Massachusetts State GOP Party Candidates – Franco and Nassour offer Divergent Plans for the Future of the State Party.

The Massachusetts State Republican Committee will, at the end of January, elect a new Chairperson to lead the Party. The Republican Party in Massachusetts is considered to be almost non-existent by most media reports, however, the rise in “unenrolled voters”, and the slight but nearly identical decline in membership of the Democrat Party vis a vis the Republican Party is barely mentioned. According to the Secretary of State Voters statistics the Democrats make up 36.95% of the electorate, Republicans, 11.62%, “Unenrolled, 50.75%, and the balance Third Party designates. This represents a decline from 2006 for both the Democrat (36.91%) and Republican (12.5%) Party with an increase in in the number of “Unenrolled” (49.79%). Therefore, it will be up to the new GOP State Committee Chair to effectively brand the Party and reach out to those disenfranchised Conservatives who now designate themselves as “Unenrolled”. It should not go without notice that the 2008 Return of Votes for Massachusetts shows: Total Votes Cast: 3,102,995, with 1,108,854 votes cast for the McCain-Palin ticket compared to 1,904,097 votes cast for the Obama-Biden ticket, the balance going to third party candidates. Therefore, 36 percent of the electorate voted for the McCain-Palin ticket (see: 11.62% Registered as Republican) with 61% voting for the Obama-Biden ticket – the difference: “Unenrolled” voters in Massachusetts can make or break either Party.

Therefore, the two candidates for State Committee Chair have the daunting task of re-branding the Party to appeal to those “unenrolled” – many of whom are “grassroots conservatives”. A brief summary of the plans put forth by Mike Franco and Jennifer Nassour follows:

Mike Franco offers a three-point plan: the first point being to Recruitment of Grassroots and Committee Republicans with an eye towards rebuilding from the ground up – with a focus on seeking grassroots approval and endorsements, building coalitions between committee membership and issues groups, and an appeal to the “populist constituencies of Independents and Reagan democrats. Franco also puts for that the Party should be grounded in True Republicanism – noting that a good percentage of the electorate falsely believes the GOP to be “a country-club Party divorced from the lives of ordinary voters”. In short, Franco proposes a renewal and restoration of the Party image by emphasizing core values such as limited government, lower taxes, gun ownership and property rights and free enterprise and fair trade. He goes on to cite the results of California’s Proposition 8, noting that 70% to 53% of Black and Latino’s supported Proposition 8, while supporting the Obama-Biden ticket. He feels that in order to attract those voters, the Massachusetts Party must stand on core principles such as: Advocating for public policy in line with natural law, supporting family issues to include pro-life and traditional marriage and fielding multiple, statewide representative candidates. He further feels that although there are differences within the State Party, that the Party should adopt the same stance as the Republican National Committee, which stands in direct opposition to eh Democrats.

Franco’s final point is the restoration of the State Party through a process of fundraising and overall reorganization of the various local and regional state committees, the “nuts and bolts” of running the organization. He summarizes that it may take as long as three to five years to rebuild the party, with an emphasis on re-branding. For more on Franco and the Mass GOP Race, visitPolitickerMA.

Jennifer Nassour, also a candidate for the Mass Republican State GOP chair, has offered a comprehensive plan to renew and revitalize the State Party. She begins by emphasizing the decline in voter registration and also looks at rebuilding from the “bottom up”. She underscores that the Party has great strengths, dedicated activist, willing fundraisers and that the fundamental message of the Party does resonate with Massachusetts voters. She calls for a “top-down” management style, one which would rely on a strong base of grassroots support. Further, she feels that the MassGOP is a “voice for common sense in the Commonwealth”, the core of job creation and entrepreneurship, demanding individual responsibility, defending family values and limited government and taxation, as well as including basics such as public safety and education are the cornerstone values that will appeal to new members. Ms. Nassour’s plan begins with a focus on fundraising: She favors the Creation of a Finance Committee and Chair, Establishment of regional fundraising events geared towards attracting all interested voters emphasising a lower-dollar amount. The creation of specific campaigns to meet target needs - voter registration drives, candidate support, technology upgrades and advertising. She also intends to hold specific “group targeted events” – including young professionals, women and youth. She is in favor of suspending the Chair’s Salary, as well as implementing other fiscally conservative programs within the State Party.

Nassour’s plans for Grassroots and Field operations are extensive. She includes distributing media outreach materials in order to carry the Mass GOP message to the regional media, and includes briefings and talking points timed to coincided with GOP activity on Beacon Hill. She also seeks to energize city, ward and town committees, offering incentives to those who excel at voter registration and fund raising and well as implementing several voter registration programs in concert with the local and city Committees.

Nassour is goal-oriented and believes in team-building as a means to an end – this includes restructuring the state committee to work with a newly designed “Farm Team”. This “Farm Team” (grassroots) will be supported by utilizing new media messaging via blogs and weekly videos as well as the enlistment of former leaders and elected officials to mentor new candidates and committees. Grassroots cannot be secured without the use of Technology. Nassour plans to modernize the party’s communications, including blogs, online videos and emails marketing. This plan will bring the Massachusetts State GOP into a more competitive arena, allowing “Young Republicans” to fully participate.

Nassour also proposes increasing the competitiveness of Republican candidates for the 2010 elections, with a focus on retaining and increasing seats held by Republicans on the State level. She focuses on Messaging – regaining an outspoken voice in order to spread the message to every corner of the Commonwealth. She proposes engaging the press, and using new technologies in order to effectively brand the Party.

Jennifer Nassour's complete plan is available here at JenniferNassour.com.

Regardless of which of the two candidates for the Massachusetts State GOP chair is elected by committee at the end of this month, one thing is certain; the candidate that will engage the media, work hand in hand with grassroots conservatives (many of which are designated “Unenrolled”) to increase voter registration and turnout and, most importantly, one who understands the necessity to include grassroots conservatives, specifically unenrolleds, will be able to accomplish the unthinkable: fast track a vibrant and robust Republican Party within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.