The Hot Light of Publicity

Sheik Harris, Chairman of the Alabama Federation of College Republicans, is a hypocrite. What now, you ask?

Sheik Harris spent valuable State funds on a brand new website for his state. It looks good, so what’s the problem? Well, the Sheik did this immediately before the CRNC launched “Operation Big Trunk,” which provided free web space for all State Feds and Chapters in the entire country. The CRNC not only provided this free web space, but also an extremely user-friendly template to actually create those websites.

We wonder how foolish Sheik Harris feels for spending valuable funds (probably a lot of money he couldn’t afford to spend) on a new website for the Alabama CRs right before the CRNC handed him a free website that looks just as good as the one he paid for. This is a perfect example of renegade State Chairmen hurting their State Fed by being more focused on hating the “Establishment” than running their organization. If Sheik Harris could have put aside his hissy-fit for 5 minutes, he would have known about the CRNC web program and could have redirected the money to something that actually helps get Republicans elected (like campaign stipends for volunteers).

Or worse, maybe he pulled a “HughDerek Derek Hugh Hall Hugh Derek” and made a “stand on principal” in refusing help from the CRNC (after demanding for a year that the CRNC help States more). We feel sorry for Alabama CRs.

So here comes the hypocrisy…

Throughout the year following the Gourley administration’s election, Sheik Harris has lead fellow insurgents clamoring for “more transparency” and responsibility in the expenditure of CRNC funds. But the Sheik doesn’t follow his own advice. First, he wastes CRFA funds on an unnecessary website. It is unknown how much this website cost, but it was professionally made so it was surely expensive. The actual amount of the expenditure has not been disclosed (the opposite of transparency… opacity even). What financial controls exist as a check on the Sheik? The only comment on this in Alabama State Constitution is the following in Article III, Section 8e:

“The Treasurer shall be responsible for the monitoring the financial records of the CRFA and shall prepare quarterly reports for the Executive Board.”

That’s it. That is THE ONLY mention of State finances in the CRFA Constitution! No mention of who decides how to spend funds, no votes, no recourse, no accountability. CRFA is about as transparent as a lake next to Chernobyl!

It doesn’t end there. Another talking point for Sheik Harris and the insurgency is that the CRNC should provide more assistance to States and Chapters. The Gourley administration has now taken a huge, unprecedented step through Operation Big Trunk… and we haven’t heard a peep from the insurgency. Also, The Gracchi seem to remember the big complaint against Team Gourley last summer was that their web abilities were not up to snuff compared to the Davidson campaign. We always thought that Davidson’s website was information overload and difficult to follow, and that Gourley’s campaign website was pretty good, but that is neither here nor there. The point is one of the following: 1) The insurgents were wrong and Gourley really was on track in cyberspace, or 2) Gourley was formerly bad, but has put incredible effort into attacking that weakness… and succeeded. Either way, Gourley has done something that insurgents previously complained he couldn’t do… how can anyone complain?

In addition, there is a link to TruthCockus on the Alabama website. Now let’s think about this… if you were a State Chairman, what would you want non-CRs (campaigns, potential donors, and media) to see on your website? If your answer is “a poorly written blog that constantly attacks the very organization I am a part of and makes my organization look like a bunch of arguing children,” then please, never run for any CR office. What a convincing plea to potential donors! “We are a group of infighting political neophytes who are more interested in attacking hardworking members of our own organization than helping the Republican candidate you support get elected, but please give us money anyway!”

The Gracchi think that Sheik Harris should take the following actions to remedy his mistake:

1) Provide a public, detailed accounting of exactly how much CRFA money he wasted on the website.
2) Produce a detailed action plan of how he will raise money to fill that deficit in time to assist in the November elections.
3) Discontinue any payments to the current CRFA web administrators and utilize the CRNC web space and template.
4) Outline a system of financial reporting to make CRFA more transparent.
5) Remove the TruthCockus link from the CRFA website
6) Apologize to Alabama CRs and to the CRNC National Board for being a terrible State Chairman.

