Connecticut Republican Party: The Epitome of Dysfunction

If press reports are accurate, the CTGOP
could set a new fashion style in 2014
before this is over

Well, you knew this was coming, didn't you?

Before we begin, let's get one thing straight - for years now, and in these very pages, The King has warned the Connecticut Republican Party of it's endless flirtation with calamity and corruption.  If the last two months of full mainstream press exposure hasn't convinced readers that there's a cancer crippling our Party than nothing else will.

Even liberals agree that Governor Dan Malloy and the Democrat-owned legislature have done an exceedingly poor job of handling our economy.  For years, Democrats have successfully chased businesses and jobs away through regulation and tax increases, raised spending to record levels, and turned Connecticut into little more than a social experiment laboratory - pushing the envelope every session to the point where social norms are nearly unrecognizable to the average Nutmegger (legalizing transgender bathrooms, ending the death penalty for murderers, forcing Common Core standards on children, and eroding first and second amendment rights; even Republicans admit that last month's marginal victory over liberals on assisted suicide may be only a temporary victory - as the devil reassesses and regroups, and plots and waits for the next round).

But believe it or not, the problem - or more specifically our problem - isn't with the Democrats. They're going to be what they've always been  - liberal, intrusive, and progressive to the point of madness. And it's not like they have anyone standing in their way to challenge them, or point out their flaws.

If Jerry Labriola were a UConn basketball
player, he'd be "self-checked"

The problem lies with the CTGOP which over the last 10 years has become the epitome of dysfunction. Our current chairman - Jerry Labriola, Jr. hasn't the foggiest idea of what he's doing - anywhere or at any time. Instead of rallying troops from the front like a leader, he's relegated himself to a whispering ghost who nobody actually sees or hears; many of our own candidates can't even pick him out of a crowd (I've actually witnessed this first-hand).

Labriola rarely does television appearances (like he should), and you can count the number of press releases that he's produced over the course of his chairmanship on one, maybe two hands. Jerry is persona-non-grata so much so that Democrat opposition leader Nancy DiNardo has been able to go on vacation mode since Labriola's took office. Aside from a few canned paragraphs he might issue from time to time, she never worries about pressure from a guy who'd much rather spend his evenings in a smoky hotel lounge at his keyboard pretending he's Stevie Wonder.

Oh, he'll tell you he does a lot behind the scenes - but that's the role of the Treasurer, or Secretary, or the Party Twitterina - and not the role of the Party Chairman.  And he does get it, folks.  It's just that he just doesn't want to do the real work.  And you can see that a minimalist effort reaps minimalist results.

I think the final straw came for The King this week when he described recently indicted villains Lisa and Brian Foley as "good friends" who'm he hopes can put this "unfortunate episode" behind them.  Unfortunate episode? Behind them? Really? He certainly wasn't good friends when he was a willing accomplice to help push Andrew Roraback over the line to defeat Lisa Wilson-Foley at the 2012 State Convention. Talk about revisionist history!

Look, Jerry Labriola is a fabulous family man, a good coach, and a decent person. Deep down he probably cares about winning, but it's just that when it comes to leadership -  he's inept. And for those of you who want to make poor Jerry out to be just another victim of this blog - Save it!  Between the Healy years and the Labriola years - there's no where to go but up.  Our last two Chairmen have marginalized our brand to the point where it is unrecognizable to the electorate. We are in the game to win elections, and our Party's record is dismal.

Moreover, Connecticut Republicans have become so irrelevant to the Republican National Committee that Connecticut Republicans had to create a volunteer phone bank to beg local RTC Chairmen for money just to purchase Mitt Romney signs - I think that tells you that there's something seriously wrong.

If Jerry Labriola were a product in store; you'd agree that he didn't come as advertised.  He's not suited for the Chairman role. The CTGOP needs a strong leader who is going to lead from the front, set the tone, and work to coordinate political activity on a statewide basis.

And someone please tell the CTGOP to stop bragging about fundraising totals over Twitter. While we appreciate the hard work and effort, it gives everyone the impression that the CTGOP Headquarters is oblivious to the current crisis.  Few people are going to be distracted by Yea-Rah-Rah-Sis-Boom-Bah,  As someone wrote in a email to The King, "What the F--- is wrong with these people?"

