Nov 10 2008
Sorry Newt, No More Conservative Retreads
Word is out Newt Gingrich and Michael Steele are vying to lead the new GOP. Gingrich leading a ‘new GOP’ is a real oxymoron. We don’t need another tired old conservative standard bearer. We need Michael Steele:
A battle to take the reins of the Republican National Committee is taking off between former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Maryland Lieutenant Gov. Michael Steele.
Republicans close to each man say they are intent on ousting Mike Duncan when his tenure ends in January and to insert themselves to articulate a counter-agenda to President-elect Barack Obama´s administration.
A bevy of backers for each man, neither of whom is an RNC member, have been burning up the phone lines and firing off e-mails as they try to sway the 168 RNC members in the wake of the second consecutive drubbing of Republicans at the polls.
One thing Gov Palin illustrated is it is time to get new blood in the leadership of the GOP and conservative movement. Steele is just the kind of fresh blood and energy and charisma missing from the gray beards. The failure of the current leaders in Congress, and in the think tanks and news media talking heads, is testament to why these folks should move aside and let the next generation take over.
Sorry Speaker Gingrich, you did well for us in the past but we need new thinking and new energy. You are just not the answer to the current GOP and conservative woes. You are more of the same failed policies and approaches. You helped lose the Gingrich revolution to conservative democrats. We don’t need a marginal ‘true conservative’ minority. That we have!
I for one will not take a GOP serious that nominates Gingrich over Steele.
47 Responses to “Sorry Newt, No More Conservative Retreads”
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Haven’t we learned anything from affirmative action with Powell and Rice and their betrayals?
I’ve read that Fred Thompson may throw his hat in the ring.
I’m in for Steele, and it doesn’t have anything to do with affirmative action. He is solid!!
combat18:
Rice did not betray anyone. Colin Powell never pretended to be a paleo con. He got his job because of his military and diplomatic history. To say either one of these people was an affirmative action pick is an insult to them and to the Republican party and the Bush administration.
Gingrich wrote a book called “Real Change” that explores how a real platform for positive change for America can be built. His web site http://www.americansolutions.com/ is full of ideas about real solutions to tough issues. Newt has shown in the past that he has the ability to develop a winning political strategy. Mr. Steele may be a nice guy, but what has he done in the past that would indicate he has the ability to help the conservatives regoup and win elections in the future?
I like Steele. He is very articulate and he is a new face. The GOP needs to attract new people.
Newt Gingrich had his chance.
Yes to Steele. No to Newt. Too much baggage. And old. We’ve done old already. Sorry Newt. It’s just the way it is. If there’s one thing I have felt lately it’s this: the oldagers, 50 and older (of which I am one :<) have passed the baton to the newagers….argh.
I think Newt would be a good advisor. Problem is, he wants to be the leader.
I could go for Steele. I agree that Newt has seen his day. But I would rather see Steele running for some office, not being the party chair. In that sense, I think Thompson might make a better chairman.
The party chairman is more of an organizational role, not a popular leadership roll. The chair decides which political races get funded and by how much. The chair develops national strategy. The chair doesn’t get out and make a lot of speeches or stump for candidates.
The party chair should be someone who isn’t going to be running for office, but is smart and thinks strategically. I would support Rove over Gingrich any day. Rove might not be popular with the left but party chairman isn’t a nationally elected office. Rove is a good strategist.
Yes:
Steele, Jindal, Palin, Romney, Jeb
No:
Newt, Arnold, Rice, Huck
Age isn’t the issue. newt is a blowhard with baggage.
Seriously…….
Next time we have a REVOLUTION, lets make term limits on ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS across the board a top priority.
This country is screwed up from having career politicians.
This country is screwed up because we allowed it.
Vote McCain 2012
Steele or Thompson, Gingrich lost his fire in 95 when the media turned his good ideas into a circus with him as the main star, all the while Clinton recovered and painted himself as not a radical attempting to change America, but as a defender of the status quo against the rabid right. Steele is fine, but Thompson is probably more qualified.
On a serious note. I’ll vote for any conservative with a strong economic background — and a solid understanding of foreign policy and the way the world works. Experience. Experience. Experience. Economics and business experience are the most important. Being an outsider is a plus.
