The Massachusetts GOP rejected the national Republican party platform last year. The National Conferences should have amended its plank on abortion a long time ago. This wise move must be repeated throughout the fifty states. The GOP "1%" has been dictating to the states and the local races too much. The Republican Party does not need a resurgence of "Lincoln Chafee" RINOs, but moderates like Edward Brooke, Scott Brown, and even the two (or rather one) Lady from Maine deserve a place at the GOP table.
You are not dead, but moving in the right direction for your state and your country. Stay pro-life, respect the rights of individuals to make their choices about their own lives. State senator Richard Tisei should not have supported tax increases without being crystal clear about spending cuts. He has nothing to be ashamed of, though, for running against an established politician with a dubious record.
This country needs a party that will stand up for the unborn, yet a policy which recognizes the tragic elements in life as well. The state of Massachusetts, New England, and the rest of the country deserve candidates who will speak up for "the little guy", who will respect the rights and responsibilities of small businesses to do what they do best: make money and create jobs.
The Mass GOP platform is right on about school choice. A Massachusetts Charter School is named for Edward Brooke, the first African-American to be elected by popular vote to the US Senate, and a Republican. About social issues, Missouri Congressman Todd Akin said too much about abortion. Never again should one candidate's overstatement force legislators and leaders throughout the country to repudiate a candidate. Never again should the off-hand remarks of one candidate kill an entire Senate race or put other Senate candidates on alert to repudiate one of their own.
Without a doubt, the National Republican "1%" is hurting competitive and qualified candidates throughout the country. As far as the central committee is concerned, the leaders have declared the outreach problem with minorities and women, but no one is declaring anything to those constituencies. President Obama used the "George W. Bush" playbook to reach out to Hispanics. W. won 44% of the Hispanic vote. Hispanics are culturally conservative (so are Catholics in general). They will find what they are looking for in the Republican Party.
To his (partial) credit, former Governor Romney was the best out of a middling bunch. This country needs better than "just enough" or "get by" in the White House. Scott Brown should have won the Senate Seat, and he lost by a mere six points. Although allegations of voter fraud may be more distracting than distressing, Richard Tisei should have won, and he should be in Congress right now. Tisei lost by "1%" because of the GOP "1%" which promotes the "legacy" moderates instead of candidate who know what they believe and believe what they know.
Romney was an OK governor, but not a fit or fitting Presidential candidate. Too often he changed his views. Too often he was running from his former record. Worst of all, his heart was never in the race. Not out of enthusiasm, but out of obligation did Romney run for the White House. Not enough voters felt obligated to go to the polls, let alone vote for Mitt Romney.
Do not despair, Massachusetts GOP. Stand on the issues. Do not merge with the center or the left. When Rhode Island Governor John Chafee waffled on the income tax and collective bargaining, the Republican brand turned into "Democrat-lite". Why vote for "kind of liberal" if "the real deal" is running, too? Conservative is more popular than liberal, especially when "liberal" means spending money that the state does not have on programs that no one can afford or on projects which no one needs.
Do what Sutton Representative Ryan Fattman did: knock on every door in your constituencies. Tell people why they should vote for you instead of why they should not vote for "the other guy". People are conservative on enough issues. So what if the Democrats have money? If you have the heart, if you have the guts, then you have the core of the argument, and no one can take that away from you.
Your move to recognize some exceptions for abortion is "right on". Stay pro-life, stay pro-limited government, stay pro-Massachusetts. You can teach the national party apparatus a thing or too about respect for every voter and for every state in the conference. Take some advice from former Massachusetts Republican US Senator Edward Brooke, who believed the Republican Party should have heart as well as a head for things. He is proof positive of the Republican Party's record on civil rights, nothing like the Democrats, who buy votes perhaps but fail to command any respect or offer real opportunities to minorities.
Keep making the "right" moves, Mass. GOP. There's plenty of fight left.