The Party welcomed 2012 Presidential candidate and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who received national attention as he launched an attack on President Obama's lack of a plan to stop rising gas prices. Gingrich brought with him former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza and Tea Party activist Herman Cain and Republican Strategist Michael Reagan, son of President Ronald Reagan, whom Chairman Del Beccaro called "the keeper of the flame."
The convention's Friday lineup included Majority Whip of the United States House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Darrell Issa, and Republican National Committee Co-Chair Sharon Day. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and Former Governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty also made an appearance at the convention, where they spoke at the Saturday night dinner banquet, sharing their insights on building successful campaigns and the 2012 political landscape.
The party also launched a few "firsts" - including their first-ever Asian Voters Town Hall led by the highest ranking Asian official in California Michelle Steel, which was covered by 35 media outlets, a first-ever Youth Town Hall featuring California's youngest mayor Jeremy Yamaguchi (a Republican), and back by popular demand the Latino Voters Town Hall moderated by Univision.
The weekend also featured a panel discussion on the 2012 Presidential Election with national pollster Brian Smith, Republican National Committee Political Director for the Western States Chris Carr and National Media Strategist for Karl Rove’s American Crossroads Steve Grand.
Other strategy sessions included a “Ground Game” GOTV workshop, led by former CRP Chairman Ron Nehring, and a Social Media workshop led by CEO of Election Mall Ravi Singh. During the Social Media workshop the CRP revealed its revamped website, powered by cloud technology from Microsoft, which is a part of an on-going effort to rebrand itself in the digital arena and attract young voters. Convention goers also had the opportunity to relax and converse inside the CRP's digital lounge, a completely wired location with access to the latest web technologies.
The California Republican Party used convention weekend as an opportunity to boost the infrastructure of Republican county party organizations and candidates, by providing affiliate websites supported with cloud technology and a candidate "Tool Box" designed to support Republican office-seekers at all levels.
◼ California's party of yes - LA Times
A series of Republican bills aimed at enacting Gov. Jerry Brown's proposals to reform public employee pensions is more than politically smart. It's right for the state.
