The South Dakota Republican Party has filed it’s May FEC Report, and I’m sure they’re happy the convention – which is supposed to make money for them – is coming up, because the cupboards are looking a little bare at the moment:
May SDGOP FEC Report by Pat Powers on Scribd
I’ve been hearing rumors for quite some time that some of the goofballs in the party have been damaging the brand and stifling fundraising, because no one wants to make a donation to elect those characters. And the proof may be in the pudding, with receipts of $3240 from 4/1 to 4/30. What were the headlines during that time? Candidate Robin Schiro in Jail, County GOP groups promoting Indy candidate Justin McNeal, Yankton County GOP playing favorites in primary, Minnehaha GOP Vice Chair recruiting petition carriers for Indy McNeal, and more.
What kind of effect did it have on the SDGOP? Only $750 in itemized contributions. $2667 in small donations. Candidates such as Rick Weible and Robin Schiro do not inspire donors to invest in the Republican brand to become part of a rising tide that lifts all boats. They either donate to candidates directly, invest in political action committees with a very narrow band of focus, or they just hang on to it.
Unless the SDGOP has a financially successful convention, candidates might be looking at a very lean fall election when it comes to party activity on behalf of candidates. It’s not because they don’t want to help – Chairman Wiik and others are very concerned with getting Republicans elected – it’s just that the well might be rendered too poisoned or dry to do anything when this fall rolls around.
CANDIDATE QUALITY MATTERS. It always has, and always will. And when the Good Candidate/Goofball ratio has gone too far out of balance, this is the danger that Republicans face.
It is better to give your money directly to sane candidates than to put it into the hands of the lunatics who showed up at the convention two years ago and tried to put the party’s money into their own pockets, stiffing the Watertown convention center for the cost of the convention, on the grounds that “nobody told us the convention would cost us money, and we even had to pay for our own motel rooms!”
This same bunch is threatening to remove the party chairman.
Hell no, we are not going to give them any money.
Not surprised. The State GOPs (and RNC) are becoming increasingly irrelevant – other than process stuff and mail rates. That’s it.
Nationally, major Super PACs, McConnell, etc. are much bigger players than the RNC. It doesn’t make sense when a donor can only put $10k into a party apparatus but $1mm into an IE Super PAC.
In State, Thune/Rounds/Dusty each have more COH today than the state party will raise in a decade.
Imagine a world where we somehow have a competitive Senate race with a Republican vs Billie Sutton. The state party is essentially a non factor in that race. The R candidate will raise a million. Koch, Club for Growth, AOA, etc. could all spend a million each supporting that R. The grassroots efforts are coming from the campaigns themselves or vendors hired by a third party.
The days of the party being relevant (outside of party procedures) are coming to an end. Campaigns are way more significant today than ever and PACs have exploded onto the scene.
Agree with what has been said above. The party has become irrelevant — not necessarily because of the issues you mentioned about current candidates, but because of things like the last GOP convention and the nuts taking over major county parties. While Wiik may be doing a fine job, he doesn’t have fundraising experience. And even if he did, people who write significant checks are not going to give to a party that has largely been taken over by whackos and goofballs who go to convention and vote for people like Ravnsborg or Monae or Haugaard. We will give our money directly to candidates instead.
The next step is moving AG, SOS, and Lt. Gov to the primary ballot. We simply can’t trust the majority of people going to convention.
Sorry, but I can’t think of anyone I know who would give $10.00 to the SDGOP right now. Too much Monae Johnson, Rick Weible and other incompetents.