I recently retired from the USAF after 20 years of service. That was nearly 1 year ago. I took a part-time job with a research company while starting my own consulting company and finishing a Master's degree in business. The height of the summer's excitement - the Presidential race - convinced my wife and I that we needed to get involved. We contributed money and I volunteered for local candidates.
We are conservative. We believe that government governs best which governs least. However, we are also realistic. That means that we stay away from third parties and gravitate toward the Republicans. I am a registered Republican. We donated money to the GOP. That was a mistake.
They began to call. They wanted money for this, that, the other. Money, but no ideas. We are not members of the pundit class.
I received, on 2 different occasions, faux ‘platinum’ RNC cards, with my name and a 12 digit number emblazoned on the front with the usual admonition that the bearer is to be accorded ‘all rights and privileges’. I researched the number, thinking that maybe I held in my hand the key to Republican arcana - uh, no. The number is meaningless (to me) and there is no place where I can be accorded ANY rights or privileges.
For the next month, while I am also seeking out ways to provide for my family, I am going in search of the GOP. Here are the questions I intend to answer.
How does the Republican Party work?
What ‘rights and privileges’ do contributors have?
Are those of us who contribute truly members of the Republican Party?
What does it mean if you are a registered Republican, but don’t contribute?
How do they pick the chairman of the GOP?
I have chosen to start my research at the GOP website.
We are conservative. We believe that government governs best which governs least. However, we are also realistic. That means that we stay away from third parties and gravitate toward the Republicans. I am a registered Republican. We donated money to the GOP. That was a mistake.
They began to call. They wanted money for this, that, the other. Money, but no ideas. We are not members of the pundit class.
I received, on 2 different occasions, faux ‘platinum’ RNC cards, with my name and a 12 digit number emblazoned on the front with the usual admonition that the bearer is to be accorded ‘all rights and privileges’. I researched the number, thinking that maybe I held in my hand the key to Republican arcana - uh, no. The number is meaningless (to me) and there is no place where I can be accorded ANY rights or privileges.
For the next month, while I am also seeking out ways to provide for my family, I am going in search of the GOP. Here are the questions I intend to answer.
How does the Republican Party work?
What ‘rights and privileges’ do contributors have?
Are those of us who contribute truly members of the Republican Party?
What does it mean if you are a registered Republican, but don’t contribute?
How do they pick the chairman of the GOP?
I have chosen to start my research at the GOP website.
