RNC Falling Short On Its Ground Game Promises In Key Swing States

Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus speaks before the California Republican Party 2014 Spring Convention Friday, March 14, 2014, in Burlingame, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
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A report from Politico Friday revealed that the Republican National Committee has not built the ground game infrastructure it promised and state committees are getting worried Democrats are gaining the edge

From Pennsylvania to Arizona to Florida, the RNC had pledged to invest heavily in state staffers, but so far, the promises haven’t materialized.

Arizona’s state party chairman Robert Graham told Politico that he has just one paid state staffer from the RNC and he has had to scramble to even keep the person on payroll. In Ohio, Politico reported the RNC had promised 170 staffers by the first of July. At this point, they have delivered about two dozen. The issues persist in other swing states as well from New Hampshire to Florida.

The fear for Republicans is that without the boost from the RNC, it’s not just the presidential election that could be in jeopardy. Tight Senate races could also be affected if the top of the ticket is out-organized.

Politico pointed out that the RNC had released a memo Thursday showing it planned to invest more heavily now on ground infrastructure, but many of the party chairmen Politico spoke with warned that it could be too little, too late.

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Notable Replies

  1. Only if the RNC hired Democratic party operatives could they build a competent operation on the ground anywhere.

  2. Avatar for jw1 jw1 says:

    RNC Falling Short On Its Ground Game Promises

    Their passing game sucks too.
    All ®s ever seem to do is play defense.

    jw1

  3. No ground game. No polling organizations. No data-driven campaigning.

    Boy did the RNC luck out, because that is just the way Trump likes it.

  4. The question is whether anyone wants to be associated with this years campaign for any Republican.

  5. Problem solved for the GOP:

    Twenty weekly Chuck Todd/Andrea Mitchell Tag-Team-Specials, broadcast nationally (and twice that number in swing states).

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