It's hard to explain to people who are probably well-meaning that success isn't determined by how many dollars you raise, or by the number of shots you can do at the bar - but rather but by how many Republican seats you win

Bottom Line:  For the good of the Connecticut Republican Party, Jerry Labriola, Jr. must resign.  And a visible, activist Chairman must be elected in his place immediately following the Prescott-Bush Dinner. State Central must cast a vote of no confidence, or be willing to accept the squandering of limited funds, and the consequence of further electoral defeat in 2014.

If Republicans want to rebuild our brand, and confidence with voters we need to make a few more things happen:

1. Fire Jerry Labriola, Jr. - and most of the CTGOP officer corps (they are no better than he is). Term limits for the same old faces might make way for new ideas, and a new approach.
2. Publicly condemn those Republican individuals who have been indicted, or found an accessory to political improprieties and crimes.  Refusing to do so implies approval of their actions and pursuit of the status quo. And the media, and our opponents have already taken note of the CTGOPs hunker down strategy, and will exploit this fact for all the mileage they can get out of it.

   

   There aren't enough of these to pass out to everyone in an
   elected or leadership position in the Connecticut Republican
   Party. Time to end CTGOP corruption before things get worse 

   
   
3. Adopt a more conservative platform and promote conservative candidates - which was once the key to Republican victories in Connecticut before it became fashionable to emulate Democrats on both fiscal and social issues. Democrat-lite is a sure way to guarantee Democrat majorities for the next 100 years.
4. Stop promoting corrupt former Republican candidates, elected officials and party chairmen to serve as CTGOP spokesmen (and women) - for they have comprised our position, ethics, political process, and integrity.  Every time Governor Rowland squawks on radio, or Chris Healy makes sarcastic comments on Capitol Report, Republicans want to puke. An ex-felon and a failed chairman are the last people we want to take advice from (and the latter couldn't even find a Republican attorney to defend his pathetic ass - guess there were none available - so much for keeping business in the family).  The Curse of Chris Healy is alive and well.
5. Discourage candidates from hiring long-time Party hacks with failed win-loss records from managing Republican campaigns. It's frankly embarrassing how some of our profiteers weasel their way onto campaigns promising everything and delivering nothing!
6. Stop relying on candidates to build the Party apparatus. Create a state-wide organization to  build the brand, and coordinate activities, and formulate a get-out-the-vote campaign.  Today, there is nothing in place!
7. Require all candidates to show up for televised debates. Again real leaders don't cower out of fear of saying the wrong thing, or believing they're not quick enough on their feet to debate publicly with members of their own Party. It's kind of pathetic if you think about it!
8. Work to end the wasteful and rigged State Convention Process and move to a direct primary. Think of all the money we could be saving while the State GOP boozes it up at Mohegan Sun. Donors should think about that when they get mailers asking members to fork over $30/$50/$100 a pop.
9. End Radio Silence! Put the Democrats on the defense! With a record like theirs we should have a field day. Daily emails, tweets, press releases, Facebook posts, mailers, etc. Make Nancy Dinardo sweat!
10. Condemn fringe candidates like Martha Dean who think Sandy Hook is a hoax and think there's an NSA Agent hiding behind every tree. This Party has a hard enough time operating in the real world without public candidates venturing into fantasy and delusion.  It's hard to quantify the level of anger the public feels when a Sandy Hook Truther who wants to train kids to fire guns in school takes to a Mic. (Oh, and Chris Healy's quasi-endorsement of her entrance into the race tells the rest of us that he's ready to be put out to pasture, or take his place at Club-Fed. Get Out! Funny, the political genius didn't mention that Dean has no money and only a few Facebook advocates who surf the web and sit around watching TV in their sweatpants)
11. Stop using the Prescott-Bush award dinner as a platform to prop up billionaire donors, and failed candidates who campaign with the opposition President, or tries to take selfies with the enemy, or does anything else that serves to promote our disgraceful big-government, anti-Republican President. 

Martha Dean and her flying monkeys 

are doing permanent damage to the Connecticut 

Republican Party; she's tearing apart the 

conservative wing for personal gain and ego

Wicked is the best way to describe this one!

It's been said so many times before - when it comes to the Connecticut Republican Party - we are our own worst enemy. The best thing we can do is cut our losses by removing our poor leadership, change direction, and start anew.  Do what's necessary, or anticipate that 2014 will be another banner year for Dan Malloy and his Democrat henchmen. And trust me - Republicans, Democrats, and Independents deserve a viable option for their families, their businesses and themselves - and it's up to Republicans to deliver that option.

I AM

THE KING