Who would have thought even a month ago, that victory was possible. We at Hub Politics, of course, always supported Scott Brown from the earliest days when we were one of only a handful of blogs even talking about the race, and saying “victory is possible.”

With Tuesdays victory behind us, Hub Politics would like to offer our thanks to those who made this victory happen, and give credit where it is due.

Of course, we first have to thank Scott Brown for being an excellent candidate and for fighting the good fight. Scott Brown fought to win early on. Even though it took time for his campaign to catch the attention of national media and bloggers across the country, he persevered. He deserves enormous credit for going out and getting his message heard. Had he not done that, his poll numbers wouldn’t have improved and bloggers across the country would have never noticed the campaign. He could have played the role of the “sacrificial lamb” as a paper candidate, but he didn’t. He got in his truck, and got his message out. So, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you Scott Brown. You did it!

Next, we must send our gracious thanks to his family. They, no doubt, endured the rigors of the campaign trail in a way that few of us can understand. Their sacrifice doesn’t go unrecognized here. A special thanks to the entire Brown family.

Scott Brown’s tireless campaign staff, new media team and countless volunteers deserve a great deal of credit. Whether it was dominating the new media, or holding signs, making phone calls, driving people to the polls…you name it. You all did a great job! Thank you. A special shout out goes to my friend Rob Willington, Scott Brown’s New Media consultant. Rob is a longtime friend of Hub Politics, and his use of social networking and new media certainly helped Brown’s online fundraising efforts and propel him to victory. Rob, I am buying you a beer!

Without the aforementioned, the voters would have gone to polls armed with nothing. You can’t thank anyone else before thanking the voters who heeded the call and made it to the polls yesterday. Thank you, fellow voters of Massachusetts–the Republicans, the Democrats, the Independents–everyone who cast their vote for Scott Brown, thank you. For those of you who also volunteered time and donated money, you deserve another round of thank yous.

You can’t run a campaign without money, and let’s face it, if the campaign depended only on donations from within the Commonwealth, Scott Brown’s message may not have been heard so clearly. Without the impressive fundraising these past few weeks, victory might have slipped away. To all the concerned citizens from across the country who sent in money and volunteered because they couldn’t vote for Scott Brown directly, we thank you too.

For us at Hub Politics, it rare to see a race in our homestate become a national story. This race was so huge and interest so high, we saw our traffic surge to the highest levels we’ve ever seen. With thousands of hits daily, this Massachusetts politics blog was getting hits from all over the country. We’d like to thank all of our new readers and all of the national bloggers who linked to our coverage of the election, as well as to the coverage of other local blogs. But, make no mistake, this is not about how much traffic we, or other blogs got as interest in this race exploded. A blog can get hundreds, or thousands of readers a day, but nothing can compete with the influence of a dedicated volunteer whose hours of work and hundreds of calls got people to vote.

It goes without saying that through blogging at Hub Politics I have met some really amazing people (elected officials, candidates, campaign workers, activists, and other like-minded individuals), and if that alone was the only reward for blogging, that would certainly be enough. This is Massachusetts, victories are few and far between; what makes the reward for blogging even sweeter are victories like we had Tuesday night, and being able to report on it live and being a part of something huge.

With all the rewards I get from being a blogger at Hub Politics, there is no need to try to give any credit for Scott Brown’s victory to us or any other blog. That’s not why I do this, and I hope that isn’t why anyone else does this. It’s our job as members of the new media to thank and give credit to those who truly deserve it, and the people I mentioned above are the ones who deserve the credit for Scott Brown’s victory.

“After careful consideration, I have decided not to become a candidate for the U. S. Senate. Over the past few days, the encouragement and support from so many friends for me to run has been overwhelming. I am heartened and grateful. But ultimately, the decision is what I believe to be in the best interest of my family. Now is not the right time for me to enter a political race.

In these critical times, I know that Massachusetts would be well served to have Senator Scott Brown as the Commonwealth’s next United States Senator. He has my full support.”

Meanwhile, Rob Willington emails to say that “today at 2:00 PM Senator Scott Brown will be making an announcement at the front of the State House in Boston.”

If you can make it to the State House today, you are welcome to attend.

