The Next RNC Chairman
RNC chair Michael Steele spent the holiday weekend calling fellow committee members and GOP opinion leaders in an effort to walk back remarks he made last week suggesting the war in Afghanistan is a losing cause. He has been mostly successful in saving his own job, but one thing is becoming clear even to some of Steele's closest allies: The chances of a second term atop the RNC have waned dramatically.
GOPers outside the RNC have been buzzing nervously behind the scenes for months, speculating as to how to ease Steele out of his current post. Steele's rivals, mostly the arch conservatives on the RNC, have been quietly plotting bids against him. But now, some influential members of the 168 are beginning to jockey for position.
Steele's future will be clear shortly after the midterm elections, when his advisors quickly canvass RNC members as to their intentions in the Jan. '11 RNC elections. If it becomes clear Steele has a well of support, he is likely to try for a second term. If voters are reluctant, Steele may not take a shot at running a race he won't be able to win.
After the jump, a look at some potential candidates to lead the RNC when Election Day rolls around next Jan.:
Saul Anuzis: The former MI GOP chair finished third in the '09 RNC chairman's race, and he quickly became a member of Steele's kitchen cabinet. Anuzis gave up his chairmanship, but returned as his state's national committeeman, guaranteeing himself face time with the members who will ultimately make the decision.
In '09, Anuzis was gaining momentum as the election rolled around. Still, members wondered whether he could convey the seriousness the job entails, and questions about his ability to fundraise remain. But Anuzis could appeal to members whose major concern is electing one of their own, especially one who wouldn't rock the boat too much. Anuzis isn't likely to make any public moves unless and until Steele makes clear he won't run again, but that doesn't mean Anuzis is out altogether.
Katon Dawson: Dawson finished just behind Steele in '09, and he's remained one of the biggest thorns in the chairman's side. Last week, in light of Steele's latest gaffe, Dawson called on the incumbent to step down. Dawson is no longer chairman of the SC GOP, but he has fans, and a number of Steele voters have made clear in private that they believe they made a mistake.
But Dawson has his flaws, and they're not going to change: Anyone who believes the '09 contest came down to a question of race is correct, but it was because of Dawson's membership in an all-white country club, rather than because of Steele's race. RNC members are very cognizant of that fact, and that will work against Dawson if he moves toward another bid.
Reince Priebus: The current RNC general counsel and WI GOP chair, Priebus is perhaps Steele's closest ally on the committee. Priebus has his own fans on the committee, and if Steele decides against running, Priebus would be the heir apparent to Steele's most ardent backers. What's more, he's maintained good relations across the committee despite his close association with Steele. While some members have complained that Steele has been distant at times, Priebus has been the bridge between RNC members and their chairman.
Though it's not clear if Priebus wants the job, or if he can improve upon his early advantages. Priebus will not run if Steele does; in fact, he won't make any moves without Steele's blessing. But he's young, savvy and smart, and RNC members don't blame him by association. If Priebus decides to make a bid, he'll be a player.
Henry Barbour: Few have found themselves forced into the limelight as much as Barbour, the MS national committeeman and nephew of Gov. Haley Barbour (R). Dawson floated Barbour's name as a compromise chairman if Steele were to resign. And Barbour is a member of Steele's kitchen cabinet and close to Priebus -- a factor that could make the 2 a powerful couple if an open-seat race develops.
Barbour has not tipped his hand yet, but he seems to have a lot going for him: He's close to conservatives. He has allies among the RNC's more pragmatic set. And he's a bridge between generations, as a favorite of many of the younger members and someone older members have grown to respect. His uncle's help would be a big benefit to members who think Haley Barbour should take a shot at the WH -- not a small contingent of the 168 committee members.
Jan Larimer: The RNC co-chair position has not always been a serious post. It exists to ensure gender balance among RNC leadership. But Larimer, the WY national committeewoman, has done her part to make it a position that has an impact. She has used her post to encourage women candidates to get into various races, and she's built close ties to some prominent GOPers like Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA).
Larimer is unwilling to criticize Steele in public, but behind the scenes she has raised questions about his leadership. Even if Steele decides to run again, he may face the second-ranking official in the party. Larimer faced 2 rivals for the co-chairmanship in '09, but she won outright, avoiding the kind of backstabbing and hurt feelings any candidate running in a more crowded contest would have to build.
Gary Emineth: The ND GOP chairman is stepping down from his position in order to take a more active role in his business. He's also actively exploring the idea of running against Steele in '11.
Emineth is a longer shot than his fellow RNC members who are considered serious players; he has a following among Midwestern conservatives, but he's not seen as a major player among members at large. Still, he's the first one in the race, a tellingly public rebuke to the incumbent chairman.
