Live debate: Candidates for RNC chair square off at 1 p.m.
posted at 12:20 pm on January 5, 2009 by Allahpundit
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly
Steele versus Blackwell versus Duncan versus Dawson versus Anuzis versus Saltsman. It’ll stream live on Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform website, but you’ll have to register with an e-mail address to watch. Expect plenty of “big tent” rhetoric and emphasis on expanding the GOP’s presence online, with possible curveballs coming from the “Magic Negro” kerfuffle or one of the many user-generated questions submitted by the Paulnuts who are now monopolizing the site. Sample: “Will you add opposition to fiat money (including the Federal Reserve system) to the Republican platform?”
This is only the first skirmish of the week. Tomorrow all six candidates will be vetted by the “Conservative Steering Committee,” an ad hoc group of roughly 75 RNC members that may or may not be a front for current chairman Mike Duncan aimed at painting Steele as too squishy for the job. The backlash to that tactic led to other members demanding a full meeting of the RNC; that’s scheduled for Wednesday. Politico claims that veteran members are leaning towards Duncan, but Blackwell’s got social conservative cred, racial balance vis-a-vis Obama, and a bunch of big-name endorsements. I assume it’ll come down to those two, with the media attention paid to the “Magic Negro” nonsense possibly tipping things to Blackwell. While we wait for showtime, here’s the case against Steele from Red State. And, from Jim Geraghty, the case against everyone else.
Update: Says the boss, “Norquist is part of the problem.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages:
El Rushbo for RNC chair! Our party has reached a state of emergency, and we may as well just put the best in there. He’s the only one with wide reach, and the ability to get the conservative message out.
ErinF on January 5, 2009 at 12:24 PM
WHO are these morons wanting to keep duncan?! EVERY ONE OF THEM should be forced for the party. Losing begets losing [see: Lions, Detroit].
if steele is too “squishy” for the job so be it. duncan is de facto dq’d for ‘06 and ‘08 alone.
GO KEN GO!!!!!!
Buckaroo on January 5, 2009 at 12:32 PM
OK. I’ll do it. Someone show me where my office is and get me raspberry mocha (chop, chop).
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on January 5, 2009 at 12:35 PM
Thanks for the heads up, AP. I’m hoping for a candidate who’ll unapologetically stand for individual freedom and smaller government. I suspect Blackwell will come closest to that ideal, but we’ll see.
Bugler on January 5, 2009 at 12:37 PM
heh — the boss hates ron, hates grover, hates John [duh!] — is there ANYONE among the top gop she likes?
and does she realize ONE of these 6 IS going to be rnc chair so she might want to think about which one would benefit from her support so we have a strong chair and position ourselves well for ‘10?
/hnt — his intials are k.b.!!
Buckaroo on January 5, 2009 at 12:48 PM
“hnt” = “hint”
/sheesh
Buckaroo on January 5, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Call me insane, but this is a perfect job for VP Dan Quayle.
Tommy_G on January 5, 2009 at 12:56 PM
“Tommy_G on January 5, 2009 at 12:56 PM”
yer insane …
/HOW would danny help us here?
Buckaroo on January 5, 2009 at 12:58 PM
The RNC is irrelevant.
Palin runs the conservative movement.
faraway on January 5, 2009 at 1:01 PM
Because he, unlike many of the others in the RNC is a real conservative. Also he will never run for office again, so he wouldn’t have a political agenda. He would owe no one anything. Free from political shackles he could do what is best, not what is most politically expedient. And finally, it would drive the libtards to distraction.
Tommy_G on January 5, 2009 at 1:06 PM
Micheal Steele – “it’s not the easiest thing in the world to be a Republican”
He’s out. Next.
faraway on January 5, 2009 at 1:07 PM
This is like watching a cat fight with gay males for the honor of becoming the Prom Queen.
Blah…
upinak on January 5, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Dawson was awful. Sounded like he was running for local mayor.
faraway on January 5, 2009 at 1:10 PM
I hope Chip wins because he KNOWS what the Magic Negro was all about. He DOES NOT GET HIS NEWS from MSNBC, CNN, New York Times, ect. That is why he is the only candidate to be the RNC chairman.
BroncosRock on January 5, 2009 at 1:11 PM
Go Chip GO
BroncosRock on January 5, 2009 at 1:14 PM
Duncan has a 10 point plan
faraway on January 5, 2009 at 1:17 PM
Saltsman was the only one that looked good in that round.
faraway on January 5, 2009 at 1:18 PM
Well, that’s one way to rebuild the GOP coalition and woo the enthusiastic, internet-savvy, conservative youth vote, I guess.
