Although 2006 was not a banner year for the Republican Party nationally, one couldn’t tell that Thursday night at the county’s annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner.

Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita, the keynote speaker, reminded the large crowd at the Washington Conservation Club the GOP is the party that is best when it is together.

“You can do a lot of powerful things as a team and one of those things is win,” Rokita said. “And we win when we run as a team.”

Rokita, who won re-election in 2006, quoted the dinner’s namesakes of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan to inspire county GOP members to stick together as group and as a team to win.

“We need to be absolute and proud of our history,” Rokita said. “I think we’ve forgotten how to do that. I think we’ve forgotten sometimes what we’re about and the national media doesn’t help us in that regard and the liberals certainly don’t help us in that regard.

“In a sense, that’s what they are there to do and we can’t blame them. What we have to do is remind ourselves of what we’ve done for this country and what we’re going to do for this country...that we are still the party of purpose and not the party of ‘No,’” Rokita added.

Rokita spent some time revisiting the party’s history, especially concerning the African-American vote. He said that African-Americans vote 90 percent Democrat and questioned why.

“How can that be?” Rokita said. “90 to 10. Who’s the master and who’s the slave in that relationship? How can that be healthy?”

Lincoln, Rokita mentioned, was a Republican and asked spectator Kelci Newton, 14, if she knew the abolition and reconstruction movements were created by Republicans. She said “No.” Then the Secretary of State made what he called a “strong statement.”

“We have everything to be proud of,” Rokita said. “And the reason is because — to the core — this party is made up of more true leaders than any party on the face of the earth.”

He challenged local Republicans not to accept the status quo, but to be true leaders, like President George W. Bush and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels because they were not afraid to make the tough decisions while in office.

“Everyone of these men and women (candidates) that stood up tonight and briefly said what they are about and asked for your vote, they deserve our applause simply for that and they deserve our inspection,” Rokita said. “Because they are true leaders.”

He noted that some great civilizations such as Rome and Constantine, thrive about 200 years and then a new civilization emerges. The United States has been around for 240.

“It is Republicans under God that will save this country if it is to be saved,” Rokita said. “Just as we did when we founded this party in the mid 1800s.”

Before Rokita’s speech, Daviess County deputy prosecuting attorney and emcee Dan Murrie introduced county and city officeholders.