Greg Williams on "How To Grow The Republican Party"

April 11, 2013 - PRLog -- By Greg Williams

Greetings and Salutations loyal reader! Normally this forum is used for op-eds but today I’m using it to present a platform segment for my 2nd Vice Chair candidacy. My name is Greg Williams and I am running for 2nd Vice Chair in the State of Georgia Republican Party. During the first chapter of my campaign, I have met groups across the State and have heard the same question repeatedly:

“How do you plan to grow the GOP in Georgia.”

That my friends, is the pertinent question one should ask of any candidate for State office. As we approach the County conventions on March 9, I thought it appropriate to present my plan to grow the State of Georgia GOP using my experience as Chairman of the Buckhead Young Republicans and Co-chair of the Fulton County GOP Bucksprings Breakfast. Both of these groups have experienced significant growth the past few years and I’ve also had the opportunity to observe some “best practices” utilized by all sorts of successful GOP groups in Georgia.

The State officers in the Republican Party are charged with the mission of growing the GOP in the state of Georgia. This is a difficult, daunting task but one that can be accomplished through hard work, intelligent planning and thorough execution. With 159 counties, the State of Georgia has the second most counties of any state in the country, ranking only behind Texas. The large number of counties may seem like a logistical burden, but it actually works to the advantage of those who are trying to grow a statewide organization. The average population size per county in Georgia is around 63,000, which sets up nicely for a targeted growth campaign specific to each county. As a Big Tent Party, Republicans have members with diverse backgrounds, interests, careers, religious beliefs and cultures. These groups coalesce behind the Republican Party and its core principles of limited government, free markets and personal responsibility. A “one size fits all model” is an ineffective approach. Folks in Dalton face their own set of issues with the manufacturing industry vs. folks in Savannah who are concerned with the shipping industry. This doesn’t mean we change our message from county to county, it merely implies that we adapt Conservative principles to local issues so the citizens can see why our solutions will work better than ideas from the Left. The Party has often fallen victim to the dynamic of the metro Atlanta region vs. everyone else. This model has enjoyed a modicum of success the past few election cycles, but its future prospects dim as changing demographics require that Republican leadership develop a cohesive statewide plan for growth in the growing minority segments and the under 40 demographic.
Instead of approaching the task from the macro side of things, its more effective to approach it on the micro side. Growing a State Party is difficult, growing a county Party is a far easier proposition to tackle. If we are successful in growing the County Party in all 159 GA counties, then naturally we will achieve growth in the State Party.

So how do you grow a County Party?

1. Host regular events/meetings at consistent locations

Since most Republicans work and pay taxes, we can’t just schedule meetings/rallies at 2 pm on a Monday afternoon like the “Other Guys” do and attract good attendance but there are plenty of other opportunities for like minded Conservatives to meet. Many GOP County Parties are already hosting a slew of monthly events and are actively growing their memberships. Some of the most effective meeting categories are Monthly Breakfasts, Monthly Republican Party meetings, Monthly Social hours and Family-friendly events like BBQs. If your county is looking to establish a Monthly breakfast, the best time is usually a Saturday morning. Breakfast programs include a catered breakfast, announcements from the County Party and a keynote speaker. Rural counties may want to start off having a Breakfast every two months, or maybe just once a quarter as they build their audience. The important thing is to get the ball rolling and then host the event at consistent times and places so your members establish a routine.

For GOP regular meetings, Tuesdays seem to be the best night, as many locations will let your group meet for free in a private area as long as you bring paying customers to the location on what would normally be a slow night. I’ve been to events at O’Charley’s, Taco Mac, Stevie B’s, and many other popular chain restaurants that are happy to donate space in exchange for the chance to serve hungry and thirsty attendees. Tuesdays work best for these kinds of meetings because many people go to Church services on Wednesday nights and most folks are too tired from work to venture out on a Monday. The meetings should be fast paced and last anywhere from 60-90 minutes. The last thing you want to do is bore people with 4 hour meetings. You will find that folks will hang out and socialize after your meeting adjourns and normally the speaker will be able to answer individual questions on a personal basis. We will get to Thursday nights in a second.

In addition to GOP breakfasts and meetings, its important for a county party to offer social/fellowship hours as well where attendees are able to relax a bit and not have to worry about listening to a speaker. Thursdays are usually the best night of the week for a “Happy Hour” or “Monthly Social” as the work week is pretty much wrapped up and most folks are looking to enjoy a little leisure time.

Family events are also very important for the success of a County GOP. Roller skating nights, bowling alleys, miniature golf, hay rides, corn mazes etc can all be ideas that will appeal to everyone in the family.