Massachusetts GOP Needs Diehl’s Team to Grow [OPINION]

The Massachusetts Republican Party had a huge victory and some setbacks on Election Day. The hope of the party is in the Diehl campaign, and those folks know it.

On the surface, it seems ridiculous to base the future of a political party on the team that just lost a big election. But history shows us that losing campaigns are the training ground for future leaders and strategists. Show me a person who is successful in politics and has never worked on a losing campaign, and I will show you a hoax.

Or, I will show you a member of the media. The media is loaded with "experts" on politics who have never felt the sting of a losing campaign, because they have never actually put their heart and the soles of their shoes into a campaign. I have been in politics and in the media, and the media is a much easier existence.

The voters of Massachusetts re-elected Republican Charlie Baker to a second term as governor. Baker won for a lot of reasons, but it wasn't because of the efforts of the members of the state Republican party. Charlie won the seat and the GOP was along for the ride. He knows that better than anyone.

The future of the Massachusetts Republican Party will rise and fall with the people who joined the fight to oust Senator Elizabeth Warren. Most of those people will be from the Diehl campaign, but there are talented individuals from the campaigns of John Kingston and Beth Lindstrom. I would say there are also people who worked to help Independent candidate Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai, who can help advance the GOP if they are willing to see the benefits of operating within a political party structure.

But this will only happen if the individuals who made a personal commitment to help a candidate now direct that individual effort to join the local committees of the Republican Party. There is no other option at this time. If you like politics and you want to make a difference in the long run, then you must become a member and a shining light within the party apparatus.

The individuals who joined the Goldwater campaign became the people who elected Reagan. The did it together, but first, they decided to do it as individuals.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.