Posted by
On the Right on Monday, June 09, 2008 1:46:48 PM
Michelle Malkin • June 9, 2008 01:03 PM
The
Texas GOP convened its party convention this week. It’s finding the
same problem plaguing the party in other states and at the national
level: Disgruntled grass-roots.
The Houston Chronicle quotes GOP officials calling disatisfied
conservatives “grumpy” and “grouchy.” These leaders seem to believe the
grass-roots have left them. Reality check: It’s the other way around.
From the piece:
After a decade of political dominance, the Texas GOP is
opening its party convention in Houston this week with a troubling
prospect: Grumpy Republicans may not turn out to vote this fall.
Many of the grass-roots Texas Republicans see presumptive
presidential nominee John McCain as not conservative enough. Others
still support presidential candidate Ron Paul. Some are unhappy over
immigration, high federal spending, a sagging national economy and
rising gasoline prices.
“A lot of them, and rightly so in many cases, are mad. They’re
concerned,” said Roger Williams, chairman of the Texas GOP’s voter
turnout efforts this year. “What we’ve got to do is alleviate those
concerns and get them to vote.”
…Republican pollster Mike Baselice said half the Republican voters
in Texas say the state and nation are on the “wrong track.” He calls
them “grumpy Republicans” who cannot be counted on to turn out to vote
against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
“I’m concerned about the wrong-track Republicans opting not to vote,” Baselice said.
Baselice said Republicans in 2002 had a 6 percentage point advantage
in Dallas County voting and an 8 percentage point advantage in Harris
County. He said neither party now has an advantage in Dallas, and the
GOP holds an advantage of about 1.5 percentage points in Harris County.
He said that partisan shift could give Democrats a great boost if a large percentage of Republicans don’t vote.
Baselice said Republicans who vote can be counted on to vote up and
down the ballot, but he said the GOP stands to lose ground if the
“grumpy” Republicans stay home.
Former Republican Chairman Tom Pauken said politicians and party
leaders need to reassure the Republican grass-roots workers that their
efforts matter for conservative causes.
“The grass roots has withered up and died,” Pauken said.
Au contraire. From what I saw at the Pennsylvania Leadership
Conference of grass-roots conservatives recently and from what I see in
my e-mailbox every day, the Right’s grass roots are alive and well.
It’s principled conservative leadership in Washington that has withered
up, died, and been replaced by invasive weeds.
Related note to the White House: Signing lame-duck executive orders on immigration enforcement doesn’t count as principled conservative leadership.