On Jeff Frederick’s Run For RPV Chairman
by Jason Kenney
So Delegate Jeff Frederick has decided that he can save the Virginia GOP and is running against current Republican Party of Virginia Chair John Hager for his seat. It leads one to wonder that if Del. Frederick really is to be the “future” of the RPV, one must ask what he has done in the past.
There really doesn’t seem to be much.
In 2004 Del. Frederick established Virginia’s Future PAC with a $100 contribution. That’s it. Nothing else since then. No helping other candidates in the state, no fundraising, just $100 sitting there. Though maybe it’s not there anymore since the PAC paid for Frederick’s Chairman campaign website:
Let’s go beyond the PAC. Individually, Del. Frederick has donated $1,500 over the last few years, $1,000 of that to candidates, $500 to the Dominion Leadership Trust PAC, the PAC established by Del. Bill Howell to do, well, what? Lose House seats like there’s no tomorrow?
What has Jeff Frederick done to be Chairman of the RPV? Where has he proven his ability to raise funds, assist candidates and campaigns, coordinate anything on a statewide level, and on and on and on?
Where does Jeff Frederick provide any reason to vote FOR him?
Comments
I haven’t chosen sides in this race, but I must say this. I think asking “what have you done” might be exactly the wrong question our Party should ask if growing the party is a goal. I have no problem supporting someone who might have his own track record but has accomplished much outside of the party apparatus. I don’t know if Frederick fits the bill, but races for Chairman shouldn’t be about who has the strongest ties to the past.
Just my opinion.
Knowing we have the same gripes about the party as a whole… perhaps you have a point, but the past typically proves to be prolouge. Given Frederick’s past support for all-things Jeff Frederick (and little else), Jay’s instinct has roots.
Take for instance Chris Saxman. Now there’s a guy building the party. I could think of a number of guys who have reached outside of their districts to do precisely that (Obenshain, Cuccinelli, Bolling in the pre-LG era, Janis, Hugo, Stolle, Norment, Marshall, Vogel, Kilgore, etc.) whereas the name of Jeff Frederick falls flat…
…until he runs for Chairman, of course.
I’m short on folks telling me what they are going to do to help RPV. Show me what you’ve done, and then we can talk. Until I’ve seen some work in the trenches, active party building, promoting candidates and good unit chairmen, and all of the key stuff necessary to build a strong party — sit back and let the major leaguers do their work.
That’s not to say Jeff is a bad guy, blah blah blah. But there’s nothing to point towards where I can say “he’ll do that for us” in the final analysis. Substance is the key.
addendum: “Bolling in the pre-LG era” is a reference to then-Senator Bolling, and doesn’t mean he’s not party building now… just saying he did one heck of a job as a State Senator (and clearly, his leadership paid dividends).
Shaun, I understand that. I just would want to keep us open to someone who might bring a whole lot of qualities and experience to the table that might not include strict Party accomplishments.
That’s fair — I’d keep the same open-mindedness. I just don’t think we have that “shake things up” (in a good way) guy in Jeff Frederick. There’s just nothing I can point to where I can say “yeah, he really turned that around” or “wow, he really stuck his neck out for principle on that one.”
It’s just not there. Whereas with Hager… yeah, I can say those things.
Gentlemen,
As I put in my letter that went out this past weekend. There is nothing there. Where is his plan for RPV? Where will he get the financial resources? At the end of the day he is quite similar to Barry Obama. All fluff and no stuff!