Meet the Candidates for RNC Chairman
On January 20, 2011, the Republican National Committee will choose the man or woman who will lead the Republican Party into the 2012 election cycle. The Republicans will enter that cycle with several built-in advantages and a couple of disadvantages. On the advantages side of the ledger, the Democrats will be defending more seats in the Senate, and thanks to the Bush tax cuts extension, tax rates will be front and center in the political conversation. On the disadvantages side, the Republicans will undergo a very long presidential primary season (the first debates are just five months after the RNC chair election) to face an incumbent in the White House. For all the talk we’re hearing about President Obama facing a primary opponent over his perceived betrayals of the Democrats’ left-wing base, the likelihood of such a challenge materializing and becoming a serious threat remains low. On the advantages side, the Republicans will also pick up a few new House seats in red states thanks purely to the continuing demographic shift toward Texas and Florida, and away from several of the blue states.
The economy and foreign affairs are the largest wild cards as we head into the 2012 cycle. The RNC chairman will also preside over a time when the Republicans will be working to repeal ObamaCare, which a majority of American voters expects, but which will also present its own set of policy and communications challenges.
As I’ve argued before, the RNC chair job is more important than most folks are aware. The chairman’s portfolio consists of three major tasks: fundraising, message, and organization. The first two are self-explanatory, while the third is both less visible and less obvious, while being no less important. The strength and effectiveness of the RNC staff and organization, and of the committee itself, trickles out to the state organizations and candidates. A good chairman really does need to be strong in all three areas to be effective, or needs to be able to find and delegate to others who have those strengths. Steele has come under fire for his conduct in all three areas during his tenure: The RNC raised far less under his watch than in previous years and finished the 2010 cycle reportedly holding $15 million in debt, he frequently gaffed as the party’s top spokesman, and the lack of a serious ground game in the 72 hours leading up to and through the election has been blamed for costing the Republicans seats in 2010. It’s telling that two senior members of Steele’s administration have stepped out to challenge him.
The Republican National Committee has a tough task ahead for January 20. Embattled incumbent chairman Michael Steele faces five major challengers. Though grassroots Republicans and Tea Partiers do not get a direct vote in the RNC election, this election is worth keeping an eye on to see which way the party will go and what sort of strategies it might deploy going into 2012. For example, the Republican Governors Association recently elected Texas Gov. Rick Perry to lead it through the next cycle. Perry is coming off a strong victory over former Houston Mayor Bill White, and Perry pulled off the win via a very unorthodox campaign centered on social media almost to the exclusion of traditional media and campaign strategies. As head of the RGA, Perry can reasonably be expected to bring some of the same strategies to bear on races around the country. Likewise, the next head of the RNC can be expected to put his or her unique ideas to work on behalf of Republicans in 2012.
There isn’t a great deal of ideological daylight between the RNC chairman candidates. All are self-described Reagan conservatives, all oppose President Obama’s agenda, all proclaim that they’re Tea Party friendly, and all have held leadership positions within state GOPs or the RNC, or both. So rather than delve into a discussion of more-conservative-than-thou, I’m going to look at the candidates from the perspective of social media, that being an area of my own background as former communications director for the Texas GOP, where I developed the party’s messaging; was its media spokesman; was a senior manager; led the launch of the party’s web site and built its social media presence on Twitter and Facebook; and deployed email messaging for fundraising and other strategic uses. In my opinion, social media is supplanting traditional media strategies in importanance. Social media has not yet replaced traditional tactics, but it is the future of campaigning. So with that in mind, I’m looking at the candidates to try to answer this question: which candidate seems to have the strongest understanding of social media?
Michael Steele — the incumbent is the former lt. gov. of Maryland, the first African-American to hold statewide office in that state, and a former candidate for U.S. senator. One of Steele’s largest efforts as RNC chairman concerned the launch of the party’s new web portal, GOP.com. The site’s launch was bumpy, chaotic, and even embarrassing. Since that very rough start, though, GOP.com has become a much more user-friendly site and its online research library has become adept at rapid response. Steele’s own re-election announcement, though, leaves a lot to be desired in both skill and clarity. Michael Steele re-election efforts: Facebook, Twitter.
Saul Anuzis – former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, currently working with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s American Solutions. Anuzis’ social media efforts have been underway for months, and his website resembles an amalgamation of Facebook status updates and headline tweets, by which I mean that it’s very easy to get a quick snapshot of issues and stories that Anuzis chooses to emphasize by checking his site. The Harley riding hockey dad clearly gets social media. Saul Anuzis on Facebook, Twitter.
The problem is not who will lead the RNC. The problem is the RNC. PACs rarely give money directly to candidates. Instead, it goes to organizations like the RNC. The RNC has been an ‘old boys’ network since Andrew Johnson’s administration. That money is spent on lame, out of touch, connected ad agencies and consultants, not by candidates. The candidates get the cookie-cutter crap the RNC sends them.
And they don’t like upstarts who beat their slated candidates in the primaries at all. Much less give them a nickel.
Similar nonsense exists at the state level in many Republican organizations.
What will the above candidates do to reform their party’s campaign financing?
Once again, the problem is not who will lead the RNC. The problem is the RNC.
Well said. Don’t give one thin dime to the RNC. Donate directly to worthy candidates.
Starve the RNC into submission!
The Nelson Rockefeller Country Club Republican Party National Committee will lead conservatives and TeaPartiers down to defeat.
Constitutional Republicanism is dead in the US because of them.
Thanks for focusing on use of the internet. Texans just watched a first in politics. In the Republican primary, traditional media including most newspapers and local TV showed their left-wing bias in trying to distort the governor’s record and ridiculing him. Faced with such extreme left-wing bias, the governor just bypassed them all. Even though the local news reporters gave his opponent free ads masquerading as ‘news’, he won. He had a couple of things going for him, including a clean record easily verifiable and known by anyone keeping track. Mainly, he cut budgets across the board instead of raising taxes, as revenues fell during the recession, and he continued efforts to attract businesses. His campaign ads focused on what he had done to fight the recession. His opponent had a poor record as mayor of Houston, a record also easily verifiable by anyone, and focused on ridiculing the governor. Perry’s conservative actions reflected the values of the TEA movement. Had that not been the case, internet-based media would not have helped him.
Certainly, the internet should be a must-use media by any conservative candidate/organization, since the MSM is left-leaning, and the TEA movement would not have happened without it. However, if the RNC chairperson has no real leadership skills and no real conservative convictions, social media won’t help them. Have the RNC candidates heard about the TEA movement?
This is a roll call of the minions of the “old guard”. There is no one on this list who can energize the base of the GOP (i.e., WE THE PEOPLE) and lead us to victory. How discouraging.
R5212–I am in complete agreement with what you say, but as usual, I cringe when you follow the current pattern of complete disregard for pronoun case. We the people want to see leadership in the GOP capable of energizing the base of the GOP, i.e.,US the people.
Let me complete the off-subject course of this protest by pointing out we would not fall into these vile errors if we studied classical languages as civilized folk would.
Why, Jeannie, please tell us why?
We wouldn’t have a problem with the RNC if the literacy of bloggers improved?
Gentry Collins is the only candidate that resigned on principle and not just so they could position themselves for a political run as chairman.
Please Support Gentry who has Principle and the Ability to raise the cash the party needs.
Lets not forget his Iowa Background which is going to be critical in 2012.
The GOP elite insiders who consistently choose for us one of themselves whose turn it is to preside over the convention yawn-fest are in for a rude awakening when we either form a third (Tea?) party or write in candidates we believe could really lead the country to better times. Either way, we are doomed if the GOP doesn’t wake up. I’m ready to throw away my vote on a write in if the GOP pulls its usual “shut up and vote our way” attitude. As for your list of five–none of the above. How about Chip Saltzman?
A very informative, instructive article. Stay on this story and please keep up your excellent journalistic efforts.
We are hosed! If this is the best we can get expect 2 more years of TOTAL RINO FAILURE. A Reagan Conservative? Teaparty? In this sad sack lot? This entire lot is to the Left of Mitt “Homo & Health Care” Romney. I hope they are all on the same bus when it goes off a cliff. Where are the real conservatives? Not one? Not a single true red blooded patriot on this list. I am dejected and heart broken. This sick bunch of beltway losers all but assure Obama a second term. Bob Dole looks like Barry Goldwater compared to these —hat clowns.
Anybody but Steele. Okay, I’ll say it. Steele was chosen as RNC chair ONLY because of the color of his skin. He’s the affirmative action pick, chosen in a foolish attempt to counter the left’s phony charges of racism, and with predictably bad results. He’s no more a Republican than Ahnold, and considerably less intelligent.
Choosing him just shows how completely clueless the RINO establishment is.
Bill said it all. And, above and beyond Steele, who have we to choose from? The dimwit, doper, alaskan housewife? Nutcakes like Huckabee and Romney, immersed in ridiculous, irrational theologies? Morally challenged college professors? Atheists? The assemblage of Greedy Old Predators is just as evil as that of the Obaminations. Not an intelligent, virtuous person in the lot; just liars, thieves and conmen.
white tiger, you sound like one of the lefties we now have in Washington. Dont’ have any better solutions, so let’s call our enemies names. True, I don’t care for Hackabee nor Romney, but not because of irrational theologies of which you obviously know very little. That should be mentally challenged college professors. Atheists? Where’d that come from? The Greedy Old Predators are from both sides of the aisle and have been for years. They’re more interested in what they get out of us than what’s good for the country, so yes, remove them all. If the new don’t work, remove them too but don’t wait for new elections. States have the right to recall them, but you’ll find them just as greedy; bought and paid for by earmarks.