What is the Purpose of RPI?
December 30, 2008 19 Comments
In recent weeks I have had the opportunity to discuss the future of the Republican Party of Iowa with a number of party officials. The discussion revolved around many issues ranging from campaign strategy to potential candidates for 2010, but one topic really got me thinking. This issue was, to put it bluntly, what is the purpose of the Republican Party of Iowa. In other words, what is the Republican Party of Iowa’s job? What is it supposed to do? This line questioning also got me thinking about how many party officials even know what the purpose of RPI is.
There have been a large number of people that claim the only goal of RPI is to elect individuals that claim to be Republican to office. This is an oversimplification to put it lightly. While I agree that RPI is supposed to elect Republicans to office, this is not the main purpose for the party. The main purpose of political party’s in general and the Republican Party of Iowa in specific is to advance the Republican agenda. Now some of you may be wondering what the agenda of RPI is and where does it come from. That is a simple answer, the RPI agenda is decided upon by the grassroots at the county, district, and state conventions; and is known as the party platform. The primary goal of RPI is to advance this agenda through all the means available to the party.
There are numerous methods for the advancement of this agenda that is available to the party. The most well known method is to facilitate the election of Republican candidates that have pledged to advance the Republican agenda. Now here is where I think that RPI has gone wrong over the last several years, they have fallen into the habit of supporting candidates that say they are Republican, but they fail to advance the Republican agenda. This has to change for the sake of not just RPI, but for the sake of Iowa as well.
Another method that RPI has at its disposal is one that they have failed to utilize efficiently in the past. Hopefully the next Chairman of RPI will take advantage and exploit this method to our advantage in the future. Many newspapers around the state provide the opportunity for leaders and experts from across the state to author and submit guest commentaries for their opinion pages. The Democrats have taken full advantage of this opportunity where RPI has seemingly refused to even acknowledge that it exists. The only Republicans that one will find taking advantage of these opportunities are weak-kneed RINO’s like Joy Corning. RPI must take advantage of all media options available to them.
This idea is similar to the previous one, with one major difference. RPI must develop a way to generate positive media coverage. This could come in many forms, perhaps some of our elected officials can volunteer to help at a homeless shelter. Or how about a fundraising drive that rather than fill RPI’s campaign war chest goes to a good cause like Toys for Tots or something along those lines. Basically find some way of tying the Republican agenda to a charitable event. This would in essence exhibit the compassion that we know we have and the Democrats claim we lack.
At the end of the day the goal that RPI must accomplish is advancing the Republican agenda. The agenda was laid out by the heart and soul of the Republican Party of Iowa, the grassroots volunteers. They didn’t go to the conventions because they were getting paid or getting a free meal. They went to the conventions because they believe in the Republican Party and they believe in platform as laid out. Failure to support the platform and advance the agenda from any party official is nothing more than a slap in the face to the base of the party.
Thanks for shedding light on this. It seems like the main purpose of the RPI has been hidden from the public. So, it’s not just about electing any ole Republican, but about advancing the PLATFORM and AGENDA. I love it.
Way to go to post such wisdom! PLATFORM!!! What a unique idea to follow the PLATFORM!
Very good thoughts. While the candidates and elected officials are on the front lines in communicating the Republican message we should all be involved. I have been reading Gov. Mike Huckabee’s book Do the Right Thing and he is advocating a similar view. I am really quite optimistic about our future because I know we are right on the issues.
Below is listed verbatim from the RPI Constituiton regarding the purpose.
While some words or concepts can be debated as to their meaning such as principles, policies and objectives and in theory probably are the basis for what many call the platform they are not necessarily the same.
The platform is a “living document” that can change each Convention and is a sole product of the vote of that specific State Convention and the mood of its voting Delegates.
This is not to minimise the importance of the platform but rather question if the platform is the sole source of GOP values or rather a reflection of a specific group of Republicans that vote on it every two years.
ARTICLE II
PURPOSE
1. The purpose of the organization shall be to conduct the activities of the Republican Party of Iowa, to promote Republican principles and policies, and to cooperate and assist in the conduct of national, state and local elections.
ARTICLE III
MEMBERSHIP
1. The membership of the Republican Party shall consist of all voters of the State of Iowa who desire to support the objectives of the Republican Party and register to vote as Republicans.
2. It shall be the duty of each County Central Committee to register eligible voters residing within its county as members of the Republican Party.
These are the stated purposes of the RPI. Both end in the discussion of elections and voters. While it may be an “over simplification ” to state the sole purpose is to elect Republicans I think it is a very fair statement.
Power comes from contol of the government. Control comes from the voting booth. If we win elections we have the power to implement our principles and objectives. If we loose we face what we see each day now in the news.
The question should not necessarily deal with the platform exclusively but what are the overiding values and principles of our Party, not pages and pages of special interest planks that we obviously all do not agree on 100%. If we did then the Platform portion of the Conevention would not be so volatile at times.
We need to come together behind the basic conservative values- both fiscal and social that a majority of us share. The idea that everyone will agree on 100% of these values 100% of the time is not realistic. There is a difference between core values and multi planks of a platform that change periodically.
