Martinez to become new RNC chief

CNN ^ | November 13, 2006 | CNN

[GEC]

Wikipedia indicates that he's pretty conservative on issues.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

Upsetting the majority of the conservative voters base throughout the entire U.S. is not the wisest thing for the Republican Party to do! Especially with someone who is in lock step with President Bush on all of the issues, including being for President Bush's and the U.S. Senate's "amnesty for illegals" legislation! Good-bye U.S.A., hello socialistic "North American Union"!

[traviskicks]

Coburn is a gem, he was only elected with the help of the CFG. He is turning the Senate upsidedown lol.

[dforest]

Kind of a death wish. It seems like the divisions in the GOP aren't going away. The so called " moderate candidates" are forming their exploratory committees. Looks like the GOP hasn't learned anything and doesn't seem too interested in the conservative base. Almost setting up the same debacle all over for 2008. Wierd.

[Husker24]

From what i understand Mexican Hispanics and Cuban hispanics dont much care for eachother, so this wont do any good getting the hispanic vote.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Social Security Benefit Tax -- Fiscal 2006 Budget Resolution. S Con Res 18 (Roll Call 74) The Senate adopted an amendment repealing the 1993 tax increase on Social Security ...

Did you EVER hear one single WORD about this in the campaign?? The REPUBLICANS voted to CUT TAXES ON SENIORS!

And to make that fact SWEETER, they cut the taxes the Democrats and Clinton had RAISED on them in 1993!!!

Not one damn word was said about this in the Election Season. Shame on whoever was in charge of creating our television spots.

[Hydroshock]

I have no faith in a pro illegal politico. So I will oppose him to th utmost.

[Bernard]

Way to go courting African-Americans into the GOP!

There are probably more Hispanic votes in this country than Black votes. If not now, in the near future.

[BlackbirdSST]

RNC Hack and Race baiting, imagine that! Blackbird.

[Quiet Man Jr.]

"I thought this could have been Steele's. What a pity."

Steele said he wanted the job. He would've refreshed the whole party and conservative base.

The Martinez choice is irresponsible on so many levels, especially since he expressed regret about trying to help Terri Schiavo's family in reaction to poll numbers. We don't need another leader who calculates based on polls of uninformed and unprincipled people.

Business as usual I guess. Total bummer.

[Flora McDonald]

Please ping me on this. I've got a long workday ahead but will check back late tonight. Holy Smoke. I just can't believe all that is happening.

[Happy Valley Dude]

Let's compare how "successful" the current GOP Senator from FL's campaign was compared to the last GOP Senator to representate that state.

U.S. SENATE - FL
Mack (R) 2,894,726 70.5%
Rodham (D) 1,210,412 29.5%

U.S. SENATE - FL
Martinez (R) 3,672,864 49%
Castor (D) 3,590,201 48%
Bradley (O) 166,642 2%

Connie Mack was Senator as recently as 2000. He got a landslide 70% of the vote WITHOUT an hispanic surname -- running against the brother of Hillary! Mel Martinez got a pathteic 49% of the vote (the majority of Floridians didn't even vote FOR him) against a political unknown and won by 1%. If not for a third party guy sucking votes from the Dem and so many Cubans voting for a fellow "latino", this guy would have been toast.

Comparing the election results of a guy who had never run for state-wide office to someone had already been serving in state-wide office. Why not look at Mack's first election to the Senate in 1988?

Connie Mack 2,051,071 50.4%
Buddy McKay 2,016,553 49.6%

Looks like Martinez did just as well as Mack did the first time he ran for the Senate.

Florida is a very heavily Republican state where the Republicans have solid control over both houses of the legislature, most of the statewide offices, and put their electoral votes in the GOP column unless the Dems nominate a folksy southerner, etc., etc. It's fairly easy for any decent "R" to rack up 48%+ of the vote in a statewide election there unless their name is Katherine Harris. Mel Martinez's 1% margin of victory was lousy. If this guy had to run for Senator in a "swing state" like Iowa, he would have been crushed. Note that Michael Steele nearly matched Martinez's percentage running in the bluest of the blue states.

