Why I’m Running

I’m running for Lancaster County Republican Chairman because I believe in the Republican party. I joined committee last year because I wanted to make a difference. Since then, I have seen first-hand, the disorganization and lack of communication that permeates the Republican committee. Our committee if full of great people who are hampered by the very organization they represent. The role of GOP chairman should be to increase the energy of the party, to empower people rather than just tell them who to vote for. I believe the committee still serves a purpose but the role of the committee needs to be communicated to the voter. The average person I meet on the street doesn’t even know what a committee person is, let alone their purpose. The committee has a great purpose and that needs to be communicated. People need to be educated, our county needs to get excited and the methods of yesterday cannot accomplish this. It’s time to refresh, revive and restart our Republican Party in Lancaster County.

Sincerely,

Ethan Demme

Platform

Voter Registration

The plurality in voter registration the Republican party has enjoyed in Lancaster county is swiftly declining. Since 2004 it has declined from 102,000 to 68,000 in 2009.

From November 2009, to May 2010 the Republican party gained 124 new members, while the Democrat party gained 257 new members.  In the “unaffiliated” category, voters increased by 718.

These numbers need to be turned around. The Republican party is still the dominant party in the county, but at 54% that will not last long if this downward spiral continues.

Most of these “unaffiliated” voters are self identified conservatives, independents, libertarians, constitution party, etc. These are people who are tired of politics as usual and are looking for fresh leadership.

Fundraising

Across the fundraising spectrum, from non-profits, to colleges, and to political parties, fundraising from big donors has been drying up. Recent political campaigns have seen up to 35% of the money raised from people who donated 200.00 or less. Events need to be created that have appeal to the big dollar donors as well as the small dollar donors. If we are truly a party of the people then our fundraising events should reflect those people.

Technology

It’s 2010 and there are more people on facebook than there are in the entire United States! The demographics of facebook align with the demographics of the country and Lancaster County. The internet is no longer a “young people” thing. The fastest growing demographic on facebook is over the age of 65.

The Lancaster Republican party needs a comprehensive outreach strategy that includes traditional media as well as new media. A few examples of new media would be creating a blog, aggregating content and providing helpful links, email marketing, facebook marketing, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), twitter, youtube etc. Not only should the party be doing these things, they should be helping candidates and committee people do these things as well.

Core Principles

The Republican party stands for the core principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility, family values and personal responsibility. Too often values get passed over in favor of candidates “who can win.” If you visit the Lancaster GOP website and try to find out the values of the local Republican party you will find nothing.

The principles of the Republican party need to be clearly communicated. These principles apply just as much to Southern Lancaster County as they do to Lancaster City. The party needs to fight for these principles wherever they are threatened not just where they can win or it is convenient.

Enthusiasm

Regular people around the country are getting fired up about politics, they are attending Tea Party, healthcare and 9-12 rallies. They are supporting candidates and working the polls. The only problem is, they are doing all this outside the republican party. Imagine if the republican party welcomed such enthusiasm, plugged people in to help with local races. A common complaint heard from friends and neighbors is “I would love to help out but I don’t know how and when I contact the GOP HQ to volunteer I get turned away or no one is there.” The local GOP HQ needs to be the hub of information. No one should be turned away.

There are stories of regular people doing great things around the county. Susan in East Petersburg is trying to sign up 100 new voters to vote for Pat Toomey in November. John in East Lampeter wrote himself in to win Judge of Elections with 3 votes because he wanted to get involved and make a difference. This is what we need more of… this is what makes a difference.

If you can get behind these goals for the Republican Party please leave a comment below and contact us campaign@ethandemme.com and we’ll let you know how to get involved, not only in this campaign but in the future of our party.

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Visit EthanDemme.com for more information and become a fan on facebook.

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