The V.P. should be a philosopher.
On the social issues, I am more than willing to compromise.
So, this rules out Palin. I like her personally, but not as a leader (no econmoic background and f.p. experience).
Romney, Jindal, Giuliani, Robert Gates, Rice, Klimt — these work for me. That’s one powerful admin. I’m excited to see more.
I’m agnostic. I like Steele quite a bit from when I watched his run during the Senate race in Maryland, and Newt has some interesting ideas, though he’s loaded with the baggage of the 90s. I say let them both make their case to the Party, and let’s see which one really looks to the future.
Hate to spoil everybody’s party but the Fred is thinking about the job also.
Steele may be smart and he may be more than qualified, but if Obama bombs out, as I think he is going to, we can forget affirmative action for a long time. After all, Obama is having his IQ posted all over the internet and since it is above average, but still not genius, if he manages to impose all his far left programs on us and drags the economy down further like FDR did, then his race will go down with him. After all he is their Messiah. The Chosen One. If he fails, they all fail. Especially if he puts his people in charge of federal agencies and they make a mess of things like they did under Clinton. Just remember. No federal agency had books in good enough condition to be audited when Clinton left office and nobody dared say anything for of fear of being called a Racist because Clinton had put incompetent blacks in charge to be the patsies.
Colin Powel was a token figurehead put in charge of a disfunctional State Dept, saturated with embedded Clintonista loyalist civil servants who sabatoged everything Bush tried to do. So Powell’s job was to pretend that someone was listening to them and him. Condoliza Rice is a joke. She may be an expert on Russia but about Muslims and middle East negotiations she doesn’t know squat. Anyone with half a brain would know by now that you can’t negotiate with those people. Their religion requires them to lie, mislead, and do whatever is necessary to fool the infidels. We should have turned the whole area into glass immediately after 9-11. That is the kind of negotiations they understand. The least we can do now is turn Israel loose and let them solve the problem in whatever way they want to. As it is, we have two choices, we can let the Israelis kill Muslims now or let them kill innocent Israelis later. We shouldnt’ be vover there trying to tell Israel what to do. We dont’ really have a dog in that fight.
Klimt,
Who’s that guy KLIMT? Any foreign policy experience?
Again, I don’t think we want to put one of our most charismatic and well-spoken leaders as party chairman. For that job you want someone butt ugly, can’t speak in public worth a darn, hates talking to the press, but is brilliant. Don’t use up political “talent” on a back office position.
I am not sure Fred should be the chair but he should certainly be available. The party should be more actively using assets such as Thompson and Steele. Maybe the party could even get Walter E. Williams to write a position statement on economic policy. He has a wonderful way of articulating complex concepts in a way the average person can understand.
And rather than bashing the Democrats, criticism needs to be balanced with alternatives. Don’t criticize without making an alternative suggestion. Remember, our goals are the same, to make this country a better place but our methods differ. Suggesting alternatives gives them food for thought and might even be adopted or cause a modification in their path to adopt the suggestion in full or in part.
There should be all kinds of documents coming out of party HQ written by all sorts of individuals but being released in the name of the party. There should be all kinds of speeches being given by Thompson, Steele, Palin and others. We should never stop trying to influence the direction of things, even when not in power.
But the chair of the party should be almost invisible. He (or she) should be more of a behind the scenes facilitator and resource allocator. The chair shouldn’t be rallying the party directly, but the chair should be organizing a concerted, consistent, message with an array of powerful communicators delivering that message to the people. Leave the tactics to the “talent”, the chair should be thinking “big picture” and years in advance. The chair should be developing promising talent at the state and local level, mentoring them, developing them, and when the time is right, putting them on a larger stage. The party chair runs the “farm system”, develops “talent”, develops strategy, plans for the long haul. Putting a charismatic leader in that position is probably a waste of their charisma.
And people really should read Professor Williams’ articles. Each one is a gem.
Reagan was 70 when he took office. He was 78 when he left office. So please stop with the age-ism. I think most of us would have “Old” Reagan back in a wink if we could.
