MeckGOP Chairman’s Corner
Fellow Republicans,
If you missed today’s Charlotte Observer article “Democrats Hope Tuesday Was 2012 Preview” it pointed out what an impressive grassroots organization that the Obama Machine has built in Mecklenburg County.
The article noted that the NC Democratic Party sent 2 full-time organizers to Charlotte months ago (others have noted that possibly as many as 8 local organizers appear on the Obama Campaign’s payroll in Charlotte) and that Democratic volunteers made 252,000 phone calls and knocked on 25,000 doors.
The Obama Machine deserves credit for an impressive effort. HOWEVER, the article missed one salient point … despite outside forces bringing to bear enormous financial and volunteer resources to impact Charlotte’s election, they were unable to move the numbers from 2009.
- There were 2,081 fewer Straight Party Democratic votes cast.
- Anthony Foxx received 861 more votes than in 2009. (For all of the outside help and demographic changes identified in the article, he moved from winning with 11.4% of the electorate to winning with 11.6% of the electorate.)
- Patrick Cannon received 379 fewer votes than he did in 2009.
- David Howard received 2,488 fewer votes than he did in 2009.
The Democrats gave Mecklenburg County their best shot, and yet leading Democrats LOST votes and straight Party Democratic Voting went DOWN from 2009.
Given the same demographics and the same candidates, if the MeckGOP and Republican Candidates had had even half of the resources that Mecklenburg Democrats and their candidates had from outside donors, the NC Democratic Party and Obama Campaign … We would be talking about a significantly different outcome from Tuesday.
So why did we lose, and lose soo incredibly badly?
It’s too early to review detailed turnout data, but if Early Voting trends carried through Election Day roughly 13.9% of Charlotte Republicans voted (compared to 22.4% of Charlotte Democrats).
We weren’t beaten by ANYONE. We beat OURSELVES. We chose to accept the conventional wisdom that has been proffered from the newspaper, to blogs to even talk radio that Republicans just can’t win in Mecklenburg County. As a result, far too many of us didn’t donate the needed resources OR make the tens of thousands of phone calls that were needed to voters or walk the neighborhoods that needed to be organized.
In almost 9 out of 10 cases, Republicans didn’t even take the time to stop and vote during the TWO and a HALF WEEKS that polls were open.
So where do we go from here?
It would be tremendous if we could do as the local Democrats did and rely on the cavalry to come from the RNC or some other outside group to save us, but we simply can’t expect that to happen any time soon. … and frankly, we don’t need the cavalry.
Within the 4 corners of Mecklenburg County among our 171,376 Republicans, we have all the financial resources and talent we need … each of us just needs to make up our minds to do it.
Over the next few weeks, we will be rolling out an ambitious plan to embark on an unprecedented effort to (i) grow the MeckGOP, (ii) establish a vibrant neighborhood grassroots organization and (iii) make triple-sure that we Get Out The ALL of the Votes in 2012. That effort needs funding and staffing.
The vast majority of the folks reading this email can donate something whether $5,000 now or $10 a month along the way … Please make that donation right now at http://do.nr/3fi.
There are many, many ways to help …
1) Email Fundraising Chair Adam Bridgers to join the MeckGOP fundraising team and/or host a “in home” fundraiser for the MeckGOP (it doesn’t have to be a big affair … just a chance for us to tell our story).
2) Email Volunteer Chair Catherine Oxford to volunteer your time and talents. We need volunteers to manage phone banks, volunteers to help staff Headquarters and make phone calls, volunteers to help us on technology/data-management projects, volunteers to walk neighborhoods and host organizational meetings right now to help identify future MeckGOP Neighborhood Leaders.
3) Email Recruiting Chair Mike Walker to discuss running for office. If you want more information about any office or want to suggest a name, please email Mike.
Unfortunately, the 2011 Election is now in the past, and we can only learn from the experience and come together to build the MeckGOP into a grassroots organization that wins EVERY year in Mecklenburg County.
Let’s shock the world in 2012. Will you join us?
Gideon C. Moore
MeckGOP Chair
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