Hub Politics recently had the opportunity to interview Robert Willington, who just announced his departure as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Republican Party. The following was conducted via email December 20-21, 2008.
Q: Last night you revealed that you were leaving the MassGOP as the executive director, can you tell us about that?
A: Yes. I think this interview exemplifies the power of new media. I loaded up my car and decided to share this personal experience with my followers on Twitter and it quickly turned into something much bigger. Bloggers were calling me, State Committee members were emailing me and my Tweeters were tweeting me (that sounds ridiculous).
Q: You are a big fan of Twitter, so clearly it was no coincidence that you revealed your departure from the MassGOP on Twitter, as opposed to a press release from the MassGOP?
A: oops,.. just answered that above. But to add to it, Twitter is a personal Google. For instance, the other day I was hanging with @davidall at McGann’s pub and he was saying how he could ask a question in Twitter and it would be answered immediately. Another person asked him, “can’t you do that with Google?” and he agreed and we both shrugged our shoulders, affirming the question. As I thought about it more, I realized why @davidall preferred getting his answers from Twitter. In life, we desire human, personal interaction and this is the power of Twitter. Google, although great, is a computer and twitter is human - this is why Twitter wins over google when looking for answers. We’d rather get an answer from someone than from a something. Follow me @willington and @massgop @keepthatfaith and @blogsforjoy !
Q: The question on everyone’s mind must be “Why is Rob leaving?” So, Rob, why are you leaving?
A: My heart is with the MassGOP….I’m from Massachusetts (go Rockport Vikings) and love working for the GOP in the bluest of blue states. However, I’m not the CR (College Republican) activists sleeping on couches in campaign headquarters anymore. When I joined the MassGOP, I was a single bachelor….I didn’t need much, I just wanted a basic salary and to travel around the state helping the GOP. Now, I’m married with two recent WeePublicans. My personal world has changed a lot.
Q: So what is more challenging, being the executive director for the Republican Party in a ridiculously blue state, or fatherhood?
A: Executive director for the Republican Party in a ridiculously blue state, my wife is a rock star.
Q: So, what is next for Rob Willington? How about your web projects, Keep That Faith and Blogs For Joy. Will you be focusing more on those now?
A: No, I’m going to be very, very busy. BlogsForJoy.com and KeepThatFaith.com have taken a lot of my spare time recently, but in a way, both projects have a mission to be open-source and collaborative. BlogsForJoy.com should do well without my 100% attention and the same is true with KeepThatFaith.com (donate content), are there any conservatives out there that know their way around Photoshop?
You will hear more from me very soon.
Q: Aside from your departure, Chairman Peter Torkildsen also announced last month that he wouldn’t seek reelection. How do you feel about the future of the MassGOP, given the change of leadership it is experiencing?
A: It’s often joked that “There is nowhere to go but up” but it’s not true - we lost 3 seats this year. The future for the MassGOP is strong because there are a NUMBER of tools for the new team to use. I wrote a detailed manual on what we are doing and how to continue the building at the local level. Politics Magazine noticed how we (MassGOP) were winning non-partisan seats at the municipal level; school committee, selectman, mayor etc…. these candidates attended our trainings and were given access to voter vault. This is revolutionary, empowering these local candidates with sophisticated campaign technology is very important. A state senator once told me over breakfast that the GOP won’t see these results for at least ten years; he is probably right. We launched GOP Farm Team as a site dedicated to building these municipal offices for the GOP.
Q: You made a huge push for internet based grassroots efforts. Do you hope your internet influence will remain part of the MassGOP’s game plan?
A: It will, because it’s all set up - all of the MassGOP Twitter followers, the MassGOP Facebook friends, the thousands that expect mass emails, those that have signed up for our Mass Text messages, those that are dedicated MassRootsGOP.com followers….the new team has no choice because it’s such an efficient way to communicate and get things done. The foundation is built, the contacts (names, addresses, phone numbers, emails) are in the system; we have identified over 50,000 contacts through our aggressive online tactics. This was not easy and the new team has a wealth of info to use.
Also, using the internet is a way to multiply your office - this is what Chris Anderson calls the “Long Tail.” Many hands make light work. We can’t afford a huge staff, so what are our options? Only one answer - empower Joe Activist with the tools he needs to make things happen. When I started, I could not believe how much valuable information was stored on the MassGOP computers. MassRootsAction was my way of exporting this data out of the office and into the hands of the grassroots where it can be much more useful.
