A Few Thoughts on Selecting a New Republican National Committeeman

The Cherokee County Republican Party hosted a forum Saturday morning for the candidates running to succeed Randy Evans as Georgia Republican National Committeeman.  The Georgia Republican Party state committee will have at least three names to choose from: Melvin Everson, Jason Thompson, and Chris West.  My understanding is that both Jason and Chris were in attendance of the forum while Melvin was unable to attend due to a prior commitment.  I haven’t watched the live stream, but I have seen a few of the questions and answers floating about my Facebook feed this morning (hat tip to Daniel Galloway for posting them on his Facebook page).

It looks like the questions range from state-level issues including electronic voting at conventions, RFRA, and the purpose of the Georgia Republican issues to more national issues including whether Arizona Senator John McCain should be ejected from the Senate or if Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell should be forced out as majority leader.  While those are topics that tend to be currently discussed within conservative circles, those issues have as much to do with representing Georgia Republicans at the RNC as much as the price of tea in China.

Those topics work for talk radio and continually stoke the fire of discontent of those who are constantly searching for something to be angry at (and does a great job of selling ad time), but I believe there needs to be a discussion surrounding more about what the job entails: how will you represent Georgia Republicans on the national level?  It’s a boiled-down question, but it’s very relevant.  Randy is leaving big shoes to fill.  He was a cool head that helped lead the RNC through the possibility of a brokered convention.  He was routinely on TV, but he didn’t actively seek the spotlight and represented the Republican brand.

That is what the GAGOP committee needs to ask themselves: “who will best represent us?”  We need a national committeeman who will both bring ideas and build relationships across the states, but we also need someone who is willing to toe the party line when needed.  Questions about state and national policy may help indicate where that person falls on the political spectrum, but I would find more value in questions like “what committees would you like to be on?” or “what ideas do you have to help prevent what happened in Virginia on election night spreading to other states during mid-term elections?”

I have a feeling that big challenges will be facing the Republican National Committee over the next four years as we try to maintain our majority.  I hope that my friends on the GAGOP state committee will fully vet each of the candidates to find the best one to not just represent our values, but also work with the many states to build a more unified national Republican Party heading into the 2018 elections.