Jax Daily

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. One such candidate is Eric Miller, the GOP State Committeeman from Martin County.

Mr. Miller was kind enough to take a few moments to answer some of our questions…

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JaxDaily: What first got you interested in politics?

Miller: Wayne Miller, or Mr. Miller [not related] as we knew him, first sparked my interest in politics. Wayne was an instructor at Holy Family Academy. His method and style of teaching required a hands on approach to learning. In 1972, the Vietnam War was still in full swing, and a Presidential election was at hand [Nixon vs. McGovern]. As part of a civics lesson, I was elected to debate in front of the school. I was to be Richard M. Nixon during the debate. The experience awakened the sense of political philosophies in me.

As a young man, I realized that in order to change things for the better or to make a difference, standing on the outside yelling and complaining was not going to get the job done. Protesters exemplified this method during that time. One must work from the inside. This does not always mean being an elected official, but it does mean having access to those who make the rules. As a member of the United States Army my belief in the need for strong Republican leaders was reinforced.

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Miller: That decision was made in June of 2008. The RPOF spent over $200,000 in a contested Republican Primary. The local Party was never consulted and when we approached the RPOF about the matter our then State Committeeman was told, “Sit down shut up, go back to Martin County and man your phone banks. We [the RPOF] know better than you do and will do what we want”.

This one event caused a great deal of anger and resentment within our community. As I researched the events of the past two years and spoke with people concerning these matters, I found a large number of Republicans that were very unhappy with leadership. I could not find anyone that was willing to challenge the current Chairman for fear of retribution. As a Republican who believes in the values and principles of Republicanism, I felt it my duty to challenge the current Chairman and offer a different style of leadership. A style of leadership that includes integrity.

Ruling by mandate and over reach causes distrust and resentment. One must lead with integrity and transparency to be effective as a leader.

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Miller: Winning the campaign reinforced with for me that how you deliver the message is not as important as what the message you deliver is. Too many “pollster consultants” and slick politicians try to make themselves Madison Avenue candidates. Meaning, the message of their belief is lost on polling and targeted propaganda. The Florida electorate is growing ever leery of these candidates. They are looking for leadership, conviction and a message of integrity in a candidate.

I have a great deal of faith in the RPOF State Committee members. I believe that after all that has become known over the past several months that they will vote for the candidate that reflects their core beliefs and principles. I have secured enough verbal pledges at this point to make the election winnable. It will be close but I sincerely believe that I can win. Regardless of the outcome, I consider this effort a victory. We have been able to facilitate debate and discussion and have forced many to reevaluate what it means to them to be a Republican.

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Miller: I would like to believe that I have been more critical of Jim Greer’s behavior and actions than of Jim Greer. I have attempted to remove the person from the actions. Many if not all of us have read with great disbelief story after story of backroom deals and extravagant expenditures. While these expenditures may not be illegal, they do lend to a perception of poor judgment. The latest of which is forty thousand dollars of RPOF money being spent on a European junket.

Our job as a Party is to get Republicans elected. In electing people to office, we must do so in a way that is keeping with the values and traditions of our Party. I will involve the grassroots and give greater responsibility back to the local level. I will work to regain the trust of those people who have left the Party because they believe the Party has left them. I will lead by example and not by mandate. My complete philosophy of leadership and governance can be found here.

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Miller: Yes. We have unique issues facing our Great State. We also have a need for a road map for our Party. The Chairman of the RPOF is the elected leader. They must steer our Party. A Party platform provides the roadmap for the Chairman and elected Republicans. I will set in motion a grassroots platform initiative that will define the beliefs of the Republicans of Florida. I will lead the Party according to the document.

Some have argued that a platform would be too controversial or may cause division. I argue just the opposite. The process will create debate, from debate comes dialogue, and from dialogue come ideas. We have unique issues that challenge us as a State, environmental, energy and elder issues to name a few. Our ideals should be clearly documented and explained. This will allow the Party leadership to understand the beliefs of the grassroots. To achieve this, the platform must not be a top down process. We must begin at the local level and move the debate up the ladder. Only then will we be able to achieve a representative document that reflects our ideals.

