Ken "The Other African-American Guy " Blackwell gaining momentum & endorsements

[Lunar]

Steele's bubble is starting to deflate? Toomey already previously endorsed Blackwell, I thought.  But hell, if you endorse him twice that's twice the mileage!  Ken might actually pull this off.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0109/Top_conservatives_back_Blackwell.html

Two dozen conservative luminaries will announce today their support for former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell for Republican Nation Committee chairman.

The group, which mixes leading economic conservatives, including Steve Forbes and Pat Toomey, and leading social conservatives, including James Dobson and Tony Perkins, had agreed to endorse and campaign together for a candidate based on a questionnaire assembled by veteran GOP activist Morton Blackwell (no relation).

"The conservative endorsers noted that there were other good candidates, but all agreed that Ken Blackwell is the best choice. They intend to contact grassroots conservatives across the country and ask them to urge the three RNC members from each state and U.S. territory to vote for Ken Blackwell for RNC chairman," they said in a press release going out shortly.

Blackwell appears to be one of the leading candidates in a race for the support of 168 members of the RNC, in which success can be difficult to gauge. Blackwell now has the public support of 12 RNC members. Some of the candidates will debate in Washington, D.C., on Monday.

Here's the full list of conservatives who are endorsing Blackwell today:


Gary Aldrich, Chairman, CNP Action Inc.

Morton C. Blackwell, Virginia Republican National Committeeman

Robert B. Bluey, Contributing Editor, RedState

L. Brent Bozell, Founder and President, Media Research Center

Kellyanne Conway, CEO and President, the polling company, inc./WomanTrend

T. Kenneth Cribb Jr., Former Domestic Adviser to President Reagan

James C. Dobson, Ph.D., Founder and Chairman, Focus on the Family

Becky Norton Dunlop, President, Council for National Policy

Stuart W. Epperson, Chairman, Salem Communications Corp.

Steve Forbes, Chairman & CEO, Forbes Media

Dr. Ronald Godwin, Vice Chancellor, Liberty University

Rebecca Hagelin, Author and Conservative Columnist

Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring

David Keene, Chairman, American Conservative Union

Tim LaHaye, Founder and President, Tim LaHaye Ministries

Ed Meese, Past President, Council for National Policy

James C. Miller, Past President, Council for National Policy

Tony Perkins, President Family Research Council

Ken Raasch, Chairman & CEO, Creative Brands Group

Alfred S. Regnery, Publisher, The American Spectator

Phyllis Schlafly, President, Eagle Forum

Pat Toomey, President, Club for Growth

Richard Viguerie, Chairman, ConservativeHQ.com

[Keystone Phil]

Not good but I honestly believe that people really exagerrate his negatives.

[Lunar]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/02/AR2009010202377.html?wprss=rss_print

This is a good summary of the race as of now.

Basically - The activists are concerned with Steele being part of the Republican Leadership Council that urged the party to be more accepting of moderates on the life (or even pro-choice!) issue in moderate counties.

Blackwell is racking up the support but there's a concern that electing a passionate ideological activist might not be the best way to win.  As Florida sez: "We are known to be the party of pro-life, we are known to be the party of traditional marriage," said Jim Greer, chairman of the Florida GOP, who has floated his name as a candidate but has not entered the race. "But once we affirm that, we need to move on. We need to focus on the issues that are being talked about at the dinner table."

I'm starting to think Blackwell might be overtaking Duncan as the frontrunner.  He really stole a lot of Steele's racial thunder.

Anuzis is probably the second-best pick after Steele since he is a pragmatist that understands that appealing endlessly to the base isn't going to win you elections (he knows because he's watched so many Republicans lose in Michigan, when was the last time Katon Dawson saw a Republican candidate lose in South Carolina because the Republican wasn't pragmatic enough?).

I think Katon Dawson's former membership to an all-white country club and Saltsman's Magic Negro CD's are too much of hot potatoes.  Will the RNC really give the Democrats a 30 second magnificent soundbyte to be used against the incoming chairman?

Lucky for Ken Blackwell, if Saltsman and Dawson decline, he's likely to scoop up their support in the successive rounds of voting.

So, I'm feeling like I might predict a Blackwell win here peeps.  I don't know how pragmatic the folks voting on this are, but my instinct says "not very"

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

What about Alan Keyes and Lynn Swann? Those token Republican black losers feel left out.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Wow, just wow.

Maybe if Blackwell won it would be for the best.  2010 may not be pretty and of course if Steele were RNC Chair at that time his eeeevil moderation would be blamed for the loss.  Of course, even if Steele isn't Chairman, the fact that moderates are even allowed to breathe will be blamed.

[ChrisFromNJ]

The Republican Party is seriously considering choosing Ken Blackwell as its leader?

ROFLMFAO.

[Matt Damon™]

Ken Blackwell is a joke

[Lunar]

Wow, just wow.

Maybe if Blackwell won it would be for the best.  2010 may not be pretty and of course if Steele were RNC Chair at that time his eeeevil moderation would be blamed for the loss.  Of course, even if Steele isn't Chairman, the fact that moderates are even allowed to breathe will be blamed.

You really think letting the CFG help manage the party for four years will help y'all out?

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Wow, just wow.

Maybe if Blackwell won it would be for the best.  2010 may not be pretty and of course if Steele were RNC Chair at that time his eeeevil moderation would be blamed for the loss.  Of course, even if Steele isn't Chairman, the fact that moderates are even allowed to breathe will be blamed.

You really think letting the CFG help manage the party for four years will help y'all out?

I think we are going to have to let them burn the house down before we can rebuild it.

[Lunar]

Well, what about the 2012 elections where there are going to be far more Democratic Senate seats up than Republican ones?

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Well, what about the 2012 elections where there are going to be far more Democratic Senate seats up than Republican ones?

All RNC resources will probably be devoted to replacing Senators Snowe, Corker, Hatch, and Lugar with "more conservative" nominees who will go on to lose, but "at least we stood up for principle".

Edit: the Utah seat would survive

[Lunar]

Well, what about the 2012 elections where there are going to be far more Democratic Senate seats up than Republican ones?

All RNC resources will probably be devoted to replacing Senators Snowe, Corker, Hatch, and Lugar with "more conservative" nominees who will go on to lose, but "at least we stood up for principle".

Edit: the Utah seat would survive

Hopefully Toomey & Snow will focus on Snowe.

[Lunar]

Well, what about the 2012 elections where there are going to be far more Democratic Senate seats up than Republican ones?

All RNC resources will probably be devoted to replacing Senators Snowe, Corker, Hatch, and Lugar with "more conservative" nominees who will go on to lose, but "at least we stood up for principle".

Edit: the Utah seat would survive

Hopefully Toomey & Snow will focus on Snowe.

Actually, these organizations are inherently supportive of incumbents (see Santorum endorsing Specter, Obama endorsing Lieberman [initially] etc).  The real danger is whether RNC gets behind the right people for open seats and challengers.  I don't see Blackwell ever delivering resources to a pro-choice/moderate non-incumbent ever, but we'll see

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Well, what about the 2012 elections where there are going to be far more Democratic Senate seats up than Republican ones?

All RNC resources will probably be devoted to replacing Senators Snowe, Corker, Hatch, and Lugar with "more conservative" nominees who will go on to lose, but "at least we stood up for principle".

Edit: the Utah seat would survive

Hopefully Toomey & Snow will focus on Snowe.

Actually, these organizations are inherently supportive of incumbents (see Santorum endorsing Specter, Obama endorsing Lieberman [initially] etc).  The real danger is whether RNC gets behind the right people for open seats and challengers.  I don't see Blackwell ever delivering resources to a pro-choice/moderate non-incumbent ever, but we'll see

"inherently" presumes that you have leadership that cares about the organization rather than their own ideology.  If the RNC leadership was hijacked by individuals who fevently believe that only purification in the eyes of God, purging of moderates, can save them - there is no telling what they will do or how they would respond.

[Keystone Phil]

Wow, just wow.

Maybe if Blackwell won it would be for the best.  2010 may not be pretty and of course if Steele were RNC Chair at that time his eeeevil moderation would be blamed for the loss.  Of course, even if Steele isn't Chairman, the fact that moderates are even allowed to breathe will be blamed.