Anyone but Duncan, or Saltsman, or Anuzis, or Steele, or Dawson. In other words, I’m pulling for Blackwell.
Rae on January 5, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Blackwell keeps talking about problems
faraway on January 5, 2009 at 1:20 PM
can anyone post the link where it is being streamed? I tried the one in the article and it ain’t working for me
Red State State of Mind on January 5, 2009 at 1:26 PM
mms://a773.l145930390.c1459.g.lm.akamaistream.net/D/773/1459/v0001/reflector:30390?sid=98338
faraway on January 5, 2009 at 1:28 PM
thx
Red State State of Mind on January 5, 2009 at 1:35 PM
If Blackwell talks about problems, maybe he can start proposing solutions. We have to do better than just not being George W. Bush. Obama is good at that.
Whoever backed the “Magic Negro” song should be out on his kiester with Trent Lott. Rhetoric like that not only turns off blacks (duh!) but also moderate white voters who don’t like to be considered racist.
There are plenty of legitimate labels to pin on Obama: rookie, incompetent, empty suit, socialist, radical, rabble-rouser, slumlord, friend of terrorists, bank hustler, corrupt, policy failure, naive on foreign policy, puppet of Daley machine, etc., based on what Obama DID or PROPOSES. It’s not Obama’s fault if he’s half black, and criticizing that only feeds the backlash–let’s criticize only what he DOES.
Steve Z on January 5, 2009 at 1:38 PM
Blackwell started to sound like he knew what is going on with open-source tech, until he used the 90s phrase “high-touch”
faraway on January 5, 2009 at 1:39 PM
The tech question was everyone’s opportunity to explain their vision for getting the RNC’s message out to the masses.
They should have been prepared to say they are going to combine their work with locals in YouTube, Facebook, blogs, etc.
These guys are totally lost. Their message will not matter if Dems’ message reaches millions more ears.
faraway on January 5, 2009 at 1:44 PM
I hope whoever wons will have ads ready about Nancy idea of not having any republican’s voice in the house.
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=30143
That is the most scary thing about Dems in control of the house ever. They will create bills without any debate. If you want debate vote Republican in 2010 is what the slogan should be this year from who ever wins the RNC chairmanship.
BroncosRock on January 5, 2009 at 1:44 PM
Saltsman and Steele hit on the key fault of Bush.
Failure to communicate.
The head of the RNC should be the best communicator to fix these problems.
faraway on January 5, 2009 at 1:48 PM
Hey Steve Stop getting YOUR NEWS FROM MSNBC, and other Liberal news. That Magic Negro song is all about a liberal saying those THINGS not REPUBLICAN. Magic Negro parady is not racist at all. It is about Rev. Sharpton not wanting BO as president because he will not having any more walking money. Get it straight and STOP LISTENING TO LIBERALS NEWS, STEVE.
BroncosRock on January 5, 2009 at 1:50 PM
If Duncan gets in, I’m joining the .
My pick (without seeing any of this exchange yet) is Blackwell.
The Dean on January 5, 2009 at 2:02 PM
**joining the PA Conservative party.
The Dean on January 5, 2009 at 2:03 PM
Blackwell is, by far, the best choice.
Steele also seems to get it.
unrealcitizen on January 5, 2009 at 2:04 PM
None of them are even remotely chair like. What about this guy?
- The Cat
MirCat on January 5, 2009 at 2:05 PM
The dufus from MI says we must stop being hypocrits.
We will always have morons in the party – just like Dems. So, the theory is, when we have a scandal, we cry and let the Dems win? Makes no sense to me.
We must attack and stay on the attack.
faraway on January 5, 2009 at 2:07 PM
This is hardly the attack approach.
faraway on January 5, 2009 at 2:10 PM
I don’t understand why it matters. The problem is not the party, the problem is the candidates that the party chooses.
ThackerAgency on January 5, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Blackwell. He’s not pandering, he’s just being himself and speaking the truth. Best pick.
therightwinger on January 5, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Blackwell or Steele
brooklynlou on January 5, 2009 at 2:24 PM
All are severely flawed
faraway on January 5, 2009 at 2:26 PM
Note that Grover’s good friend and favored candidate is Saul Anuzis, Michigan GOP Chair, who is of Grover’s same mind when it comes to Muslims. In fact, he’s recruited open supporters of Hezbollah and anti-war candidates as U.S. Senate candidates, John McCain Michigan Finance Committee people, etc. He told me he’d continue to reach out to people who support Hezbollah. Read the full details on Pan-Islamist Saul Anuzis, who wanted to ban Ron Paul from the debates, but not Hezbollah supporters from being his favored Republicans. If Saul is elected RNC Chair, it will be a disaster.
Debbie Schlussel on January 5, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Comment pages: