An interview with Mark Cross, candidate for Chairman of the Florida GOP
Now that the elections for State Committeeman and woman are over, and county Republican executive committees have selected their leadership, the race is on to determine who will lead the statewide Republican Party. Current Chairman Jim Greer is considered a potential candidate for chairman of the Republican National Committee, but he has some competition for re-election here in Florida.
We previously interviewed one such candidate, Eric Miller, the GOP State Committeeman from Martin County.
Today we present an interview with another hopeful, Mark Cross… Osceola County’s former chairman and current state committeeman. You can also find out more about Mark at his campaign website - www.CrossForFlorida.com
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JaxDaily: What first got you interested in politics?
Cross: I first got interested in politics in 1972. The 26th Amendment had just been passed. I registered as a Republican and subsequently cast my first vote for Richard M. Nixon. The next several years were mesmerizing. Watergate, Nixon’s resignation and a new President who was not elected by the American people gave me an unprecedented appreciation for our Constitution. It was no mistake that Ronald Reagan and his vision for a smaller Constitutional Republic solidified my loyalty to the party and Republicanism. I have pretty much been involved in some type of political activity ever since. Reagan was never able to translate his entire vision into reality, but if you listen to his speeches in the sixties and seventies, they remarkably ring true today.
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JaxDaily: What do you feel was your most significant accomplishment during your time as Chairman of the Osceola County Republican Party?
Cross: In order to be a successful Chairman you have to have volunteers and the support of the Republican Executive Committee (REC). Significant accomplishments in Osceola County were the result of team efforts. As Chairman my goal was simply to elect Republicans. Osceola County presented a unique set of challenges as it is and has been a “Democratic” county. When I was elected Chairman there were 15 elected Democrats and only 10 elected Republicans with 6 of those 10 Republicans in non-partisan races. The last election I presided over we had 100% Republican wins. The remaining Democrats have since retired or were removed from office by Governor Bush. I always operated with two precepts. Recruit the best individuals to run for office and grow the party. If we do those two things, we are unbeatable.
During the time I was Chairman, Osceola County conducted the first organized Hispanic outreach in the State of Florida. As a result, we appointed many participants to our local REC and were able to recruit Hispanic candidates. This directly resulted in the election of the first Republican Puerto Rican to the Florida House in 2002. John “Q” Quinones won House Seat 49 as a Republican in a presumed “Democratic” stronghold. I am honored to have served The Osceola County Republican Party as Chairman and share in the many successes and accomplishments during that time.
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JaxDaily: In 2007 you sought a seat on the Osceola County Commission as a “no party affiliation” candidate - why didn’t you run as a Republican in that race?
Cross: First I would like to point out that at no time did I or was I required to change my party affiliation. I remained a Republican. However, there were extenuating circumstances during this time period. Osceola County’s Supervisor of Elections office was being monitored by the US Dept of Justice. A lawsuit had been filed alleging that Osceola County’s at large voting system was discriminatory toward Hispanic voters. A federal judge suspended our County Commission elections for the 2006 voting cycle until the lawsuit was settled. The federal judge ultimately ruled that the countywide at large system was in fact discriminatory. The judge set an election date and drew up new single member districts.
The new single member district where I was an 18 year resident had an approximate registration of 12,000 Democrats, 6,500 No Party Affiliation and Others, and only about 5,000 Republicans. This obvious disparity was worth the expense and possibility of a conservative win. My two primary issues were solid Republican. I campaigned for less taxes and more transparency in government. As they say hindsight is always 20/20. It is fairly evident that my Republican values are well known, as the voters subsequently elected me State Committeeman with 53.37% of the vote a year later.
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JaxDaily: When did you decide you wanted to be the Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida?
Cross: I remember watching the 1976 Republican Convention with my dad. When Ronald Reagan made his impromptu concession speech, some people thought that the Republicans had nominated the wrong man. Reagan made a big impression on me and I asked my dad how you got to be a delegate. He said you had to either have a lot of money or be very important. I found that my father was wrong.
In 2000 I was honored to be chosen as a delegate for the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia. I remembered my father’s words, but I was neither rich, nor important. I came to realize that the vast majority of Republican Party activists are just ordinary people who are doing extraordinary things. They are people who make sacrifices so they can try to make the world a little better place. It was in 2000 at the Republican National Convention that I first started thinking about being Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida and how I could serve. The opportunity came this year with my election to the State Committee.
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JaxDaily: If you are elected Chairman of the RPOF, what items will be at the top of your agenda for next year? Where does the state party need to go from here?
Cross: The RPOF needs to recognize that all politics is local. We need to partner with the County RECs to provide infrastructure, financing, and support for Republicans in local elections. By winning local races we can start the rebuilding process within the party. This will solidify Republicanism at the local level, create a farm team for future races, and we will be able to implement better local government from the Panhandle to the Keys.
We need to unify the party. Jim Greer ran on a big tent platform but failed to achieve this on several levels. The 2008 presidential election was one of conversion; we failed and were vastly out preformed on a grassroots level. Probably one of the most important changes we could make would be to take gubernatorial politics out of the Chairman’s race. Greer was “appointed” by the Governor in 2006 with no party experience. This inexperience became evident during the past election cycle, one we cannot afford to repeat.
In order to rectify this problem, I would create a mechanism similar to the way the House and Senate campaigns are operated. I would give the Governor the right to appoint a “Governor’s Campaign Officer” who would work within the party framework to facilitate the reelection of the Governor. This way the Governor is guaranteed access to the party machinery and infrastructure without the local RECs taking a backseat to gubernatorial politics and national ambitions. We can then invest in local RECs, local elections, and local government. This will strengthen our base and enable us to win many more elections by increasingly bigger margins.
