“Aſter Wisconsin, the White House knows that the RNC is back and ready to go toe-to-toe with the Obama campaign.”
— Haley Barbour
campaign delighted in letting reporters know that its get-out-the- vote infrastructure was a modern marvel. It knew what you ate, where you liked to shop, and who your parents voted for in the last election, so it was said. The recall results, however,
indicated Republicans are just as savvy at identifying their voters and getting them out to vote. Not only did Scott Walker hold
The goal is to improve turnout,
but to do it without importing an army of outside volunteers. Asked why Priebus has been
so effective in turning around the RNC’s fortunes, Barbour points to his underdeveloped sense of ego. “Unlike other people,” says Barbour, “it is never about him.” These days, you’ll find Priebus
on to his seat, but he won by a larger margin than he did in 2010 and carried nearly 40 percent of the state’s union households. “Having the top of the line in supertechnology was
GOP BOOST From left: Reince Priebus, Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, and Scott Walker meet to strategize.
and the RNC working tirelessly to boost the Republican Party’s chances in November. Many pundits believe that the
all that the Democrats could really brag about before the Wisconsin recall,” says Priebus, himself a native of the Badger State. Democrats boasted that they generated 800,000 phone
calls during the recall battle. Priebus says Republicans made over 4 million.
N
ow, with the November elections just months away, Priebus assures Newsmax that Republicans “have the
tools, the technology, and we have the manpower and the horsepower, to beat [Democrats] at their own supposed games.” According to Barbour, when Priebus took over, the RNC was in its worst financial shape in decades. After a period plagued by gaffes, spending scandals, and inconsistent messaging, the RNC found itself $24.5 million in debt. It had a mere $300,000 in cash on hand when Priebus walked in the door. Just going by the numbers, it appears Priebus has engineered a remarkable turnaround. Today, the RNC has reduced its debt to $9 million, and has $164 million in cash on hand.
“Number one, we are raising more money than has ever
been raised at the RNC,” says Priebus, “Number two, we are also building up teams within all of the battleground states, that are specific to those states.” He says the RNC is beefing up its volunteer networks in key battleground states.
AUGUST 2012 | NEWSMAX 37
election will go to whichever side has the best get-out-the- vote network. But building a voter-turnout machine is a monumental task. Priebus has grown accustomed to the relentless effort
while rebuilding the RNC. And the indefatigable head of the RNC confesses he has a secret advantage. “Lots of Starbucks,” he jokes.
THE LOYAL OPPOSITION By Sean Delonas
AP IMAGES
© 2012 NEWSMAX MEDIA
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