Great post but you went a little easy on Joy Corning, don’t you think?
Andy, first of all thank you for taking the time to comment on our humble blog. Now as to the body of your post.
In your post you provided information from the RPI Constitution. I thank you for that, I could not find that anywhere on the internet. Under purpose the constitution that you provided states “The purpose of the organization shall be to conduct the activities of the Republican Party of Iowa, to promote Republican principles and policies, and to cooperate and assist in the conduct of national, state, and local elections.” This concurs with my assertion that the goal of RPI is to advance the Republican agenda. It is also my assertion that the Republican agenda is laid out in the party platform.
As I stated in the post, I believe that the election of Republicans is just one method that RPI has at its disposal for the advancement of that agenda.
While you may believe that the platform is nothing more than pages of special interest planks, I have to disagree with you. The platform was developed by the grassroots volunteers that poured their heart and soul out to produce that document. The rank and file members do not need to agree on the platform 100 percent we just need to respect that other people have different ideas.
But the officials that we elect to represent the Republican Party of Iowa should advance the agenda set forth by the grassroots.
Danny,
Thank you for taking the time to read our humble blog.
I have not had the opportunity to read Huckabee’s new book, although I look forward to it.
Often I get the feeling that the voters are only important when we show up to vote the way we are encouraged to vote and then to leave the thinking and decision making to the experts.
This line of thinking may have worked pre-computer/networking days. Not anymore. Seems to me “core values” are in the platform. What’s the deal- the platform is important on the day of convention when voted in but maybe, maybe not on any other given day?
There is power in being an informed voter and thanks to this site, there are a lot more of us.
Andy Cable,
There is a difference between not agreeing 100% on everthing and throwing a pro-choice Republican at me and expect me to work for them and vote for them just because there is an “R” beside their name. Or, is pro-life one of those “core values” of the Republican party that you are talking about? What are we supposed to do with those Republicans who go against our core values?
First Albert I think we are much more in agreement than not here. That is the problem of Blogs and any written coirrespondence often. It is the inability to openly communicate as a discussion develops.
My first statement dealt with the concept of the possible differences between a platform that can change every two years and our core values and principles. Hopefully a platform does reflect these principles but perhaps because of its length and inclusinary concept may not 100% of the time for 100% of the party.
Thsi does not in any way shape or form minimize it but my point is that it is much more specific in its statements than what we may all agree on.
Each member of our party has specific issues they wish to have included in the platform. It is their “special interest”. Many of these planks are combinations of previous county and District platforms. Often there is direct contradictions from diffenent platforms. Ask anyone that has worked on a platform at a lower level- take your county or District platform and compare against the final State one. Compare our state platform against the National one.
Seems the McCain people got the ethanol issue completely watered down in the national platform.
So which platform are we obligated to follow 100%? The county one? the District? the State? the National?
Or do we get the great copout by picking and choosing the planks we as individuals agree with from any of the above or even better just ignoring those from any we may not 100% agree with?
Albert I apologise if my words” special interest” words perhaps gave too strong a connotation. They are probably among a few words or descriptions that are are often ared flag to many.
Trust me Albert I have worked for many years at all levels within the party to advance our principles and values. There is not a tougher job at any level than to develope a platform that is both a statement of our principles and also represents our values. I have also witnessed at all levels very legitimate opposition to many of the planks. Do we tell those that support a single issue difference on an individual plank and are defeated by a single vote that they therefore are wrong and not a good Republican since they lost their arguement 20 to 199 in votes at a County convention? Now we have 199 bad Republicans because they do not agree with the County Platform. Now that plank is in turn rewritten and defeated at the District by 300-299. Now are suddenly the supporters who lost at the County level right?- I think you get my drift. Individual planks are often not based on principles or core values but rather legitimate differences in an individual’s perception of what affects them personally. This is often the case when it comes to rural/suburban issues.
Your closing Albert–
“The platform was developed by the grassroots volunteers that poured their heart and soul out to produce that document. The rank and file members do not need to agree on the platform 100 percent we just need to respect that other people have different ideas.
But the officials that we elect to represent the Republican Party of Iowa should advance the agenda set forth by the grassroots.”
we could not agree on more. I think it is in essence exactly what I have tried to express. I understand and have worked at the grassroots for more than 30 years. I have seen the differences of my fellow Republicans dealing with a platform. I have also spent many hours uniting those after such disagreements.
All4Iowa
Your passion is what makes you valuable to the Republican Party.
“What are we supposed to do with those Republicans who go against our core values?” Not work or support them if you feel they do not represent you.
It is certanily your perogative- no your duty to not vote for someone that you feel strongly does not support your feelings.
No vote is a statement and hurts a candidate – ask Coleman in Mn if he would want a couple hundred no votes to change their minds and vote for him.
The question then to me at least is do you wortk actively aginst that candidate? Is the opposing the candidiate pro-choice also? Do you win either way in that particular race?
In a real world if BOTH are pro-choice are we better off electing the one that we disagree with 75% of the time or the one we disagree with 20% of the time?
Hopefully your work at the primairy level will prevent “whoever” it is that is “throwing” such a candidate at you.
