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Campaign Crawlers
Blackwell's Back
For most of the past decade and a half, the Ohio Republican Party's leadership was divided into two camps. There were the tax-and-spend Republicans who built solid GOP majorities throughout the state only to fritter them away through scandal, sclerosis, and a lack of economic solutions. And then there was Ken Blackwell, the government-cutting conservative thorn in the state party establishment's side.
There was no love lost between the dominant faction and the odd man out. Blackwell was a persistent critic of Republicans in the mold of George Voinovich and Bob Taft, whom he accused of "campaigning like Ronald Reagan and governing like [1980s Democratic Gov.] Dick Celeste." The Taft-Voinovich Republicans thought Blackwell too hard-edged for Ohioans' tender Midwestern sensibilities and unready for primetime.
When Blackwell announced he was running for chairman of the Republican National Committee, many thought this history would repeat itself on the national stage. He was quickly endorsed by outside conservatives, including publisher, former presidential candidate, and flat-tax maven Steve Forbes and Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. But surely cooler heads inside the national party structure would prevail?
No one really knows what is going on inside the minds of the 168 national committee members who will elect the next party chairman. But so far, no disconnect between conservative activists and Republican leaders seems to have materialized. Since Blackwell jumped in the race, two potential candidates for RNC chairman have dropped out and endorsed him. One, Texas GOP chairwoman Tina Benkiser, is now a candidate for co-chair as Blackwell's running mate. The other, Michigan national committeeman Chuck Yob, is active in the Blackwell campaign and has brought his family along for the ride. Although relatively few of those who have a vote in the Jan. 28 election have publicly endorsed a candidate, a plurality of those who have are backing Blackwell.
Blackwell's campaign message is two-fold. Philosophically, he is running as a "no-pale-pastels" conservative who believes the Republican brand has suffered from ethical lapses, overspending, and a general propensity to govern in a "Democrat lite" fashion. Strategically, Blackwell speaks of implementing "a genuine 50-state strategy." According to a statement released before Christmas, that means helping state party leaders raise money by recruiting major speakers for their fundraisers and transferring 10 percent of the RNC's net fundraising proceeds to state party organizations. Blackwell promised to hold quarterly conference calls with committee members from each state and to "allocate millions of dollars to the precinct organizations in our party to rebuild from the ground up."
Roger Villere, who is chairman of both the Louisiana Republican Party and Blackwell's RNC bid, argues that such a 50-state strategy is necessary. "We're not getting the help or the leadership we need from the national party," he says. "They want to tell us how to spend our money and who to hire without seeking our input before they'll help." Benkiser contends that the ideological component is equally important. "America is still a center-right country," she says. "We need leadership that focuses on fiscal responsibility, a strong national defense, and traditional values."
"Ken Blackwell knows how to win," Villere says, mentioning that his man has come out on top in 13 of the 17 elections he has contested. In addition to serving as mayor of Cincinnati and under fellow supply-sider Jack Kemp in President George H.W. Bush's Department of Housing and Urban Development, Blackwell was elected state treasurer of Ohio in 1994 and won two terms as secretary of state in 1998 and 2002. Almost alone among Ohio's statewide elected officials, Blackwell campaigned hard for the defense-of-marriage amendment on the state ballot that arguably helped President George W. Bush win a second term in 2004.
One race in Blackwell's loss column has raised questions about whether he is the right man to lead Republicans back into the majority: he was defeated in Ohio's gubernatorial election in 2006. Scratch that: he was shellacked, winning just 37 percent of the vote to Democrat Ted Strickland's 61 percent. By comparison, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele -- who is also running for RNC chair -- grabbed 45 percent in a blue-state Senate race that same Democratic year.
There are two ways to look at Blackwell's tanking in 2006, both with different implications for the RNC contest. The more moderate Ohio GOP establishment pushed Blackwell out of the governor's race in 1998, when he might have won, and maneuvered him into another statewide office that didn't adequately showcase his zeal for tax cuts and economic growth. By the time Blackwell's next chance came he won the primary with 56 percent of the vote, but Gov. Bob Taft -- the party bosses' choice -- had already tanked the Republican brand in the state. On the other hand, Blackwell ran a campaign that emphasized turning out the conservative base, which worked for Republicans in 2004, in an environment where stemming the bleeding among swing voters might have been more important.
Either way, Blackwell's loss gave ammunition to his critics in the Taft-Voinovich wing of the party. "We've now seen what his style can do for us," says one. "I'll take winning with a 'liberal' like Voinovich any day of the week." Even some of his erstwhile admirers lost confidence because of the gubernatorial results. One local conservative Republican activist told TAS that Blackwell "is a great spokesman for conservatism" but worried that he lost "independents" and "key parts of the state."
"Ken is a great guy, but not a nuts-and-bolts party person," this activist says. "Party chairmen should be organizational people, not big speakers. He has no concept of the day to day workings of a political party, is too ideological to raise the money needed, has never recruited candidates, isn't supported by his own state organization, and is just not the right guy for this job."
