We are happy to welcome the new West Virginia GOP Executive Director Troy Berman. This is an exciting time for the state party as his hiringb coincides with the opening of a brand new headquarters. These two aggressive moves put Republicans in a much stronger position to compete and win in 2010 and beyond.
Following is an interview with Executive Director Berman so state Republicans and interested conservatives have a better idea of what he will bring to this position:
Tell us about your background. What specific experiences prepare you the most for this type of role?
Well I've been volunteering on campaigns for as far back as I can remember but I didn't really enter the world of professional politicsuntil I got involved with the Bush-Cheney re-elect in '04. After law school Igot involved with the presidential campaign full time, and ended up working with the RNC legal taskforce which was essentially charged with Republican efforts at ensuring ballot integrity in the Cuyahoga (Cleveland) area. At the time it was assumed that Ohio in '04 could end up as close as Florida had in 2000 and we wanted to be as prepared as possible. Cleveland was at the epicenter of these activities and by the time the election rolled around I was directing more than 800 legal response teams and more than 1,000 poll observers. It was pretty heady stuff. I caught the political bug and I haven't looked back. Since then I've had the opportunity to work on dozens of campaigns from U. S. Senate and Congress to state senate and delegate in more than half a dozen states. Every opportunity has given me the chance to learn something new. It's that breadth of knowledge and experience that I bring to the WVGOP ED position.
In what ways can a person who has had experience at several different levels in several different states help to inject some fresh perspective into the challenges we face as West Virginia Republicans?
One of the many things I look forward to doing is adapting some of the highly successful programs implemented by Republican parties and committees in other states to the unique problem of electing more Republicans in West Virginia. There are a lot of exciting initiatives being undertaken by our fellow Republicans out there and as a party we should be looking for any edge that can help us further the Republican cause. Many of the programs focus on embracing new technologies such as social media and online phone-banking to advance our electoral aims but many amazing inititives also reimagine old school programs like canvassing, voter registration, and door to door to maximize impact for the modern age. Initially I'd like to focus on party building activities by emulating successful initiatives like the Arizona Republican Party's voter registration program (considered the best in the country) or the Pennsylvania House GOP's door to door program which has helped them record an amazing number of victories. That's not the whole program of course, but to the extent that we can maximize our West Virginia candidates' successes by adapting other successful Republican organizations to West Virginia, it's a great place to start.
Titles do not say much about the man or the vision. What, in your mind, are the jobs or roles of the Executive Director?
The Executive Director should be an aggressive force in helping Republicans in West Virginia win in a complex and competitive political environment. He should have substantial political experience and be knowledgable about current practices and future trends. He should understand the issues; be aware of the political landscape and of opportunities for advancement of the party. He should comprehend how shared goals can help build coalitions within West Virginia and with national organizations for the betterment of our Republican candidates. The ED needs to be an able manager of party personnel and volunteers, have strong communications skillsand always be a bottom line thinker, applying the rubric Will this help us win? He should be open minded to differing views and strategies, willing to adapt his vision when appropriate but also able to persuade others to his methods when necessary. The ED needs to be dedicated to day after day meeting the requirements of Republican stakeholders in West Virginia, both internal and external to the party apparatus, to building relationships throughout West Virginia to the betterment of our party, and to always being an effective advocate for the WVGOP, our Republican leaders, candidates, and values.
What problems pose the largest challenges to yourself and/or the party as a whole? What are the biggest obstacles facing Republican candidates in West Virginia? How can the state party help them overcome these issues?
One of the many, many, many unfortunate side effects of eighty plus years of unsuccessfully challenged Democrat party rule in West Virginia is that as a byproduct the system has been rigged to favor the incumbent majority in every conceivable way. Through campaign finance rules, through gerrymandering, through state election law if the Democrat party majority could find an advantage, they exploited it. Scaling those walls will be difficult but it's our job to get up over those walls, tear them down and make sure they're never rebuilt. The best way to do that is by electing as many Republican candidates as possible.
I don't want to get into everything the state party can and will do to counteract these obstacles. It's probably not the best move to tip off the other side as to strategy. I will say that those strategies are in a formative state and the one thing the state party will be seeking to do in the short term is seek the advice and counsel of like minded individuals who can help us achieve a Republican majority in West Virginia.
