State GOP must rediscover its roots

Much has been said recently about the future of the Republican Party following tremendous losses in the midterm election.

The war in Iraq and President Bush's low job-approval ratings obviously contributed to an extremely poor environment for Republican candidates.

But to chalk up the GOP's electoral losses to Iraq and Bush alone misses the bigger picture and how the Republican Party can rebuild and stage a comeback.

Republican strategists have been quoted as saying the election was just a blip on the radar screen and that things will be right again. This reading ignores the clear message sent by voters.

Stated simply, too many voters felt Republicans had lost their way.

The GOP has long been known as the party of smaller government, lower taxes, less government regulation and intrusion, and entrepreneurial activity. Aside from job creation at the national level, the record of the past six years is mixed at best. And on the issue of smaller government and less government intrusion, Republicans have failed miserably.

For the Republican Party to regain its footing and win again, it must rededicate itself to those values the majority of voters share: smaller government, spending restraint, lower taxes and policies that spur entrepreneurial growth and job creation.

Republicans must be willing to push for transportation and infrastructure projects to move people and goods. Republicans must stay true to their pledge that the Legislature fund education first. And finally, the GOP must recommit itself to real reform and high ethical standards.

It might behoove the Republican Party to take a page out of the 1994 playbook of then-Washington GOP Chairman Ken Eikenberry.

In the wake of staggering losses suffered by his party in 1992, Eikenberry — the Republican nominee for governor — provided the political leadership necessary to rebuild the party. His approach was to emphasize races for the state Legislature and let the fruits of that work flow up to candidates for Congress and statewide office and flow down to local races.

Just as importantly, Eikenberry emphasized a "team" approach to Republican messaging and campaigns. Teamwork has been sorely missing in recent years. Coordination and cooperation between the legislative caucus campaign committees, county party central committees, federal and state officeholders and the state party are dysfunctional at best, nonexistent at worst.

A seminal event in Eikenberry's process of rejuvenation was the Republican Economic Conference held in Tukwila in September 1993. This was the beginning of a new message and strategy based on improving Washington's economy, providing educational opportunities and addressing our state's myriad transportation and infrastructure needs. Ironically, those same issues dominate deliberations in Olympia today.

For the next 14 months, the Republican team that coalesced at the economic conference — elected officials, party leaders, donors, grassroots activists — effectively rebuilt the Washington Republican Party.

Eikenberry and GOP leaders carefully planned and implemented a winning campaign apparatus by placing command focus on proactive and positive communications; recruiting high-caliber candidates; implementing a vigorous education and training program; mobilizing thousands of volunteers; raising a record-breaking amount of money; and deploying talented campaign professionals.

On Nov. 8, 1994, Washington Republicans led the nation in the tidal wave of GOP victories: re-electing a U.S. senator; growing from one member of the U.S. House to seven; and gaining more new seats in the Legislature than any other state — winning a majority in the state House for the first time since 1980.

This success was by no means easy to produce. But it can be done again.

What Republicans need first is strong and cooperative leadership from the Washington State Republican Party. They have that opportunity in the new chairman, former state Sen. Luke Esser of Bellevue.

Esser has the opportunity to lead the GOP much like Eikenberry and Jennifer Dunn did in the 1980s and 1990s. Designing a six-year rebuilding plan is the first step. Simply thinking Republicans can work out of this hole by the 2008 election is not realistic or probable.

Esser represents a new generation of energetic, tireless, focused and charismatic Republican leaders in the Evergreen State, much like 2004 gubernatorial nominee Dino Rossi, Attorney General Rob McKenna, King County Councilman Reagan Dunn and U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Spokane.

Republicans must look to this generation of new leadership to put forward the framework for rebuilding the GOP. And the job needs to start today. Nothing less than the future of the Republican Party is at stake.

Lance Henderson is a public affairs consultant. He served as executive director of the Washington State Republican Party from 1992 to 1995.