Villere begs to differ, pointing to Blackwell's ability to raise $12 million in 2006 alone, his experience with redistricting as Ohio secretary of state, and his success in the majority of races in which he has run. "He also has a team that knows how to win," Villere says, noting that both he and Benkiser presided over gains in their respective states in a bad election cycle for Republicans nationally. "Sometimes you can learn as much from losing a race as from winning one," Benkiser concurs. "But I'll tell you this: Ken Blackwell has won a lot more races than he lost and is definitely up for the challenges ahead." Or as one pro-Blackwell blogger put it, "losing his last race did not stop Howard Dean from becoming an effective DNC Chair."
Ken Blackwell would probably prefer being seen as the mirror image of Howard Dean: a potential party chairman who hails from the Republican wing of the Republican Party.
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Eric Dondero| 12.29.08 @ 8:55AM
Yes, Ken Blackwell would be a fabulous RNC Chairman. You left out the fact that being from Ohio, he's no doubt keenly aware of the massive voter fraud of ACORN and their Democrat allies.
Ohio is the Nation's Champion for ACORN/Dem fraud.
With Blackwell, the libertarian wing of the GOP will be very satisfied. That's already shown by Club for Growth's endorsement. Still, Michael Steele would be great by libertarian standards, as well.
At this point you gotta say, Anybody but Duncan.
Peter| 12.29.08 @ 9:24AM
I like Blackwell and Steele equally so I'm torn. But I agree with Eric D -Whoever takes over the RNC will need to have a comprehensive plan to deal with the "ACORN Issue". No one can cheat like demokratz. How else do you explain them taking Indiana, NC, VA, OH, FL and nearly MO in one election cycle?
Dave| 12.29.08 @ 9:35AM
Steele has revealed recently that he is VERY soft on guns, not a line libertarians would take IMHO.. I think Blackwell is the guy, being a conservative's conservative is BOUND to help us since going 'moderate' failed so miserably.
Michael L. Hauschild| 12.29.08 @ 9:48AM
Someone please elaborate on "VERY soft on guns." If such is the case in no way will I support Michael Steele for anything, much less RNC Chairman.
Julie Weber| 12.29.08 @ 10:23AM
Rather "win with a liberal"?? What have we won? No white house, senate, or house....and look out supremes. We have won nothing from the center. Time to get back to principles of conservatism. No more pastels.
Len| 12.29.08 @ 10:42AM
Go Ken. A much better choice than Michael Steele, as Steele is too moderate. The RNC has suffered too much from compromisers and strategizers. We need more ideologues, who will not give ground, and in so doing allow the party to continue swinging away from our principles.
Kiana| 12.29.08 @ 6:25PM
Let's get someone who actually believes in conservatism for a change...Blackwell over Steele please...socialism is taking over the nation and needs to be confronted forcefully with conservative alternatives
C. Benson| 12.29.08 @ 7:55PM
I read Steel's mission statement for heading the RNC. I was not impressed. He sounded like the other middle of the roaders that have been running the party into the ground. I like Blackwell a lot. He lost the Governors race in Ohio because he was to closely tied to Taft ( the poorest excuse for a governor ever) any Republican would have lost. I am concerned about his ability to realize the importance of communication involving the internet and using it. Inuiz (sorry if incorrectly spelled) on the other hand is conservative and knows the internet. His site has a comment section, in which comments are acknowledged, he sent out a mission statement (very impressive) including input of ideas from all who signed onto his site. I've received three e-mails from him already. Ken has no website, no email and therefore no imput from grassroot conservatives. In fact there's no way to contact him that I could find. We need to combine the two if possible. We need someone up to date with the latest and best communication network. I was not impressed with Blackwell when it came to not backing down when under pressure. While Sec of State of Ohio Democrats raked him over the coals with the trumped up charges of voter fraud even though both Democrats and Republicans had found no basis for any problem. Maybe the TV only showed his bad moments (as usual if your a Republican). I was also not impressed with his governor debate with Strickland. Steele seems to be handier with the glib answers but he's just not conservative in my book. Ken needs to get with the program communication wise if he's going to be any help. Its not enough to be a good guy, we need some one who can stand up to the press (no more phony apology's) and who knows how to use modern technology.
C. Benson| 12.29.08 @ 9:20PM
After commenting above I discovered an article with questions relating to the RNC chairmanship.
All the RNC candidates submitted their answers.
