By Jon Fleischman
The California Republican Party’s Spring Convention is almost upon us – and it is shaping up to be a great weekend. There will be a great line-up of speakers to include Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, former Governor Tim Pawlenty, RNC Chairman Reince Preibus and RNC Co-Chairman Sharon Day, Congressman Darrell Issa to name just a few. There will be candidates for U.S. Senate, Congress and the State Legislature looking to meet party leaders such as yourself. There will be townhalls, workshops, training seminars, and many great opportunities for networking and preparing to elect Republicans (and defeat Democrats) in 2012!
Once every four years we all get to participate in the honor of adopting our party’s platform – which is significant because we are a party of principles and a party of ideas. And especially in this new era of “open primaries” it is important for the members of the California Republican Party to boldly present our views, which will be in start contrast to those put forward by California Democrats.
At last Fall’s convention in Los Angeles, the full Platform Committee met and after a lengthy meeting has recommended a draft platform that will come up for a vote at this convention. If you have not yet had a chance to read it, you can download it at the CRP website.
It is a great document that will serve as a great platform for the California GOP through the next four years.
While there was some controversy last convention with a move by some to support an alternative platform, I am very pleased to see CRP elected leadership, grassroots GOP activists, and Republican legislative leaders all unified behind the platform draft that has been advanced by the Platform Committee. When we adopt a Platform on the Sunday of convention – it is not in a back room, but rather in full session, with all of our CRP Members and Associate Members present, as well as members of the media and others. This will be a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate that our party is unified behind core principles and ideas.
Hopefully you are attending the convention, so you will be there in person to support our conservative platform. If you will not be at the convention, it is critical that you know who is carrying your proxy, and that they understand that you want your vote cast to adopt the full platform committee report.
I look forward to seeing you in Burlingame for what promises to be a great convention!
Sincerely,
Jon Fleschman
CRP Platform Committee Member
CRP Platform Drafting Committee Member
Former Southern Regional Vice Chairman and Former CRP Executive Director
P.S. Don’t miss out on everything going on in California politics. Check the FlashReport website every day at www.flashreport.org. Just yesterday I penned a column on the Prop 28 SCAM Initiative that would weaken California’s legislative term limits, but has a title and summary (courtesy of Jerry Brown) that make it sounds like it does the opposite. The CRP already has come out against this terrible measure, and we all need to spread the work to defeat it.
Comments 15
Having covered more platform hearings than I care to think about, I’ve always been convinced that the only people who read platforms are the other party’s opposition researchers and members of the next platform committee.
Ummm…where is it at? I went to the “Proposed Platform Amendments” and there wasn’t anything there.
We’ve fixed the link…
http://www.cagop.org/userfiles/CRP-PartyPlatformProposed-2011.pdf
I seriously hope someone strikes this line from the platform.
“We believe public policy and education should not be exploited to present or teach homosexuality as an acceptable “alternative” lifestyle. We oppose same-sex partner benefits, child custody, and adoption.”
Democrats mention “guns” in their platform only under the crime section: http://www.cadem.org/admin/miscdocs/files/2012-CDP-Draft-Platform-1.4.12.pdf (on page 6)
This is why I am a Republican. If you own a gun, California Democrats see you as a potential criminal. Unreal.
Prisoner Marelius, you stand accused of the foul deed of telling the Truth. How do you plead?
Chevy Sam, I agree. The platform that’s being proposed is so 2008. Sadly, that’s what the powers that be wanted.
“Opposed to same-sex partner benefits, child custody, and adoption.” Seriously?
Not often I say or think this Alger, but i agree with you. This portion of the platform is archaic. The Republican party has long been the party of individual freedom, advocating that those freedoms should only be revoked when actions of the individual cause them to be revoked. Think gun rights, everyone has the right to own firearms unless they commit certain crimes and they lose that right. We are the party of life, unless you commit a crime in which you lose your right to life. However, with this line in the platform, we are saying that we don’t just support, but advocate taking away rights from individuals who have done nothing to deserve such treatment. Same-sex benefits? Child custody? adoption? Lets just say it, certain minority factions within the party, who continue to control the party and take positions that shed voters from our rolls at a terrifying rate believe that being gay is simply a sick sexual proclivity that should be stopped. Good call guys, I’m sure that will work out for us. Any bets on how long it will take us to hit the 25% mark in voter reg? We’re already at what, 33%? Time to start opening the tent again.
Alger, I agree. Seriously… It’s whack-a-doo! We need to stop being so 2008.
Correction. We’re at 30.4% registration in California. Dems are at 43.6% and decline to state is 21.2%.
Chevy Sam, 110% agreed.
Chevy Sam
You sound just like a Democrat Wannabe. Why should any voter support a Republican Democrat Wannabe when they can vote for a Democrat and have the real thing? Copy cats are just phonies with on cajones.
Mole – that is just ridiculous. I will just speak for myself but in addition to thinking that platform plank is stupid on libertarian grounds I also feel it offensive because of the slippery slope. Shockingly I LIVED WITH MY FUTURE WIFE BEFORE GETTING MARRIED. I know. Horror. And you know, up until about 30 years ago
A) Landlords could have denied us an apartment on moral grounds
B) She could have been fired as a teacher for “living in sin”
C) She couldn’t have been on my insurance
I am a Republican because I believe individual rights are important – that unless my hand hits your nose I should have the freedom to wave it around anyway I please.
Erik,
Where is your libertarian consistency? You believe that “individual rights are important.” That is you believe your own antinomian rights are important. You believe that the landlord who does not want to rent to you does not have the right to use his private property as he sees fit. In your system you assert, “My property is my property and your property is our property.” To call your desire to get your hands on the use of his property by fine, suit or the sword of the state and call that libertarianism is “just shockingly ridiculous.”