That said, Gingrich is a no but not because of his age. He has the fire. He has the passion. And he’s secure in his principles. But Newt would be turning back the clock. He’ll also keep the partisan fires burning just like O is keeping them going, with a vengeance.
Steele is a good choice. He’s a solid Republican just right enough of center to have appeal without having to compromise his values, or ours. That said he comes with 50/50 liabilities in the race game.
On the one hand he could totally neutralize the Dems whole race-baiting game. But he could potentially exacerbate the race-baiting game to the detriment of Republicans if he comes off as the stodgy, old-school right-wing O-wannabe, or the Dems are simply successful in tarring him as such right out of the gate.
The comparison also has the potential to make the next four years into nothing but constant comparisons that entirely eclipse the relevant issues.
But if Fred Thompson throws down, I’d go with him with one big caveat, McCain’s chaotic campaign. It’s worth waiting to see how he campaigns for the leadership.
The most unfortunate thing with Steele, through no fault of his, is it will turn the GOP leadership race into Obama II. I know that’s an awful thing to say. But I don’t mean that as a racial commentary. It’s factual. It will happen.
The Dems and the MSM will have a field day whether he wins or loses. We’ve already seen how it will be reported and commented on, except the GOP will receive even more derision for coat-tailing on a race that would be decidedly the lesser sequel.
Then, think of the acid-tossing the GOP will suffer if they DON’T vote Steele.
But there’s nothing for it now. Steele is worthy of the leadership. And it’s definitely not his baggage but he’ll be bringing it nevertheless.
The whole race thing is just a mess now and it will needlessly infect every debate, hopefully not for all four years, but likely for at least two.
The ideal thing would be if it became irrelevant without notice.
Anyone remember television back in the 70s and early 80s? The MSM has sure come a long way, haven’t they?
What Would Reagan Do?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122637470965416637.html
momdear, that IQ you refer to is only an ad trying to get you to sign up, they even say Bidens is 146. what a laugh.
if I were guessing I’d put Biden’s at about 105. I’d put Obama in the 90-95 range. Just guessing because zero paperwork has been released on Obama. No Birth Certificate, No adoption papers, no school records, no college records, no law school records, none have been released. We don’t even know if he graduated from any schools, including high school, college or any other. Some people will might disagree, but it is not there and forgers can do marvels.
Newt is not the one, he had his chance. I’d like Steele or Fred, some others.
Just for the record, Colin Powell got into the military adademy via affirmative action, tho I think he certainly could have gotten in without it. On the other hand, it has been said that Obama was not academically qualifed (tho as I said, no paperwork released) to even get an affirmative action appointment.
Upgrade, upgrade, replace Boehner … with Pence.
Steele is OK, but I would like to hear him give afew audition speeches before committing.
The country is a very different place now than when Reagan came into power. We have to face this fact. Not to do so will repeat mistakes that we cannot afford to repeat.
Age equates with old ideas (perception is reality). We need fresh, like it or not. It’s a new century. We need to reflect that with someone who will communicate the fact that conservatives have studied the situation and the future and we have the answers, the vision and the courage and INTEGRITY to lead America. This next election will be about trust, imho.
Sarah needs to continue having rallies, rallies for solutions, encouragement and TRUTH TELLING. She can honor the Office of the Presidency while still tellin’ it like it is.
Joe, the Plumber, is doing well with his website.
And, if we could reform the National Education Association, which I have been saying for years is harming this country, we could make A LOT of progress.
Wow, Crosspatch thanks for pointing me to Professor Williams’ articles. I may go pick up one of his books today, this guy makes a lot of sense.
I agree with a lot of the above comments. We do need new people in the party. It’s time for the younger generations to lead. But we need to be careful of the life long political activists. I know of a few in VA who have been raised working with the Republican party, and they also still think in old ideas. We need new fresh outsiders to get this party revamped. I don’t think Fred or Newt are good ideas, but I do agree that we shouldn’t hide people like Steele and Palin away in this invisible position.
At this point its a wait and see game unless someone else is going to step up.
I like Steele. As long as he lives in Maryland he will never regain office. They get bluer every year. I wish he would move to another state and run there. I’ll bet he would win in a landslide.
