According to the article, Barclay
"...has proposed inviting the 1,300 county committee members from the 23rd Congressional District to a central location this summer to mingle with the party’s three prospective candidates, hear their pitches and then pick a favorite."The suggestion doesn't demonstrate a full-tilt rift in the party, but it does demonstrate a difference of opinion among Party Chairmen.
The article states that Jefferson and Franklin Counties' chairmen are opposed to the idea, citing the possibility of backlash for another back room deal to annoint the candidate. Alternately, Oswego County's chairman is in favor of the convention idea as a way to involve the committee members more in the decision making process.
NCN calls it: Mr. Barclay, a North Country Republican Convention is a fantastic idea. The average party member is disaffected and feels misrepresented by their party leadership. Unfortunately, that includes the committee members as well as more well known party leaders. Beyond that, the logistics of inviting 1,300 committee members from 11 counties with full-time jobs, families, and schedules to one central location would be overwhelming.
NY-23 is 14,739 square miles of God's favorite country (link). That's the land area of Washington D.C., American Samoa, The US Virgin Islands, Northern Marianas Islands, Guam, Rhode island, Delaware, Connecticut, and Hawaii combined (link). Geographically, the center of the district has got to be someplace southwest of Tupper Lake (link). Good luck trucking everyone in.
But as I said, it's a fantastic idea... if you scale it back. Right now the Republican Party is at a crossroads. The TEA Party people say they're fed up with misrepresentation. Can we reach them and bring them back into the fold? Probably some, but not the most virulent. What we can do is make the party more appealing to rank-and-file members. Let's stem the tide and momentum away from the TEA Party movement, and bring them back into good relationship with the Party.
Mr. Barclay, let's have a Senate District Barbecue. Oswego, Jefferson, and St. Lawrence Counties have much in common, but we're separated by lines on a map. You name the place - your family's estate in Oswego County, Fort Oswego (hurry, before it closes!), Jefferson County's many lovely parks (Southwick, Westcott, Thompson Park, Grass Point, Keewaydin... a field in St. Lawerence County... Just name the place, send out the invitations, and make sure you bring extra ketchup.
In fact, why don't you open it up to rank-and-file members? They're already feeling disillusioned, what better way to bring them back into the fold than to let them mingle with their party bosses, see their neighbors from the north and/or south. Let's put up a united front and rally the troops. It'll do wonders for our Senate candidates (Go Ritchie!), our Assembly candidates (Go Barclay! ... and others to be named officially later).
Mr. Barclay, I urge you to unite the Party with a party.
Republican Kegger, anyone?
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