What will be your most important priorities in the short term? Long term?
Electing West Virginia Republicans. Period. Everything I do from my first dayon the team until my last will be in support of electing our Republican candidates. To me, it is the singular priority.
In what ways will the West Virginia GOP be expanding its effective use of new media while strengthening its position with traditional outlets?
Studies show that in the last election cycle almost 4 of 5 Republicans went online for political information but fewer than 2 in 5 actually engaged in online activism. West Virginia is actually in a unique position to capitalize on the expansion of social media networks to advance our agenda. Among 18-29 year olds (which include the early adopters and trendsetters) West Virginia was one of only six states carried by McCain and one of only two east of the Mississippi. That tells me that there is a pre-existing core of Republican youth that we should be focused on identifying and organizing. As soon as resources allow, I hope to see a complete overhaul of wvgop.org turning our home site from an information clearing house into a true online headquarters. A site that does more than send out press releases but engages, educates, and informs, helping convert online activists into offline warriors for our West Virginia Republican candidates. Look for initial updates and changes to the website in the fall. In the meantime the process is already underway. You can keep up to date with the West Virginia Republican Party on Facebook and Twitter and you can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/troyberman.
In the current political situation in West Virginia, what positives can the state GOP build upon?
I've already discussed my reason for a belief that the young Republican core of West Virginia is strong and growing and will eventually replace the staid and tired Democrat party but beyond the demographics there are even better reasons to be optimistic. Self identified conservatives outnumber self identified liberals in West Virginia by 39/18. And this is a conservative base that is already energized over issues like cap and trade, health care, and the deficit. Whatever process we adopt to grow the Republican Party in West Virginia it must surely start by recognizing the enormous potential of the town hall movement currently sweeping the nation and the power of conservatives within to effect positive change in West Virginia.
How would you answer Republicans concerned about the cost of hiring an Executive Director while also establishing a new headquarters?
As ED, institutionalizing a fundraising program is important and will be at the top of my agenda for the state party. That being said, it is unrealistic to expect the WVGOP to be able to help West Virginia reach a tipping point in electing a Republican majority, without investing in the basic infrastructure of modern headquarters facilities and full time staff. The new headquarters will bring a series of expanded services to our legislators in Charleston as well as our candidates statewide that were simply not possible in the previous location, and I hope that I will be a positive contribution to the party as well. I would take this opportunity however to mention that I recognize that there are differences of opinion within the West Virginia Republican community and would welcome any opportunity to discuss these concerns and my recommendations with any interested parties.
In your experience, what does it take to "flip" a long term Democratic political entity into a Republican? Cn we do it here?
It takes time, effort, resources, and dedication. I have no doubt that it will happen in West Virginia. The only question is when. And my only concern is bringing that future date as close to the present as we can.
In what ways can the state party and its candidates reach Democratic registered voters and independents while maintaining GOP principles?
I firmly believe that GOP principles are fundamentally American principles. Hard work, personal liberty, and individual responsibility never really go away even if for a time they aren't considered fashionable. Our job as Republicans is to remind our independent and Democratic brethren of these basic American precepts and invite them to join us in renewing West Virginia.
What can concerned Republicans outside of the state party organization do to help advance our ideas and candidates?
Volunteer. Volunteer. Volunteer. For candidates you believe in, for your local Republican club, for your county committee, or for any of the Republican affiliated organizations like the Republican women or the Young Republicans. I had the opportunity to attend the Kanawha County Republican picnic and came away impressed. It was well attended by local Republicans, officials and candidates, well organized and is exactly the kind of activity that concerned Republicans can become involved with. I applaud those efforts already underway and intend to visit with as many West Virginia Republican county events, clubs, and meetings as possible and to encourage their activites and engage in the basic party building efforts which are so vital to success. As part of the WVGOP's previously discussed online overhaul, I hope to aggressively pursue the development and charter of new Republican clubs and organizations, which in turn become the volunteer feederfor the campaigns of our local and statewide Republican candidates.
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