Florida is not as red as you are making it out to be. Clinton won the state in 1996 and came very close to doing so in 1992. And a majority of FL voters cast ballots for liberals (Gore and Nader in 2000). Florida is a competitive state, just ask Tom Lee and Alex Sink. Steele was able to run a competitive campaign because African-American voters who usually vote Democratic crossed over. Martinez didn't get much of an ethnic crossover because Cuban-Americans already vote Republican.

He is the pick of the "Affirmation action" wing the GOP who wants to appoint people on the basis of skin color.

Because he's white?

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

This is one of the lamest appointments that the Bush Administration has made yet. And worse, Bush and his advisors stabbed Steele in the back on this, just like a 'Rat! I used to defend Bush, hell or high water, but no more. He's going to fully deserve the legacy that he ends up with if he keeps going like this.

ATTN: TONY SNOW: If you or any of your staff members are reading this, please run immediately down to Karl Rove's office and give him a swift kick in the a$$. And then ask him why the administration is treating Steele so shabbily. In case Karl et al in the Buch inner circle needs reminding, there aren't that many up and coming black Republican leaders out there, and we need to take very good care of the ones that we do have, especially Steele. Otherwise, make way for Hillary in 2008!

[Tulsa Ramjet]

"And then ask him why the administration is treating Steele so shabbily."

Don't you know? The black conservative vote is a wing-tip shoe-in. But the hispanic, vote...oo la la! And growing everyday, illegally and gestationally, all waiting on amnesty. Hey muslims vote too. Why not amnesty for the illegals ones and they can be the next big voting block. 2008 is looking better and better.

[MinuteGal]

There's no way a sitting senator and the chair of the RNC can do both jobs effectively. Jack-of-two-trades, master of neither.

The second-in-command will be doing all the work. Martinez will be the face out in front.

One of the main jobs of a party chair is to be masterful at fund-raising. Martinez has neither the skill, the contacts, the clout, nor will he have the time to fund-raise. Mehlman at least was good at fund-raising.

There's one reason and one reason alone that Senor Martinez was appointed to this job.......and we all know what it is.

We're being slapped in the face once again by the Republican leadership and the Administration.

Nothing much we can do about it.....except no more money for the RNC. However, this does little good unless you write or email and tell them in no uncertain terms why your lock box will remain locked.

Remember, a constant stream of big donations is coming in to the RNC from the corporations, organizations and individuals who benefit from illegal immigration. Our contributions are probably peanuts.

How do you spell total f-r-u-s-t-r-a-t-i-o-n?

Leni

[Sam Ketcham]

Bush has destroyed the GOP! Corporations will contribute in order to get SLAVE labor (S.2611 AMNESTY was sponsored by Martinez). People will not. Corporations do not vote, people do.

Martinez, the ungrateful immigrant who has not assimilated to our culture, is part of the problem, not the solution. I will not contribute. I will not vote Republican while Martinez is on the RNC thrown.

The corporations will contribute, but THEY DON'T VOTE, I can, but won't vote GOP until this abomination is out of office.

[leilani]

Dittos on your #313. Unfortunately your wise assessment may be lost on the "I want it NOW, mommy" conservatives who would rather be 'pure' than win and would prefer to cede control of our country completely to the far left rather than put the hard work in to struggle incrementally to stem the leftward tide in a way that is actually achievable electorally and in the court of public opinion.

That's the advantage that liberals have over conservatives in this country. They're willing to win a little at a time. We seem to be of the "all or nothing" persuasion, at least here on FR.

[ExSoldier]

Yup. Old Mel a bit of centrist, isn't he?

Centrist? He's a RINO. This is a disaster. Makes me pine for the days of Atwater (RIP).

[Texas Federalist]

Wow, a mediocre pick who's time is consumed by another job. I can't think of a dumber pick.

[RexBeach]

Well, I was trying to be generous.

But don't worry, ExS, Harry Reid says the Dems are going to fight for middle-class America.

Oh brother, what a load of crap that is.

-Rex