A smart strategy

In the 2008 election, Democrats expanded their base with growing demographic groups — young voters, Hispanics, blacks, suburbanites — while Republicans contracted demographically and geographically.

“We have states like Indiana, North Carolina and Ohio where we were competitive and now we are not, and that is a big concern,” Steele admitted.

To rebuild, he wants state chairmen to think locally: “Everyone needs to pay attention to whether they are recruiting good candidates, establishing a solid farm team, and raising money in their own states. We will take care of the national races from here.”

It’s a smart strategy, according to Villanova University political scientist Lara Brown.

“Adopting a small-government, states-rights, individual-freedom message would be a great beginning,” she said. Updating Newt Gingrich’s 1994 “Republican Revolution” compact would help, too, as would recruiting good candidates.

“He should privately go and win back the moderates on Wall Street, Main Street, and raise as much money as he possibly can,” Brown said.

Pennsylvania’s a key

Steele absorbed a setback last week when Pennsylvania’s Arlen Specter defected to the Democrats, giving them a near-filibuster-proof majority in the U.S. Senate and leaving the state without a Republican U.S. senator.

State party Chairman Robert Gleason says his focus, like Steele’s, is on winning the U.S. Senate and governor’s races in 2010 — not on Specter.

“We have more staff on the ground earlier this cycle than we ever did before,” Gleason said. He is working with Steele to build a solid state party staff in preparation for all races, including this year’s state Supreme Court elections.

“Right now, we have 10 county executive directors,” he said. “We plan on having 20 by the end of the year.”

Pennsylvania remains very important to the national party, Steele said, despite the Democrats’ lopsided advantage in voter registration and election victories.

He insists this is “absolutely” the right time for Republicans to get “back on track” in the Keystone State. “With or without Specter, that was always the plan.”

“In the past, we would have gone along with the same playbook and not moved forward,” he said. Now, Gleason is adjusting the state party’s strategy.

Steele believes Democrat-blue Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia offer opportunities to test the GOP’s messaging and strategy, to see if a 50-state program is in its future.

“We want to see how effective we can be … in coming back, beginning in these states,” he said.

Steele refuses to predict if 2010 will be a comeback year but insists Republicans will gain seats.

“This is a long process,” he said, “but done right, it is a lasting process.”