The RPV Chairman Race
By Greg L | 10 April 2008 | RPV | 11 Comments
Quick question: what is the most ossified institution in Virginia? No, I’m not talking about the Senate of Virginia, although that’s not a bad guess. I’m talking about the Republican Party of Virginia. If you want to find an institution that moves with the grace of a drunken elephant and stings with the power of a butterfly, this would have to be it.
Perhaps you haven’t had the supreme pleasure of dealing with RPV. I can’t say that I’ve had much either, since RPV seems to steadfastly ignore anyone who fails to show up with a big wad of cash they can then lavish on direct mail for folks such as Russ Potts and Emmett Hanger. We’ve lurched from the telegenic perpetual self-promoter Kate Obenshain-Griffith to the dedicated establishment insider John Hagar, while watching legislative majorities slip ever closer and even into minorities. At the same time RPV can’t seem to define itself into something that voters can understand, nor anything that grassroots activists are willing to dedicate their time to. The “vision thing” just isn’t there, folks.
In the midst of this existential disorder, there’s a convention coming up which will select a new Chairman for RPV. Delegate Jeff Frederick is challenging John Hagar for the position, offering something just a little different. Even though Jeff is two house districts away from me, I’ve had far more interaction with Jeff’s campaigns than I ever had with RPV. When you watch the Frederick machine at work, it’s truly a thing of beauty, filled with excited volunteers, plenty of campaign cash, and it runs on behalf of one of the best conservative political strategists and operations guys in Virginia. You walk out of one of their events and will feel like you have your hair on fire, wondering why you don’t feel this way more often in Virgina.
So what’s John Hagar’s response to all of this? Some rather bizarre emails to supporters where he says he’s proud that Lee Ann Washington got blown out of the water in the 99th District (admittedly a tough race, but how can anyone be proud of a sixteen point thumping an a Republican district?), before going into full-blown whine mode:
Let me be clear. No matter what my opponent wants to say, he just does not get his facts straight. He is more concerned with tearing down our party - and me personally - than he is with building our party.
It’s not like John Hagar has never run for office before. This diatribe worthy of a political neophyte is utterly ridiculous, and a demonstration that Hagar can’t express a positive vision for the Party he is currently charged with leading. Can anyone imagine someone coordinating statewide campaign activities whose only response to criticism is to pull out the “I’m a victim card”? No wonder the Senate is run by Democrats.
A number of my colleagues, who I respect very much, have decided to support John Hagar for RPV Chairman. I can’t fathom why that’s the case, although if they’ve never encountered Jeff Frederick before I’m willing to chalk this up to not being informed about the candidates and cut them some slack. They cannot have decided that more of the same is going to produce anything that differs from the thoroughly underwhelming results we’ve seen over the last few election cycles.
The better choice here is Jeff Frederick.
Note: The Prince William County Convention is this Saturday. If you want to be in Richmond to support Jeff, you better be there.
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11 Comments
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Well, to be fair Frederick has really hurt himself several ways in this race, with one being he false endorsements and the other being a little too much arrogence. I happen to agree with Hager on the Lee Ann Washington situation. RPV did a good job for a first time candidate. The chances of anyone other than Wittman beating Pollard were approaching zero in that district.
I for one think we need much more experience and a little less rhetoric from an RPV chair. Frederick has never run a political operation outside of PWC. It takes much more than fancy promises and pie in the sky rhetoric to win. I think we are well positioned under Hager to take back the governorship in 09 and I think he will work with all sides of the party, thats something I don’t think we would see with Frederick.
Also, as far as Jeff’s ability to get anyone other than him self elected, we need only look at the Chris Royce campaign. I believe their districts completely overlap and Jeff didn’t do anything of significance to help Chris. Also, what has Jeff done to be a party leader in PWC? Has he help light that organization’s hair on fire? It’s great for Jeff works so hard for himself and that he raises a lot of money for himself, but how has he shown that he is willing to work for anyone but himself?
I was at the YRFV convention this past weekend and heard both Hager and Frederick. I am supporting Hager, and have set out my reasons here:
http://www.conservativa.com/wp/index.php/2008/04/10/john-hager-for-rpv-chairman/
I simply do not believe it is appropriate for an elected official from the party to be party chairman. There is too much potential for conflict of interest. I even agree with Patrick McSweeney on this, whom I hardly ever agree with. Is Hager a little too old school? Yes. Could we use younger more vibrant leadership? Yes. But Delegate Frederick is not the person to move it forward.
