If Michael Steele or Reince Priebus wins the chairmanship of the Republican party, activists will punish the committee people who voted for them, an e-mail obtained by National Review Online warns. In the e-mail, Ron Robinson, a member of the Los Angeles Republican Central Committee, slams Priebus for his law firm’s work in behalf of recipients of stimulus funds. With 28 publicly declared supporters, Priebus is the current front runner in the race. Now hold on, says Robinson:
The new chairman must have the confidence of tea party activists but also have a proven record of raising funds and running an effective political operation. . . .
None of the current leadership meet all of those criteria. In fact, the atmosphere that led to the rift is so noxious that a clean sweep of the leadership team is the only way to repair the damage to the Party. Tea party voters must not be further tempted to form their own party.
Even more intriguing, however, is Robinson’s cry for help:
I am part of a national network (VRWC) of activists, writers, and researchers (composed of both beltway insiders and outsiders) who are working hard to ensure that all candidates for RNC Chair are examined thoroughly. . . . If you have, or can request an email list of your state GOP delegates (those who choose most RNC members) please share the list with us so we can openly and widely encourage a choice, not a stampede. . . .
The state delegates who choose the RNC members, as well as the RNC members themselves, need to know that we are watching closely and will remember.
Chairmen aren’t the only game in season. Committee people are too.
I am facinated by what sounds like a bloody knife duel going on in the RNC ranks. Perhaps this is a good thing, and it is certainly good that at least someone understands the Tea Party threat and opportunity. What I am puzzled about is where these revelations are comming from. *Los Angeles*? What makes anyone think that California is important to the RNC?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe unmentioned potential game-changer is the change in how districts are drawn in CA starting next year. CA is not as monolithic Dem as it at first seems from election results; the entire state is Gerrymandered to hell and beyond, in absurdly complicated districts that wind among neighborhoods that have nothing to do with each other.
In short, Prop 11 ('08) and Prop 20('10) will almost certainly revitalize the Republican party in CA and greatly tip the balance of power over the next few years to be more equitable to true population-based political positions.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse@RNCCritic: Well, local RNC committeecritters chose the national RNC members, don't they? I don't think California votes count for any less in that respect. It's not like the electoral college where a third of the states are marked "who cares" and another third are branded "yeah, whatever."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe RNC needs to wake up and smell the tea, otherwise they risk becoming the third party themselves.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSteele would not be my first choice either, and I don't know much about Priebus to have an opinion, he doesn't even have a wikipedia article about him. He doesn't have what you would call a house hold name, (which is fine with me if they pick a person without a big national profile let the presidential candidate be the face of the party in 2012). It is important to remember in the 2010, cycle the GOP managed win an epically huge victory despite the RNC's problems. Maybe if the RNC was functioning better the victory would have been bigger, but maybe it is possible to over state the importance of the person they choose for RNC chair.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse