Showdown: RNC chair voting now underway; Update: Steele wins!
posted at 12:52 pm on January 30, 2009 by Allahpundit
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You can watch live online on C-SPAN or follow along with the running updates at Hotline or Campaign Spot. First man to 85 wins. The bad news: After one round of balloting, current chairman Mike Duncan leads. The good news: Some people thought he’d start off in the neighborhood of 70 votes, with a possible clinch on the second or third ballot. Instead he’s stuck at 52, just six votes ahead of Michael Steele. Ken Blackwell, who I thought would end up the favorite, is dead last with 20. Stand by for updates.
Katon Dawson’s third at the moment, but third-place finishers in the first round have gone on to win before. Here’s tomorrow’s headline today if he somehow manages to pull it out.
Update: Is the man of Steele about to shock the world? 48-48 after the second round.
Update: Steele 51, Duncan 44 after the third round. A money quote: “It’s a diverse party. We’re tired of being labeled as white supremacists.” Ambinder thinks Anuzis will make a deal with Steele, which would means 24 more votes for a total of 75, but I read somewhere else that Duncan and Dawson, the southerners, might make a deal of their own. That would mean 78 votes combined. Which would also mean Ken Blackwell, with 15, would get to play kingmaker.
Update: Duncan feels the “winds of change” blowing and calls it day. That leave 40+ votes in play. I’ve got a bad feeling that most are going to shift to Dawson and we’re going to see those headlines tomorrow after all…
Update: I can’t believe they’re going to elect a guy who has a whites only club in his past. After four, with Duncan’s votes now split, it’s Dawson 62, Steele 60. Anuzis has 31 and could put either of them over the top if he makes a deal.
Update: Blackwell says goodbye, and reportedly endorses Steele. If all 15 of his votes swing that way, Steele has 75, within 10 of clinching. Anuzis is the kingmaker now.
Update: Here’s what Blackwell said about Steele. Think he’s worried about the racial implications of Dawson defeating Iron Mike?
“I cannot change the composition of this electorate [pause for laughs] nore would I want to,” Blackwell said.
But he added, Republicans must “unleash a new birth of freedom” He said, Republicans need a candidate who “must inspire hope,” “have leadership ability and a “vision to pull us together and … Americans together” …
“That is why I put my fullest support behind Michael Steele.”
Might not be good enough. Blackwell’s supporters are hardcore conservatives, and Steele has a reputation (mostly unfairly) as a centrist.
Update: The fifth round is history and Blackwell’s supporters seem to have listened to him: Steele 79, Dawson 69, Anuzis 20. Your move, Saul.
Update: Anuzis is out, without an endorsement. Can Steele pull six votes from his pile? It’s all down to this.
Update: No word yet on the final tally but the man of Steele is the new leader of the party. He’s speaking now; we’ll have video soon. Let the racist “progressive” photoshops begin!
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Say what you will about the Democrats, they’re a united front. The Republicans, in my opinion, have become Balkanized.
I may agree with you on taxation, for example. Or I may agree with you on immigration. But if I disagree with you on abortion, I may just stay home on Election Day, or not vote for you; I might even vote for your opponent.
This, in my opinion, is what has damaged the party.
eaglescout1998 on January 31, 2009 at 6:04 AM
The News Cycle:
Bad news with pork in Stimupus Bill?
What to do? Why… play the News Cycle to win just like Clinton I.
I think our Dear Leader and his charitable sidekick decided to talk about the Wall Street scandal since The Bill was becoming odiferous.. now that Dear Leader has spoken about Wall Street crooks, I’m waiting for NBC to have a ratiocinated discussion of executive compensation including stockholder, investment analyst, human resources and even lender input with a discussion of how the chiefs are often major shareholders or aligned with same so they have a clear idea of the goals of the organization and motivation to get the ship there. And how many keep a sinking ship afloat and are very well paid — often for making a catastrophe — just a continuing, bloody mess. And finally, MSNBC can feature a discussion of Jeffrey Immelt’s performance. I may have not spelled his name correctly. I wince every time I read it or hear it.
But back to the class warfare and our community organizer in chief. While the charitable Dud from Delaware takes taxes to help the middle class — most of whom, in his party’s description, have no jobs, are ducking warrants, are behind on child support and might run ACORN groups; we can await the next attempt to turn the nation into France. In the next News Cycle.
Just 0600? I have to sleep later.
IlikedAUH2O on January 31, 2009 at 6:08 AM
Stupid, stupid WSJ today says Republicans picked Steele because he’s black. I didn’t read most of the comments, but if that’s true, I wanna puke.
btw, go Steele!
JiangxiDad on January 31, 2009 at 8:17 AM
You know that the GOP made the right decision when the MSM brings race into the equation. Or when they try to drive a wedge between Steele and the Republican base by claiming he is not a true conservative. Or when the MSM claims that Sarah Palin is an idiot, trailer trash or a right-wing wacko. Or that Rush Limbaugh is dangerous to the future of America blaming him for not one Republican house member voting for the stimulus package. Boy, Obama and the MSM had a bad week and let’s remember this is only one week removed from Obama’s inauguration.
technopeasant on January 31, 2009 at 8:32 AM
My folks are pretty connected in the black MD political scene and very few people have a very high opinion of Michael Steele. As Lieutenant Governor he did….just about nothing. My dad’s dealt with him interpersonally on a number of a occasions and the guy really is kind of an idiot. Republicans really seem to love not so bright black dudes (with the exception of J.C. Watts who is awesome). But After Blackwell, Keyes and now electing Michael fracking Steele to RNC chairman? HA! I actually agree with the anti Affirmative Action crowd on this one. No way Steele wins without Obama being Prez, I hope he thanks him at some point.
DeathToMediaHacks on January 31, 2009 at 9:25 AM
Why don’t you just come right out and call him a dumb Uncle Tom?
BrianA on January 31, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Because that’s offensive and unncesseary. What he IS is an opportunistic politician who could never rise in the ranks of the Dems because there were too many talented black marylanders. MD contains the largest and most prosperous black suburbs in the country and has done so for over 40 years and I say that speaking as a product of these cities/neighborhoods. So there’s no shortage of great black political talent. Michael Steele being an average talent with great ambitions went where there weren’t a whole lot of black folks and rose quickly. Shrewd, strategic, ambitious, but competent. HA!
DeathToMediaHacks on January 31, 2009 at 10:42 AM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/30/chris-matthews-i-voted-fo_n_162702.html
lavell12 on January 31, 2009 at 10:55 AM
Red, you may want to rethink that. Because of what I am posting from someone who is quite the baiter.
Now I will kindly leave Hot Air, a place full of FAUX CONS!
BobAnthony on January 31, 2009 at 11:32 AM
DeathToMediaHacks
What’s crazy is black folks in MD don’t think Michael Steele is very smart because he’s not a Democrat. How many black Republicans are there in MD? You want to say because we have a black unaccomplished President that somehow, Michael Steele is, too. What do Lt. Governors do? Answer: What the Governor directs them to do. You plantation minded thinkers are what’s wrong with black america today. Anyone that dares come off the Democratic plantation is a sell out or an uncle Tom. Thinkers such as yourself would still have us living on “massah’s” plantation, tending his crops and children. Michael Steele is an honorable man – which is more than I can say about our current president.
No, don’t dare think to call me a racist: I am black.
BDev on January 31, 2009 at 10:49 PM
A little tweaking like that won’t happen my friend. Reality is those running the show in the Republican party I’m sure will compromise conservative values, watch and see, and again I hope that I’m wrong, but I don’t think so. That is my prediction with Steele as RNC and i think this is the worng strategy. I don’t think the nation’s political elites should change grass roots conservatism to improve the image of the party, rather they should change people’s hearts and minds over to conservatism.
apacalyps on February 1, 2009 at 1:01 AM
Case in point. Very bad for conservatism, more importantly your soul.
apacalyps on February 1, 2009 at 1:03 AM
“Ha” grow up little man
Jamson64 on February 1, 2009 at 11:44 AM
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