After that, maybe the Sheik could start doing what he was supposed to be doing all this time… enabling his organization to help Republicans get elected.—TG

Top 5 Targeted State Chairmen

As CR infighting rages (business as usual for some folks in this organization), we thought it would be helpful to break down what our sources have told us... here are the Top 5 most targeted State Chairmen:

1. Eliza Vielma, Texas – once the darling socialite of the insurgency, Eliza’s actions during the Southern Caucus elections were viewed as a personal betrayal by insurgent leaders. Led by Blake Harris, the insurgency is actively working to overthrow Eliza. Texas is a big state, and various elements unhappy with the TFCR provide ready and willing allies. After Eliza’s resolution calling for “more transparency from the CRNC” (we still don’t know what that means), her stock was on the rise among the insurgency. However, now it seems that Ms. Vielma is looking over her shoulder.
2. Michael Patlan, Oklahoma – the latest in Oklahoma’s pro-Gourley dynasty, Patlan has been silent in national CR politics since becoming state chairman. However, his Half Truth Caucus blog last summer has earned him plenty of long-lasting animosity. Despite Patlan’s overwhelming election, bitter in-state rival Joe Bosley remains active with the insurgency in an effort to remove Patlan.
3. Scott Wacholtz, Florida – Scott, long Tom Jardon’s faithful lieutenant, has reportedly been unhappy with the federation he inherited. Jardon spent so much time having his ego stroked for “leading” the insurgency that he forgot to run his federation (this may soon officially be named Blake Harris Syndrome). Wacholtz has upset pro-Jardon elements of the insurgency, both in and out of state, and may find himself in trouble soon.
4. Erin McTiernan, New York – The Empire State has a long history of infighting, disunity, and State Chairman head-hunting. Erin’s controversial campaign did nothing to bury these deep-seeded divisions, and her treatise against the Gourley administration did not win her any friends, Establishment or Insurgency. Both sides viewed her moves as childish, and her in-state battles will most likely occupy much of her time in the future.
5. Mason Harrison, California??? – Yeah, we know. We can’t believe it either! We have done a lot of fact-checking on this one, but the story seems to hold up. We won’t reveal specifics (mainly because we would laugh for hours if the birthplace of the insurgency split), but lets just say that elements at the University of Southern California are unhappy with the current CCR administration. Apparently, too much focus has been given to the website and National CR politics… sound familiar? To be honest, we actually think California has done a decent job over the years (way better than the other insurgency states).

Poppy-Caucus Part II

So your emails have convinced us that, no matter how much sense we make, your insatiable thirst for intelligent analysis of the internal politics of the CRNC is worth addressing.

The Gracchi Say:

1) The opposition has been talking about and planning moves for the caucus elections for months.
2) Certain individuals, desperate for titles and perceived relevancy, sold out their comrades and allowed Gourley supporters to get elected to the Credentials Committee.
3) HAHAHA.

Look at it this way:
NE Caucus - Gourley wins 2 credentials spots, Miltenberger wins meaningless title and loses credibility with his partners in irrelevancy.
Southern Caucus - Opposition sweep (or was it? The Gracchi do not reveal sources, but do not think that the South is solid).
Western Caucus - Gourley picks up another 2 credentials spots.
Midwest Caucus - Opposition sweep (if Missouri decides to turn in credentials so that Justin Smith can legally serve on the committee).

So where does that leave us on the Credentials Committee? Gourley 4, Opposition 4... BUT, Jess Beeson Chairs the committee. 5>4

So after all of that, Gourley STILL controls the Credentials Committee! Hilarious. The disorganized Opposition (by the way, ask yourself who they are opposing. Answer: College Republicans.) has managed to prove once again that they are as impotent as Bob Dole... the question remains for our limp compadres: Will they find a leader to be their little blue pill? The Gracchi are firmly unconvinced.-TG

Poppy-Caucus

A lot of fuss has been made about the caucus meetings that have taken place over the last few weeks. Fellow bloggers have lived and died with every development. So what's the big to do?

Beats us.

Being Chairman of a CRNC caucus must be fun. We would take the helm of the Wet Caucus any day of the week, but only because it would give us an excuse to throw a party (like a CR needs an excuse!). But what do the Chairman of the Northeast, Midwest, Southern, and Western cauci actually do? As far as we can tell, they add the title to their resume and get talked about on blogs.

And, let us tell you, being caucus Chairman is one hell of a resume builder! What more could an employer want?! Getting elected to this position proves... umm, well... it proves something. I'll think of it in a second. Oh yeah! It proves that you don't really understand CRNC politics.

