I don't envy his successor. The party has become nothing but an echo of the worst elements within the local Democratic Party. People who actually believe in Republican Party principles are not welcomed by this county party organization. His successor will have a difficult time finding people to volunteer time and money to an organization that lacks the ability staring January 1 to offer city jobs and contracts as a reward, essentially the only people left still supporting it.
Walker's farewell e-mail rests on the re-election of Mayor Ballard four years ago and not the debacle that has ensued in subsequent elections. He blames Republican-leaning voters moving out of Marion Co. for the party's difficulties, giving no thought to the real possibility the policies of higher taxes, more regulations and crony capitalism pursued by a Republican-led city may have played in that continued exodus. Here's what he had to say:
Five years ago, you entrusted me with the honor to serve as the Chairman of our Marion County Republican Party. Today, I write to you to let you know that I am resigning the position of Chairman, effective upon the election of my successor. I have called a caucus for December 15, 2015 for the organization to elect a new Chairman (details below).
In my speech five years ago, I stressed the importance of winning re-election for Mayor Greg Ballard and making the changes necessary for us to be successful in a county that has proven to be increasingly difficult for Republicans to win.
In the years that followed, we made great strides in accomplishing those goals. We re-elected Mayor Ballard; leading to four more years of responsible Republican leadership, and some of the most creative solutions to long-standing problems in Indianapolis.
We opened the doors to our Party, allowing for new people and new ideas. We ran the most diverse countywide ticket in Marion County GOP history and we now have more women in positions of Party leadership than ever before. We also defended our traditions by securing Primary election victories for 98% of the candidates we selected in slating.
We upgraded our technology, allowing us to more effectively spread our message door to door and to make more voter contact calls than ever before. We raised the funds necessary to improve our outreach, communicate our message and keep our Party on firm financial footing.
In short, we’ve accomplished several of the goals we set on that cold December night in 2010. There are many people who deserve credit and appreciation for the time, money, and talent contributed to our efforts. In addition to the Precinct Committeemen, Ward Chairs, Township Chairs, donors and volunteers, I’m also very grateful to Mayor Ballard and our other elected officials, at the state and local levels, who have helped strengthen our Party in various ways.
I’ll be the first to point out, however, that we’ve had our share of disappointments along the way. There were races we all wanted to win, but came up short. A changing electorate is one of our biggest challenges. We lose thousands of Republican voters to our neighboring counties each year – and this has been occurring since the late 1990s.
It doesn’t take a political scientist to understand that a decreasing Republican base makes our job tougher. Now, as we begin the next chapter for our Party, I believe it’s time for a new leader to recruit candidates, raise funds, and continue to invest in a grassroots infrastructure to represent our principles and deliver our message to voters across the county.
Serving as Chairman for the last five years has been an honor. The Marion County Republican Party is full of great people and I’m humbled and grateful for your generosity and support.
24 comments:
Na na na na --- Na na na na -- Hey hey hey --- GOODBYE!!!!!!!
I'm reminded that Ben Hunter is out of a political job since he lost his seat on the city council, and losing seems to be the new Republican mantra. My elderly mother, who never voted Democrat in her life, announced that she would not vote for "that S.O.B. Mike Pence" again after he "hurt that poor refugee family." She doesn't think he's a Christian if he can't find any mercy in his heart.
Did you hear the national republican party rumor that if Trump is the nominee they will "throw" the national election to Clinton and focus on winning congressional races. The party is falling apart. Today instead of talking terrorism and war Congress was all about repealing Obamacare, again. Another losing battle.
And have you heard the fighting words coming out of Cummins. They're trashing Pence for his grotesque anti-discrimination bill which is really the worst step backward in discrimination in decades. I don't know who is advising Pence, but he's going to lose this election.
The puppet master will continue controlling the Marion County Chairman. The individual is not important. The mummy dummies will continue to bow before their betters.
Ben Hunter has expressed interest in this position thus solidifying the further degradation of the GOP for years to come.
So what is Walker's new gig? What about his wife's campaign consulting business? He must have something lucrative on the horizon.
I wonder who his wife will go work for now. I first met her when she worked for McIntosh in the late '90s. No one at the grassroots level liked her and we all dreaded having to work with her. She's a no-talent hack with a nasty disposition. A Republican friend of mine who's in elected office always asks me after each election how she manages to continue getting campaign gigs. She was part of McIntosh's disastrous gubernatorial campaign, managed Rudy's "NH campaign and then managed to get hired by McCain where she couldn't even pull Indiana in the GOP column.
The arrogant establishment "doesn't do" truth in assessment, humility or introspection; which means they're "not about" winning. The local establishment moved from the base; not the other way around. If we're to judge people by what they do rather than what they say; the base is the party's enemy. These failures result from embedded structural flaws & not any one personality.
For too many years, nationally as well as locally, the "Republican Party" is no longer an articulate alternative to the Democrat Party; hence the rise of outsider candidates.
Kyle Walker's phony excuses for his failures are not worth my time to rebut. It is long past time for this guy to exit stage left. I agree with other commenters here that the way has been cleared for yet another chess piece to be placed and used. The real power keeps its face hidden and pulls the strings from behind...the way DB did and still does. That way the front man changes but the real crook behind the scenes remains in place...time and again.
This party is kaput. As for Kyle Walker, good riddance to bad trash.
I suspect if it wasn't for the money that the Republicans extort from the judges they would be in sad shape financially. It is no longer about the party it's all about pay to play.
"We re-elected Mayor Ballard; leading to four more years of responsible Republican leadership, and some of the most creative solutions to long-standing problems in Indianapolis."
I am speechless... How can Mayor Ballard's actions to profit his supporters at the expense of the taxpayers even slightly be construed to be "creative solutions to long-standing problems"?
