Terry Wear’s Goals and Objectives for the Virginia 11th Congressional District
If elected Chairman, I plan to take the Virginia 11th Congressional District Committee in a different direction. These are some of the things I hope to accomplish over the next two years:
I. Activities at the State Central/State Legislative Level:
1. Revamp the Presidential Nomination Process: While some or all of this proposal may be overtaken by events occurring in the current session of the State legislature, I think we should revamp the procedures for qualifying candidates in presidential nomination contests, to make the process less burdensome. This will include making changes to Virginia State law, as well as changes to the State Republican Party Plan.
We should look at the procedures used in other states, as well as listen to the voices, both old and new, of those with ideas for improvement. The qualification process should be open, simple, and fair; should not advantage (or disadvantage) any particular candidate; and everyone should be able to easily understand what the rules are.
While we are looking at these procedures, we also should look at the qualification procedures that apply to other lesser offices in the Commonwealth for possible adjustment, using the same standards of fairness articulated above.
2. Transparency of Activities at the State Central Committee: We need more transparent processes for many of the activities occurring at the State Central Committee. I will give notice of the State Central activities on the 11th District web site; or through email to Fairfax County, Fairfax City, and Prince William County Republicans who reside in the 11th District. I will also report the decisions and other actions of the State Central Committee through these means, and will give oral reports at unit meetings whenever they may be requested by the leadership of these units.
II. Activities at the 11th Congressional District Level:
1. Recruit Strong Conservative Candidates While Remaining an Honest Broker: I will attempt to recruit strong candidates to run for office, candidates who are solid conservatives and who have political talent and the “fire in the belly” to win.
That said, however, I believe in an open and honest nomination process. Once that process begins, I will be an honest broker and will neither favor nor disfavor any candidate, nor endorse any candidate competing in the process. I believe this approach will permit the strongest candidate to emerge as our nominee. In addition, I will endeavor to make all Committee activities and procedures as simple, fair, and transparent as is possible.
2. Grassroots Organization: No closely contested election can be won without an effective grass roots ground game. I have implemented or otherwise been involved in all the “grass roots ground game” activities in every Cuccinelli campaign, and will offer grass roots ground game advice and counsel to the 11th District general election republican candidates; as well as do everything I can to help the candidate and his/her campaign implement an effective grass roots ground game, and win.
3. Identify Our Favorables: We need to make a greater effort to identify those voters who are favorably disposed to Republican candidates, both in the Eleventh District and elsewhere in Northern Virginia. Nothing beats a solid grassroots plan and there is no easy way to implement one, other than through the use of a good bit of shoe leather. I will work with the Fairfax County, Fairfax City, and Prince William County Chairs and Committee members to implement a neighborhood by neighborhood, precinct by precinct canvass to identify our “favorables” and to ensure that we are able to turn them out on Election Day. Some neighborhoods and precincts have this process underway, and we need to build on their fine efforts. We cannot start this process too soon; if this can be done in church congregations, we can do it in our neighborhoods.
4. Build the Republican Party: I’ve drawn scores of new voters into the Republican Party through my church outreach activities, and believe this approach can be used to reach out to Korean, Indian, Hispanic, and other ethnic small business people; and draw them into the Party, using their concerns over small business issues as a common theme.
— I will then use this cadre of people to reach out and recruit other Koreans, Indians, Hispanics, and other ethnic groups; and build an ever-widening circle; similar to the approach I use in educating a church congregation. As I’ve met and talked with other 11th District Republicans, I’ve found several others who believe this approach will work and have volunteered to help with the effort.
— I’ve talked with a number of people from these ethnic groups during this campaign, and I’ve learned why many of them came to this country. In short, they came because they lived under governments in which the politicians controlled everything, all the way from who gets to go to school to who gets the jobs, who gets the loans to build a business, and who gets to do business with the main customer in these countries, i.e., the government.
— In contrast, here they are able to succeed (or not) based on their own initiative and hard work; they don’t have to kowtow to the politicians or to government bureaucrats to get financing or a license to do business. They resent the fact that Obama, Connolly, and the Democrats want to change the country; to control them through federal programs like Obamacare, and to take away the kinds of opportunities they have worked so very hard to obtain for themselves and their children. Many believe they are powerless to do anything about this; and some are reluctant to speak up because they think they will offend the native-born citizens with their comments.
— These voters are our natural allies, and we need to reach out and show them how they can further their own interests by working with us. Working together, we can and will defeat Obama, Connolly, and the rest of Nanny State democrats.
— A similar outreach effort can be mounted to Tea Party members, “20 something” voters, and students; building on the common themes of eliminating economic uncertainty by getting the government out of the way, controlling government spending, and creating a climate for economic expansion and job growth.
5. Raise Money: I will raise money to support our 11th District candidates; to lift the responsibility for certain “nuts & bolts” functions from the shoulders of the candidate and his or her campaign. We have State office holders who can and will attract a crowd; and we should use them to generate funds to pay for such things as more effective software to manage our voter data bases, for absentee ballot distribution; and other “nuts and bolts” activities to improve the effectiveness of our campaigns.
6. Learn from our Experience: I will solicit ideas from candidates (both successful and unsuccessful) in other races, as well as the Fairfax County, Fairfax City, and Prince William County contingents of the 11th District as to ways to improve our election performance. We will do “lessons learned” sessions after campaigns to learn what we did right and what we need to do to improve our chances to win, and to keep on winning.