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JaxDaily: As the former Chair of the Ron Paul presidential campaign here in Florida, What do you say to those who claim that so-called ‘libertarian Republicans’ are trying to ‘take over’ the party from within?
Cross: First I would like to say this is somewhat laughable. I have encountered many more people who think we have already been taken over by the “tax and spend” Republicans. We have a lot of work to do with regard to rebuilding the trust of the base. To better answer your question, I would like to quote Ronald Reagan on July 1, 1975 from Reason magazine.
“If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. I think conservatism is really a misnomer just as liberalism is a misnomer for the liberals — if we were back in the days of the Revolution, so-called conservatives today would be the Liberals and the liberals would be the Tories. The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is.”
Libertarianism simply means liberty. I strongly believe in less government interference and more individual freedom. Our party needs to highlight these issues. Republican landslides are always won from the right. When we move to the left we lose. This claim of ‘taking over’ the party is just a straw man argument using rhetoric to scare people. I believe that every voice is important and every voice should be heard. People who say “‘libertarian Republicans’ are trying to ‘take over’ the party” are actually repudiating the principles of Ronald Reagan. In order for our party to move forward we need to get back to Reaganism not run away from it.
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JaxDaily: Did you support and vote for Senator McCain in the November election?
Cross: I supported Senator McCain and Governor Palin in the November election.
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JaxDaily: What is Florida Statute 103.161 and why does it concern you?
Cross: One of the biggest issues affecting our party today is FL Statute 103.161. This gives the Chair unprecedented powers of removal of duly elected committeemen and committeewomen. I will paraphrase the statute. “Such violation may include… interference with the activities of the political party. The chair has sole discretion to determine if a violation occurred”. What happens when the Chairman endorses a liberal candidate in the primary who does not support your conservative views? If you work against the Chairman’s endorsement for a liberal Republican are you interfering with the activities of the political party? Can the Chairman have you removed? He has sole discretion. By invoking this Statute the Chairman can even have his competition removed from party office and prevent or overturn an open and honest election.
I believe this statute should be repealed. Who is to decide where the line is drawn between party interference, free speech, and honest criticism? There have been last minute rule changes designed to close the door on people running for party office in order to maintain the status quo. The Republican Party is refusing to seat many people who lawfully won their elections. A lawsuit was filed in Miami-Dade which the party lost. Several other lawsuits are being contemplated throughout the state. Rules should be for the purpose of assimilating new growth rather than prohibiting it. This only leads to divisiveness when we should all be unified. Preventing open and honest debate will only add to the demoralization and deterioration of our party. Last minute rule changes interfere with the business of the Republican Party.
This also has to a lot to do with my leadership style. We should capitalize on each person’s talent and skills not suppress such attributes. Leadership is about promoting and encouraging potential not controlling it.
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JaxDaily: Who are some of your personal heroes?
Cross: My heroes are Republicans. I admire Ronald Reagan. He was a great President for the way he was able to communicate with people to promote his conservative vision for America. I still get inspired listening to his speeches. Another Republican I admire is Martin Luther King Jr. Here are two Republicans from vastly different backgrounds who both essentially had the same message. America is about freedom, liberty, and the individual. If you believe that people should be judged by the content of their character, if you believe that America is the land of opportunity, and if you believe that our Constitution applies to everyone, then America will become that Shining City on a Hill.
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JaxDaily: Thanks for taking the time to answer a few of our questions - is there anything else you would like to add?
Cross: Thank you for the opportunity to share. Normally this type of election is not played out in the press, but I believe it should be. The new RPOF Chairman is voted upon by the State Committee, but he will represent almost 4 million Republican voters. Each member of the State Committee should take their vote seriously and reflect on how their vote impacts their local community. Do we want a Chairman who will represent just a few Republicans? Or do we want a Chairman who will represent all Republicans?
I would like to add this personal message for the Republican Party State Committee: On January 10th we will have a very important decision to make. We will choose a Chairman to lead our party for the next 2 years. I will lead by promoting and encouraging potential. I will open up our party to all Republicans. I will promote open and honest debate within the party. I will remove gubernatorial politics out of the Chairman’s race by creating a mechanism within the RPOF so the Governor is guaranteed access to the party machinery and infrastructure without the local RECs taking a backseat to gubernatorial politics and national ambitions. I would place an increased emphasis on partnering with local RECs to promote local candidates for city and county offices and school boards.
I would bring a higher level of technology to the party. My experience with the Ron Paul campaign gave me new insights into grassroots technology, social networking sites, and internet fundraising. I would reach out to young people, because young people are the future of our party. I pledge to bring openness and honesty to the party. I pledge to unify our party. I pledge to become more transparent with the party’s finances after each election cycle.
Our vote January 10th will be very important because we have to decide what our party’s future will bring. Our vote should not be based upon who has the biggest endorsements. Our vote should not be based on who had the biggest hospitality suite with the best food and drink. Our vote should not be based on who can twist the most arms. Our vote should not be based upon peer pressure to elect the “right” candidate. And our vote should not be based upon a preconceived notion of what is best for our party.
The decision for Chairman is yours. We have an obligation to exercise that decision wisely. The ballot will be secret so we can throw out all the arm twisting, parties, bullying and peer pressure and just listen to our hearts. In reality we have just two choices. But everyone will frame these two choices a bit differently. Some will choose between right and wrong or between left and right. Others will choose between transparency and secrecy. Still others will choose between the Greek philosophers or Machiavelli. I believe the choice comes down to this. We can resign ourselves and once again vote for what is and what has been. Or we can dream and vote for what can be.
I will see you in Orlando on the 9th and 10th. Thank you.
Sun, Jan 4, 2009 by Austin Cassidy
Around Florida, Politics