I have been trying to review older blog posts to assess the extent of increased taxes and fees imposed upon citizens and illegal contracts awarded to cronies by the Ballard administration, but this task is too daunting for me. Gary, would you please research and enumerate Mayor Ballard's "creative solutions" during his eight years in office and post this list on your blog?
Be careful of what you wish for...Walker gone...possibly replaced by...Ben Hunter? OMG
Ballard spent eight years destroying Indianapolis as an attractive home for Republicans and did everything possible to make the city an appealing place for liberals.
Bike lanes, road narrowing, no road widening, trails on roads, massive amounts spent on inner city redevelopment housing that directly appeals to liberals and the liberal lifestyle, opposing Pence on RFRA, and the list goes on.
Ballard had eight years to make Indianapolis an attractive place to strong, assertive people, but he went the other way, forcing the good people who make the city work to look for nice places to live with good road access outside the city limits.
Republicans can fairly said to have destroyed Indianapolis as a Republican city by design and intent.
4:55,
You're nuts. RFRA is the past, present and future of the Republican Party.
You can't call yourself a Republican if you don't support the ability of businesses to act on conscience.
If Cummins wants to be opposed to morality, the pickup-truck buying public, overwhelmingly Republican, might need to boycott any car manufacturer that uses a Cummins engine.
Anon 8:43-
RINO Republicans, Chambers of Commerce, Cummins, Eli Lilly, Angie’s List, etc, now join extremists in support of the homosexual manifesto. This manifesto represents a hyper political minority of hate filled extremists, who reject the truth of America’s founding, the Constitution, individual and religious liberty in favor of tyranny. “Satire" is not scribed in the blood ink of hatred. Warning: offensive content, read at own risk- http://www.wnd.com/2012/06/homosexual-manifesto-satire-or-reality/
I dunno if Hunter's running or not, but I got an email from Jennifer Ping stating that she was running.
It sounds like Ping is the only one running. I hear Megan Robertson will become the new executive director, which ensures that Hallowell will still have her lucrative consulting gig with the party to help out the Walker household.
Anon 12:16 -- you sound like Eric Miller. "Homosexual Manifesto? Good grief! You know, keep on listing groups who you don't agree, and you will be left with under-educated white males over the age of 50. Which is what the GOP has become these days....
Anon 8:43 -- the same comments apply to you.....RRFA is not the future of the GOP, unless you want to see the end of the party....
Anon 8:38, just what is the liberal lifestyle? Please elaborate
I am certainly glad to see both Ballard and Walker leaving their respective posts as they were both disasters, but you guys need to chill out a little -- the world (and US) are changing, and you guys are being left behind -- and perhaps that is a good thing.
The Marion County GOP is fast becoming an anachronism -- who cares who runs the party...it's over
Ping is just an influence peddler.
She won't do a thing to create passion to vote for Republican candidates. Marion County Republicans seem to like their role of being opposition that needs to be bought off. That keeps everyone paid.
When Indy becomes supermajority Democrat, they won't need Republican complicity any longer.
Anon 2:55-
Are you commenting without reading what extremist Michael Swift wrote in 1987 published in Gay Community News? LGBT has not formally rejected Swifts manifesto, so we can only assume Freedom Indiana and supporters are endorsing this anti American trash. Don't have to be Eric Miller to know that the malign by sign owner at 36th and Central and their extremist cronies are anti Christian. We can now add several businesses, RINO Republicans and the Chamber to the hate list.
Gary you are 100% correct at 1:57. I am willing to bet that a past constant candidate and former hopeful mayor wannabe is feeding Ping advice behind the scenes. Ping may be a nice person but Anon 3:36 is on target: Ping brings NOTHING, N O T H I N G, to the table in terms of passion, excitement, and understanding of personalities and political dynamics. Sadly, I must say the same of Ping's "advisor"... who has lost more races and burned more bridges than Jimmy The Pill Popper has scripts for painkillers.
Just as it does not matter a damn - as proved by Kyle Walker's Republican Mayor Greg Ballard- who you was retained or elected to be your City County Councilor, if the Marion County GOP continues to feature tired old failed faces from the past, if it continues to have old news as its fresh approach to winning... forgeddaboutit. It's not so much that the Democrat party campaigned so hard, or that they reached the "hearts" of the voters, or that they did anything out of the ordinary (they and the "R's" are indistinguishable)... it is that people like Tom John and David Brooks killed off the remaining shreds of a successful political GOP machine all for the self glory of Money, Power, More Money, and More Power.
David Brooks was the final bullet that killed the Marion County election power house... and that's the truth even though there are countless Marion County GOP rear kissers who refuse to admit it in public.
Oh Lord... you don't think SDeW is in the GOP cards as a dark horse? Oh, no- no,no,no! Or another brilliant selection from out of the dark like Charlie Brewer. We long-time GOP'ers know from experience that there very well may be a Brooksian candidate "arise" from somewhere. The replacement is always chosen before the current announces retirement.
Nothing in politics occurs by chance, folks, it is ALWAYS planned in advance.
Jennifer Ping And Megan Robertson? - wasn't the latter ED in the last days of the Mike Murphy era? I think that was before Robertson "came out".
A party confounded by & in conflict with its principles, can only succeed in further D-cline. Look for the establishment to remain in the dark & make a mushroom pick. This stuff isn't that hard but they make it that way.
9:30 PM "I suspect if it wasn't for the money that the Republicans extort from the judges they would be in sad shape financially. It is no longer about the party it's all about pay to play." <<---- THIS!!!! Slating fees in general. Waived of course to those who the chairman wishes to see on a ballot.
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