Coastal Conservative Conference – NCGOP Chairman Candidates’ Debate

When I arrived at the conference late this afternoon, the debate between the four candidates for State Chairman of the N.C. Republican Party had just begun.  Chad Adams, Tom Fetzer, Marcus Kindley and Bill Randall were all on stage and participating.

The panelists who asked questions of the candidates were:  Frank Iler, Chairman of the NCGOP’s 7th Congressional District, New Hanover County GOP Chairman Alex Dale, Brunswick County GOP Chairman George Bell, and Pender County GOP Chairman Bob Muller.

If I were to boil the questions asked by the panelists and members of the audience down into a single question, it would be this:  What must the Republican Party do to right the ship, repair its brand, get organized and elect good, conservative Republican candidates to public office?

All four candidates emphasized the need to redefine our party and repair our brand identity.  They tended to agree that the key to reclaiming our brand identity is based in standing firm on our party’s core, conservative principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility, lower taxes and the sanctity of life.

Tom Fetzer stated that we must “stop thinking like a minority party.”  He added that we must recruit the best candidates and then stand by them.

Chad Adams emphasized that we must clearly identify who we are and what we stand for, and that our party must “not be afraid to hold a press conference.”

Marcus Kindley focused on the importance of a strong grassroots organization, emphasizing his experience in Guilford County.  He echoed Fetzer’s sentiments that we must stand by the candidates we recruit and stated that we must stand by our principles and not be ashamed to be Republicans.

Bill Randall stated that we “cannot overlook the fact that our brand is damaged,” adding that we must redefine who we are and that we cannot let the opposition define us.

The candidates agreed that the Republican Party has work to do in terms of regaining voters’ trust.

Fetzer stated that the Republican Party’s brand is broken because Republicans voted for tax increases, bigger government and more spending.  He stated that we must “govern like we talk.”

Kindley stated that the Republican Party must stand behind our elected officials when they are doing the right thing.

Randall stated that he would take steps to hold Republican elected officials accountable for adhering to conservative principles.

Adams stated that when the Republicans took control of Congress in 1994, there were 1,500 earmarks in the budget; when the Democrats regained control in 2006, there were 15,000.  He emphasized that this was an example of Republicans failing to stick to their principles.

Fetzer said, “You Republicans out there who are in elected office have the burden of responsibility to govern like Republicans.”

The candidates also emphasized the importance of electing conservatives to local offices, as well as building a grassroots organization from the ground up starting at the precinct level.