The opposition has flexed its collective muscles and won the much sought after (haha) spots! But these Rovian geniuses forgot that they are irrelevant. Or did they?

You see, it is the opinion of The Gracchi that these "leaders" know just exactly how useless their hard-won titles actually are. But that's not what's important. What is important is that a State Chairman made it on TruthCaucus. What is better than advancing yourself (if being praised on a terrible blog can be called "advancing") through meaningless caucus elections?

Getting your State Fed positive earned media for one.
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?084eaa86-eda8-473c-9dc2-d7c9ec98f6a1

Hosting incredibly successful State Chairman's training is pretty good, too. But that was of secondary importance this past weekend... who cares about empowering State Chairmen through training when we can elect a 38 year old as Southern Caucus Secretary!

In fact, those things that you never hear about the opposition "leaders" doing... those are pretty good. Maybe these guys would have more time to build their State Fed if they focused less on getting CR's elected to CR Offices, and started working on getting Republicans elected to real Offices. Then they could join the Gourley administration and the rest of us in celebrating one of the most successful years the CRNC has ever had.-TG

The State of the CRNC

When Paul Gourley and Michael Davidson squared off in a battle to become CRNC Chairman, emotions ran high, promises were made and broken, and alliances were formed and reformed, and then reformed again. Most of all, each candidate showed every CR in the country why they rose to positions of leadership within the organization. Whichever candidate you supported, you no doubt felt that the other side was playing dirty, but secretly you wished you had thought of and employed their tactics before they did. When the chips were finally put on the table, Paul Gourley was victorious.

Regardless of his loss, Michael Davidson (or rather, his following) has changed the CRNC landscape. Essentially, Davidson’s vision was for the CRNC to move away from its traditional role as an enabler, and begin asserting more direct control (and assistance) at the State and even Chapter level. So what has happened since? Well, what was once an idea has now become an expectation for many State Chairmen.

A fundamental shift in thinking has occurred in many states. State Chairmen no longer say “the success of my State is my responsibility alone, the CRNC can help me, but its main purpose is to assist, represent, and coordinate.”

The old structure/expectation was much like the structure of a successful State Federation. The State Federation provides assistance to chapters, serves as the unified spokesperson for the chapters, and coordinates activities between the chapters to maximize cooperation and efficiency. The nitty-gritty, real work (campaigning, canvassing, etc.) is done at the chapter level. No State Chairman, no matter how prolific, can personally run every chapter and oversee every aspect of the chapter’s activities. Further, as Republicans, we know that governance is best at the local level where leaders know the situation on the ground, have a personal relationship with the players, and can devote themselves to the cause. In fact, this decentralization is the very reason that CR’s have been so successful in years past. Everything the CR’s do keep with this theme: from the campus canvass (where dorm leaders, then floor leaders are established as “local” leaders) to any successful communication system (the CRNC communicates to the State Chairman, the State Chairman to the Chapter leaders, the Chapter leaders to the individual members). So why has this traditional (and proven) system become clouded?

When Michael Davidson decided to run for National Chairman, he faced an uphill battle as an outsider candidate. Much of his ability to garner the necessary votes rested on his ability to bypass the established communication system. The establishment had the communication infrastructure advantage and Davidson’s chances of overcoming something that had been built and developed over the course of many years were slim. As a tactic, Davidson sought out individual delegates, chapter chairmen, and even individual CR’s. Even the most ardent Gourley supporter would admit that Davidson was very effective with this tactic. However, even the most ardent Davidson supporter should admit that this action, for better or worse, caused factions to develop in State organizations. These factions have continued to battle long after the National election has been decided.

The legacy that Michael Davidson left is one that has seen the emergence of a new view of the CRNC’s role in the various states. While few would admit this or even realize that their actions indicate this, many expect the CRNC to do each State Chairman’s job from Washington, DC. Many State leaders have developed a sense of entitlement, from demanding that the CRNC provide chapter websites to believing that Field Representatives are a right and not an added bonus. The State Chairmen clamoring the loudest for what amounts entitlement programs are the same Chairmen who are not leading their states. Coincidence? I think not. The situation is reminiscent of the welfare state… as soon as welfare recipients begin to believe that someone else is responsible for their own well-being, they stop doing the things that are in their own best interest. Likewise, as soon as State Chairmen start expecting the CRNC to do their job for them, they stop, well, doing their job. - TG