It hasn't taken long for Republicans to begin adjusting to post-election reality, and just when you think you have a bead on things, out goes the conventional wisdom and in comes a wave of fresh ideas. God I am impressed with this party. But today, being impressed is bordering on being floored.
Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, whose party just lost both chambers of Congress, will leave his position in January, and the post as party chief has been offered to Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele.
What can you say to that? Bravo for one. But it does require a bit of reflection. The obvious question is what do you do with someone you cannot elect? The obvious answer is 'Appoint'. And while I was scratching my head about where Steele's career might go next, this is the perfect answer, for a number of reasons. I say that he's got one huge advantage and three moderate challenges that he can turn into advantages for himself and the Party.
1. Advantage Steele.
Steele will dominate the media, and he will be the most popular RNC Chair in history. There is absolutely no way that making this move would go unnoticed around the world. I didn't particularly notice when Mehlman got the position, but I did notice when Howard Dean took over the Dems. If Steele takes this position, the entire nation would be on high media alert for a week. Every media outlet from Honolulu to Bangor will be begging and pleading to get him on the air. Steele has got quiet charisma. Steele's blackness will validate and reinforce the GOPs broad and colorblind agenda. He will be the third king of the troika after Powell and Rice, and settle the race question once and for all. He'll send naysayers spluttering more nonsense than they already do. Steele's personality is perfectly suited for the job and he's already proven that he can energize folks outside of his home state as he did at the National Convention in NYC and as he has with outreach. He may not be electable to the Senate in Maryland but he's a natural on the national stage.
2. Challenge: Rove.
The way I see it, it's Rove vs Steele. I'm confident that they can work together and anyone would be a fool to toss Rove aside, but Steele is not an ideological attack dog, he's a roll-up-your sleeves Protestant ethic man who appeals to practicality and moderation. And he can energize the party but people are going to have to start thinking differently. I still associate Rove with the strongarm strategies and tactics of Delay and Armey and brilliant backdoor tactics. Will Rove play ball with Steele? Yes of course he will but parts of the ideological Right, for example the single-issue contingency may feel left out. We know Rove likes to satisfy the margins in order to stuff the big tent by any means necessary. I think that means Rove is going to have to lay low. Let's not mince words. All of Rove's redistricting and deniable leverage failed. In order to win back party unity it has to be hearts and minds. Steele is a master of this. He has very broad appeal for Republicans - you'll hear the dissent today but he's a big winner.
3. Challenge: Bush.
How do you deal with a lame duck who you basically like, but basically lost everybody the election because of his foreign policy? You focus on the domestic agenda. Steele will have to become the new face of what GWBush promised America before 9/11. Steele has to be the Uniter and not the divider. This is not a stretch at all. Steele is Compassionate Conservatism. He is Ownership Society. He is Church and Family. Steele can put the domestic agenda front and center without machinations. In doing so, he handles Bush.
4. Challenge: McCain.
McCain is a wildcard and everybody in the GOP knows it. And what Conservatives who hate him have to start recognizing is McCain's ability to get things done in the Congress. Whatever majoritarian angst McCain delivered by doing it his way in coalition with Democrats now has to be acknowledged as the way forward. And we know he's no dove. So I think that the more flack the GOP gives McCain over his maverick tendencies the more disunited the party appears, the more work Steele has to do. I don't doubt Steele's ability to bring consensus to the party while remaining smooth in the media - he proved this in his campaign. But he must be able to shush the people who hate McCain.
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The biggest problem Steele has is where to spend his enormous political capital. Everybody recognizes him as a star, but is the RNCC the place for him? He could walk into Congress and spend a few years there doing whatever, or he could remake the party into a strong place for moderates without the perception of 'going left'.
I think it goes without saying that Steele is a shoe-in for Veep. Let us not forget Dick Cheney's path which was as a party guy chosen to interview and choose the Vice President for GWBush who just decided to take the job himself. He can always come back to try for the Governorship of Maryland. Choices choices...
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