Time for a New RNC Chair
We have seen, with increasing frequency, posts at this site and elsewhere suggesting that Michael Steele is no longer fit to serve as chair of the Republican National Committee. He has been promoting himself as a speaker on the lecture circuit, and more recently has been promoting a new book. While in both arenas he has made appropriate comments about supporting the conservative movement and returning the party to a practiced platform of smaller government, fiscal responsibility, and individual freedom, he has simultaneously funded the campaign of Dede Scozzafava in the New York 23rd and has not aggressively supported the critical race of Scott Brown in Massachusetts.
The lecture circuit and a book deal should be the reward for the job he’s doing, not a concurrent sideline. With the recent emphasis he’s placed on these activities, one can’t help but wonder if the chairmanship is the sideline job. In the process of these self-serving activities, he has uttered gaffes that actually undermine his role as chair of the RNC. His role in that capacity is to build a coalition among the several factions that unfortunately exist in the GOP today, and especially to embrace the conservative members of the party, the “tea party” contingent, before they embark upon a third party effort that will probably be bigger initially than the GOP, but which will ultimately fail and leave the Democrats in control.
One can’t help but wonder where his heart really is, and one can’t help but wonder if he is now or was ever the correct person for the job.
I would like to propose that we eject him from office and replace him with Sarah Palin.
No one has captured the hearts of the American conservative like Mrs. Palin has, and no one better understands the political essence of the conservative movement than she. She appeals to that movement and is detested by the Ivy League elitists for the exact same reason – Sarah Palin is the personification of middle America and the conservative movement.
Sarah Palin has learned to communicate with the American masses by bypassing the mainstream media in favor of her very successful Facebook page. She has won the hearts of true conservative patriots across the country. She could unite the tea party movement under the umbrella of the GOP and silence the RINO crowd that has diminished, if not destroyed, the credibility of the Party. Simultaneously, the threat of a third party, of her being a third party candidate, would be quieted.
Many aspire for her to campaign for the Presidency, yet many others fear, and I think rightly so, that her resume, especially as it pertains to foreign policy, remains thin.
Sarah Palin challenged the status quo Republicans, including Mr. Steele, in the New York 23rd, and successfully demonstrated that she was correct. As chair of the RNC she would have the dais she needs to truly help shape energy and environmental policy, responsible economic policy, conservative judicial appointments, and the very future of the Party. Let her take over the party machine and lead it to victory in 2010 and 2012.
Sarah Palin is looking for her purpose. Could this be it?
Filed under: Conservatism, Michael Steele, Sarah Palin, Tea Parties, The GOP
I'm going to disagree with the choice of Palin here, for a couple of reasons. First, as the party chair she would be hamstrung in her efforts to build constituencies for a future run, either in 2012 or 2016, for president. And second, what you don't want in your party chair is somebody who makes a lot of headlines. The best RNC chair we've had in decades was Haley Barbour, and at the time nobody knew who in the hell he was.
I would much prefer Newt Gingrich to Palin for the RNC job. While I have lots of items of irritation with Newt, and while he's not exactly the behind the scenes type Barbour was, Gingrich is one of the better formulators of an agenda to come down the pike in the past half-century. He's also got experience in building successful coalitions to get things done.
Gingrich was up for the RNC job a year ago, and for whatever reason backed out and threw his support to Steele. That turned out to be an unfortunate choice; the GOP would be much further along under his stewardship even if I've got to admit he is anything but perfect.
I'm just trying to stir the pot here, Scotty. Palin would quickly have the tea party contingent in lockstep, and I'm not sure the White House should be her ultimate destiny.
Steele needs to be replaced – if not by Palin, then who? I fear that Newt is too representative of the status quo, and he was on board with Dede in the NY23.
Your point about Barbour is well made. Palin, Gingrich and Steele all enjoy the limelight. The best choice is probably someone I'm not even aware of.
My choice would be Fred Thompson. He has most of Palin's speaking skill and charisma, is perfectly in step with the conservative movement (you mentioned NY-23, and Fred was the first major figure to go there and campaign for Hoffman), and is also well-liked by the DC establishment. He's ideal.
I'd forgotten about Fred Thompson. I like.
How much foreign policy experience had GW had? Clinton? Obama? Reagan? only Bush senior had some in his CIA experience. Other than that, nobody came with proven foreign policy experience. She can surround herself with pros like Reagan did.