Tuesday, November 25, 2008
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RNC Chair Race: Lay Of The Land...
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Posted by:
Matt Lewis at
9:16 AM
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Chris Cillizza has a very good "lay of the land" piece out on the RNC Chair Race. I'd recommend reading it if you are interested in this contest for the future of the GOP.
Here's my take on the candidates Cillizza mentions...
- Mike Duncan: (Current RNC Chair) -- Regardless of how good he is, I cannot fathom why anyone would want to stick with a Bush loyalist who ran the RNC these last several years. It just defies logic.
- Michael Steele: (Former MD Lt. Gov) -- As I have noted before, Steele would be a terrific spokesman for the RNC. He is charismatic and has plenty of TV experience. My concerns about him regard his conservatism, his organizational abilities, as well as the DC insiders who are currently running his campaign.
- Saul Anuzis: (MI Chair) -- Anuzis is well-connected in the conservative movement. However, during his tenure, Michigan has gone more and more Democratic. Of course, this is hardly his fault. Still, I cannot see why you would send a manager to the big leagues who hasn't turned around his minor league team.
- Chip Saltsman: (Fmr. Huckabee campaign manager) -- This has not been mentioned much, but a hidden secret is that about a quarter of the committee members voting this time will be new. What is more -- because McCain really didn't have a grassroots following -- a lot of Huckabee folks (and to a lesser extent, Ron Paul folks) became state chairman -- and will be voting for the first time. How did this happen? Essentially, deals were brokered which allowed delegates to cast votes for McCain, while Huckabee loyalists took control of the party. In short, at first I thought Saltsman was merely running to make a name for himself. But there is a chance that the new state chairman will give him some surprise support. On another note, I have heard that just prior to Huckabee's dropping out of the presidential race, the Washington Times killed a story about how Huckabee was staying in the campaign in order to help provide income for Saltsman's consulting firm. While this is surely a rumor, it may again surface if he becomes a serious contender for this chairmanship..
- Katon Dawson: (SC Chair) -- Granted, South Carolina is already a conservative state, but Dawson has been very successful there. Dawson also seems to be a competent, shrewd, and tough pol (South Carolina is famous for this) -- something we desperately need in our leaders these days. On the downside, I've heard from several Republicans who are worried about electing a white southerner -- with a southern accent -- to go head-to-head against the first African American president...
- Jim Nussle: (former IA Congressman) -- I don't know too much about Nussle, except that he was once thought of as a Republican rising-star, but has faded a bit. I've got some research to do.
- Jim Greer: (FL Chair) -- I've met Greer once, and he was very nice. He has a reputation as a moderate, but is thought of as effective. The only interesting thing to note about his chances is that apparently he was kicked-off of Sarah Palin's airplane at some point during the presidential campaign.
Note: If you are used to predicting who will win campaigns, keep in mind that the rules here are vastly different. Just 168 committee members have votes. (Each state has a chairman, a national committee man and a national committee woman. Why 168 instead of 150? In addition to the states, Guam, Puerto Rico, DC, etc. have votes, too).
As you can imagine, having a universe of only 168 voters, dramatically changes the way you can campaign. This places a greater emphasis on coalition building, relationships, and earned media, etc. -- over traditional campaign methods...
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And more practically doubt we could ever get it. So long as Mi. is dominated by the UAW and the large Afro-American voting blocks its just a dream.
Lets get Steele/Blackwell, either as a team or individually. |
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Together with Christie Todd Whitman and John Danforth, Michael Steele restarted a political action committee called the Republican Leadership Council. Steele resigned from the group earlier this year.
This organization claims to be fiscally conservative but socially centrist.
In reality, one of the group’s main goals has been to marginalize social conservatives, especially Pro-Lifers and the Religious Right, in an effort to reach out to social centrists of the Kathleen Parker variety.
I believe that Steele’s recent resignation was a belated attempt to distance himself from people like Whitman and Danforth so that he can appear more conservative in order to win the RNC prize.