Without this document, leaders are left to rely on poll’s and personal agendas when governing. If a person wishes to support this initiative they can find more information at PlatformYes.com

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Miller: We need now, more than ever to set in motion a technology plan for our future. We need to rebuild our Party from the Grassroots up and not the top down. We need to do more than focus on catchy slogans and flashy ideas. We need to develop a strong technology platform that will allow us to compete and win in 2010 and beyond.

Simple Facebook, YouTube and e-mail blasts used in the 2008 election are not the answer. We need to provide a platform that promotes open communication. We need a platform that ties every aspect of our electronic effort together into a seamless and powerful tool. We need to build an electronic infrastructure that will allow us to capitalize on technologies that rapidly disseminate information and energize the grassroots. We need to use this grassroots base not as a recipient of messages, but as a social network of activists that will propel our message beyond the electronic arena and into the real world.

Our objective is to win elections. As an organization, we must provide the tools and facilitate methods for our candidates to share in our technological investments. Technology and the social archetypes of technology have changed, and so must we if we are to thrive in the years to come. The conventional methods of fund raising require large sums of money, as demonstrated by our State Party in the recent election cycle. Internet and electronic events can effectively reach larger numbers of people quickly and for little expense. A more detailed explanation of my technology objectives can be found here.

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Miller: I learned that the media has a far greater influence on the outcome of our elections than it should be allowed to have. Our mainstream media marginalized Mr. Hunter and other Conservative candidates by choosing not to cover events or platforms. In addition, when they did cover these candidates, it was done in a way that discounted their message and chances thus creating a misperception.

We as a Party have a responsibility to inform and educate the electorate. We cannot rely upon the media to do this job for us. Not only do we need to speak to our beliefs, we need to act in the same manner and exercise our values through personal example.

During Presidency 4, these same candidates were not given the same inclusive opportunity as other less Conservative candidates. They were faced with road blocks and excuses to prevent their participation in the event. If Fox News had not been facilitating the debate, these same candidates would have been completely excluded by the RPOF leadership.

Again, leading by mandate is dangerous. The Chairman of our Party should lead by the mandate of the grassroots not the Chairman’s personal agenda.

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Miller: My father is my biggest hero. My parents are blessed with four boys of whom I am the oldest. My father has never wavered from his values and made sure his children understood what was right. He worked 3 jobs at times to provide for his family. He demonstrates respect for my mother and is the personification of what being a father, husband and a man stands for. I look to my father’s example for strength.

I was born in Springfield Illinois the Home of Abraham Lincoln. As a boy, I was fortunate to learn about Mr. Lincoln and his life. Mr. Lincoln represents to me all that is right with our system of governance. He did what was right and not politically expedient. He used his office for good and stood by his convictions. He personifies all that is right with our great nation and set an example for others to follow.

While achieving his goals was not easy, he made his decision based upon what is just. He maintained a personal strength of conviction that allowed him to succeed. Many of Mr. Lincolns personal traits were shared I believe with another great American. Mr. Ronald Reagan.

All of these men amplify character and moral conviction. They did not make decisions based on the trends of the day. They stood fast to their positions knowing that what they were doing was morally just. I use their lives as examples to help guide me in mine.

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Miller: As a Republican, I believe that the Republican philosophy of governance is the best form. I believe that in order for our great State and Nation to prosper we must return to those core beliefs of Republicanism. Our leaders and elected officials must act and govern like Republicans.

Self-Governance not only applies to our Nation but our Party. Further, it applies to each individual in as much as they have a responsibility of freedoms to self govern their actions in a way that is in keeping with the traditions of the moral law of society.

We as Republican leaders reflect upon our Party and produce the public image that is the RPOF. By our actions, words and behavior we as leaders are setting the tone for those that look to leadership for guidance. These principles are equally applied to our elected officials.

Do we believe in a Democracy led by citizen legislatures? Do we believe in the power of the electorate? Do we believe in honoring the will of our constituency? Do we believe that the concept of Democracy is a good model of government?

If we answer yes, then we as leaders must act in a manner that is keeping with these truths. We must forsake the urge to consume power and practice cronyism. We must put forth more than a message. We must put forth an example. This example must be based on a solid foundation of conviction and belief.

As the Chairman of the RPOF, I will practice these truths and lead by example. Thank you for the opportunity to express my views. Please feel free to contact me at any point with further questions, comments or ideas. Eric.Miller@EricMiller08.com