Notes from Jane

We had a great State Convention in Lansing this weekend. Party activists came from every corner of Michigan and from every part of our great Republican Party. We elected our National Convention delegation, heard some great speeches and elected Holly Hughes as National Committeewoman and Keith Butler as National Committeeman. They will make a great team and will represent us well at the national level.

As everyone left the convention hall today, we are more committed than ever to deliver Michigan to John McCain. When Michigan goes Republican, the country will go Republican. Several people asked me to post the remarks I made at the convention on our blog so they could pass them along to others. So, here they are:

Jane Abraham’s Remarks
Michigan Republican State Convention–February 2008

Today I want to talk about the next nine months.  Everyone in this audience knows how much is at stake this November.  The future of the Supreme Court, the success of the War on Terror, the permanence of the Bush tax cuts, the fight to protect human life and many other issues will be decided based on who becomes our next President.

In my view, this year’s presidential campaign is almost an exact replica of the campaign for Governor in Michigan in 2002. 

Now as then, the Democrat candidates are locked in a tough campaign with each claiming to be the most liberal and the most committed to the agendas of America’s far left interest groups.

Now as then, the media ignores the philosophy of the Democrat candidates and focuses instead on their good looks, their great speaking styles, and their ability to excite a room full of liberals.

Now as then, the mainstream media keeps telling voters how important it would be to elect a President who breaks the gender or racial barrier instead of focusing on the positions of the candidates on the issues vital to America’s economic and national security.

It is almost a carbon copy of Michigan in 2002. 

In 2002, Michigan voters chose style over substance.  They chose to make a statement about gender instead of voting the most qualified person into the Governor’s office.

The media and the voters decided it would be fun to have a glamorous Governor who could give a good speech, instead of a hard working Governor who would provide the leadership Michigan needed to be strong.

And look where we are today. 

America may or may not be heading into recession, but Michigan has been in one for six years.

While most of America is putting people to work, Michigan is laying them off.

While other states are the centers of new industries, Michigan is watching our core businesses downsize and new businesses headed somewhere else.

It should surprise no one that all of this started when Michigan elected Jennifer Granholm Governor.

Instead of leadership and new ideas we’ve got a Governor who spends all her time blaming someone else for Michigan’s problems.  It’s Bush’s fault.  It’s Engler’s fault.
It’s Bishop’s fault, it’s Herbert Hoover’s fault.  Fellow Republicans, the reality is of course simple.  It’s Jennifer Granholm’s fault. 

And if America follows Michigan’s lead and elects either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton as our next President, the nation will suffer the same fate as Michigan.  We will lack the leadership America must have to win the War on Terror, keep our economy strong and meet the challenges of a very dangerous world.

So for the next nine months we have two jobs.  First, we have to move Michigan from a blue state to a red one.  To do that we have to let voters know that the national Democrats are advocating the same policies and style of leadership that has been destroying Michigan the past six years.

And then we have to also help our fellow Republicans in other states get out the word that the surest path to failure is to embrace Democratic leadership where what matters is style instead of the substance.

If we do those jobs then John McCain will be our next President.  If we fail, then we will have set our nation on a doomsday course toward weakness and failure.

Your state party team is anxious to carry this battle to the people of Michigan and I look forward to working with all of you over the next nine months to get the job done.  Together, we will raise the funds, rally the troops, register the voters, recruit the volunteers and get-out-our vote.  The simple fact is that too much is at stake for us to fail.

Let me close by thanking all of you for all you have been doing for the Michigan Republican Party, and for what we will be doing together over the next nine months.