Steele’s decision to form a PAC with a pro-abortion liberal like Christie Todd Whitman, and Danforth, who can't stand the religious Right, should give pause to all social conservatives.
http://www.republican-leadership.com/ |
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Steele's abortion position vis-à-vis States Rights versus Roe v Wade is entirely illogical.
Steele claims that “the matter should have been left to the states to decide.” However, he doesn’t seem to want the matter to revert back to the states. His statement on stare decisis proves that he doesn’t want Roe v Wade overturned.
And if Roe v. Wade is not overturned, it is impossible for “the states to decide, ultimately.”
It took a while for Russert to get a straight answer out of Steele.
“MR. RUSSERT: Would, would you encourage — would you hope the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe vs. Wade?
LT. GOV. STEELE: I think that that’s a matter that’s going to rightly belong to the courts to decide ultimately whether or not that, that issue should be addressed. The, the Court has taken a position, which I agree, stare decisis, which means that the law is as it is and, and so this is a matter that’s ultimately going to be adjudicated at the states. We’re seeing that. The states are beginning to decide for themselves on, on this and a host of other issues. And the Supreme Court would ultimately decide that.
MR. RUSSERT: But you hope that the Court keeps Roe v. Wade in place?
LT. GOV. STEELE: I think the Court will evaluate the law as society progresses, as the Court is supposed to do.
MR. RUSSERT: But what’s your position? Do you want them to sustain it or overturn it?
LT. GOV. STEELE: Well, I think, I think, I think Roe vs. Wade, Roe vs. Wade is a, is a matter that should’ve been left to the states to decide, ultimately. But it, it is where it is today, and the courts will ultimately decide whether or not this, this gets addressed by the states, goes back to the states in some form or they overturn it outright.
MR. RUSSERT: Is is your desire to keep it in place?
LT. GOV. STEELE: My desire is that we follow what stare decisis is at this point, yes.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15473528/page/15/ |
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In a 2006 interview with Tim Russert Steele firmly stated his ardent pro-Affirmative Action stance.
“LT. GOV. STEELE: In this sense, that, as an African-American, and the only African-American on the bench. You know, I’ve disagreed with Clarence Thomas on a number of issues.
MR. RUSSERT: Which ones?
LT. GOV. STEELE: Affirmative action, for one. I, I strongly support affirmative action and, and believe...
MR. RUSSERT: You haven’t always supported it.
LT. GOV. STEELE: No, I’ve always supported affirmative action.”
The more I research Steele the less conservative he sounds.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15473528/page/18/ |
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Katon Dawson is for me because while republicans in both North Carolina and Georgia are having trouble he has kept South Carolina thoroughly red. He was also the first major republican to defend Sarah Palin when she was being attacked by people from the Mccain camp and Lord willing he is also a Sarah Palin supporter like myself. |
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The RNC needs to shake things up - the status
quo didn't work that well did it. I don't care
if it is a Bush connected person or not, I care
that the person or persons, can get in there,
raise money, hit all 50 states hard, and fight
with the Democrats.
It's a blood sport for the Democrats.
The Republicans have been treating it like
a fencing match, with rules, and history, and
manners. They're throwing dirt and rocks and
fire at you in the meantime.
Steele or Blackwell, with a nuts & bolts
financial & organization genius to back
them up would be great. I prefer Blackwell
personally.
You're not going to make everyone happy.
The RNC Chair isn't a star. The RNC is a
strong worker bee, setting the stage for
the party stars and grassroots to get things
done.
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like Ronald Reagan did with Lee Atwater and Paul Laxalt. Let Dawson be the CEO of the RNC, running the day-to-day operations, fundraising, recruitment, tactics, etc (like Atwater did) and let Steele or Blackwell be the public face of the party, presenting ideas, arguments, etc. (as Laxalt did). |
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The Repubs need Michigan. They need a guy who is not named "chip griffen" or "bif whitman" to head the RNC. They should fight for Michigan. Anuzis had to fight the Dems AND his own party. No coattails for him to ride. No coherent strategy to point to nationally and a terrible candidate that made the party look even more foolish than usual. |
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