Q: Did you join the MassGOP with a set of goals, and do you feel that you accomplished those goals?
A: My goal was to turn the party inside out, to decentralize it. I think I made a major step towards this goal but more needs to be done. Before joining the MassGOP, I had a lot of campaign experience and I always had the perspective as a campaign manager out in the field (I managed two state rep campaigns in Massachusetts). I tried to have a “boots on the ground” perspective knowing how disadvantaged we were as Republicans in Massachusetts. I realized we needed some leverage and new media was the only way to give us leverage without spending a lot of resources. Almost all of the new media tools that we used were free.
Q: Is running for political office in your future?
A: Probably not.
Q: You sure? There is a Senate seat for sale in Illinois.
A: True, but considering the history of that particular Senate seat, I am way too qualified for it.
Q: Clearly, politics is a huge part of your life. What else are you about?
A: I’m working on my next step now - I have Keep That Faith and Blogs For Joy as side projects that keep me busy. But besides politics and new media, traveling, family, photography, anything British and trying to put a dent in my book collection.
Q: Do you think there is hope for Massachusetts?
A: Massachusetts voted for Reagan twice and recently had the longest running list of GOP Governors in America (16 years). So, Massachusetts voters can pull the lever for a Republican. In truth, most people are more motivated for personality than principle. I think it’s a mistake to say the Reagan victories were victories for conservative ideals and Obama’s victory is a victory for liberalism. Obama had a strong, likable personalty (the beer factor). Party building continues among the faithful - those that are motivated and involved because of the principles of the party. We can’t wait for a strong, likable personality (a Mitt Romney) to come and be the savior of the MassGOP. We need to act now, while knowing there are not going to be crowds of people coming to build.
One of the most destructive things within the party (and it’s not just the MassGOP that has this problem) is that campaigns feel entitled to MassGOP dollars just because they threw their hat in the ring. Talk about liberalism. If a campaign ignores our campaign schools and we know he or she will get in the mid or high 30’s on Election Day, why should we spend precious dollars on that candidate to bring them a few percentage points higher? What’s the value in bringing a candidate from 38% of the vote to 41% when we could be spending it on a campaign that we know is in the high 40’s? Too often, criticisms are served by people who are zoomed in on their district or area. Only if they could pull back and see the big picture they would have a much better perspective. This isn’t socialism where we are going to split the pot equally among all the campaigns.
The MassGOP can not bring a candidate from 39% of the vote to 50% plus one on Election Day - it’s up to the individual campaign to put themselves in a position to win, then the Party can come in to work like heck to put them over the finish line. Put us in field goal range. However, all campaigns deserve basic support - trainings, technology, lists, example fundraising letters, example direct mail, contacts and open communication with the State Party to serve as “in-house” consultants.
Q: Speaking of “The Beer Factor” there any pubs in Boston you will miss?
A: Yes, below the MassGOP HQ is Johnnies On The Side and we called it JohnniesDownBelow….great spot. Also, McGann’s as mentioned earlier, is a classic Boston Irish pub- you feel that you need to present your passport every time you walk in , it’s a perfect getaway (although there are pictures of John Forbes Kerry on the wall). And of course, the Red Hat was a short walk from the MassGOP HQ and it too has a great Boston atmosphere.
Q: As Executive Director, you were a big part of the Massachusetts Republican Party. With that behind you, who would you like to thank?
A: Hub Politics for sure, you guys rock. I’d also like to thank the State Committee members that were helpful and supportive, and everyone who saw the decentralized vision for the party that I had. I’d like to thank Darrell Crate for hiring me as Political Director three years ago and Peter Torkildsen for hiring me as Executive Director. Brian Dodge was a great Executive Director to work under and he helped me with the old-media when I took over as ED. I also want to thank every candidate that ran for office and carried the GOP banner in a awful year - those people are real GOP warriors. And of course, the troopers on the ground - the Massachusetts Young Republicans, the College Republicans along with anyone that made a phone call or knocked on a door. Amber Hillman and her victory staff were phenomenal with the amount of calls they were producing for John McCain. The BeverlyGOP and their self-organization skills (and volunteer skills) should be copied around the state, the Concord GOP for getting an office up and jamming it with volunteers, the AttleboroGOP for being a mini-MassGOP by traveling around the state helping other Republican Town Committees, and the BerkshireGOP with Peter Giftos, Matt Kinnaman and Jim Bashour. The Berkshire GOP has a full time office staffed by with an Executive Director out in Pittsfield, a very blue part of the state but they have an awesome team.
