I had the honor and privilege of attending the National Federation of Republican Women 2010 Winter Conference in Oklahoma City.
The Rennaissance Hotel is within walking distance of the Oklahoma City Memorial, making for a poignant weekend.
As expected, the conference itself and the people involved with the NFRW are fabulous.
My attendance came about because a couple of ladies in Texas took a chance on me. Toni Anne Dashiell (who was not in attendance) invited me to speak to several hundred women at the Texas Federation of Republican Women 2009 Convention in Galveston. At that event, I met Borah Van Dormolen, who recommended me to national headquarters. I again thank Toni Anne and Borah for their friendship.
At this time I want to say that anybody who thinks our current president (or any president for that matter) runs the world has never been to a meeting and met the ladies of the Republican Women’s Federated.
At the TFRW Convention, several of the ladies were talking to Governor Rick Perry. I innocently asked what they were asking the governor. One of the ladies kindly looked at me, smiled, and said, “They’re not asking the governor anything. They’re telling the governor what they want.” Sure enough the governor was obediently nodding his head up and down, and I am sure whatever he was being told, he did. When I attended the NFRW conference, I certainly knew my place.
I was one part of a very lively weekend.
The keynote speech at lunch was given by former Oklahoma and CFL football star and house leadership member J.C. Watts.
(In an irrelevant tangent, Mr. Watts is very religious. Therefore, when an Oklahoma woman once told me that she was guided in life by JC, I thought she meant Mr. Watts. I am Jewish, so it did not occur to me that she meant the other JC. She was amused.)
J.C. (the current living one) lit up the crowd and inspired us all.
RNC Chairman Michael Steele was not in attendance, but a representative from his office was there. Angela Saylor specializes in outreach, and she is bright, capable, and exactly what the RNC needs. I got to speak with her at length over dinner, and she is as intelligent and savvy as she is delightful. She was there to help the RNC and NFRW synergize.
As for the ladies themselves, they are awesome. There are three states in the union where I am fairly well known now, that being California, Arizona, and Texas. Those ladies greeted me very warmly, and introduced me to as many of their friends in the other 47 states as time allowed.
(I wish my networking for dating was this successful.)
Unlike liberal women in Los Angeles, these ladies also knew their football. The ladies in attendance from Wisconsin are all pro-#4 (Brett Favre for the non-football educated). They love their Green Bay team, but have no grudge against him for leaving.
NFRW President Sue Lynch is from Wisconsin. She is pro-Packers, pro-Favre, and quite beloved by her Republican Women compadres. Leadership starts at the top, and she has the group ready for 2010.
The slogan of the NFRW is 5W: “When Women Work, We Win.”
I will be blunt and say that without the NFRW, the Republican Party would not win much of anything, anywhere. These ladies are the ones who do everything from holding fundraisers for candidates to knitting sweaters for the troops. They are also a volunteer organization. They give their time because they deeply believe in Republican principles.
They do not get involved in issues that divide Republicans, nor do they make endorsements in primaries.
They understand that what unites us is what makes us stronger as an overall party.
I spent a decent amount of time getting to know many of these women.
Suzanne Crow of Louisiana made sure that I had a smooth experience. I did, and she was the reason for that.
Freida Von Schillen of New York took me under her wing for a decent amount of the convention.
Lisa Roper of Texas was one of the younger ladies there, and she is obsessed with helping the group as a whole get younger. The future depends on this.
Marilyn Davis of Texas helped me get to the airport. This might not seem like much, but it was. Like the Republican Party itself, I often have a dreadful sense of direction and need a Republican woman to straighten me out down the right path.
Carrie Almond of Missouri has a high energetic voice like Victoria Jackson, but she is no “dumb blonde.” She is a top notch number cruncher and a fashionista. Needless to say, she had plenty of tips for me. Between Carrie and Freida, I eventually managed to keep my elbows off the table during dinner. They also gave me a hard time for noticing that one of the members was very easy on the eyes, which I definitely noticed. Nevertheless, it was good-natured ribbing by new friends.
Friendship. That is what made this conference so enjoyable for me. Yes, there was serious business to get done, at that weekend and on into the future. Yet making friends I will have for life is what makes conferences like this such a joy for me.
Only in America could a 30-something Jewish fellow from Los Angeles bond with (mostly) Christian ladies who were (slightly) older than me from all around the country. This is done when people are united to advance deeply held principles.
It was a thrill meeting nationwide members of the National Federation of Republican Women. While I was the one speaking to them, the education I received from them was equally if not more invaluable.
After all, men have not always done a great job running the world.
When women work, we win.
This conference was held in Oklahoma City, which has felt great pain but maintains great pride. On September 11th, 2010, the ladies will be wrapping up their next conference in Charleston, South Carolina.
The soldiers in that military area will be heralded as the heroes, but let’s not underestimate others with a different type of boots on the ground organization.
Long live the ladies of the National Federation of Republican Women, and their state and local chapters everywhere.
eric
For the 100th time, I state unequivocably that the Republican Party
MUST widen it’s umbrella or lose elections. It’s that simple mathematics.
2 plus 2 do not always equal 4 ( pour 2gallons water into a 4 gallons
pot filled with 2 gallons of oil). But in elections, they equal 4.
Prior to last Obama’s victory, I asked several employees of local
markets, ( mainly minority but not all ), who they were voting for.
To a man (and woman) they answerd Obama.
When asked “why”, they responded, “because he will make the country
better”.
A close friend of mine, asked the same question, answered that
McCain will legalize illegals, all 11m of them.
A relative answered that the Democrats offer far more in services that
the Republicans (this is in a city that is bankrupt).
When asked about who will pay for all of this, he responded, “the rich”.
No matter how you slice it, 31% of the pie may suffice for one meal
or someone on a diet, but NOT to win elections.
Every pundit and expert now writing about Obama that I see on the Net,
say the same thing..there were high expectations from him, none
of which have been fulfilled.
I call the Democrats the party of promises, promises, promises.
Now we learn that Mr. Dodd, Conn., is backing off his original view
of writing new laws pertaining to consumer protection. An independent
agency won’t be formed, but attached to the Federal Reserve, the
bank having veto power. Duh.
While Eric goes traveling to Republican women’s groups, Id prefer
he spend more time with my people, and other minorities. It is they
who will decide California’s election. Had New Yorkers and Californianis
voted more heavily for McCain/Palin…our ally in the M.E. would not
know be bashing itself in the head for announcing plans to build 1600 units for Orthodox Jews in 4 years.
I think Mrs. Palin would have used common sense and just said,
“Look guys, it’s your problemo, you sit down and hash things out. It’s to your children’s benefit, or do you want to continue fighting one another
for another 100 years?”. “So long as Arabs and Israelis build in Jerusalem,
so what.”” Maybe, living side by side should start THERE as a portent of
a future Palestinian second state (Jordan is the real Palestine) and it’s reality”.
If I were Avi David, I would harp on this Biden/Obama/Hillary fiasco to my constituents and defeat Mr. Waxman. That district really does need
CHANGE.
Women in the GOP have been having a hard time of late. As the party “purifies” and becomes more rigidly ideological, women are being left out. The GOP would be wise to be more inclusive of women, and listen to them, as women could being the party back to a political moderation more acceptable to mainstream voters.
JMJ
I’m not sure why people say Israel is an “ally” of the United States. As far as I know, there is no formal alliance. We are close “friends” for whatever that’s worth, but again there’s no formal alliance. We have no defense treaty with them, we are not mutual members of an treaty organization, etc. To be honest, I’m not even sure why. But unless there’s some secret treaty we all don’t know about, Israel lis not an ally of the United States.
JMJ
Israel is not an ally of the US ?
You flaming idiot.
Do some research, the amount of intel that Israel has supplied us with has saved thousands if not millions of American and Israeli lives