Newt is old stuff and the media would have a field day bringing back their lies and snark. Thompson should be out and about making speeches not in the background of the RNC chair. He probably never wants to run for office again as he showed in the lackluster campaign he sort of waged. Both Gringrich and Thompson would be good advisors.
But I really would like Rove. Don’t you know the left and the media’s heads would explode. Talk about strategy!!! Plus he knows all about it and wouldn’t have to learn. He knows the dynamics of the smallest district in the country. He knows where to put the money and where to hold it. He would be the best if he wants it.
Who’s Fred?
“I may go pick up one of his books today, this guy makes a lot of sense.”
He teaches at George Mason. Or used to, I think he still does. He is a Nobel Prize winner in economics. Maybe you could even attend a lecture or something. I first heard him several years ago when he would sometimes guest host for Rush Limbaugh but I haven’t had a chance to listen to Rush much these days so I don’t know if he even still does that.
I do love to hear that man talk, though. Maybe you could even get him to sign a copy of his newest book “Liberty versus the Tyranny of Socialism”.
Barbara S,
Yeah Rove would send them insane.
Dave m,
Fred Thompson
[...] are naysayers with whom I often time find much to agree on such as AJStrata, but I find it too dismissively simple to apply such a tag as “retread” on [...]
When you folks talk about our Sarah… The mere plane ride from here to, for instance, Houston… 1 hour to airport… 1 hour to departure… [Midnight departure anyone?] … 3+ hours to Seattle… 1 hour connect … 4 hours to Houston… Pick up bags and drive to hotel… 1+ hours… So… 12+ or so hours going AND coming …
.
2 days travel… For every single or multiple appearances down south…
.
Just add this factor into your thought process…
.
DJStrata:
I like Fred. I like the way he talks. But I don’t think that deep down he is the kind of “political animal” that needs to run the party. I don’t think he has the party contacts at the state and local levels that would be best to basically rebuild the party. We need someone who would be relentless on corruption and return to core values such as government being the problem, not the answer. Our problems today are caused by too much government meddling in markets, not from a lack of enough meddling.
We need new faces and names that aren’t associated with “fat cat” incumbencies, “good old boy” networks, and “business as usual” politics. Government needs to get over itself. Sam is your uncle, not your mommy.
And we need someone who will stand up to unfounded media attacks. This policy of ignoring them isn’t working. People believe the stuff. I overheard one co-worker the other day saying “I was for McCain but the more we learned about Palin …” In other words, he was hearing all the smears but never heard that none of them were true.
Sad thing is that a lot of the people STILL believe that all those smears were true. At some point you need to get in the media’s face and call them flat out liars. Maybe the candidate doesn’t need to do it, but a spokesperson for the campaign could really attract a lot of attention by making a public release accusing a news outlet of outright lying and failing in their obligation to fact-check. This lukewarm non-response that Republicans have been giving to this stuff isn’t working. They need to be aggressive and call them on it flat out. If they are lying, call them liars and use that very term. If they are failing in their fact checking, call them incompetent and use that very term in an official release.
It is time someone held them responsible. The Republicans have been letting the press steamroll them with only minor complaints on friendly interviews from Fox. It is time to call them what they are and do it publicly and officially.
i like steele, and would prefer him over newt.
today’s WSJ posted articles by Steele, Danny Vargas, Richard Land, Henry Olson, and Peter Robinson.
here is Steele:
here is Vargas:
both messages are pretty good, but the difference appears to be Steele wants to rebuild the party, Vargas wants a to make the party ideas more appealing. We need both. Vargas is not running but i like what he had to say.
not to play identity politics but both being minorities (one african-american, one hispanic-american) would be pluses.
but i am intrigued by the idea of someone who is an organizational genius leading quietly, allowing the candidates to take the front line actions.
I hear that Newt might be backing out and endorsing Steele. Over at Hot Air
Just wondering……..congress has decimated the energy industry and the auto industry, I wonder what is next?
Oh I forgot the housing market. Only 2 years in power. What a great record!