Q: Who are the political figures that you admire?
A: Washington, Churchill, Thatcher, Reagan. The non-political, but politically influential figures are: Friedrich Hayek, William F. Buckley, Whittaker Chambers, Frank Meyer, Russell Kirk, Dinesh D’Souza, & Thomas Sowell. D’Souza is one of the best minds that we have right now. This is why KeepThatFaith.com is having so much fun with Richard Dawkins, who refused to debate Dinesh D’Souza. This is the first KTF video and here is the follow-up video.
Q: If you could have a beer with any of the aforementioned political figures, who would you pick, and which pub would you choose?
A: Great question - probably comes down to either Whittaker Chambers since his life was so incredible, I loved his book Witness, but William F. Buckley also had an amazing life; former CIA officer, author to several books, ran for mayor, hosted Firing Line, brought the diverse conservative movement under one magazine, founded YAF, avid sailor - he did it all. Buckley is the godfather of modern American conservatism. Probably Buckley. I’d probably take Buckley to McSorley’s in NYC, would love to see him roll up in his scooter coming from the upper east side.
Q: Do you have last message of hope for the Republican in Massachusetts who are tired of the one-party rule here?
A: Yes, stop thinking in terms of “committees.” Someone once said, “if computers ever get too powerful, organize them into a committee - that will do ‘em in.” Next time you go to Washington D.C., or in the State House, look around for a statue of a committee - you won’t find any, there is a very good reason for that. Committees slow the process down and curve productivity (thank God Congress is comprised of committees). Folks, time is flying by and we need action in local communities now. First, set up a blog (our interns can get you one for free, very quickly) and become THE voice of your community, not just the GOP voice. Interview your board of selectman, interview your High School principle, talk to your police chief, how are the local shop owners doing? Take pride and interest in your community and use the blog as the window into it.
There are over 70 million blogs in the world, but there will only be 1 blog with a GOP perspective in your community. Pretty soon, many in the town will be visiting your blog to see what is going on, to see personalities and figures that they see every day - so long as you create good, quality content people will be coming back. Second, too often these committees will meet, eat, and retreat. After each meeting ask yourself this: how did we push back the Democrats and/or advance the GOP at this meeting? Did you combine your meeting with a phone bank targeting likely GOP activists to build the committee, did you combine it with a mailing to recruit new people or raise funds, or asking people to run for office? If we are about local action, then let’s see some local traction and stop looking up to 85 Merrimac Street for a hand out. I know of some other State Parties that often complain to the Republican National Committee for not getting funds or assistance - I have told the RNC directly that I don’t expect anything from them (however, they have given us a tremendous amount of support with our website, voter vault, and guidance…I often used the RNC as a non-monetary resource). Third, go door knocking and talk to the Unenrolled (independent) voters that voted in previous GOP primaries and invite them into the GOP - voter registration card in hand along with an invite to the Republican Town Committee social event that you are having next month. Grassroots means you knocking on doors.
Don’t just be a Republican that shows up once every 2 years to hold a sign on the street corner while sipping a Dunkin Donuts coffee - signs have not, and never will win elections. Enough with the signs. Get to a training and learn about voter identification and GOTV and become a little more sophisticated in your targeting and approach. Sign waving is a secondary campaign activity, not a primary one. GOP campaigns need to focus on the fundamentals that win elections (personal contact from trusted sources) not counting beeps and thumbs-ups on street corners. There are a lot of great posts on MassRootsAction on this stuff.
Finally, I say this as a conservative; enough with the “RINO” talk. What a waste of time. It wasn’t until the 1964 election that the conservatives began to find a political home in the GOP. Liberalism is an old political movement, conservatism is not. The Republican Party used to be the Party of the Lodge’s and Rockefeller’s. The people tossing around “RINO” are acting as if the GOP has held their particular view since the 1800’s. Folks, the movement began only 40 years ago, this thing is still pretty new. If you are a conservative and you retreat because of the “RINO’s” in the Party, then you are giving up on this fairly modern effort and the Party will be less conservative as a result. The same is true with the other camps in the GOP - when I met with the Log-Cabin Republicans, and the Rockefeller/Lodge Republicans etc and they complain that the Party is too conservative I tell them to get more involved because politics is about showing up. If you are complaining about a certain wing of the Party, chances are, it’s because that wing has showed up and you have not. You have two options: show up, or continue to complain about the other group showing up.
