Here in New Jersey, we have a new leadership team at the helm of of state Republican Party, we may be on the verge of getting new leaders in Camden County and we are now welcoming a group locally calling itself the NEW Cherry Hill Republican Party.Yes, NEW is one of the three most powerful words in the English language (the others being "free" and "you") so it does carry a built-in cachet. But NEW will only get you so far. Voters are impatient, and you've got to back that up with bold ideas and policies or you'll be perceived as irrelevant (if not downright old) before you know it.
Mind you, the local GOP hasn't won an election in Cherry Hill in more than 40 years. With that in mind, here are five strategic ideas for the new Cherry Hill GOP:
1) Acknowledge and thank all those who have served the party locally up to this point. Yes, there's been a clean leadership sweep, but that is no reason to forget those who kept the party going over all these lean years. Do the right thing. Start on a positive, appreciative note.
2) Welcome everyone into the new party. For a minority organization, exclusivity is simply not an option, nor is excess selectivity. Remember: even a majority of a minority is still a minority, so your base must be "all in" if you're to have any chance at all.
3) Start with a simple, four or five word mission statement or a cogent tag line -- something that crystallizes what this new effort is all about. Often, less is more. Look how powerful Make America Great Again (four words!) turned out to be.
4) Back it up with a few daring ideas for the future of the town. Make them clear, easy to understand and most of all, practical. Local issues revolve around non-idealogical bread and butter concerns like taxes, clean streets, safe neighborhoods, etc.
5) Start with baby steps. Choose your first battle strategically. Focus on getting just one elected official into office. Maybe it's a Township Council member or Board of Education member -- wherever and whenever the opportunity seems most advantageous.
Remember, the longest journey (and this one is still decidedly uphill) begins with a single step -- and a welcoming, can-do attitude. Avanti!