Hager: Bush-style, anti civil libertarian, big brother government, to Hell with the citizens, their all little people, style Republican. Also, connected with Bush family, a very big political negative! Supporting Hager means support for the status quo=keep losing.
Frederick: Young enough to still know what Republicans are supposed to stand for, including less government and more freedom for our citizens. Scares the Hell out of the Left=more Republican victories.
First, listing 2 mistaken endorsements out of 28 or so General Assembly members actually supporting him is hardly something to get worked up about, even if Hager got hyperventilated over it.
Second, I’m not sure how one can “agree” with Hager on the 99th district. The GOP got its butt kicked hard. That district is at least 60% Republican, but we lost. Hager and his gang were nowhere to be found when they should have been on the ground in the 99th trying to find a better candidate…PUHLEEZE don’t try to tell me that Lee Anne Washington is the best we could find in that district. Further, RPV only gave $11K to her race, whereas state Dems funneled about $43K to their candidate. And, as far as I know, RPV didn’t have lots of bodies in the district (it’s not like they’ve got anything else to do in February) knocking doors, passing out literature, putting up signs, etc. Instead, what Washington praised Hager for was for his willingness to personally phone “prominent Republicans” in the district to get them to support her. Geez…wow. That must have taken some real arm twisting to get prominent Republicans to support the party’s nominee.
But, Hager nevertheless actually brags about his role in that staggering and embarrassing defeat. We’re supposed to re-elect him because loser Lee Anne has nice things to say about how helpful he was. And, we’re supposed to hold it against Jeff Frederick that he actually criticizes how little the RPV has done over the past few years to stem the tide of electoral losses we’ve been experiencing (except Hager doesn’t call it criticizing, he calls it “rewriting history” and “tearing down” the party).
It’s time to put someone in charge who intimately remembers how to win elections and energize the grass roots volunteers and donors who make that happen. It comes as no surprise to those who know me, but I’m 100% for Frederick.
I’m glad we saved our money in the 99th since we didn’t have a top-tier candidate. We didn’t have a top tier candidate because everyone knew who was going to win. If Hager had gone to the mat and spent $50k then everybody would be complaining that is was money thrown down the toilet (and they would be correct).
I’m for Jeff Frederick, and the reason is because the primary role of RPV is to get and keep Republicans in office.
RPV needs energy, structure and organization, and the ability to raise lots of money. Jeff has a proven track record. He is an exemplary Republican, he appeals to people of all ages and we certainly need some youth to energize our campaigns. He has outstanding managerial skills and runs a very successful business. We need a “Forbes” type business man that knows how to get results.
Just because Hager, a former Democrat, ha a son marrying Jenna Bush and his future in-laws will be Laura and George W. does not mean he has the energy to raise money and re-energize the Republican party.
Vast majority of voters consider themselves Independents. It is time to get the Good Old Boys out and bring in a leader who is passionate about our party principles…and not someone who wants the job for status.
Frederick may be a decent young man, but Randy Forbes he is NOT. Frederick has not proven anything beyond being able to raise money in a HOD district. No one knows him outside of PWC and I have heard he does not get too much respect for his so-called friends in the caucus and leadership.
Frederick is NOT running for status? Thats news to me since he was pushing for multiple positions over the past six months.
If you think RPV is “ossified,” getting Frederick in there would hasten the process enormously. The low point was reached during the Kate years. Gillespie was an important step in the right direction. Too bad it didn’t last longer. Hager understands the need for change and has kept some momentum going toward making RPV a true aid to the Party, as opposed to a mere echo chamber for hollow slogans. Frederick’s background, political career, and legislative record are completely unremarkable. He says things people like to hear, but he’s as much a dinosaur as many of the recent pols in Virginia who have dragged down the Republican brand over the past several years. Even if he had something substantive to offer, I agree with LI - this is not a good place for a current office-holder.
Mike,
John Hager has NEVER been a Democrat in his life. That’s a complete fabrication on your part.
As far as his service in the Warner Administration, that was only after both George Allen and John Warner asked him to serve in he newly created Cabinet-level position, since he had already taken on the job of “Homeland Security Czar” after 9-11. I might also add that John Hager was constantly under fire in the Warner Administration for sponsoring and attending GOP fundraisers. He refused to cease his GOP activities and stayed in his official post since it was a critical time in the Commonwealth’s emergency preparedness plans.
When Gov. Warner went back on his pledge to Virginia voters and proposed the largest tax hike in the Commonwealth’s history, John Hager told Gov. Warner that he could no longer serve in his administration due to this betrayal to Virginia citizens and promptly resigned his post.
I thought you’d want the facts instead of repeating silly rumors.