1) Stop Single Party rule in Massachusetts by being true to our principles while still being inclusive
· For years the GOP has embraced big tent strategy. On a national level this has worked very effectively. It's only reasonable that we not expect every Republican to think the same way about every issue. We have a wide range of ideas in Massachusetts GOP and everyone deserves to heard and respected. Moreover, the GOP has certain core principles that distinguish us from the Democrats who are completely controlled by the Radical Left. We will never attract the Radical Left to our party, and it's a fool’s mission to attempt to do so. On the other hand, there are hundreds of thousands of Democrats who are disenfranchised because they've lost control of their Party. Although they may not be willing to leave their “ancestral political home,” they are more than willing to cross over and vote for a Republican who offers them real alternative to the ultra-Left insanity that produces ideas such as the automatic Gas Tax increase, open borders, overspending to the point of financial irresponsibility, elimination of local control for upzoning, to the current anti-Semitism being taught and promoted in our Massachusetts schools. · We Republicans have allowed the Democrats to define who we are and what we stand for. Naturally, such definitions aren’t particularly flattering. We must powerfully present the truth about ourselves and our beliefs and explain why those beliefs are the right ones for the future of our communities, our state, and our country. · We need to take our message to groups who have been wrongly convinced that the Democrats care more about them than the Republicans do and that the Democratic view of the future is more in line with their aspirations than ours. · All too often our youth hear only “progressive” philosophies from their contemporaries. We must not abandon our youth, but instead include them, for Republican principles are those that will ensure the well-being of our communities and our country.
2) Build a team of candidates from the bottom up
· For any major league baseball team to be successful in the long-term, it has to have a great farm system. This means developing young talent and bringing it up through the ranks. The same holds through for a political party. · Massachusetts is not as “Blue” or as “Liberal” as people would have us believe. In fact this state voted for President Ronald Reagan twice. From 1990 to 2006 and again in 2014 we elected Republican governors. And in 2010 the people of Massachusetts elected Scott Brown, a Republican to the US Senate seat held for decades by Ted Kennedy. · In spite of this track record, Democrats hold our Governorship and dominate our state legislature. In the Massachusetts House of Representatives and State Senate, Democrats control the vast majority of seats. This doesn't have to be this way. Just look at the election results for the races Republicans lose. We still get in the vicinity of 40% of the vote. If the Massachusetts Republican Party can present its case better to the electorate, we can win more contests and ensure the proper representation of conservative thought on Beacon Hill. · The reason Beacon Hill is dominated by Democrats is that Democrats also dominate our city and town governments. And yet that is the easiest place for a Republican to get elected, simply because the elections are non-partisan. And this is where Susan proposes we need to start focusing more our energy and resources. We need to elect Republican mayors, aldermen, selectmen, city councilors, school committee members, and town meeting members. Running candidates for local office builds name recognition and allows them to gain experience in representing a constituency and make a name for themselves as representatives or mayors who served their constituents well. Thus when they go to run for higher office, people will be voting for people who have served them well already. And that is huge advantage in this state with so many unenrolled voters. Another benefit to running candidates for local offices is that it builds the party's apparatus. People working on local campaigns learn how to campaign; they learn how to become activists, get involved and remain involved. The same folks that help elect Republican mayoral candidates can be called back into service the following year when there is a Republican running for state or federal office. The same voters that are identified in an off year municipal election can be reached out to in the following year in state or federal elections. · This is what Susan means by developing a farm team. It's not that we shouldn't run candidates for upper offices. But we need to build from the bottom up in order to have a long-term strategy. All the work and research that is put in to one campaign should bear fruit in other campaigns as well. Every election or campaign should always be a building block that helps the next candidate or Republican effort to come along.
3) Concentrate on offices that are Republican friendly
· Republicans are known as the party that respects and promotes the rule of law. So even in a state like Massachusetts dominated by Democrats, people still view Republicans the party that would keep them safer, enforce the law, and less likely to let criminals walk in the name of “political correctness.” Therefore we have a natural advantage when it comes to certain elected offices such as District Attorney, Sheriff, and Governor's Councilors. Finding candidates to run for these offices should be a top priority in every election.
4) Build an organization
· It won’t be possible to develop and elect candidates if we don't build organizations. Too many Republican town, ward, and city committees aren't organized. In some municipalities they hardly exist. That is why it is important to take a more regional approach. Committees in cities and towns that are organized have to reach out to neighboring communities and help get Republican committees established. · Alliances with college Republican clubs, and other conservative organizations need to be forged at a local level. · On the municipal level, there needs to be a sharing of resources. For example: Towns typically hold their municipal elections in the spring, while cities hold their elections in the November. This means neighboring city committees need help town committees elect Republicans in the spring. The reverse should happen in the fall. This is so obvious, so simple, so common sense. Yet it is not happening. As a State Committeewoman this is one of the first things Susan will promote and implement in her district and she will encourage others to the same. · Susan believes this strategy, along with a hard work, will reenergize Massachusetts Republicans. When rank and file Republicans begin to taste victory at the local level, they will be encouraged to do more, give more, and we will see party enrollment go up. But Republicans need to be willing to take the same free market approach to politics as we espouse regarding our careers. We need to start at the bottom and work our way up. Not that we want to make the Massachusetts GOP a party full of career politicians. But our Republican candidates do need to prove themselves as public servants.
5) Present our message
· It took Susan twenty years to find the Newton Republicans. She is dedicated to ensuring that nobody in this district (or in the Commonwealth) is similarly left in the dark. She will work with ward, town, and city committees to promote the Party in their respective areas. She will vote for programs sponsored by the Massachusetts Republican Party that will train local committee members in how they can promote the party. She will support the continuation of existing candidate training programs and ensure that all local committee members are aware of training opportunities.