Lastly, if you are passionate about an issue then seriously start thinking about starting a PAC (political action committee) to raise funds to help in the 2010 battle. The GOP candidates got hammered with special interest money from the unions and other left-wing groups in 2008. We have a few solid allies on our side, but we need more ammunition. Start a PAC, develop a fundraising team and start building the bank to help candidates in 2010.
If you need help with starting a PAC, or if you want to reach me for any reason (for criticism, or for my address to send me iTunes cards for Christmas) you can reach me at rwillington[AT]massgop[DOT]com
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah everyone and please just do a little something this Holiday season. Joy is not finite - you can create a lot of it today and tomorrow by simply doing something. Visit Blogs For Joy and check the Joy Avenues to find out how you can create joy.
KeepThatFaith,
Tags: Amber Hillman, Blogs For Joy, Brian Dodge, Friedrich Hayek, Hub Politics, Jim Bashour, John McCain, Massachusetts Republican Party, MassGOP, MassRoots, Mitt Romney, Peter Torkildsen, Richard Dawkins, RNC, Rob Willington, Thomas Sowell, unions
December 21st, 2008
I just sent out this press release:
WHERE WILL NIKI VOTE?
Boston, MA – MassGOP Executive Director Rob Willington today issued the following release regarding Niki Tsongas’ Election Day activities:
“While Jim Ogonowski continues to reach out to voters of the Fifth District, Niki Tsongas is undoubtedly having a hard enough time figuring out where to vote. With two out of the three polling locations for Niki closed today, the only question is – will she pick the right one?”
In 2001, Niki “Had No Plans To Leave” Lowell:
2001: “Today, Niki lives alone in the seven-bedroom manse. She has no plans to leave. ‘It’s home,’ she says during an interview in a sun-filled bay of the elegant dining room.” (Brian C. Mooney, “Niki Tsongas Talks About Her Work In The Arts, Her Ties To Lowell, And A Possible Run For Office,” The Boston Globe Magazine, 04/22/01)
But In 2003, Niki “Left The District”:
“‘Niki left the district,’ Tierney said, referring to Democratic candidate Niki Tsongas, who moved from Lowell to Boston’s Charlestown after her husband, former Sen. Paul Tsongas, died.” (Matt Murphy, “Tierney: I have a desire to create law,” The Lowell Sun, 5/30/07)
“Tsongas moved to Charlestown in 2003…..moving back to Lowell in March, and has never held political office.” (Matt Viser, “Hopefuls crowd field in race to replace Meehan Rare congressional opening creates buzz,” The Boston Globe, 06/19/07)
Niki Moved Back To The Fifth Congressional District Shortly Before Launching Her Campaign:
Niki “relocated several years ago to Charlestown and moved back only in March, just before launching her campaign.” (Matt Viser, “Tsongas campaign focuses on name Critics question her experience,” The Boston Globe, 08/26/07)
“Tsongas has since leased a condo in Lowell while she campaigns for Congress.” (Matt Murphy, “Tierney: I have a desire to create law,” The Lowell Sun, 5/30/07)
Niki’s Commitment To The District Questioned:
“Tsongas’s commitment to the district has also been questioned.” (Matt Viser, “Tsongas campaign focuses on name Critics question her experience,” The Boston Globe, 08/26/07)
Niki Also Lives In Chatham:
“While Lowell is troubled, [Paul] Tsongas seems financially blessed. Besides their home here, he and his wife own a waterfront home on Cape Cod and other real estate investments.” (Curtis Wilkie, “For Tsongas, business must be part of politics,” The Boston Globe, 01/23/92)
Tsongas has a “second home in Chatham.” (Brian C. Mooney, “Niki Tsongas Talks About Her Work In The Arts, Her Ties To Lowell, And A Possible Run For Office,” The Boston Globe Magazine, 04/22/01)
###
Tags: Jim Ogonowski, MA-05 Special Election, Niki Tsongas, Rob Willington
October 16th, 2007
Hub Politics recently had the opportunity to interview the interim Executive Director of the Massachusetts Republican Party, Robert Willington. The following is a transcript from an in person interview conducted on August 31, 2007 at the Massachusetts GOP Headquarters.
