Saturday at the Boone County Republican Mass Convention I ran into Dale Ashcraft. "Back in the day" when Boone County was just another Democratic enclave a hard working Boone County Republican party was fighting for recognition. Dale was the party's chairman. He commented on our work together when I was in high school.
I'm sure it was heartwarming for Dale to stand witness to the encouraging success that the GOP has enjoyed since then. And as Rick Brueggemann took office as the new chair, it was heartwarming to me to see how truly impassioned conservatives, energized, enthusiastic and focused had used the process to breathe new life into the party.
Judging by a few comments since then, and a few reports in the news, it seems that the remnants of a "we versus them" attitude still exists which will now be Brueggeman's challenge to heal.
Some of the old guard have commented that "those people" took over the party, as if the newly elected officials are some strange species or alien life form. So in addition to Rick's challenge, some of the "old guard" have challenges of their own.
They need to remain engaged. Institutional knowledge and cultivated relationships will be valuable to new leaders, will further strengthen the GOP and enhance our reputation as the "party of the open door".
And with its rich history as an agricultural community, surely those in Boone County have not forgotten the lessons of that much more rural world that Dale and I remember when we were plowing new ground; You'll make far more progress if you hitch all of your horses to pull in the same direction.
For all those status quo Republicans that are still angry about how things were handled, you all should have done things the way they do things in Georgia ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDChEDnISOw
Posted by: Mr. Scott Ryan | March 15, 2012 at 11:37 AM