Wild Cards: Steele won his race in '09 despite a major drawback -- he was not, at that point, a member of the RNC. Members pay attention to that factor, which gives any outsider a big hurdle to climb. And if RNC members decide they want a caretaker in advance of '12, when their WH standard-bearer will effectively take over the GOP, an elected official or someone who wants a higher profile may not be the ideal RNC chairman.
Still, we've heard ex-Sen. Norm Coleman's (R-MN) name bandied about as a possibility. Coleman runs the American Action Network, an independent group that is planning to raise and spend millions helping GOPers win election in the midterms. If he raises that money and gets good marks, Coleman could generate more buzz for his future.
Despite a brief round of stories this weekend, ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin (R) is not a serious contender to chair the RNC. RNC members who control and influence big blocs of votes respect Palin, but they don't believe she will be a player in the party's future. Steele has made a few gaffes, but RNC members shudder to think of a Palin chairmanship.
Other RNC members will at least contemplate the idea of running for the top job. AZ GOP chair Randy Pullen, the national treasurer, has gotten good marks for internal audits. Members believe CA GOP chair Ron Nehring will contemplate a bid at some point, but he is one of the committee's younger members.
No chatter about Ken Blackwell?
Gov. Sarah Palin would bring energy, enthusiasm & excitement to the position of RNC Chairman, but she is too rebellious herself to impose the needed discipline upon the wayward Party.
I figured you'd list either Dan Senor or Liz Cheney on this. They seem to be the most vocal, along with Bill Kristol, about ousting Steele, and since Kristol isn't going to run for obvious reasons, one of them might. Senor's connections on Wall Street will help the party raise money and his focus on economic and foreign policy make him a viable candidate at a time when the Party needs to de-emphasize its focus on social issues.
The RNC has a habit of eating it's own offspring - this is no different. Steele's comment, or lack of clarity for his comment, has been fodder for the malcontents who didn't want him to be chairman in the first place. Republicans will never be winners until they start acting like they can lead.
Dawson's membership in an all-white country club should be noted for his attempt to bring in African-American membership and when that failed his public resignation that called the discrimination immoral. This country club had a deed restriction against a multi-cultural membership and is not a reflection on Dawson but a reality that will not exist when the generation that won World War II is no longer with us.
Liz Cheney? You can't be serious...I still can't figure out what credentials she has to be on these Sunday news shows...other than being Dick Cheneys daughter...Sarah Palin? She'd rather stick with Facebook. If she was leader of the RNC, she would have to give interviews to the media she so detests. Maybe Ron Paul could get the party going in the right direction, but his anti war views would not be accepted....the problem is that the moderate Republican is a thing of the past, so you have to go far Right, and those prospects are pretty dim...
Hey , Steele you just keep screwing your GOBP'ERS up. They won't fire you, you got them old white folks over a barrel,and besides, you're da man.
I'm a Democrat and no Palin fan.
I agree with what's been said that S. Palin would probably not impose discipline on the party.
I also agree that she is, perhaps, too ambitious to settle for anything other than her name on a ticket.
However, my gut tells me she could be a great fundraiser and to whatever extent the RNC chair is supposed to lead the party, I think S. Palin is a better "leader" than any of the other names that are being tossed around.
I say, get her an assistant with great administrative skill, get someone to vet her remarks before she says them and then set her loose.
As long as Democrats can cast a broader net (age, race, gender), Republicans will need to open up an enthusiasm gap and I can't think of anyone who amps up conservatives better than S. Palin.
At the very least, I think she could squeeze out some votes or shake loose some cash.
I don't think she'd do it, though.
Please oh please oh please, God, I'll never ask for anything else in the whole world ever again if you just give us that nitwit Norm Coleman at the helm of the GOP.
Reince Pribus?!? For real? A failed state senate candidate from a corner of Wisconsin decimated by republican economic policies? If he wins it would really show the GOP is becoming even more out of touch than it already is under Steel.
I like the Dan Senor idea. We need to focus on economic policy and on foreign policy, and he's one of the best when it comes to those things. Beyond that, he's not going anywhere in NY state politics - he really missed his chance with Gillibrand - so I think he'd go for it if he got the chance. Unless he ends up managing Romney's campaign or something along those lines, I bet he'll be in the running for RNC chair.
It should have been Ken Blackwell in the first place. Moreso now.
