Steele

Newt Gingrich, who had staunchly defended  Dede Scozzafava’s bid for Representative of New York’s 23rd District, seems to be unaware of  the reality which has been manifesting itself all over the country with regards to the leadership of the the Republican party, which is this: THERE ISN’T ANY. We thought we sent that message loud and clear during the 2008 Presidential race which brought the most destructive Presidency in American history to Washington. We had been jacked around time after time by the same backroom deal makers that had been bringing us big government, big spending Republican ‘progressives’ since after Ronald Reagan departed the scene. The hand writing was pretty clearly on the wall for any who had eyes to see. The cries of disgust were readily apparent for any who had ears to hear. Apparently, most of the party leadership didn’t get the message…the ones who were behind the sleazy attacks on Sarah Palin for instance. She is a dynamic leader-in-waiting who can generate more excitement in one appearance than the entire leadership of the Republican party. Yet we still allow these people to attempt to craft their backroom deals with blinders and earmuffs firmly in place. I say attempt ’cause it ain’t workin’ so good any more. The whole concept of the Rockefeller wing of the party is as dead as two week old mackerel and smells about the same. There are severe doubts as to whether Michael Steele has the STEEL to pull the party together. Mitch McConnell and John Boehner should just bow out and get the hell out of the way of someone who CAN lead and isn’t afraid of an old fashioned street brawl…Mike Pence,  J.D. Hayworth, J.C. Watts and Mark Sanford are some who appear not to be infected with ‘Beltway Fever’ At least to this point they remember who (US) and what ( THE  CONSTITUTION ) they serve. Joe Wilson is another…there are others. We need  people with the courage to call Obama, Pelosi, Reid and their ilk LIARS…for liars they surely are. Dishonest and evil as well. The survival of America as we know it depends on it. We owe it to our children and their children. In a glaring example of just how far out of sync with the mood of the Conservative electorate in this country Michael Steele and folks like Newt Gingrich are, Steele issued a statement lauding Scozzafava for ‘taking one for the team’. All the while, Scozzafava was urging voters to support the Democrat Bill Owens. This is another typical RNC DUHH moment. There are rumors that Newt intends to run for President in 2012. I hope not. As brilliant as his Contract for America was, times have bypassed him and all like him. His sadly mistaken support of Dede Scozzafava proved that. It will be the Conservative movement which will carry the Republican banner forward in 2010 and on to defeat Barack Hussein Obama in 2012. “No pale pastels but BOLD COLORS”.

Semper Vigilans, Semper Fidelis

© Skip MacLure 2009

Two days ago, I wrote that we must give young voters a legitimate role in the future of the Republican Party. The clock is ticking for these crucial changes to take place. Recognizing this, our team of young Republicans at NextGenGOP and I have launched the Petition for Our Future. Now you can join the many voices asking Chairman Steele to expand the role of young voters in the GOP by signing the petition! Please sign the petition and encourage your friends to do the same!

We also need your help in spreading the word about the petition. In the next week, we will be adding a page that lists our featured endorsers. This page will show your name and link back to your website! To become a featured endorser, all you need to do is write a blog post about the petition, linking back to the petition here. Once you’ve done so, drop me an e-mail with a link to your blog post by going to my online business card.

We have a great opportunity to encourage Chairman Steele and the Republican National Committee to act now and win back young voters. Please sign the petition, help spread the word, and be a part of this vitally important cause!

Cross-posted at www.rockefellerconservative.blogspot.com

It now seems clear that Mike Duncan will not be returning as Chairman of the RNC. So the question becomes, who would best represent the new face of the Republican Party? According to various sources there are two people currently vying behind the scenes to take the post, Newt Gingrich and Michael Steele. Both men have a lot to offer and the RNC members will undoubtedly carefully consider each man and what he brings to the table. However, in the end the better choice for the future of the conservative movement would be Steele.

Aside from being a quality conservative who has spoken of the party as an open tent, and being someone who has said the the Rockefeller Republicans need to be welcomed back into the center of the Party, what Steele has to offer is an inspiring life story: childhood in a poor section of Washington; college at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore; then three years studying for the priesthood at a monastery, before deciding that his call lay elsewhere. His mother earned minimum wage working in a laundry; his stepfather drove a limo. His parents weren't educated themselves, but they valued learning. This is the kind of up-from-your-bootstraps story that Republicans should honor.

Gingrich on the other hand unfortunately represents what has become the republican stereotype. Don't get me wrong; I highly respect him and feel that the Contract for America was a stroke of genius. There may be no other person in the Party today with the wealth of ideas that Gingrich brings. However, there is simply too much baggage there. Too many Americans remember him as the polarizing figure of the 90's for him to be an effective outreach agent today. He needs a seat at the table; anyone with his depth of knowledge and commitment to the conservative movement does. But he would not be the best choice as the face of the Party.

If the Republican Party is going to capitalize on the fact that this is still a center right nation, it needs to turn the page on the past and create new solutions for a new era. Steele, who has criticized the GOP for not doing enough to reach out to minorities, says times have changed and the party needs to adapt. But he said the one thing it can't do is change its principles.

 Cross-posted at www.rockefellerconservative.blogspot.com