Michael Steele and the RNC Chair - Leadership without Compromise

There are several candidates for the RNC Chair, all with hefty resumes and conservative credentials; however, the choice should be made with an eye towards leading the Party forward, rather than focus on the “moderate”, or worse, trying to recapture a bygone era. From an intellectual perspective, the GOP losses in the past two elections were the result of the natural course of history, magnified by a seeming loss of identity. Over the past 6 years, there appeared to be little in the way of either social or fiscal conservatism coming from the Party leadership. Therefore a “business as usual”, chair candidate, will not bring the “change” necessary to attract the “base” as well as those all-important independents fence-sitters who are crucial to state and national elections.

The traditional GOP model was a party of inclusion, Abraham Lincoln aside, the platform of the Party has remained consistent, yet, the Party is viewed by the uninformed as a group of angry old wealthy white men, propped up by a base made up of religious nuts. This view has been fostered by the Democrats (who are actually a party made up of wealthy old white men, propped up by a base that is comprised of the “haves” (Hollywood, The Union Leadership, NARAL, Editors) and the “have nots” (Name the minority). The Democrats get better press and the Republican Leadership remains silent. Both parties have their share of “base” negatives, it is a question of producing an “image” that will appeal to those “independents” – if the DNC can downplay Ayers, Wright and the entire Chicago Political Machine, surely someone within the GOP would be capable of “normalizing” their base, which happens to be the normal aspect of the party – Social Conservatives, specifically those who are religious.

The choice of the RNC chair, therefore, should be carefully weighed towards an individual who is both socially and fiscally conservative, has a track record of inclusion of the various factions that make up the GOP, is media savvy and has the understanding of technology in order to counter the left, and actually grow the base. Michael Steele, former Lt. Governor of Maryland, FOX news contributor, and current GOPAC chair, meets that criteria.

In a recent interview with the Baltimore Examiner, Steele talked about his desire to “tear up the old playbook” and “move the party forward”,

That's going to start with building a ground game of fresh new faces and new voices that reflect a modern GOP. That's what I've tried to do at GOPAC [the candidate-training organization he chairs]. It doesn't mean that we're less conservative; it doesn't mean that those founding principles on which we have stood and are time-tested are no longer relevant. In fact, they are, maybe even more so. But how we speak to them and how we express them to voters without ticking them off or making them feel we're sitting in judgment of their lives and communities will make the difference.

Bingo – Steel knows what is at stake, and understands the need not to abandon GOP principals, but to effectively communicate. What sells this social conservative? The man understands the GOP’s biggest problem and he addresses it a phrase that should be practiced by every GOP candidate, from the local dogcatcher to the Senate to the White House : ”I don't need to be Democrat Lite to win.”

To learn more about Michael Steele and his Candidacy for the RNC Chair: visit Steele for RNC Chairman