Sara Palin Please ! The Gop needs real Conservitives to lead.Not people who bash Rush Limbough.I would never donate money to the gop for all there lieral endorsements !! Tea Party needs to Set the GOP STREIGHT.No More McCain no Mor GRAMinisty We will Get you next time Lindsey Gram you will be toast :) We need Real Conservitives like Jim Demint and James inhofe To rule this Party. The Republican Party has been highjacked by Liberal Republicans and we need to fix it We have the power through the tea Party :)
Realizing that Wikipedia is not the end-all, be-all of sources, they say the following
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Cheney):
Cheney is the elder of two daughters of former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Second Lady Lynne Cheney; her younger sister is Mary Cheney. Cheney graduated from McLean High School in 1984, where she was a cheerleader. She received her bachelor's degree from Colorado College, where she wrote her senior thesis, "The Evolution of Presidential War Powers," in 1988.[1] She received her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the University of Chicago Law School in 1996, having also taken courses in Middle Eastern history at the Oriental Institute.[2]...
Before attending law school, Cheney worked for the State Department for five years and the U.S. Agency for International Development between 1989 and 1993. After 1993, she took a job at Armitage Associates LLP, the consulting firm founded by Richard Armitage, then a former Defense Department official and Iran-Contra operative who later served as Deputy Secretary of State...
After graduating from law school, Cheney practiced law in the private sector (at the law firm of White & Case) and as an international law attorney and consultant at the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group. She has also served as Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State for Assistance to the former Soviet Union, and as a USAID officer in U.S. embassies in Budapest and Warsaw.[3]...
In 2002, Cheney was appointed to the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs,[4] a pre-existing vacant post with an "economic portfolio," which is a mandate to promote investment in the region. Amid reports, including a New York Times editorial by Paul Krugman, saying that the job was created especially for her, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that she had come recommended by then-Secretary of State Colin Powell.[5][6] The Times (London) reported that Cheney's appointment was "the most intriguing sign that America is getting serious about Middle East reform" and that the appointment was "a measure of the seriousness with which the administration was taking Middle East programmes for literacy, education, and reform."[7] The appointment followed publicized policy divisions between the Vice President's office and the State Department on Middle East policy. In that position, she was given control of the Middle East Partnership Initiative, designed to "foster increased democracy and economic progress in a troubled region." The program spent $29 million in 2002, increased to $129 million in the following year. Cheney's task was to channel money to pre-screened groups, some of which were not identified publicly for fear of retaliations from extant governments they sought to undermine. For the budget year 2004, the project sought $145 million. [8][9]
Why not the former chairman of the Michigan GOP? He'd be great.
I do believe Sarah Palin would be a great asset to the RNC. She can sure raise money and the RNC needs a new direction, back to their conservative roots. She can save the RNC.
Any thoughts on Linda Lingle (Gov. of Hawaii)?
Sarah P would be a good pick as she would bring excitement to a boring clique of country clubbers. I would not give a brass nickel to the RNC; rather give directly to your candidate of choice. The RNC could F*** up a one man parade. Also it does not matter who leads the RNC as the Federal Department of Media would lie, collude, misquote and misrepresent the RNC chair. It would be best to have a copy of the Constitution placed in the RNC seat.
Sarah Palin is my presidential pick. She appeals to Tea Partiers, Libertarians and dissaffected Dems. No! I will not allow her to box herself in as the RNC chair
Ron Nehring?? Seriously he is the worst disaster to ever hit Republicans in California...we have lost Republicans in CA, and he has put our State Party in massive debt twice without building any GOP structure to help our candidates
Ron Nehring seriously? Yes. Isn't it about time the Republicans get an illegal immigarnt hiring progressive and put up a gay Republican for national leader. Oh wait, he isn't out of the closet yet? never mind...
He's flying under the radar, but Priebus deserves a lot of credit for what he's done in Wisconsin. Between raising money, candidate recruitment up and down the ticket, a convention that had to move to a bigger venue because of the massive turnout... Priebus deserves credit for a lot of that, and for always trying to capitalize on this excitement.
This could be the biggest Republican year in memory in Wisconsin, between the gov race, feingold race, both houses of the legislature and 3 competitive congress seats.
Compare that to 2006 and 2008, when WI looked as blue as blue can get? Hell of a turnaround if you ask me.
Sarah Palin sure would provide a lot of laughs, but it frightens me to think that some people actually find her credible. Can you imagine the interviews she would give? What a joke.
Don't forget Michael Steele. Once he realizes he can't compete for the presidency his leaches will urge him to run for re-elect.
Anuzis has moral and ethical issues.
Katon is still radioactive.
Priebus as Steele's counsel means he'll be busy being subpoenaed for years to come b/c of unethical actions under his watch.
Henry Barbour: Legit
Jan Larimer: Legit
Gary, sorry ND is not known for cutting-edge politics.
Coleman's consultants will urge a run.
Palin, doesn't make financial sense.
Pullen: Legit
Nehring: more likely than Priebus, but he proves to be more of a buffon every time he helps to clean up Steele's messes. Add a mediocre state chairman and California, and he isn't getting far.