urban politics.

It has been an unfortunate fact of the GOP's recent past that, by and large, we have remained uncompetitive in urban areas. Strategically, Republicans, and conservative republicans in specific, have viewed urban outreach as superfluous at best, believing that a coalition of rural and suburban voters would be sufficient to maintain electoral majorities. If this was ever true before, it is certainly less so now, and if demographics continue to change, will continue to grow less true in coming decades. Now, as we are reeling in response to Democrats capturing deep red districts, the GOP must start thinking about turning the tables, and this begins with candidate-building in America's cities. Some of the countries' largest cities--New York, L.A. and Atlanta just to name a few, will have mayoral and city council elections in 2009. I think it is imperative for state parties, and even the RNC, to target these races, setting measurable goals particularly in city council races. Before we leap-frog into 2010, let's ask--and try to answer--the following questions about 2009:

1. What positive steps can we take immediately to begin building party infrastructure and recruiting activists in urban areas?

2. What measurable goals can we set for local city parties in 2009?

3. What percentage of city council races in 2009 can the GOP reasonably hope to contest?

4. Can the RNC help create a national "contract with urban America" which proposes free-market solutions to urban problems and onto which city council and mayoral candidates can sign? What would such a contract look like?

5. How can the GOP compete with corrupt, one-party rule in the cities? Can we bring shady Democratic practices in such places as Philadelphia and Chicago to light in 2009 and other off-year elections, and if so, how?

I welcome comments and suggestions on these important questions. I don't think there are easy answers, but we need to start the discussion, and do it now.