Steele eyes chairmanship of Republican National Committee

Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008

Steele, the current GOPAC chairman, formally announced his candidacy Thursday night on Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes."

"I'm ready to lead this party. I think we've been wandering and doubting ourselves for far too long and I think this past election was the culmination of that self-doubt, which has to end," he said. "We have a message of empowerment and ownership and opportunity that resonates with Americans. We just want to get back to that. The fundamentals of our party has not changed, so I'm ready to lead it."

GOPAC is the Republican Party political action committee that "recruits and trains new candidates, campaign staff and activists," according to its Web site.

Current party Chairman Mike Duncan has said he is inclined to seek a second term, but no less than a half-dozen Republican leaders already are campaigning publicly or behind the scenes.

Steele is among the most well-known of the contenders. He traveled around the country in support of Sen. John McCain and multiple congressional candidates in the last election cycle, and he makes regular cable news appearances.

Several state party chairmen are thought to be weighing bids, along with Chip Saltsman, campaign manager for Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign.

But those who have worked with Steele said he has the most polished resume to lead the GOP into a new era, even in a challenging political environment for Republicans.

"Michael can say, ‘I've been in that desert and want to lead you out of it,'" said former Maryland Republican Party Chairman John Kane, pointing to Steele's tenure as his predecessor, which helped lay the groundwork for the 2002 election of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) in a heavily Democratic state. "I think Michael has demonstrated his turnaround abilities by taking, on a micro-basis, that same situation in Maryland."

Even those who don't know Steele personally see him as a good fit for the job.

"If we're going to rebuild this party, we need to do it with middle-ground Republicans and conservative Republicans, all of whom are going to have a voice," said Ryan C. Gravatt, a Texas developer of political Web sites who launched www.draftmichaelsteele.com Monday night, with a friend who works on Capitol Hill. "I think Michael Steele is the best chance the party has right now for rebuilding and bringing people into a bigger tent."

Gravatt said he's never met Steele, but heard him speak at a function last year and was drawn to his vision for the party. 

Others apparently agree. After just one day, more than 1,300 visitors had signed the Web site's petition supporting Steele's as-yet-unannounced candidacy.

"He's got that sort of rock-star caliber to people, where he can really reach out, especially to young people, which many politicians can't do [in] this day and age," said Andrew M. Langer, a member of the Queen Anne's County Republican Central Committee who served as Eastern Shore regional director for McCain's presidential campaign. "Mike understands there's something wrong with the Republican Party brand, and he's willing to face that very real truth and do something about it."

The Republican National Committee's 168 voting members will select its chairman by majority vote in January. Candidates must be nominated and secure the blessing of two voting members in three states.

Steele's selection would be a sign that the GOP is looking to rebrand itself as a more inclusive party. He has gained prominence in prime-time speaking slots at the past two party conventions and has been quick to criticize the party's approach to minorities.

In an opinion piece published in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal, Steele lamented the state of the GOP and said Republicans must look to re-establish the party that thrived under the late President Ronald Reagan.

"Most Americans today see a Republican Party that defines itself by what it is against rather than what it is for," he wrote. "We can tell you why public schools aren't working, but not articulate a compelling vision for how we'll better educate children. We're well equipped to rail against tax increases, but can't begin to explain how we'll help the poor. We exclude far better than we welcome."

That brash approach draws people to Steele.

"He would inject a great deal of enthusiasm that we really need badly right now," said Brian J. Harlin, who owns GOP Shoppe in Glen Burnie, which manufactures and supplies Republican campaign materials. "As a party, far too often we talk above people, and Michael does a good job of talking to people in a way they can understand."

Even though Steele lost his U.S. Senate campaign in 2006 to Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D), supporters say his experience as an underdog in the trenches is an important asset.

Steele can tell GOP leaders, "I've been through the buzz saw, I know what happened two years ago, and I know what not to do in terms of attempting to create voter turnout and messaging that clearly didn't work," Kane said.

Few RNC chair candidates can match Steele's media savvy or his ability to articulate a unified party message that will inspire voters, he added.

"Right now, you say Republican, they say goodbye," Kane said. "We are not in typical Republican times. We are on life support, and Michael is the doctor to bring us back."

abrody@somdnews.com