I recently spent 90 minutes watching a debate between the candidates for RNC chairman. It seemed longer. There was one bright light on the stage, however: Michael Steele. He is the chairman the Republican party needs.
Steele is not just good at media appearances, he’s great at them. He’s a talented, passionate, and persuasive advocate of Republican principles. President-elect Obama will soon install Gov. Tim Kaine as chairman of the DNC — shouldn’t the Republican party obtain a chairman who is ready on day one to square off against Kaine on CNN or Meet the Press?
Of course, we need more than a good communicator, and Steele is a lot more than that. He’s a former state-party chairman. He’s been elected, not to mention successful as an official, in an intensely blue state. He’s the chairman of a powerful national grassroots and training organization, GOPAC. Steele understands that to win, our party must build strength from the bottom up.
More than that, Michael Steele has an infectious optimism and faith that freedom will renew us. He believes conservative ideas offer the best solutions to the challenges facing America, and that the Republican party can win the future only by restoring itself as the party of ideas.
— Alex Castellanos is a Republican media consultant residing in Alexandria, Virginia. He worked on Steele’s Senate campaign and has also worked for current RNC chairman Mike Duncan.