A strong party with principles and values will hopefully minimize such instances.
Yes, I agree that the primaries are where we can weed out Republicans who do not stand for our core principles.
I know it is my choice not to support or work for certain candidates who don’t support my values, but as you have read on blogs, that is not the “Republican” thing to do and I get tired of the beatings for standing up for those values. I don’t agree with, however, actively working for their defeat. (Well, unless they are absolutely horrible and the Democrat is better.) I also think that voting for the lesser of two evils is rewarding bad behavior. Hey, if we voted for someone who was 50% Republican this time, we will vote for them again next time around. So, we get crappier and crappier candidates every election cycle and the agenda we are supposed to be pushing just disappears for the sake of a victory. Have we really won then?
That is why I did not vote for Obama or McCain.
HELP! Maybe we need TWO platforms—
one: for “personally individual” planks that involve “legitimate differences in” individuals’ perceptions of what affects them.
two: for planks involving core values.
For example, I can negotiate on whether or not a sin tax should be imposed on all forms of meat, poultry, fish and dairy products but that plank is hardly in the same league with one that protects a person in a wheelchair from being run over simply for being in a woman’s way.
Are planks supposed to be “just ideals” that we let hang above our heads until maybe one day they just happen to become reality? Or are they tangible goals which we can realize through hard work and dedication?
Andy,
I believe that the party platform is the agenda set forth by the rank and file members to guide our elected officials in making laws. It is the principles that should be the guiding force behind RPI’s policies and strategies.
As I stated before, I am quite aware that the rank and file members of the Republican Party are not going to agree on everything in the platform. Now our elected officials on the other hand are tasked with advancing the Republican agenda so they should be advancing the principles and policies set forth by the platform. I would even go so far as to assert that when Republicans do not uphold the agenda as set forth by the grassroots, that is when our party gets in trouble.
But then which platform are they to uphold? The Iowa platform backing ethanol production or the national that harms the same? There are other examples of differences from County, District, State and National platforms. My point is simply while a platform is a statement of the voting of a specific Convention, it is formulated and worded essentially by a Platform Committee that does choose and word wha tis even presented in the first place. Are we to accept such statements even when they flucuate with Districts in a state or vary often in the wording and purpose state to state.
I do not feel that all planks by virtue of being included in a state platform always represent our principles and values as Republicans.
Maybe neighhay is on to something with a the idea of two paltforms. Though normally our platforms are well divided by content into separte sections.
I guess my feelings are that there should be principles and values that we as a party stand for and they should stand alone in tiem – much like our Constitution they are B&W – not living documents to be changed or updated simply by a majority vote at a Convention.
We should expect our elected officials to uphold our trust that they will stand on the principles they stood fore when we nominated them. If they do not represent such thoughts then we it is our reponsibility to “un-elect” them whether it be at the Primairy or General Election level. If we do not then the blame rests soley on our shoulders.
If we allow others to “force ” candidates on us then once again it is ourt fault for allowing it and in most cases we find such candidates do not get the grassroots support to win- McCain is point in fact. We have slso experienced it at the state level in the recent races for Governor and many statehouse elections.
We need to continually strive to find those that back our values and trusts and get them elected. Should they then violate that trust or their word, it is also up to use to drop our support- all to often we do not and then we have to only look into a mirror to see why it has happened.
Acitivists hopefully understand this and will respond as many of the bloggers do- but is simply not enough to just complain if one does no more. You can hear all you want of that in any coffee shop inn the country. Until we turn complaining into action and generate more ground root support then we will stay stagnate.
Say what you want – Obama and the libs did that this election – and we stayed home because we were not excited with our candidates.
I would say that our elected officials at the Statehouse level, you know Governor, state Senator, STate Representativ and the like would use the state platform. Officials like Latham, Grassley, and King would use the National platform. And officials at the county level like County supervisors, City Council and Mayors would use the County platform or in the case a municipality crosses county lines use the district platform.
I understand where you are coming from in regards to a set of principles set in stone so to speak, but I think that would create a situation where the party would be afraid to evolve to changing times. I also believe that the platform represents the values and principles of the party through the grassroots of the party.
The only problem is that is not the way the paltforms are written. if we are to be a grassroots party then the present method of paltforms being written at one level and passed upward is correct. There is little in a county platform that deals with county issues. The purpose of a county paltform is to submitt it to the District which in turn does the same to the state and then to the National. There is not a specific cut off point to be used only at that level. It is a process in theory to give the grassroots input all the way to the National Convention.
All this goes back then to the question ” Which plaform is THE platform of our party?” Especially when they are at times diametrically opposed at different levels.
Much of this may be semantics and just double talk. The simple point i was trying to make is that the multi-platforms from different levels every two years is not necessarily an infallible document of what GOP conservatism holds as its principles. Hopefully rather the individual planks are a result of such principles but they do not in reality define the principles as many may argue.
This conversation was intially about the purpose of RPI. Apparently the By-laws and Constitution are not easily found online. I do have both in file form and will gladly send to anyone wanting to see them. They are an interesting read.
So, there is not one document somewhere that lists our core values and principles?
Hey advancing the party platform, now there’s a novel concept!