Another View -- Michael Biundo: GOP's problem is not the message, it is ground organization

MICHAEL BIUNDO

Published Dec 19, 2012 at 3:00 am (Updated Dec 18, 2012)

For several weeks, politicians and pundits from the beltway to newsrooms have analyzed the results and implications of this historic election. While some make valid points, few have articulated the real reasons why Republicans didn't fare as well as they hoped. Even fewer have given a direction for what it takes to be successful going forward.

Working on both the Mitt Romney campaign as his national coalitions director and the Rick Santorum campaign as his national campaign manager, perhaps I have a unique perspective. As a coach on the field understands better than an announcer in the booth why his team lost, the same applies in politics.

For the past decade, our country has been in a political flux, with the partisan pendulum swinging sharply from the left to right election after election. Nov. 6 looked to be a culmination of this with Republicans coming off a very successful midterm election in 2010 and a President who remained unpopular.

We were greatly mistaken. As the millions spent on the airwaves by both parties in critical swing states became white noise and each candidate made his own mistakes throughout the race, it is clear that this election was won on the strength of a superior ground operation.

While Republicans became overconfident from their successes in the last midterm, Democrats buckled down immediately and began to identify their voters. To those saying the GOP must water down and moderate its platform, let us remember that not once did those on the political left moderate their policies. Rather, they began by systematically revving up each section of their base.

To name a few, Democrats pandered to unions through the political theater in Wisconsin. They put in play the class warfare card by calling for the end of the Bush-era tax cuts, then encouraged environmentalists by blocking the Keystone XL pipeline. Finally they created the fictitious "war on women." One by one, they appeased those most likely to pull the lever in favor of President Obama's second term.

Their grassroots army, Organizing for America (OFA), then immediately began identifying these individuals by working with local parties in competitive states Democrats knew they needed to win. In a swing state, it was not uncommon for a voter who likely supported the President to have been contacted by a member of OFA multiple times even before April. By contrast, Republicans were months out from even setting up GOP Victory offices in these same states, let alone implementing identification programs. Pro-Republican Super PACs, our party and many of our candidates were more interested in placing ads on the air than getting boots on the ground.

Democrats also implemented an impressive operation to register new voters. In New Hampshire, I know of an unregistered young man in his 20s who bought a home in September. In October, he was greeted at his door by an OFA staffer who called him by name, told him he fit their criteria as a possible Democratic Party voter, and asked him what they could do to help him register. As expected, OFA then followed up several times before Election Day.

We all know how this story ends: with the President winning every swing state other than the two he never should have won in 2008. After digging deeper, we Republicans lost seats in the Senate, and other than a few House seats redrawn in our favor we didn't win any truly competitive House races.

As we approach another mid-term election, the pundits have been quick to say 2014 should be a historically successful year for Republicans. This might be true. However, if we as a party do not embrace the importance of building solid grassroots operations state by state, targeting voters based on our issues, and creating new voter recruitment plans, we could likely wake up on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014 very disappointed.

While Republicans must move forward, we need to learn from 2012 just as the Democrats learned from 2010. If we don't, we have only ourselves to blame.

Mike Biundo of Manchester was Rick Santorum's national campaign manager in the 2012 Republican presidential primary. In the general election he worked as national coalitions director for Mitt Romney's campaign.

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Bob Lake said:

Just keep up the same message repugs. Don't worry, your message is great.
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Erin Powers said:

Yes Bob. Deep down the American people really are in synch with the Republican message of endless war, rampant corporatism, outsourcing, subjugation of women, a solidifying plutocracy and poverty for the rest of us. All the Repubs need is to dress it up in better marketing.
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Howie Howe said:

Sorry Mike, but it wasn't lack of ground effort that was the major problem - it was never countering or exposing the Dems for their continuing lies about GOP plans and policies, never truly exposign Dems for their failures, allowing them to repeat the same lies over and over, somehow expecting the public to see through them or understand the truth. However the the public became convinced the lies were truth becasue they were seldom countered and never exposed for the crap they were. These tactics of the DNC were straight out of the USSR Dezinformatsia Playbook, Counter-Intelligence at its best. Better ground organization is a must, but you can't let the Mis-information go unchallenged claiming civility when dealing with outright liars. The media is a powerful weapon, and the Dems know how to use it effectively.
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John Mercier said:

Howie Howe... Sorry, but it was stating some real truths. The Bush Era tax cuts are set to expire not because of anything the Democrats did; they are set to expire because the Republicans placed a sunset clause in them. The support for blocking the XL pipeline (the tar sands will be using a different route through the Northeast corridor) is no different than the support for blocking the Northern Pass; something that many Republicans chimed in on. So neither of these is about party rather than spin that was not effective. The last issue, the 'war on women', is pretty straight forward. Its largely considered ignorant to call someone a 'murder' and then expect their vote; something that Republicans should have learned from the Mississippi vote on 'personhood', but just failed to ingrain. Their message is the problem.
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Bob Paulding said:

Wow! "However, if we as a party do not embrace the importance of building solid grassroots operations state by state, targeting voters based on our issues". Mr Biundo I'd like to make an observation, The voters didn't like the gop message. The messages were either vague or the ones that were clear, they simply didn't like. I like to think many of the listeners were burned out on all those adds. Those adds were weak at best. Like most, I have an opinion. Focus back on the gop base and throw out the book they've been using for the last 10-12 years. Its time to get back to basics. Think about why so many minorities, unions, independents, seniors, etc have looked at the liberal side. It wasn't because of ground forces, it was message and how it alienated the forces. Just as an example, look at all the anti union activities that has happened. How about refusing to get rid of the billions in tax breaks to the largest oil companies. That legislation was drafted when oil was at $26 a barrel and was supposed to further development. News flash, it hasn't been back there since 2002. What do you think the common person takes away from that? It's message.
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Rck Walters said:

Let's not forget context here. Biundo just launched a (Republican/Conservative) consulting firm, and this "opinion" is first and foremost a tactic to get his name in the press and position himself as someone with a "unique perspective" worth paying for. Notice as well the companion piece the UL generously offered on the other side of the page about his new firm's "soul-searching meeting" they have scheduled for next month. Marketing masked as journalism. If Biundo's "perspective" was so unique, you would think that the campaigns he managed last Fall would have been more successful . . .
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Richard L. Fortin said:

Starting a Consultant Firm has become the standard operating procedure for former consutants in losing campaigns Andrew Hemingway is one example and now we have Mike Biundo. I guess their goal is to teach other wannbes how to lose and do it properly so they can perpetuate their loser tactics. Such deep thinking.
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Gern Blanston said:

The message is the problem, not the delivery mechanism. Your policies are anti-gay, anti-women, anti-immigrant, and frankly, anti-wealthy-non-white-christian-males-over-fifty. Your overall theme is regressive. You are seen as owned by the big corporations that you protect...well, because you are. Next time the republican power-brokers leave their enclaves, maybe they can take a trip around this country and see who is living here. Your platform is not one of tolerance and compromise. What is your message to migrant farm workers? "You can stay here to pick fruit for minimum wage (if DOL is watching, less if not) with no social support so that Dole can get rich. Just know that your presence offends us."? I have to laugh every time I read one of these semi-sincere soul searching opinion pieces about how you lost the election because your ground campaign was weak. Because Obama's was strong, and that is why he won? Not because he is all of the things you are not? It is not 1950, and the sooner you get real about that, and not try to spin up more votes, the better off you will be. What happened to the party of small government? Is defense part of the government? How much do we spend there? You are the one who needs a consultant.
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Howie Howe said:

Gern Blanston - nothing but the usual partisan lies (Dezinformatsia) - The GOP is not Anti-Gay, Anti-Women, Anti-Immigrant or any of your other purported claims. If they were truly what you claimed they would be for arresting gays for Sodomy, which they are not, stripping women of the right to vote, which they are not, and would be opposed to legal immigration, which they are not. Civil Unions were offered but it was important to offrend others than actually obtain the rights of heterosexual couples; Abortion is not health-care, it is elective surgery, and thus no more anti-woamn than saying we won't pay for you to get a nose job! Illegal aliens are not immigrants, they are felons who broke into our country an are stealing from our pockets. But then we understand Liberals and Dems need to lie to get votes - The GOP was wrong for not calling them out on their lies, like I just did of yours..
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John Jenkins said:

Howie Howe: FACTS can be all or some of the following: can be proven, real for all people and places, can be duplicated, can be observed, historical, or 100 per cent true. Howe OPINIONS refer to a particular person's feeling, thought, judgment, belief, estimate, and'or anything that is not 100 percent true and can not be proven. ROMNEY AND HIS PARTY1. His inability to stifle attachs on his record at Bain Capital.2. His initial reaction to the deaths of Americans in Benghazi, Libya. 3. His mysterious foreign investments and bank accounts in another country.The London Olympic insults and the fund raising trip to Israel did not help either. Mr. Adelson of Las Vegas did not do him any favors after he stopped support NEWT.4. His opposition ot the auto industry's stimulus package which his father would have supported. The comment made abut not being able to influcene the other 47 %.5. Being a carpetbagger from Michigan and going to Mass which he established the first health care program for everyone in that state. Like Obama care6. Spending 43 million dollars of his own money in 2008 and just not getting the inability to get elected to President at that time. 7. Romney's refusal to show all his tax regutnrs - paying 14 % which he thought was enough.8. FLIP FLOP politics over the past 10 years was so evident with the various issues he changed his mind on. 9. Completely out of touch with the real tax payers - the middle class. 10. Unable to returalize all of his economic arugments in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Ohio. I will stop at ten and wait for a reply with all the facts you have at your disposal.................
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Howie Howe said:

Nice try Jenkins! More fertilizer for the garden. Your partisan attempt to downplay Mitt Romney pales in comparison to the incompetency and outright failures of Barack Obama. The real problem is the Republicans thought the American People were smart enough to see through Democrat nonsense and lies, remembering Obama's total failure in office. They did not understand the power that repeating lies over and over would influence people to actually believe them.
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Thomas Rightmyer said:

The Romney campain did not interface well with the local Republican party in Buncombe County, NC. An example: I worked the Republican Party booth at the Western NC State Fair. We could not get Romney bumper stickers or other materials to give out to the many people who wanted them. I finally bought a Romney button for three dollars.
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Matt Lulling said:

The writer of this article failed to observe that the main problem with the GOP is that they are obsessed with what is going on inside of everyone's pants. If he wants to write a more effective article, he needs to title it "GOP's Problem is That They Want to Get into Everyone's Pants"
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Bob Smith said:

I went 4 times to get signs and could not. The problem is too many conservatives stayed home. The Dems bussed people to vote etc. They went to colleges and got the youth vote. Funny thing is these kids will be out looking for work and not find a thing. Wait until the so called "affordable health care act" kicks into full gear. The fun is just starting folks, as a conservative, it will be fun to sit back and watch all the whiny libs claim they never voted for the phony in chief.
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Another View -- Michael Biundo: GOP's problem is not the message, it is ground organization

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