How do Republican Committees win in Democrat Counties? Focus on School Board Races.

Conversation with Matt Kruth May 31 2023

1. Bob’s earlier video podcast discussing Local Republican division.

00:11 Matt concerned that my talk of RINO might alienate valuable republican committee members.

1:54 Bob doesn’t want to create an alternate purity test. It’s not the word RINO it’s what you do. Matt: committee members shouldn’t opt out if they don’t like a candidate.

03:19 Not the word but the attitude of destruction and chaos. Negativity has more energy than positivity.

04:28 House Republican Durham Probe and FBI Whistleblower has been good for Republicans. Idealism / pragmatism spectrum.

06:21 NHRC School board candidates received a significant number of Democrat votes. Not all Republican school board candidates are aligned on every issue.

08:53 Over-reaction to everything even remotely DEI. You can moderate it and present sound principles that put proper limits on DEI.

11:02 It’s not just about compromise. Minority members can use persuasive, articulate challenges that influence the majority of the school board.

12:16 Satanist club.

13:24 Kevin McCarthy positive with the Durham Probe and FBI Whistleblowers now turn negative with the Debt Ceiling. Democrats publicly toe the line.

2. How negativity can be counterproductive.

15:37 Sometimes things are negative. That’s fair. But think through what you are trying to accomplish and how to go about it. What’s the end game? You need actionable steps. NHRC has made the productivity transition at least in part.

18:06 Managing negativity in the workplace. Negativity can be used as a deflection. Leaders need to get people to accept their responsibility and take productive steps.

20:29 Workplace teams didn’t normally turn against one another. That’s the problem within the local Republican committee.

3. North Hills Republican Committee Facebook Posts (and emails) calling out the Ross Twp Democrats.

21:00 NHRC Facebook posts defending parents and calling out the Democratic Committee. Support teachers.

23:08 Parents were complaining about gender ideology / sexual identity books displayed in a 3^rd grade classroom. Democrats avoided the underlying issue focusing solely on calling parents bullies.

25:33 Bob reasserts that the Democrats were avoiding the gender ideology issue because they knew the public would be against them.

26:57 Ross Township Democrat Committee Facebook page posted that Republicans were causing child suicide. They lied and said that the Republicans were using disparaging terms.

28:13 Some people are afraid to be vocal because of what Democrats did to the Republican Committee. It was a scare tactic.

29:20 A lot of people don’t know the back story. They can react too strongly against or for such a provocative post. The attack was a gift to Republicans. They used the national narrative and broad brushed the local Republicans with baseless accusations. North Hills Republicans over performed with Democrat voters.

31:31 Other committees like Shaler had no basis to call out Democrats. If we had done that without specific basis, we would have been like the north hills Democrats not the Republicans. You can’t take national news incidents and immediately apply them locally. It makes you look foolish.

4. North Hills Republican School Board Candidates

33:45 What are the platforms for the North Hills Republican school board candidates? Matt shares some of the work involved in campaigning and the difficulty of running as a slate.

36:09 Negatives are so powerful that slates are risky because if 1 candidate has a misstep it affects all of them. Each candidate is different with different strengths. Matt is optimistic about defeating incumbent Democrats. No candidate won both parties in the primary.

5. Discussion of Shaler and North Hills School Boards

38:52 Matt’s thoughts on an effective school director platform / message. Shaler tax increase. Limits on school board authority to raise taxes in Pennsylvania. Shaler is raising the maximum allowable but based on the budget they’ll have to increase taxes again for at least 2 more years if they don’t reduce spending. Large expenditures.

42:56 Anyone can spend someone else’s money. Few school directors can reduce spending and save money.

44:23 Shaler budget deficit was very predictable for any school directors that looked at the finances. Public attendees hear talk of spending don’t realize the school district is operating well over budget.

6. Growing and Uniting NH Republican Committee

47:05 To raise taxes over 5% the school board needs a public vote. By doing it over 3 years without a vote they know most voters are unaware.

48:55 How does Matt and NHRC manage newcomers to committee meetings. Visitors process.

52:28 Matt worries about scaring off visitors to Republican Meetings. Bob worries about boring them. Matt explains how he conducts the meetings which includes open comment at the end.

53:50 Matt has committee members who are good inviters, Matt is better at engaging people after the show up.