The Green Elephant: Winter 2008
 

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"Obviously, REP hopes that
McCain will succeed in becoming
our nominee and, ultimately,
the president who will restore conservation to the GOP’s
 conservative mantra. But no matter
 who wins in November, a major
 realignment is at hand within
the Republican Party. Political
 coalitions ebb and flow over time,
 but even the most successful
 ones—like the New Deal and the
 Reagan Revolution—have
a shelf life of only
two or three decades."


Cover of a printed flier that the McCain
campaign sent out in New Hampshire
in December. This is reproduced
from a PDF, so it’s hard to read the
credit line under the quotation:
“Republicans for Environmental Protection.”
The quote is from Jim DiPeso’s article
in the last Green Elephant.

 

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A Realignment Election

by Larry Hopkins

By the time you read this article, we will all know a lot more about the direction of the 2008 primaries. Or... maybe not! Such has been the nature thus far of the earliest, most unpredictable, and wide-open presidential race in history.

This presidential campaign has been impacted by a few unusual events. There is no heir apparent in either party. Many states, hoping for more influence, moved up their primary and caucus dates, a practice known as “front loading.” There has been an explosion of non-traditional media, including 24-7 coverage in the blogosphere, low-cost YouTube-oriented campaign ads, an exponential increase in debates, and even paid TV Christmas commercials.

As you know, we at REP have again endorsed Senator John McCain, who is clearly at the head of the GOP class on all things environmental. Although his track record so far could be titled “What a Long Strange Trip It Has Been,” he now has big momentum as seven early primaries and caucuses unfold. After starting 2007 as a front-runner, then watching his bloated campaign staff bleed his treasury dry, he was given up for dead by summer.

But slowly he began clawing his way back and into contention. Aided by near-monthly debates and a smart earned-media campaign—including a timely REP endorsement in New Hampshire in October—McCain is now at the top of the charts.

Obviously, REP hopes that McCain will succeed in becoming our nominee and, ultimately, the president who will restore conservation to the GOP’s conservative mantra. But no matter who wins in November, a major realignment is at hand within the Republican Party. Political coalitions ebb and flow over time, but even the most successful ones—like the New Deal and the Reagan Revolution—have a shelf life of only two or three decades.

The last realignment favoring the GOP pushed to the forefront issues of the religious right, blue-collar southern conservatives, and corporate business interests. The next one will have its seeds in this election.

Foreign policy interests, traditional economic conservatives, and conservationists can now vie for a bigger say in our party’s future direction.

How you can help

To have a seat at the table, REP members must get involved now. As a former GOP chairman in a large suburban county for eleven years, I can tell you that the people who had the most influence on me in determining the direction of the party were the volunteers and donors who made the wheels of the party machinery turn. So even though the transgressions of the Bush administration over the past seven years may have made you want to swear off party involvement forever, please bite your tongue and jump back into the arena now.

Opportunities are endless. Poll workers, precinct committeemen, GOP club donors, state or national convention delegates, and phone bank coordinators are just some of the needs that will be facing county and state party leaders all over the country this year.

If McCain is our nominee, these jobs will be fulfilling in the overall context of his election effort. But whether he heads the ticket or not, if you want to bend the ear of a party leader or even be a party leader after the November elections, your time is now. In today’s high-tech world, it’s much easier to get involved in a presidential campaign than it used to be.

If you’d like to help, you can go to www.JohnMcCain.com and sign up to make phone calls from your home—even to other states with critical primaries. You can also make a contribution on-line, volunteer for a local petition drive to get his name on the ballot or even travel to the next voting state for a last-minute door-to-door push.

Larry Hopkins, a REP member since 1997, served as Political Director on our staff from January to September 2007. Although he left us to run a state-wide political campaign in Indiana, he continues to assist REP as a volunteer. We’ll publish his commentaries throughout this year.