direction for the right

Today, the Republican National Committee held a “Tech Summit” to discuss how our party can best modernize its operations – anybody with a passion for technology and politics was welcome to attend. Let there be no doubt, the RNC Tech Summit was something special.

The atmosphere was rich with that almost mystic combination of creativity, technical skill, and a passion for new ideas. Looking around, one could see political veterans and rookies alike – individuals with different specialties, experiences and perspectives collaborating on a shared challenge. How can we best move our party forward?

The greatest innovations are the result of unplanned collaborations and today was no exception – the long-term legacy of today’s event will be those associations fostered within the crowd. Side conversations. Chance meetings. In the months and years ahead, we will see countless projects that trace their origins to conversations in that room.

This is the generational opportunity for the Republican Party – the tools may change, but the challenge remains the same as it has always been. We must utilize technology to genuinely include the American People in the political process in new and profoundly meaningful ways.

As we explore that great opportunity, the verdict on today’s event is clear; without question, the Republican Party is stronger for it.

Matt Lira currently serves as the Director of New Media for House Republican Whip Eric Cantor.

"The sense, from watching Republicans these past few weeks, is that they are finding being in the opposition liberating," notes Jeremy Lott at Politico. "Without a governing coalition to hold together, they don’t have to back bad legislation. Without Bush to hold them back, they can soar."

Whether the GOP will soar again remains to be seen.  A key issue is whether Republicans will stick to a fiscally conservative message or "work with" Obama and the democratic Congress.  As Lott writes, on Election Day, voters had the choice of "Bailout Party A or Bailout Party B."

He believes voters "picked the party they believed hadn’t gotten us into this mess," while I've argued: