On the second day of the general session of the meeting of the Republican National Committee, the voting to select the new Chairman began at 10:30 am and made it through 6 ballots before former Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele won with 91 out of the 168 votes, beating out Katon Dawson of South Carolina. The RNC Chairmanship is an important position which oversees the management of party resources and strategies, both of which will be very important for the GOP in this rebuilding period.
During the course of the voting Steele was always in the top two, initially in a near tie with incumbent chairman Mike Duncan and then when Duncan dropped out after the 3rd round of balloting, he was neck and neck with Katon Dawson. Duncan dropping was a bit of a surprise as he was in the lead, but he may have seen the momentum of the more conservative candidates shifting to Dawson.
As Dawson took a 2 vote lead, one of my fellow watchers commented that he was "very disappointed to hear that the member of a whites-only, no-jews country club is in the lead for RNC Chairman," referring to a controversy which emerged last week over Dawson's membership in an exclusive South Carolina country club. Another observed that if Dawson wins, "stick a fork in us, we're done."
The key turning point came after the 4th ballot when Ken Blackwell dropped out of last place and rather than endorsing Dawson he went with the more moderate Steele. His votes gave Steele a 79 to 69 lead, leaving Michigan GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis as the potential kingmaker, with 20 votes which could push either remaining candidate to the 85 votes needed to win.
After the fifth ballot Anuzis also dropped out, but rather than picking a winner with an endorsement, he announced he would support whoever won, leaving delegates with a brief break to make deals and discuss options before what would have to be the final ballot between Steele and Dawson. When they returned, most of the Anuzis votes went to Steele, who brought in a 91-77 victory to become the new Chairman of the Republican Party.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Baronius
Well, I hope for the best, but Steele was the head of the Maryland Republican Party. Maryland. There's a state where the Republicans have come up with a winning strategy.
2 - Brunelleschi
The GOP left Lincoln a long time ago.
This situation cracks me up!
GOP slogan for 2014-
"Hey, vote this way, we are blacker than Obama!"
3 - Dave Nalle
Steele was the first african-american to win statewide office in Maryland history. That at least makes him exceptional.
We'll see how well he can reach out to the reform elements of the party. He at least seems to have good intentions.
BTW, good job with the simplistic comment, Bruni. You clearly have no idea of the diversity that exists within the GOP, but yet you have an opinion anyway.
Dave
4 - Brunelleschi
Thanks Sav-
How's the book burning going?
:)
I can't wait for him to tour the south. Think they will let him in?
What party fought the Civil Rights Act the hardest?
5 - Dave Nalle
What party fought the Civil Rights Act the hardest?
You really are remarkably ignorant. Look it up yourself. All of the major civil rights legislation of the 1950s and 1960s was passed primarily by Republican votes and passed with larger majorities among Republicans than among Democrats.
Which had candidates who ran on a segregationist platform in response to the Civil Rights Act?
Dave
6 - Dr Dreadful
Arguing about which party fought hardest for the Civil Rights Act is a bit like debating over which sex won the last election.
If you actually look at the voting numbers in the House and Senate, it was a straight geographical split. Northern congresspersons, irrespective of party, overwhelmingly voted in favor of the Act; Southern congressthings overwhelmingly voted against.
7 - Dave Nalle
Basically true, Dr. D. And wildly irrelevant today when clearly neither party is particularly discriminatory in who they let rise to positions of prominence.
Dave
8 - Brunelleschi
I live in the deep south and I am white.
I know what I still hear, who says it, and what party they embrace.
You can't bullshit me.
The GOP is only scrambling to out-Obama the Dems.
pathetic.
9 - Dave Nalle
If your deep south experience is anything like mine then I'm sure you know that the real, hardcore racists don't subscribe to their political party. They oppose them both and anything that smacks of an establishment.
Dave
10 - Brunelleschi
You mean the descendants of KKK that say "If that sheriff even gets close to my gate, I'm gonna get my shotgun...?"
My ex girlfriends mom dated one of those guys.... and he was named after a 19th century GOP president that everyone wants to take credit for now... :)
(You can't make this stuff up!)
11 - Arch Conservative
It's no use arguing with Bruno Dave. He's just another Democrat that's madder than hell that it's public news that a slave wandered off the plantation.
12 - Brunelleschi
FYI-
I'm not a democrat. I've been sick of them since Reagan days.
:)
I'm not mired in partisan bickering like most of the righties.
I am enjoying the Obama story for what it is, a great story.
But, the messiah still is a democrat.
13 - Clavos
The Messiah has no clothes...
14 - Dave Nalle
I'm not mired in partisan bickering
Ah, the familiar cry of those whose ideology is so extreme and rigid that they can't bring themselves to participate in politics productively and just sit on the sidelines and bitch.
Dave
15 - Hope and Change?
Oh yes....all of the liberal racists have crawled out from under their rocks!!!
Hope and Change - "as long as the liberals dont give minorities a real seat at the table"
16 - Roger Nowosielski
H&C,
You've got to distinguish between liberals, socialists, and hard-core communists. (Gosh, I never believed I would ever need to resort to the last term in the 21st century.) Believe me, there is quite a difference of opinion between the three.
17 - Cindy D
The liberals?
18 - Roger Nowosielski
That's cute! You must have quite a library.
19 - Roger Nowosielski
The figure in the background reminds me of Charles Bukowski.
20 - Dave Nalle
You've got to distinguish between liberals, socialists, and hard-core communists.
Good luck with that, Roger. I've been fighting that war for years.
Dave
21 - Roger Nowosielski
Dave
You know what? As much as I hate to do it, because it's going to offend a great many people here - which is not very constructive - I'm going have to put this baby to rest. Once and for all!
22 - Bliffle
Dave speaks the truth! Well, part of it anyway:
"If your deep south experience is anything like mine then I'm sure you know that the real, hardcore racists don't subscribe to their political party. They oppose them both and anything that smacks of an establishment."
And their most virulent attacks are invariably on 'liberals' and 'democrats' and 'hippies'.
Nowadays they seem to have a special place for Nancy Pelosi.
Usually they self-describe themselves as 'conservatives', though it's difficult to wrangle a single conservative essay out of them.
Usually their chief criticism of a republican, such as Bush, is that he didn't go far enough.
23 - Roger Nowosielski
There's a perfect name for them: rednecks.
24 - Dave Nalle
You should hear them rant about Bush. Bush is as hated among the extremists as Pelosi is. Bush's rational immigration policies are particularly offensive to them.
But I think it's unfair to stick them on the political right. A lot of their beliefs, like protectionism, nativism and isolationism are really more characteristic of the political left.
Dave
25 - Roger Nowosielski
You're right. They're a class unto themselves.