Anyone that Don likes = moderate



Steele is a conservative. Time to suck it up, my friend.

[Lunar]

Wow, just wow.

Maybe if Blackwell won it would be for the best.  2010 may not be pretty and of course if Steele were RNC Chair at that time his eeeevil moderation would be blamed for the loss.  Of course, even if Steele isn't Chairman, the fact that moderates are even allowed to breathe will be blamed.

Anyone that Don likes = moderate



Steele is a conservative. Time to suck it up, my friend.

Steele is a conservative, but he's a pragmatist, that's the difference.  He was part of an organization that supported tolerance of abortion moderates in GOP candidates.

[Keystone Phil]

Wow, just wow.

Maybe if Blackwell won it would be for the best.  2010 may not be pretty and of course if Steele were RNC Chair at that time his eeeevil moderation would be blamed for the loss.  Of course, even if Steele isn't Chairman, the fact that moderates are even allowed to breathe will be blamed.

Anyone that Don likes = moderate



Steele is a conservative. Time to suck it up, my friend.

Steele is a conservative, but he's a pragmatist, that's the difference.  He was part of an organization that supported tolerance of abortion moderates in GOP candidates.

Yes, a lot of us conservatives tolerate Pro Choice Republicans. Don's point is that he's actually a moderate. Anyone Don likes is a moderate. It's a very sad joke at this point.

[Lunar]

Well, I think Don is almost always more focused on bureaucratic moderatism and big-tent philosophy rather than purely ideological moderatism (although he might value that as well).

[Keystone Phil]

Well, I think Don is almost always more focused on bureaucratic moderatism and big-tent philosophy rather th an purely ideological moderatism (although he might value that as well).

Well, yeah. As I stated in another thread, Don really only cares about his personal favorites and partisan victories. He hates moderation among Democrats.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

What Phil is saying here about don is one of the few things I agree with him on.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Steele is a conservative. Time to suck it up, my friend.

Of course Steele is a conservative.  However, the whole reason why we are having this conversation is that Steele is under attack for not being "conservative" enough.

Well, I think Don is almost always more focused on bureaucratic moderatism and big-tent philosophy rather th an purely ideological moderatism (although he might value that as well).

I'm starting to think you actually understand me

I simply do not believe that my beliefs are infallible - any more than I would believe that I am infallible. I believe in the power of individual ideas, not necessarily the dominance - or coherency - of a traditional ideology.

I also believe that mainstream political parties, and especially the one I am involved with, have a duty to be forward-thinking, open-minded, and inclusive.

Don's point is that he's actually a moderate. Anyone Don likes is a moderate.

I often praise conservative figures like President Bush or Bill Frist when they face attack from the far-right (for not being conservative enough) or left (for being too conservative).  I believe that left-wingers need to understand that there are far more dangerous and destructive elements of the Republican Party that President Bush actually actively holds back.  Any Republican that shows traits of moderation, dignity, and inclusiveness deserves plaudits from me.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

What Phil is saying here about don is one of the few things I agree with him on.

Don is such a horrible, horrible person.

[Keystone Phil]

I often praise conservative figures like President Bush or Bill Frist when they face attack from the far-right (for not being conservative enough) or left (for being too conservative). 

You've called Bush and Frist moderates!

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

I often praise conservative figures like President Bush or Bill Frist when they face attack from the far-right (for not being conservative enough) or left (for being too conservative). 

You've called Bush and Frist moderates!

What a horrible thing to say about someone.... I guess?

[Keystone Phil]

I often praise conservative figures like President Bush or Bill Frist when they face attack from the far-right (for not being conservative enough) or left (for being too conservative). 

You've called Bush and Frist moderates!

What a horrible thing to say about someone.... I guess?

You know that's not what I'm saying. Don't try to change the subject, Don. You're called on out on your nonsense and you always run. One minute they're conservatives (when it helps your argument) and the next, they're moderates.

I'll never forget the stupidity that you tried to push once that Bush and Frist are moderates but Santorum is far right.