HUB POLITICS: First off, congratulations on your new position as interim Executive Director of the Massachusetts Republican Party. Now, you just recently attended the Google/Heritage New Media conference; tell us how that was.
ROB WILLINGTON: It was great, I got to personally meet a lot of people that I had only known through the web. People like David All and Patrick Ruffini, I would read them all the time but it was good to meet them. There were about 200 people in attendance. It was fun to see that the “Margolis” name is a household name among that group, we are lucky to have you and Matt in Massachusetts.
HP: What was discussed?
RW: Everything involving new media and using the web. It’s often said that our side has been slower in utilizing the web to promote our issues and candidates so this was an attempt to become better organized as a movement. They covered everything from how to build email lists, social networking sites, and how to keep people coming back.
HP: Why have we fallen behind?
RW: Well, I have heard a few reasons. First, Jonah Goldberg recently wrote about how our side was ahead of the curve in the 90’s and right around 2000 the Democrats really started to advance online. Jonah believes that when a party is in power it’s the opposition party that will advance online and with activism in general. In the 90’s under Clinton it was FreeRepublic that was cutting edge and since Bush has been in office since 2000 the Democrats have had a cause to rally around. Second, about 50% of America has access to high band width and the other half is behind. Take a look at the red/blue map based on counties and you will see that the cities are blue and the rural parts are red. This is another reason
HP: What’s going on with the Mass GOP?
RW: We are expanding our online presence this fall and I’m pretty excited for it. It’s not a silver bullet but it’s an attempt to turn our current web strategy upside down. I’m a big fan of Joe Trippi and his book “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”…yes, Trippi is a Democrat but it was really fun to watch his (Dean) campaign grow from a small office in Burlington, VT to something much bigger. It’s ironic because they actually applied conservative principles to their online strategy and this is what we want to do. Instead of using the web as a top-down (elitist) one way medium, we want to open it up to our activists from Berkshire County to Barnstable County and let a community grow. As a party, we believe in competition and in the free market place. Well, we want to use the web to let ideas flow from the grassroots up to our office at the Mass GOP and to let all suggestions be heard. There are a lot of people that care deeply about the GOP in Massachusetts and we want them to be more involved. During an election time, campaigns and state parties are in the vote getting business and right now we are in the activist getting business. The decentralized online strategy is a great way to do this and we are currently working on our tactics to carry out this strategy.
HP: Are applications like Facebook and MySpace part of this?
RW: Yes, they are a part of this. Email is becoming harder to use (although it is still the major way to communicate) for various reasons but Facebook and MySpace are very important. For instance, you can get word out about an event or a training without having to pass through various hurdles; spam filters, wrong email addresses, etc… Social networks enable you to put the new information right on each person’s personal page, which they check several times a day since their page is all about them. Facebook is also growing at a tremendous rate among middle-aged voters; it’s not just for college students anymore.
HP: Your main page has a form for collecting cell phone numbers. How does the Massachusetts GOP plan to utilize the gathering of cell phone numbers?
RW: The Edwards campaign is at the forefront with this (thanks to Trippi) and it just makes sense. The iPhone is just the beginning. It’s very common nowadays not to have a home phone and people are constantly using their phones to go online and communicate with text messages. As a party, we are always looking to enhance our voice and communicate with more and more people so we decided to start collecting cell phone numbers now.
HP: So what’s next?
RW: Well, I have been spending a good amount of time developing our online initiative which will come out this fall. We have been working with municipal campaigns and have had some victories at the local level…building the bench is something we need to do, and we are doing it. We have a special election in the 5th Congressional District and we are hosting an activist conference on September 29th. The MassGOP has spent a lot of time on the road and Chairman Torkildsen is a big proponent of trainings. A lot of our activists are still all about holding signs as a major campaign tactic and it’s been difficult to break that habit. Sign holding has its time and place but it is a secondary campaign activity. Conducting voter id, executing GOTV, and using voter vault are all things that need to be taught and learned now, not 3 months before Election Day.
HP: Any last thoughts?
RW: Just to repeat my earlier statement that our online expansion is not a silver bullet, it only guarantees the common GOP activist to be more involved with the Massachusetts Republican Party, to enhance communication and increase buy-in with the Party. We need candidates, we need doers and we need donors and there is no way a few people in a Boston office can do this effectively across the entire state without getting others involved.
Tags: Mass GOP, Rob Willington
September 7th, 2007
