Posted on 01/03/2011 9:41:05 AM PST by smoothsailing
January 3, 2010
Later today at 1pm ET, Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele will be facing off against several challengers at a debate. Under fire for months for spending too much and injecting himself into the public eye, Steele faces an uphill battle. Earlier today, Politico reported that over half of the 168 RNC members it surveyed said they would not vote to re-elect him.
Joining Steele at the debate will be lobbyist and former deputy RNC chairwoman Maria Cino; Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus; Saul Anuzis, an opponent of Steele's from his 2009 victory who is back to challenge him this year; and former Missouri GOP chairman Ann Wagner. C-SPAN will broadcast the event live on its website starting at 1pm Eastern Time.
In the Politico survey, Priebus had the largest share of support, but with only 35 members saying he'd be their first or second choice, he's still well short of the 85 he'd need to win during the first road of voting.
While Steele is likely to be the main focus of the debate, sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform and the Daily Caller, the topic of how to counter the Barack Obama fund-raising juggernaut in 2012 is sure to be another.
In an interview with Human Events, Steele dismissed the chief criticism lodged against him—that he's not raised as much money as his predecessor raised in 2002—by denouncing the comparison as unfair since during the 2002 campaign, so-called "soft money" was still legal and the RNC could take corporate money which it no longer can either.
During the debate, Steele will "name names" and "make it personal," a source close to the chairman told FoxNews.com analyst Chris Stirewalt. Presumably that is referring to various people that Steele has referred to previously only in the generic that he's said have encouraged large donors not to support the RNC.
He will need a lot of rhetorical firepower to try to answer a report in this morning's Washington Times that the RNC is starting off the 2011-2012 campaign cycle with more than $20 million in debt.
Agreed. Thank you for naming someone and not leaving it unknown.
You might also want to see my post at #60.
Ms. Cino states she has been at the RNC for 30 years - waiting for her turn to be Chair!!!!!!
(Reminds me of Barbara Boxer)
And this is better than Michael Steele???
I think not.
Saul Anuzis would be a terrible pick. During his tenure as Michigan GOP chairman, he had every advantage to topple the RAT regime due to their terrible record and PRE-recession double-digit employment caused by the Michigan Dems. Instead, Anuzis lead the GOP to across the board defeats. If he does to the national party what he did to the Michigan GOP, we're headed towards permanent minority status.
I’ve heard of Reince Priebus but don’t know if he’s the genuine article or not. Hailey Barbour is fairly conservative, but he also has been an establishment insider all his life.
When they talk about donors not giving, we naturally tend to think of ourselves. I haven’t given a dime to the RNC for decades, because they cannot be trusted. I give direct to the good conservative candidates.
But when they talk about angry donors, they are just as likely to be thinking of big money chamber of commerce types, rich RINOs, and corporate bribesters.
How does this happen over and over?
During his tenure steele has turned off more republicans and institutionalized mistrust of the RNC.
The aptly named Mario Cino is obviously a RINO, Saul Anuzis did a terrible job as state party chair, Ann Wagner is a long-time status quo beltway insider, and Reince Priebus seems to be the only one with a solid record as state party chairman, but listen to this guy talk and imagine how the public will react to the GOP having a chairman named "Reince Priebus", I think he'd turn off voters nationally (state party chairman are much more behind-the-scenes types... I bet 99.99% of Illinoisans couldn't name the chairman of the state GOP). Speaking of state party chairman, my RINO combiner state party chairman is in the tank for Priebus and trying to dump Steele for not being a "team player". That tells me all I need to know.
Apprently Gentry Collins has dropped out of the race for RNC Chair, not that he had much of a shot if he stayed in.
The fact Steele is better than the rest of the crowd isn't an endorsement of Steele's conservative leadership, but rather just a fact of how terrible the rest of the field is. Steele has some serious flaws, but if we replace him we could be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.
I agree, the female candidate was talked up by the MSM as a moderate insider who would work against extremists. AND she was well liked by the beltway.
IOW a RINO’s RINO.
The RNC is scared of the tea party.
I can’t support Steele under any circumstances. His ass should’ve been fired in early ‘09. I’ve tentatively endorsed Priebus solely due to his successful tenure in Wisconsin. But Steele and Anuses are the absolute worst.
Well it’s a real weak field of candidates, with the exception of Steele. My guess is he’ll be re-elected.
Here’s a pretty good after action report...
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=40964
I would love for Duncan Hunter-or his son-to run the GOP. I would have voted for him if he hadn’t dropped out of the primary in 2008.
It's tough to argue with success, especially when the challengers are so underwhelming.
“...hilarity ensues”?
Haley Barbour rocked. He used to casually country-boy the greatest, most disarming answers on the Sunday talk shows. It was fun watching the Screaming Face hosts get so flustered and frustrated.
Thanks for the link.
Won. Because of or in spite of? Steele did not do well with Christine O’Donnell and others if I remember right.
I agree there is not someone charismatic in this group of candidates but whoever wins will need to raise funds big time. Sadly, Mr. Steele has not been able to do that and he has not been impressive in who he has working for him nor the rank and file conservative base, which includes more than a few RNC members.
View the debate:
http://cspan.org/Events/Steele-Faces-Rivals-in-Todays-RNC-Chair-Debate/10737418556-1/
ALL THESE PEOPLE WERE TERRIBLE!!! Cico looks like a LIBERAL, I hate the others and here we go again being in the situation to re-accept Steel because he is THE LESS WORST??? Which I agree but it’s like voting for McCain again because he is the only choice??? So here we go again. I am so disgusted right now. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE???
Not sure what you mean by that. IIRC, Jim DeMint, Sarah Palin, and Michael Steele were the only big name Republicans who stood up and supported O'Donnell when the GOP establishment was trashing her. Steele went in to Delaware and campaigned with her. Who else did that?
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