The housing market was only partially Congress’ fault. Two other things came into play. 1: Bush left too many Clinton appointees in positions of authority. He should have banished them (like Clinton did) as soon as he took office. 2: The fed had interest rates at ridiculously low levels for a ridiculously long period of time. I guess people had forgotten that rates also rise. So when it came time to finally defend the dollar and raise rates, many of the people put into adjustable rate mortgages they could barely afford saw their payment go up and they defaulted. Then the entire string of dominoes started to fall.
The fallout is going to be widespread. A lot of cars and RVs were purchased with home equity loans. Same with college tuition. Same with remodeling and refurnishing of homes. People were using their home equity like an ATM machine. Well, that machine is now dry.
Every market segment that got a substantial portion of their business through home equity loans … roofers, siding companies, furniture stores, boat dealers, RV dealers … are all going to be singing the blues until home values recover.
Obama planning US trials for Guantanamo detainees
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gLy-7Qsm2KeE15rL6Is9p56BcWhwD94BVTE00
“President-elect Obama’s advisers are quietly crafting a proposal to ship dozens, if not hundreds, of imprisoned terrorism suspects to the United States to face criminal trials, a plan that would make good on his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison but could require creation of a controversial new system of justice.
…….”I don’t think we need to completely reinvent the wheel, but we need a better tribunal process that is more transparent,” Schiff said.”
Well, none better to create a “better tribunal process that is more transparent” than The One who seals almost all of his personal records from his electorate and accepts hundreds of millions in campaign funds under the aegis of what is clearly a loophole in dated election rules….. despite, ironically, having sworn vengeance on all the loopholes for Corporate America.
(Ahem) Clearly, this is one Administration that will be well-remembered for its “transparency”.
And of course, there’s no need to concern ourselves with any of them escaping when there’s a more likely chance they can walk out the front door as “guests” of the US once He grants them all amnesty on US soil, maybe even welfare, Medicaid, and public housing ….. just like Dear Auntie.
On a much lighter note, give the Secret Service extra credit for their excellent sense of humor.
Secret Service code names not so secret
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-talk-code-namesnov11,0,2798932.story
Barack Obama – Renegade
Joe Biden – Celtic
John McCain – Phoenix
Sarah Palin – Denali, “The Great One”, after Mt. McKinley
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
ren⋅e⋅gade /ˈrɛnɪˌgeɪd/ [ren-i-geyd]
–NOUN
1. a person who deserts a party or cause for another.
2. an apostate from a religious faith.
–ADJECTIVE
3. of or like a renegade; traitorous.
More fun at (Wiki):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Service_codenames
Be sure to look up “Driller”.
Looks like good news. Newt isn’t interested in the job and seems to be endorsing Steele. I think they are working together on the ideas. Sounds great. Newt’s brain and Steele’s charisma.
I think Steele’s ideal.
Newt was on Hannity and he stated he was not looking for the RNC Chair slot. He has bigger fish to fry via his American Solutions group…and he will have a chance to ounce on the Dear Leader very soon – Obama is looking to put offshore drilling ban back in place to avoid any more drilling for oil..so much for his campaign retoric.
I like Steele – new blood and new vision.
BTW, Ted Stevens, who appears to have won his Senate seat from the last news I heard, will probably be going to the”big house” in the not too distant future. Would not be surprised if Palin took the opportunity to put herself in that slot and in the center of power…to work for 2012…and look for her to get the attention on the energy issue.
Not to burst any ones bubble but all you folks screaming Youth.
We need the yutes.
What’s a yut asks Fred?
Lets’s shoot for Wisdom, an acquired characteristic giving all humans and non humans alike the ability to use Intelligence of all kinds to it’s maximum efficiency
Jacqui:
“Would not be surprised if Palin took the opportunity to put herself in that slot and in the center of power…to work for 2012…and look for her to get the attention on the energy issue.”
I hope not. I’d rather see her have a successful term in Alaska and get reelected to burnish her executive reputation and maintain her “Washington outsider” image, which I think will still be a selling point for the foreseeable future. There are plenty of ways she can build a national standing without becoming one of one hundred in the Senate.
Aren’t we interested in Steele only because he’s black?
Honestly, this is not a very impressive politician. If he were white, I don’t think we’d even been considering him.