three different organizations. BCA and ALFA frequently support Democratic candidates. I’m not sure why they are offered here as “proof” that GOP grassroots efforts are not strong. This is not an attack Danny, I’m just curious.
Comment by Susan Fillippeli — May 9, 2008 @ 5:04 pm
Someone needs to tell the Republicans that like to opine that the party probably realizes they have had weak grassroots in the past, hence the attempt to run the RNC’s Victory program here in AL.
Comment by Arec Bardwin — May 9, 2008 @ 5:35 pm
Hi Susan, good observation. The post is probably best seen as three different and somewhat related, yet somewhat unrelated, parts. 1) The GOP announcements, 2) the observation from some GOP’ers that grassroots are not strong, and 3) the bit about BCA trying to develop some grassroots connections.
When I am hasty with a post, sometimes I am not as clear as I should be.
On #2, I don’t have a real basis for arguing the validity of that… (well, I could probably think of some points that someone would make on that). Mainly I am passing along that the point pops up in conversations with some Republicans who volunteer the point, in some frustration.
On #3, true that the BCA is not the GOP and sometimes supports Dem candidates - in the same way that the AEA is not the Dem party and sometimes supports GOP candidates. But AEA’s interests generally line up with the Dems, and BCA’s interests generally line up with the GOP.
AEA’s grassroots strength is of more benefit to the Democrats, and if BCA develops grassroots strength, it will probably benefit the GOP more. AEA head Hubbert is a Dem party official, and BCA chief Canary is very close to Riley and that wing of the party. No doubt though that both groups have core interests that they will protect over party interests.
(I know Mike Hubbard has expressed frustration about the general business community not always being there for the state GOP.)
I didn’t mean for the 3rd part about BCA to be considered “proof” that the GOP grassroots efforts are not strong.
I did find it an interesting story that an organization that is one of the major players in state politics is said to be making efforts to be stronger where it believes some of the other major players are strong. This post seemed like a good place to put it in.
Comment by Danny — May 10, 2008 @ 2:08 am
Joff is a good guy. He’s sharp and will bring a lot to the state GOP. Just because you work for a dog, doesn’t make you a flea.
Comment by Political Junkie — May 10, 2008 @ 8:57 am
BCA, the brotherhood? Preserve the brotherhood? What does that even mean?
Comment by Kathy — May 10, 2008 @ 10:13 am
[…] State GOP Fertilizing Grass Roots […]
Pingback by Bay Minette man named Republican Diversity Chairman — BaldwinReport — May 10, 2008 @ 12:50 pm
Preserve the brotherhood of business owners? Maybe the owner of Clem’s Auto Detailing has more interests in common with say, the CEO of MegaCorp, or that the owner of House of Curls could have as much influence on party matters as the VP of ReallyBigBank?
Comment by walt moffett — May 10, 2008 @ 1:29 pm
Joff maybe a good guy…but you are only as good as your last race…
Comment by Anonymous — May 10, 2008 @ 6:32 pm
If the BCA is working on ‘grass roots’ operations, you can bet you last lincoln the public will be sh*t upon. After all, sh*t is the best fertilizer for grass roots.
Comment by publius — May 10, 2008 @ 10:51 pm
Kathy, re comment 12…
Sorry to be slow in responding… got covered up for a while…
But I don’t think the “brotherhood” meant anything more than those who could feel linked by common or similar interests or experience. In this case, I suppose it’s an interest in free markets, business-friendly environments, that kind of thing.
I imagine that it’s something like expectant couples in parenting class, high schoolers at cheerleader camp, etc… folks who feel like “we are in this together” because of one shared interest though they are likely otherwise quite different.
Hope that made some sense…
Comment by Danny — May 15, 2008 @ 1:05 am
Michael Joffrion is my worst nightmare.
Comment by Barack Obama — May 29, 2008 @ 10:10 am