Submitted by Michael Kadenacy
The passage of AB 4 in the second special session of our State Legislature should leave no doubt in anyone’s mind where the progressives are taking Nevada. The road inevitably leads to a one-party state, leading to dysfunctional governments at best, and an authoritarian oligarchy at worst.
We have all seen where that leads in cities and states across this America: budgets entirely out of control, taxes high and going higher, business micro-regulated, higher unemployment, and violence in the streets. These dysfunctional cities and states share one thing in common. The progressives are in charge and have been for years and, in some cases, decades.
But, we as Republicans share some of the blame. We have stood by and allowed our state, over three election cycles, to be hijacked by these progressives. Republicans as a functioning, cohesive, and politically active coalition do not exist in Nevada. We have Balkanized ourselves into factions that spend what little effort we choose to exert to either virtue signal on social media or to seek to exclude someone or some group which may not conform to our particular set of conservative values. Almost all of the virtue signaling posts do not persuade anyone of anything, merely highlight the righteousness of its author.
Neither of these activities has nor will elect Republicans. If we are to reverse this slide into chaos, we must find common cause with people that may not agree on every position we tenaciously hold as sacrosanct. Our failure to do so will relegate us to a righteous but permanent minority in Nevada.
But neither will the never-ending stream of appeals for contributions elect Republicans. These solicitors of our donations do not miss any action by progressives to ask for money. There are always multiple mail pieces and emails stating that the only way to stop whatever is the latest outrage by the left, is to send money. I cannot help but note that not one of these solicitations ever really tells you how the solicitor intends to spend the money. “If you want to stop this, send money.” Be assured; it won’t.
Republicans need to pay attention to how these groups soliciting funds spend their money.
Likewise, Nevada Republicans need also to prioritize their effort. Most of us are volunteers, and some have the financial capacity to support political action. Both are required, but we need to decide where to target our effort.
If the Nevada Legislature’s two special sessions are harbingers of things to come, we can only ameliorate the scourge of progressivism that is about to hit Nevada. To do this, we must focus on the several Assembly races that are in play and support any vulnerable Republican state senators.
The Washoe County Republican Party’s critical efforts in this cycle are to do just that. While our funds are limited, because we use our resources wisely, the County Party gets a lot of bang for the buck. Our programs include a paid intern program which is fielding 16 young people. These interns are phone banking and walking already. We will be mailing two slate mailers to arrive a few days before early voting and sponsoring “Get Out the Vote” radio commercials.
We do not hire high-cost people to supervise our effort; volunteers do that work. We reserve our spending for the intern program and mailers, both of which have a direct impact on voter turn-out. And we are laser-aimed at those races that will start the process of retaking the State Legislature by Republicans.
Republicans of all stripes must look at their efforts and decide whether those efforts effectively get Republicans elected. That includes volunteer or financial support for candidates, political parties, or PACs. I urge you to consider whether what you are doing will lead to the election of Republicans, not merely the right Republicans. Only then, do we have a chance to reverse the course set for our state by the two special sessions of our State Legislature.
Michael Kadenacy is the chairman of the Washoe County Republican Party.
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