Greetings everyone. Today, is my first day as Executive Director of RebuildTheParty.com and I am really excited to roll up my sleeves and get to work over the next couple of months. I’m from the northeast (Massachusetts) and am used to some pretty rough political terrain. New England Republicans are used to trying new things on low-budgets and so we tend to be a creative bunch utilizing new media to our advantage.

Click here for more

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,

Packed up my office at MassGOP, 3 quick year s there. 

Hub Politics wishes Rob the best of luck for the future. 

Rob Willington, who runs Mass Roots, has launched Blogs For Joy, a collective of Massachusetts bloggers who will use their influence to spread joy to those in need.

Check out Rob’s inaugural post at Blogs For Joy to learn more about how you can help spread the joy this season.

The state Senate passed a unanimous resolution this afternoon asking Democratic Senator Dianne Wilkerson to resign immediately following her arrest on charges she accepted eight bribes worth $23,500.

Lawmakers also stripped Wilkerson of her chairmanship of the Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight and her committee assignments and asked the Senate Ethics Committee to explore the accusations made by the FBI after an 18-month corruption probe.

This morning before the vote, Wilkerson sent a letter to Senate President Therese Murray saying she would follow the will of the Senate. Wilkerson has not issued a public statement today, but on Wednesday she vowed to continue her write-in campaign to save the seat she has held for 15 years.

“These are very serious allegations against the senator,” Murray told reporters after the vote. “We are all upset about the taint and shadow of doubt cast upon the Senate and its members based on the allegations of one person. I want to assure the people of the Commonwealth that we are fully cooperating with law enforcement in this ongoing investigation. I’m comfortable and confident that the integrity of the senate, and my own integrity, will remain intact at the end of this ordeal.”

Fair enough, or is it?

The Massachusetts Republican Party is wondering why Jim Marzilli still gets to keep his job, and keeps receiving a paycheck.

“Today, the taxpayers of Massachusetts paid Jim Marzilli $180.10,” said MassGOP Executive Director Rob Willington.

Note: The MassGOP Called on the State Senate to expel Jim Marzilli on July 1st.
Days elapsed since Marzilli’s indictment: 121
Days until Marzilli’s pension increases: 63
Cost of Senator Marzilli per day: $180.10
Total taxpayer cost since indictment: $21,792.10
For More information, visit MarzilliWatch.com

Middlesex Register of Probate John Buonomo, arrested last month and charged with stealing thousands of dollars from copying machines at the Registry of Deeds in Cambridge, has resigned from his $110,000-a-year job.

His letter of resignation was dated Friday and was sent to Gov. Deval Patrick and state Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret Marshall.

Buonomo, 56, of Newton, was captured on state police videotape allegedly stealing cash from copying machines at the Middlesex Registry of Deeds office.

Via press release, the Massachusetts GOP asks, “why hasn’t Marzilli [resigned]?”

MassGOP Executive Director Rob Willington said, “Today, the taxpayers of Massachusetts paid Jim Marzilli $180.10.”

Note: The MassGOP Called on the State Senate to expel Jim Marzilli on July 1st.

Days elapsed since Marzilli’s indictment: 69

Days until Marzilli’s pension increases: 115

Cost of Senator Marzilli per day: $180.10

Total taxpayer cost since indictment: $12,426.90

For More information, visit MarzilliWatch.com

Rob Willington Executive Director of the Massachusetts GOP, issued the following statement:

“If Jim Marzilli isn’t showing up for work, then why should we keep paying his full time salary? Beacon Hill Democrats want to protect their own, but they should do the right thing and immediately expel Senator Marzilli since he is not showing up for work.”

Willington noted that to pay Marzilli’s yearly salary costs the taxpayers the equivalent of 4,559 gallons of gas, 17,701 Big Macs, or 322,000 eggs, or 15,751 gallons of milk.

“Attorney General Martha Coakley needs to start acting like a General and start her own investigation into the serious ethics allegations leveled against Speaker DiMasi, and also the charge of ‘Phantom Voting’ which violates the civil rights of the people of this Commonwealth. Her inaction on these issues speak volumes about her leadership – she makes Tom Reilly look busy.”