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Turning Massachusetts Red

By: SunshineStateSarah (Diary)  |  June 30th, 2012 at 07:57 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

As many of you know, I left Florida to come to Massachusetts for this election, to help Sean Bielat’s Congressional race. I miss my family and friends in the Sunshine State, but this has been an incredible experience so far. One of the more interesting aspects for me has been observing the activities of the Massachusetts Republicans, and some very promising developments in conservative grassroots activism around the southeastern part of the state.

The MassGOP, who I’ve characterized as “merry pranksters” for stunts like this, are very skilled at making a big impact with limited resources. In Florida, Republicans are spoiled with a organized state party structure with active Republican Executive Committees in every county, as well as complete control of the Cabinet, a veto-proof majority in both houses of the state legislature, and most of Florida’s Congressional delegation. Still, there is a feisty and nimble attitude I see displayed by the MassGOP, a constant quest to find new ways to take jabs at the Democrats, that I think larger state parties could learn from.

I have also observed a wonderful trend of excellent Republican candidates running for office in Massachusetts, who exhibit the strong spirit and commitment to fiscal responsibility that was the heart of the 2010 Republican renaissance. Sean Bielat ran for the first time in 2010, against a long time incumbent in a highly gerrymandered district, and still managed to put up a fight against Barney Frank, so much so that Frank was unwilling to try his luck against Sean again in the newly redistricted Fourth District. I’ve also met several of the Republican state legislators who were elected in 2010; Representatives Angelo D’Emilia (Bridgewater) and Keiko Orrall (Lakeville) were especially impressive.

One thing I think it’s important to know is that Massachusetts is not actually a blue state. Yes, really! It’s true that there are more registered Democrats than Republicans, but the majority of voters in Massachusetts are independent, not registered with either party (commonly referred to as “unenrolled” here). These unenrolled voters often have conservative or moderate views on many issues, and the Republican message can be appealing to them. Remember, Scott Brown won statewide just two years ago. Voters in Massachusetts have voted for Republicans before, and the world didn’t end, and they are willing to do so again this year, perhaps more  than any year in recent history.

Sean Bielat isn’t the only great Republican Congressional candidate in this area. Jon Golnik, Jeff Semon, and Chris Sheldon are also worth checking out. (Note: I have met Semon and Sheldon, and they have my endorsement. I do not officially endorse candidates unless I have met them in person, but Golnik is an impressive candidate and I like what I’m hearing from him.) All three are running against Democratic incumbents.

Earlier this week, I participated in a blogger conference call with Golnik, Semon, and Sheldon. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) announced recently that it was committing at least $2.2 million in ad buys in Massachusetts, significantly more than they had ever contemplated spending in this state before. By making such a large investment, the NRCC clearly sees multiple Congressional districts as in play for the Republicans this year, and southeastern Massachusetts is the most conservative part of the state. I posted my notes from the call on my blog here.

In this modern campaign era, we are not limited to supporting just the candidates in our own neighborhoods, and Republicans need to realize that the ever-stagnant economy and Obama’s continual failed leadership means many more districts are up for grabs than were in 2008. 

We don’t have to just settle for trying to elect conservatives from red states like Texas. We can play on the Democrats’ turf (or at least what they think is theirs!), and we can win.

So, here are four excellent Republican candidates running for Congress in Massachusetts:

Sean Bielat

Jon Golnik

Jeff Semon

Chris Sheldon

Will you consider donating $20.12 or more to each of them, and help all of us turn Massachusetts from blue to red? 

Any amount you can contribute helps. It costs about fifty cents to print and mail a simple postcard mailpiece, and many homes have two or three voters. So even a $5.00 donation means that candidate can reach ten or twenty more voters. Wonderful!

Today is the last day of the reporting period, so please make your donation by midnight ET tonight.

 

[Cross-posted at Sunshine State Sarah, along with a summary of the conference call and additional links and information about these candidates]

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COMMENTS

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  • CarolT

    I wish this state would turn red, but it is highly unlikely. The moon bats keep voting for the same incumbents.
    It is heartening to hear that the NRCC is going to spend so much money here.

  • 1stRichard

    You should know that the Tea Party had a well organized battalion to take on Barney Frank that reached all the way to this end of the state well before Sean Bielat entered the race. It was also suspected the left voted for Sean in the primary because of the Tea Party movement was in the other camp along with other accusations. In short, there is a lot of animosity toward Sean Bielat and other mushy to communist MA GOPers here.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    If you’re not going to help the winner, get out of the way.

    No time for fifth columnists.

  • http://www.sunshinestatesarah.com SunshineStateSarah

    …and neither did the campaign. Your accusation does not make sense.

    Honestly, it sounds like you have a gigantic chip on your shoulder for some reason. “Mushy to communist”? No honest person who has gotten to know Sean Bielat would ever describe him that way.

  • tnfriendofcoal101368

    Sean Bielat or Joe Kennedy 3…no third option and I am all for replacing Barney Frank with the GOP. We give a lot of attention to ObamaTax but Dodd-Frank is nearly as bad and needs to go as well.

  • mikeymike143

    we were strong supporters of brown. and he is still the best senate choice for all tea party members to vote for that live in mass.

  • 1stRichard

    Heck, that

  • 1stRichard

    There was a lot of contention here in our Tea Party especially after seeing Brown

  • jasonfielder

    A state is blue or red depending on how people vote, not, as you think, on how many registered voters call themselves independents.

  • 1stRichard

    I think you know what side I am on

    http://www.massra.com/ (Sean Bielat should be listed here)

    http://massresistance.org/

    and yes I am playing it weak, holding back much. To say I have a gigantic chip on my shoulder for some reason, I guess you are unaware of the long history of contention between east and west in this state. This also extends to some contention between the Tea Party groups but in general, we are on the same side.

    Who has gotten to know who, I will take you up on that challenge, you and Sean should get to know

    http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/pioneervalleyteaparty/

    If I see sunshinestatesarah I can add you, from there we have a number of other local groups. From there you can find a number of front line boots on the ground fighters, because of our location we are overly experienced in combat against Marxist Socialists to ardent Moonbats.

  • celador2

    I am excited to see the emerging Republican party in MA after 2009 and Scott Brown’s defeat of Coakley in the special election January 2011. Barney Franks retired when New Bedford was removed from his CD, Bielat gave him such a run 2010 Frank had to use his own money and he admitted fundraising was not for him.

    And an entitled novice , Kenendy 3 age 31, steps in hoping the inevitable name and the Obama tailwind will save the day and repair the cracked former status quo. A victory over a Kennedy inevitability is a big thing!

    We will see but its looking good for the Challengers to Democrats All those voters who backed Brown did it because they had a choice and were not taken for granted. for the first time in a long time. The Brown election showed as did Bielat v incumbent Frank 2010 that a candidate even the incumbent party must earn the vote. No more of that, said Frank who stepped down. But Bielat is back.

    May the Independent spirit that rocked a new nation to form in 1770s sweep the state of MA yet again 2012 and beyond.

    I will make a donation to each and everyone of them above by tonight.

    .