Alternative ending to Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back: It’s the climactic laser-sword fight between fledgling Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker and the sinister Sith Lord, Darth Vader. Young Luke is down to one arm, no weapon, and cowering precariously at the end of a catwalk when Vader lays the bad news on him: "I am your father."
Now at this point, instead of bugging out and throwing himself into the abyss, what if Luke had thought it through?
Alternative Scene One, Take One:
Vader: "I am your father."
Skywalker: "Get out. Dad wasn’t black."
Vader: "This is a mask, stupid. Join me."
Skywalker: "Well, o.k., but you’ll need to give me a hand, since you chopped off my other one."
The point is, maybe they could have worked together, as Vader suggested, whacked the Emperor, and Luke could have helped dad with some of his totalitarian and planet-destroying issues. Dad turned out to be a good guy after all in the next movie, right? Maybe Luke wouldn’t have had to beat Vader half to death in the next sequel, weakening dad to the point that the effort involved in killing the Emperor proved fatal. And finally, maybe they wouldn’t have lost that second Death Star. What a waste. I mean, it’s all about PR, isn’t it? If the Death Star had been called the Happy Star, maybe they wouldn’t have had rebels always trying to blow it up.
Roll credits…Now a journey forward in time (Sorry, all of these sequels and prequels give me a headache, too).
A long time ago, in an Empire far, far away…
Some of us in our last few years of eligibility for "Young Republican" status (it ends at age 40) remember the organizational convention of the Young Republican Federation of California in Riverside in 1993. That gathering was the result of what had become extreme factional infighting within the California Young Republicans, Inc. Up until and including the year 1992, the YRs’ conservatives complained that they didn’t feel welcome in the CYR tent. Well, actually, they weren’t. So they decided to form The Federation. They spun off the new YR group, fended off a lawsuit and battled through many state and county committee skirmishes. But in the end the YRFC stood on its own as a viable alternative to the CYRs.
Across much of the country, Young Republican organizations, depending on their characteristically rotating leadership, sometimes fall into a "social club" mode rather than the political action mode. Most people who read this blog know what I’m talking about (Read Duane Dichiara’s November 1 entry on this phenomenon here). Part of the problem with the social club phenomenon is that it encourages infighting with other Republican groups, which can distract activists from their main purpose of electing Republicans. Consequently, I think it’s fair to say that the warfare between the CYRs and the YRFCs has at times been counterproductive.
But there have been ceasefires. One of them is here in San Bernardino County, where the recently formed West Valley Young Republicans (YRFC), and the San Bernardino County Young Republicans (CYRs) have become partners in winning races. Led by Mark Kirk, Chief of Staff to Fourth District Supervisor Gary Ovitt, the West Valley Young Republicans (YRFC) have raised more than $90,000 this year. The other group, the San Bernardino County Young Republicans (CYR), has apparently been brought over to the Dark Side by Matt Brown, Chief of Staff to Second District Supervisor Paul Biane. The group has raised more than $45,000 this year. The county’s third YR group, the High Desert Young Republicans (YRFC), was founded by Bill Postmus (who today is Chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors) in 1993, and over the years it has earned a reputation as one of the more politically active chapters in the state. Its current President is Michael Orme, Senior Field Representative for Postmus (Disclosure time: Postmus is my boss). Both the West Valley and San Bernardino clubs have retained Steve Presson and Associates to do general consulting and Steve Kinney to do strategic polling. The collaboration has proven successful in the most recent local November elections and in the June special election in Ontario. Perhaps this partnership will be seen as an example for other areas — the message being that by joining together (if they only knew the power), especially when they’re in the minority (rebels), Republicans stand the best chance of success, especially in local and non-partisan races.
So let’s review. A quorum of the Board of Supervisors has staffers running all of the Young Republican groups in San Bernardino County, and the Chairman (Postmus) and Vice-Chairman (Biane) of the Board are also Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively, of the county’s Republican central committee. Consider also that legislation was signed into law this year to change the election apportionment for Central Committee seats in San Bernardino County from Assembly districts to county supervisorial districts.
Anyone doubt that working together is more productive than infighting, or that non-partisan offices will continue to be more crucial for Republicans to hold here in California going into the future? If so, as Darth Vader once said, I find your lack of faith disturbing.