In a statement released this afternoon, the New CRNC team expressed their gratitude to those who supported them. They also asked for help moving forward. Below is the full release: Now that the convention is over, we wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who attended and those who supported the...
Michael Patlan was the state chairman of the Oklahoma College Republicans a few years ago. Now, he’s the new chairman of the Oklahoma Young Republicans. Patlan defeated the incumbent chairman in yesterday’s election.
Michael Bayham, the chairman of the Young Republican Constitution & Bylaws Committee, questions his fellow Young Republicans and calls for more action, taking a swing at College Republicans in the process:
In closing, let me ask you a question that others who are no longer involved in the YRs (and not because they aged out) have posed to me: why do you go to these meetings?
Is it to socialize and visit with colleagues from around the country? Is it because you like traveling? Or is it to make a difference? My answer is all three. Gatherings of this sort are supposed to be fun, since that is one of the most compelling motivations to sacrifice the work-vacation time and the personal expense to attend these triannual meetings.
But between the sightseeing and the partying, enough time and patience must be reserved for the actual conduct of business before the national board. After all voting on resolutions is the one opportunity national board member actually have to participate in the meeting as individual leaders bound only to their consciences and not simply be a captive audience listening to reports.
In contrast, though it involves my own committee, constitutional and bylaw amendments have no value in the eyes of the media and the YR membership at-large. We’re never going to make the Washington Times by moving commas around in our bylaws. Can anyone really recall a single instance when a board vote mattered?
By letting frustration from other parts of the meeting boil over during the new business section, the national board cheated itself out of an opportunity to actually do something.
By fearing the consequences of being proactive and allowing the antics of contrarians and those whose politics are personal and not national in depth, I don’t see where we accomplished much in Nashville. So when the next RNC Chairman calls us the “College Republicans” to our faces as two other national party leaders have in the past, that indignity will be on our own hands.
Update: Michael Bayham comments:
Just to clarify something, my use of the word “indignity” was not an implication that “College Republicans” were lower in standing than Young Republicans, but the fact that RNC chairmen never bothered to pay attention to the name of the group they were addressing. In their eyes, we all look the same.
As a former LSU College Republican president, I take great pride in my CR roots and further consider the national CR operation as superior to that of the YRs.
Finals time, I know, but if you’re in D.C. April 30-May 4, consider attending the Young Republican Leadership Conference.
The proposed schedule:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2008
Welcome Reception – Details coming soon!THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2008
Visit to the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives (8:00
a.m.)
Tour of the U.S. Capitol
Picture on the Capitol Steps
YRLC lunch featuring Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R-
MI), Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee.
Afternoon Training Sessions:
-Leadership
-Grassroots and Candidate Recruitment
-Fund Raising
-CommunicationsReception
FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2008
Requested-White House East Wing Tour
White House Briefing with Senior White House Adviser
Lunch with Keynote Speaker, Former U.S. House of
Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich
Issue Panels on Domestic and Foreign Policy
Reception with YR Alumni Association
DinnerSATURDAY, MAY 3, 2008
YRNF Committee Meetings and National Committee Meeting
YRLC Gala**Agenda subject to change
Speakers:
New Speaker Announcements:
Ed Rollins, National Campaign Chairman for Governor Mike Huckabee
and former Reagan Administration official
Chairman Michael Steele, GOPAC
Mark Braden, Campaign Finance Law, Baker Hostetler
Ross Douthat, Senior Editor for the Atlantic Monthly
Ramesh Ponnuru, Senior Online Editor at the National Review
Ron Kaufman, Senior Adviser, Mitt Romney for President; Former White
House Political Director for President George H. W. Bush; former RNC
Political DirectorAngela McGlowen, FOX News Political Analyst and author of
“Bamboozled”In Addition to:
Speaker Newt Gingrich
Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Chairman Republican House
Policy Committee
Cyrus Krohn, former publisher of Slate, an online news magazine and
current Republican National Committee eCampaign Director
Visit the website for more information
From an e-mail titled, “Eliza Vielma’s Support For Club Development Director Continues…”:
Young Republicans –
As we continue into the final days before our convention, I’m sure that many of you are happy to finish the preparations and enjoy the festivities. Over the last couple of months, we’ve all put a lot of dedication into preparing our best for the 2007 convention – I know personally, I’ve spent many exhausting days and nights. Through this all, I was continually reminded of an important lesson. We need to be serious about committing ourselves to the expectations we’ve set. However, that should not prevent us from enjoying our time and interactions with one another in the process.
In light of this, I’m happy to announce the endorsement of three more Young Republicans – one of whom offers a rather unique perspective on my qualifications and candidacy. It made me laugh as much as it made me proud, and having both feelings simultaneously comes from receiving and endorsement from three people who are both friends and colleagues.
To see their statements of support, please read the attached PDF document.
I can’t wait to see y’all in Austin this weekend!
With Liberty,
Eliza Vielma
Candidate for TYRF Director of Club Development
Rob Lee, a former player in the College Republicans of Nevada, is reportedly managing Ms. Vielma’s campaign.
CR Nation finds it interesting that Eliza was practically run out of the Texas CRs because clubs thought that she was doing a poor job, and now she thinks that she would be the best to “develop” the clubs of the Texas YRs.
And go figure, they do it with a YouTube video.
Accompanying the video was a press release that can be read in full below.
Washington, D.C. (August 1, 2007) — Young Republicans (YRs) across the nation were shocked to learn that some Republican candidates had not confirmed for the very popular CNN/YouTube debates. In response, the Young Republican National Federation (YRNF) contacted each campaign, as well as sending their recently posted YouTube video to stress the importance and urgency of participating in this event.
Chairman Glenn Murphy (IN) said, “Ignoring the young vote in this election will be the downfall of the Republican party. Projections show that the under-30 vote will surpass the over-65 vote in the 2008 elections. Since new media, such as YouTube, is such an effective method of reaching our voters, we have individually urged all Republican candidates to participate in the CNN/YouTube debates.”
“It is our job to know the 18-40 demographic, and we do. The candidates should heed our advice and join the conversation that the CNN/YouTube debates have initiated. Opting out is not an option,” said Jessica Colón (TX), Co-Chairman.
The YRNF video can be found at http://www.youtube.com/YoungRepublicans and a transcript is provided below. Additional information can be found on www.yrnf.com.
The Young Republicans (YRs) are the oldest political youth organization in the United States. Since its creation, the Young Republican National Federation (YRNF) has established itself as the premier Republican grassroots organization in the nation, providing essential grassroots support for Republican candidates and conservative issues on the local, state and national levels.
The YRNF has a solid record of producing future Republican Party leaders – including Governors, Senators, Congressmen, nationally recognized campaign consultants, and community leaders.
Through recruiting, training and mobilizing people, the YRNF presents an opportunity for ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Through community involvement in political issues, charitable projects and participation in political campaigns, YRs work to improve the world in which we live.
