Michael Steele out, Reince Priebus in as new head of the RNC
Today the Republicans voted for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee and at long last Michael Steele is no longer the chairman, being replaced by Reince Priebus.
A sharply divided Republican committee finally confirmed Preibus as committee chairman on the seventh ballot, while Michael Steele dropped his re-election bid after the fourth ballot. In my opinion, this was a long time in the making as I questioned whether Michael Steele should resign back in March of 2009, and then formally called for his resignation early last year.
Michael Steele became the head of the RNC under great expectations, but lackadaisical fundraising and a series of missteps turned him into an embarrassment to the Republican party. The Republicans managed to win the House of Representatives in spite of Michael Steele, not because of him. Maybe if he were a little more competent the Republicans could have taken over the Senate as well. The Republicans were able to win the House of Representatives for one reason and one reason only–the Tea Party.
Now I am not going to sit here and claim that I know anything about Reince Priebus, and I am not going to claim that this is a great choice because frankly, I don’t know enough about Priebus to make a decision as of yet. But I do know one thing, it appears as if Priebus is ready to accept the Tea Party as an important piece of the puzzle moving forward into the 2012 election:
“All of these groups will have a seat at the table when I’m chairman of the Republican National Committee,” he said at the only candidates debate Jan. 3. “We’re not in competition with the [Tea Party] movement, we’re part of it. We need unity, we need to be working together.”
And I do know one other thing: John H Sununu–the outgoing chairman of the New Hampshire GOP, and the architect of the Republicans’ historic gains in this state in the midterm elections last year–voiced his support of Priebus for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee last week, so I will accept the former governor’s intuition and knowledge on this issue and assume he knows of what he speaks, and I will assume that the GOP made a wise choice. Only time will tell.
America's Watchtower 
I only have one request, a phonetic spelling of his name, because I have no clue how to pronounce it.
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The first or the last, because I don’t know how to pronounce either name.
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Here is the pronounciation. Rance Prebus
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Thank you!
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I’m glad Steele is out especially after the massive deficit that was created under his leadership.
There is that word again. Leadership. We really have a serious problem with quality, authentic and honest leadership in this country.
I hope the new guy will see his way to become a great leader and I wish him well.
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Leadership is something that you have been mentioning lately, and I think you have hit the nail on the head. There do not seem to be many natural leaders in the country–only people who wish to lead by telling people what they want to hear. That is not leadership; leadership is telling the people the truth, even if it is something the people do not want to hear. I hope that this man proves to be the leader that we so desperately need!
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Lack of fundraising surely did him in and I bet some of the hard Right didn’t like that he seemed mushy on some thing. Must be doing a bad job to get voted out when your party wins big in the mid-terms.
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That would be correct, except that Steele didn’t get the vote out in November– the TEA Party did.
As I recall it, the RNC supported candidates the rank and file Republicans did NOT support.
For instance, in Florida, the RNC was noticable in its complete lack of support for Marco Rubio. Same was true in Alaska.
Steele made a very serious mistake in the last election… he gave RNC support to candidates BEFORE the people decided who they wanted in the primaries. They openly supported Fla. Gov. Charlie Crist, who is extremely unpopular among Republicans in Florida because he is, frankly, a RINO. Rubio was our choice by primary vote, and the RNC was remarkably absent in Florida after the Florida primary.
The NEW head of the RNC is going to have exactly the same fund raising problems Steele had if he goes down the same road. If the RNC starts supporting RINOs before the primaries, I will NOT send them any money, but will send my money to individual candidates like I did in 2010.
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You are right, the Republicans won in spite of Steele. Don’t forget he didn’t help out Scott Brown either, it was individuals donating to candidates that pushed them over the top. Steele didn’t get the fundraising because he was supporting the wrong candidates, but money still came in anyway just not to the RNC.
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I just hope this guy isn’t going from the frying pan to the fire…
GOP picks Priebus to head party
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That is some discouraging news in your post Frd. I only can hope that the GOP has learned its lesson–I guess we will have to wait and see.
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I wrote a letter to Priebus before this election, and will share with you:
“1/11/11
Dear Chairman Priebus,
Somehow, the Wisconsin Republican Party along with the National Republican Party forgot something: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” You propose instead: “We the [insert party name here] Party will allow and dictate to you, the common man, what we dictate to be for proper order of establishment of rules and regulations to fall within our guidelines as we determine what is best for you and you will obey or be punished, ostracized, or rediculed and banned from office or running for office.”
What I have discovered, as many millions have, is that our efforts, blood, and treasure can be spent better if we contribute and actively support those candidates who are truly following the core principles of the actual Constitutional Conservative Values for those candidates that we can follow and uphold who desire to protect the average citizen of the United States of America instead of protecting one political party as opposed to another for the benefit of that particular party instead of the population as a whole. It was fortunate that some of the conservative candidates fell under the Republican banner, and even some in the Democrat banner, but the independents who ran did exceptionally well. In other words, we saw actual results of our investments to those candidates we supported, instead of giving to the party. And if the Republican Party tries to claim their “victory” due to the efforts of the independent Tea Party candidates and us who supported and gave to them, you will find that you claim a hollow victory and will slowly be placed upon the ash heap of history by what you tried to steal which wasn’t yours to take. For example, Steeles claims during the debates between the candidates for the Chair of the National Republican Party.
The sad state of affairs Priebus, is that you follow the same mold as does Steele, in the fact that “you just don’t get it,” and want to follow the proposal listed above for the Party instead of for “We the People.” That makes you just as vulnerable as Steele is, and not suitable to lead the party in any form or fashion. You two walk in the same footsteps, and there won’t be any change in between you two, and in how the Wisconsin or National will be lead. Neither one is good for “We the People.”
Therefore I cannot contribute nor gift the Republican Party of Wisconsin as long as you are the State Chairman, nor to the National Republican Party if either Steele or you get elected as Chairman, but will continue to look for and support those candidates that fit my own view of how this Republic should be Constitutionally protected, instead of a particular party or another, and I will advise and encourage all others to do the same.
Respectfully yours,
Jon C. Randall”
I hope he proves me wrong.
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This letter was in response to the Wisconsin Republican Party fundraising letter that Priebus sent.
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What a great letter! Unfortunately from what I just Read in Texas Fred’s post, it seems like we have just gotten more of the same. The Tea Party may be on its own again, but we did alright on our own in 2010.
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I see that he acknowledges there is opposition to the tea party within the Republican ranks. Nice of him to invite the tea party “to the table.” Not like he had much of a choice.
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I will remain cautiously optimistic about Reince Priebus, until such time as he proves us wrong. Personally, I think he is a bit too close to the problems of Michael Steele for my taste, but again, I hope he proves us wrong.
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I am beginning to have reservations about this guy, I guess we will have to wait and see. But we will be watching him!
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you are an idiot
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Reince Priebus is an abomination to this country.
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RP and the rest of the good old boys club U are the problem and Not the solution…
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