Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapters
01 - The Candidate
02 - The Staff

Chapter One

The Grand Old Party

Each election cycle I am amazed at how many political candidates are complete outsiders. These potential party leaders have virtually no idea how to ask for support, endorsements or speaking engagements. They don’t know anything about the system and miss many golden opportunities. When the enviable loss on election night leaves them bitter, they end up blaming “country club politics” for their mistakes. Remember three things: Always make yourself available, contact every Republican group in your district and attend every function and meeting you can.

I recommend making a few friends in the party that you can call and ask advice when you need to. Keep your conversations with these contacts confidential and ask them to do the same; you don’t want your new friends to feel they need to censer themselves. Although you should never repeat gossip, you should know what’s being said about people you know. Close social networking with the power brokers and the GOP rank and file will make your job as a candidate a lot easier.

Your first contact should be to the District Committee Chairperson for the office you’re seeking. In every state it’s a little different, but the county registrar should have a name, email address and phone number for the current chair. This should be done at least a month before candidate registration begins. If the committee does not yet have a viable candidate, the chairperson may ask you to meet with the committee. Treat this as a job interview. If the district committee approves of you, they will recommend an endorsement from the county central committee and state party.

In some places, the district committee is a well oiled machine that will assist the candidate in all aspects of the campaign. District committee members are the lowest ranking elected officials in politics. On paper they have almost no power and are just the first level in the party machine. However, they can be very influential and can make formidable enemies. Show them the respect of duly elected party officials and you will do fine.

Many District Committees only meet once a year and its members aren’t very interested in participating. They seem to view their position in the party as a club membership not a responsibility to the voters that elected them. It is up to the Chairman to keep a monthly or bi-monthly schedule, inform members of meetings and replace non-active members according to the County party bi-laws. The members of the district committee may not want to participate in a political campaign, but they should be available to advise and attend a few events. If the chairperson opts to dismiss inactive members, suggest some of your people as replacements.

State party membership is different from District and central committees. Although logic would suggest that an elected member of the Central committee should be granted a full membership in the party, it doesn’t work that way (Do I sound bitter?). To be a full member of the California State Republican Party you must run for a state or federal office or be appointed by someone that has. Each candidate is given a certain number of memberships to distribute based on how well they did on Election Day as well as an unlimited number of associate memberships. County Chairpersons are also allowed a small number of membership slots and unlimited associate memberships. Associate members have no voice in party policy, but are eligible to carry the proxy vote of a member.

Many people confuse being a registered Republican voter with being a member of the party. The members of the party shape party policy and endorse or condemn bills, propositions and measures. They are carefully selected by the leadership to control the agenda of the party. These sessions are held at the bi-annual, State Party Convention.

Twice a year the members and associates of the state party attend the conventions held in lavish digs. These three day parties are more about networking than GOP business. These events are mandatory for any candidate to attend, but don’t be fooled into attending the dinners. They are over priced, dull and will leave you disappointed. You will want to attend receptions, hospitality suites, campaign workshops and gather as many business cards as you can. This is also a good place to solicit endorsements and compare notes with other candidates.

Business cards for your campaign are a must have item when you attend a party function. Your campaign cards should include your contact information, the cities in your district and your press photo on the front. The back of your card should be blank and unlamented to allow people to write notes. Your card should be designed and printed by a professional; cards are an important part of a good first impression.

If your election coincides with the presidential election, you may wish to attend the National Convention. This is a good place for endorsements and photos with the top party policy makers. National Conventions are highly choreographed events that can really boost party morale. If you are running for a federal office, you should attend the National Convention.

Conventions attract celebrities, office holders, top Republican Party officials and Influential Political Action Committees; for this reason the candidate should carry endorsement cards while attending such events. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to people and ask for endorsements. Try to attend as many hospitality suites as you can and be sure to bring a few key volunteers with you to help work the room. If a good volunteer is in the right place at the right time, they can bring valuable information and support to the campaign; let some of your people mingle. Choose your volunteers for this type of event carefully; you will be judged by their behavior as well.

Local Republican clubs and political service clubs can be found with a quick web search or through party contacts. You will more than likely be asked to speak at a meeting or event. This will be your opportunity to write a speech, memorize it and deliver it without sounding rehearsed. If you do well you may be rewarded with volunteers and or donations. If you choke, there will always be another opportunity around the corner.

Many Members of the Party and political service clubs expect a candidate to have been a member of the party for at least five years before running for public office. They feel that a person should pay their dues, work on a few campaigns or at least serve a term on the central committee before trying to step into a leadership role. You must win them over long before the primary, especially if you have a primary opponent. You must give them a reason to support you over someone they may have known for years.

To win over GOP support you must have an honest, clear message and you must look the part. Treat every person as if they are important (because you can never tell who is and who isn’t). Remember that the heart and soul of the party is still Ronald Regan, even when we completely loose our mind, the old man is our guiding light back to conservatism. Never say anything against Regan, Nixon or Newt in public.

Always be willing to help party members and fellow candidates but be careful about who you receive favors from. Do some research on and ask around about party members that offer help with your campaign. It is generally wise to avoid members of fringe groups unless they coincide with your platform.

Once you win the primary you will find the party much more willing to help your campaign and introduce you to the right people. The party and many other Republican organizations will offer to add you to a “slate” for a few hundred dollars. These are bargains when you realize that they will be sent to every Republican voter in your district and often with an absentee ballot application attached.

Slates are multi-candidate mailers or door hangers with the candidate’s photo, name and office they are running for. They also come with the endorsement and sometimes financial support of the organization that printed them. Some slates are provided free of charge, but you must have your volunteers deliver them.

I have made some of my most important party contacts while having a cigarette outside of an event or over cocktails at the convention. It’s necessary to socialize after meetings and at events, but remember to exchange cards and learn their name and office, position or occupation. When you see them again, make a point to step forward, shake their hand and address them properly. Remind them of your name, what office you’re running for and what you last spoke about. A good politician will claim to remember even if they don’t, but they will appreciate the prompt anyway.

If an office holder or party official asks you to sit and join a conversation, thank them for the offer and take the empty chair closest to them. Remember your manners, watch your language and take your social direction from your host. If others engage in unseemly behavior, find an excuse to leave. Unseemly behavior includes racist or sexist remarks, obvious inebriation and/or drug use.

Conventions are often the breeding ground for inner party gossip. Be careful about what you repeat and who hears it. Remember that whatever you say about a person in this situation will more than likely get back to them and will be exaggerated. This is not a good way to make friends and influence others. Remember that it is reputation that makes a successful politician and threats to a person’s livelihood are taken seriously.

If you have a tendency to talk too much when you’re drinking, or drink too much when you’re socializing, don’t drink at party or campaign events. Making a drunken ass of yourself at a convention is a hard thing to live down. Just because the drinks at the hospitality suite are free, that doesn’t mean you have to drink your weight in cocktails. I have seen this type of behavior quietly kill many a political career as the membership turns its back on them.

The longer you stay in politics, the more you will need to take and active role in the Party’s leadership and structure. Above all, remember that the party is your campaign’s best source of support. You may get frustrated with the leadership, but don’t burn your bridges; the Grand Old Party leaders can be replaced, but the Grand old Party cannot.