Haley Barbour Joins Resurgent Republic’s Advisory Board

Whenever talks surface about who will be the next leader of the Republican Party, Haley Barbour’s name always seems to come up. Now, Barbour has joined the Advisory Board for a new organization known as Resurgent Republic, which intends to have a role in shaping debate from the right.

Here is some more about Resurget Republic:

Resurgent Republic is a 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to shaping the debate over the proper role of government. It is an independent, not-for-profit organization modeled on Democracy Corps, which has made important contributions to the public debate from the left and has proven to be a valuable resource for labor unions, environmentalists, and liberal Congressional leaders.

Resurgent Republic seeks to replicate on the right the success Democracy Corps has enjoyed on the left. As does Democracy Corps, Resurgent Republic will make survey and focus group results publicly available. It will promote conservative free market principles such as lower taxes and economic growth, and support strong national defense policies. Resurgent Republic will be a valuable resource for the general public, policy makers, Congressional leaders and others that are aligned with us on these important issues.

Resurgent Republic gauges public opinion about policy proposals under consideration by the White House and Congress. Through a steady stream of national polls and focus groups, Resurgent Republic helps policy makers, think tanks, interest groups and others advocate for policies that are consistent with conservative principles, and to oppose policies that stifle job creation, weaken national security and undermine values that have made America a great country.

And here is more about the group from Politico:

Ed Gillespie, the former GOP chairman and counselor to President George W. Bush, and top pollster Whit Ayres on Tuesday are launching Resurgent Republic, a group aimed at shaping the debate as the party regenerates itself for the upcoming elections.

Resurgent Republic plans to offer itself as a resource for policymakers and congressional leaders and will conduct focus groups and polling, and plans to hold at least one forum this year.

Think of it as a Republican version of Democracy Corps.

“The Republican Party has been declared dead at least three times already in my lifetime — in 1964 after Goldwater lost in a landslide, in 1974 after Watergate and in 1992 after Clinton won with a Democratic House and Senate,” Gillespie said.

“In every case, we came back, and that will be the same in this fourth instance. But we have real challenges as a party, and we need to be thoughtful in addressing them. The most important thing we have going for us is that our center-right philosophy is in sync with where most Americans tend to be also. Making sure people understand how that philosophy translates into policies that translate into improvements in the day-to-day lives of families and workers is where we have to put our focus.”