The Pennington County GOP just sent out an e-mail blast announcing a modernization project saying “It’s time to get with the times,” to help them attract “Millennial and Gen Z Conservatives.”
So what will this initiative to attract Millennial and Gen Z Conservatives involve? According to the press release, apparently it involves posting memes to social media.
Contact: Conner Tranquill Pennington County GOP
Phone: 918-766-1422
Email: [email protected]
Pennington County GOP Modernization Project
It’s Time To Get With The TimesRapid City, SD, August 18th — We all know how much America and its values are under attack. Today The Pennington County GOP is releasing a Modernization Plan for our party and social media channels. The world has changed a lot since 1995 and it’s time that republicans start using available technology to promote their ideas. The party will be going under several changes to attract Millennial and Gen Z Conservatives. This Modernization campaign is designed to solve decade long problems conservatives and the Republican party have been facing. This press release is filled with information regarding what’s changing. I’m proud to announce the key to our modernization program PenncoConservatives. PenncoConservatives is a free to join group of Conservatives in the Pennington County Area, More information on this great program can be seen below along with key elements of this modernization plan.
As stated, PenncoConservatives is a free to join group of Conservatives in the Pennington County Area. The Group will be asked to publish images essential to promoting our beliefs along with getting news article’s. PenncoConservatives was designed to be a modernized version of TAR’s for young students and Adults. The program is similar to PragerU’s PragerFORCE Program. It’s designed to attract Millennial and Gen Z Conservatives by showcasing facts about our nation’s history and how it was founded. Best of all, the program runs completely online and members are not forced to attend events in person, but can if they choose too. Members are awarded for posting monthly social media graphics and videos of themselves showcasing certain topics in American Politics. To Join Visit https://penncogop.org/penncocjoin
Social Media is important to any organization but for political parties it’s a connection with our voters and the people we represent. We will start posting content related to conservative conferences and events outside our jurisdiction such as CPAC and SAS in order to inform our followers of events outside South Dakota they may want to attend. We will be announcing more changes to better represent Republicans in Pennington County. Our team has also created more than one social handle. You can now follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at PenncoGop. We will also be releasing Groups for our followers to join. The following groups are being added: Penncogop News Center, Pennco GOP Memes and Pennco GOP Polls. The News center will be a place for followers to post news articles to share. The Meme Group will be home to a place where followers can post political internet memes. The Poll Group will be home to people who want to make their own political polls.
If you would like more information about this topic, please call Jeff Holbrook at +1 605 348-8396, or email [email protected]
I can imagine conversations starting like this. Riinngg…. “Hello Republican Party, I’m a 35 year old small business owner who has an interest in politics, and I’m sick of all this government red tape. How can I get involved in the Republican party?” “Well, the best way to get you involved is to have you post a meme to facebook, and you can make your own political poll.” Click “Hello… hello?”
If they’re trying to attract Millennial and Gen Z’s and limiting to those who self-identify just as conservative only, their Lincoln Day Dinner keynote speaker in a couple of weeks, Rikki Schlott, will be the first to tell them…
In short, the GOP should work on rebranding as the modern, reasonable, solutions-oriented party. If Republicans succeed in crafting this new identity, it will make enormous strides with young voters and secure its future.
Back when I was with the Pennington County GOP thirty or so years ago, the main concern was “How do we win elections, and how do we raise money to help us win elections.” And a lot of that was doing the hard work. Yes, absolutely, websites and social media are part of that, but it’s like frosting on a cake – it’s not a substitute for just getting in there and banging it out.
Not to mention that basing a modernization plan on political internet memes – even in part – is idiotic.
While the Pennington County GOP wants to accomplish “modernization,” I’d recommend they get back to basics. Don’t turn over their press function over to a 17-year old (seriously, this is what I’ve heard) living in another state, as they’ve apparently done. That might be a start. What about the Pennington County Republican Ambassadors? I haven’t heard anything about their formerly strong connection to business-oriented Republicans (who got things done) in years. Get back to expanding the base for all the people who call themselves Republicans.
And as I have to remind people from time to time NOT EVERYONE is on social media. Out of a family of six kids, I have two siblings who aren’t on Facebook, and have no interest. One of them teaches classes on-line for Universities nationwide, lest he be accused of being a luddite.
Getting people involved who call themselves Republicans who want to improve their community would go a lot farther than claiming that you’re somehow modernizing by encouraging the “shit-posting” of memes on Facebook.
But don’t listen to me. I only care about winning elections.
After the initial shock of the statement, I got in contact with folks in TARs and CRs to inquire if they were consulted about a plan to attract young people in Pennington County, and doesn’t sound like it. Before posting this comment I called the contact number listed and spoke to Conner about the statement. He asked me if there was a difference between TARs and YRs.
The only time an SDGOP affiliated youth organization is mentioned is, “PenncoConservatives was designed to be a modernized version of TAR’s for young students and Adults.” I’m not so sure TARs would be happy to hear they are being replaced by this modern group.
If the goal is youth engagement I would point the Pennington County GOP in the direction of the Teenage Republicans, College Republicans, and Young Republicans.
ABSOLUTELY! We are working hard at the YR level to get more involved. It would be a disservice to everyone if we kept breaking these groups down even more piece by piece. Your spot on Brock!
OK. That’s a little funny with the meme release.
Imitating the shallowness of the Democrat party is a form of capitulation.
However, the way we keep traipsing out the same old divisive hot button issues and ignoring bread and butter issues like safety (domestic and abroad), good government, and fiscal responsibility, I guess memes are appropriate.
The Pennington County Republican party has lost contact with its base core. It has drifted away from seeking out and supporting conservative candidates and seems focused on appearing to be a branch of the Trump campaign. We need new leadership and a refocus on the basics that made Republicans the predominant party in West River. If we don’t, we take the chance of this county turning libertarian..or even worse, blue.
Seems as though the Penn. Co. Rep. are doing just fine. You’ll remember it was Penn. Co. that put Thune over to knock Daschle out of the Senate. Rep. represent all west river districts in Penn. Co. For decades, Penn. Co. Rep. have consistently voted conservative in all local and national elections. Google Conner, and he has no footprint. The phone number he lists is an Oklahoma area code. Looks like a somewhat recent transplant with limited knowledge of the political arena he has entered.
The contact used to be a South Dakotan (for awhile) but moved to another state. I believe he is 17 years old and apparently runs the Pennington County Republicans from another state.
Conner’s father is Matthew Tranquill, former RC Journal publisher. Tranquill was in RC a couple of years, moving to RC from Bartlesville, OK, now moved on to Florence, SD.
Conner’s photo pops up in the Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise in 2017 when in middle school. Yep, he’s a kid!!
Typo- Matthew Tranquill moved on to SC.