A must read for an informed opinion on who you support. I am now totally undecided between Steele and Blackwell. It seems I was a little hasty in my estimation of Blackwells knowledge of modern tech communication. But read it for your self. The questions really give a more total understanding of the duties of the RNC.
http://townhall.com/blog/g/08543e5b-9fbe-4253-b05d-d7d8fd1011eb
Interloper| 12.29.08 @ 11:54PM
The only race Ken Blackwell has won that really counts is mayor and that was ages ago. His 23-point whipping in the governor's race proves beyond a doubt that he is not a candidate who can win a state office that is considered competitive. Rather than try for national office, he is looking for a sinecure. Michael Steele, in pretty much the same boat, is doing the same thing. (Too bad Alan Keyes did not throw his hat in the ring and make it a threesome.)
What these candidacies prove is that there is not a sufficient base for African-American Right Wingers. They are (rightly) perceived as Uncle Toms by most African-American voters. Far Right whites will not much vote for them in sufficient numbers to compete with a minorities. moderates and liberals coalition on the other side of the ticket.
My prediction is that neither of the black candidates will win the chairmanship of the RNC. It is no coincidence that their competitors take temporary breaks from all-white country clubs and mail out CDs mocking blacks and Hispanics. The GOP has moved even farther to the Right and become even more beholden to Southern whites since the election. Those chickens will not be roosting with Steele or Blackwell.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the aisle....
Aaron Hufstetler| 12.30.08 @ 8:50AM
Since, Newt did not follow on when he said that he was available if needed, we are not left with anyone but Ken Blackwell.
Some with the same ole' message or more liberal. A few years back Steele come out and supported Reparation for all Blacks and Sessions wants to go solid left on Social Issues.
I think Ken Blackwell is a Leader that can get us back to our Roots.
Don| 12.30.08 @ 9:34AM
Blackwell gave cash bonuses to his staff as he was about to leave office. This raid on public funds will return to haunt him if he seeks leadership as a conservative.
Interloper| 12.30.08 @ 9:37AM
Aaron, as I said above, the GOP's only remaining strength is in Southern strongholds. Many of its leaders are members of the same kind of country clubs as Katon Dawson. It would be much too awkward for them to have Ken Blackwell as chairman.
JPousson| 12.30.08 @ 10:12AM
Well, Interloper chimes in with the typical moronic attempt at slandering and libelling the GOP with the racism canard, when the Democraps just demonstrated overwhelmingly to anyone with a brain that the true home for racism is deep in the Democrap breast.
Republicans will vote for the person with the best policies, and not elevate a totally inexperienced fraud who isn't even a natural-born US citizen to national office simply because of his skin color. Democraps do that all the time; to Democraps, institutional racism is their political reson d'etre. Their entire political coalition is a series of payoffs to ethnic groups, and their motivation is to keep the minorities from success so as to ensure their power base.
Republicans care more about the content of a person's character than the melanin content of their epidermis, Interloper, but then again, nothing will change the FEELINGS of a liberal Democrap (their entire political philosphy is based on emotion, not on reason).
Keep choking your chicken there, Interloper, and all you pointy-headed snobby little liberals. Keep convincing yourself that America accepts your policies without the need to throw elections with ACORN voter fraud, keep telling yourself that George W Bush was the antichrist (voted into office TWICE), keep telling yourself that the Plastic Muslim Messiah is the Second Coming. The political pendulum will swing back in the correct (Conservative) direction, and we will win elections on principles, not on lies, smoke and mirrors.
Go choke on a ham and bacon sammich, Interloper, and go back to the Kos Kids' play pen.
Stephen| 12.30.08 @ 1:10PM
Blackwell... YES!
Steele... NO
ConservativeForBlackwell| 12.30.08 @ 4:24PM
C. Benson | 12.29.08 @ 7:55PM said:
Ken has no website, no email and therefore no imput from grassroot conservatives. In fact there's no way to contact him that I could find.
Try www.kenblackwell.com
Great web site. Sign up for his emails and you may get flooded out if he keeps it up like he did for the governor's race.
Marlin | 12.30.08 @ 6:41PM
Look, the race thing is stupid. The problem is that Blackwell is in a moderate state. Ohio is a state gutted of it's manufactures by very stupid trade policy (yeah, I know I sound like PJB here, but he happens to be correct) beyond it's control. Hungry people are easier to control. So, Ohio has shifted to the left.
Blackwell has every chance in the world here outside of his state. He would make a good GOP chair. But, don't take his electoral failures as a refutation either of conservatism, or "proof" the GOP establishment is racist.
There are racists in the GOP. However, there are also racists in the Democratic Party. The Democrats do a much better job covering for theirs. It does help that the vast majority of their racists are people of color.
Interloper| 12.30.08 @ 8:16PM
Actually, Blackwell is an unindicted member of one of the most corrupt state party's in the U.S. Unlike some of his Ohio GOP office mates, he did not win a term at Club Fed. But, there were quite a few questions about some of his acts as an officeholder.
daboss| 12.30.08 @ 10:32PM
Interloper …. Step away from the keyboard and get some sleep.
Here in Ohio the Dems are actually the ones being investigated - especially the cronyism in Cuyahoga county (not a repub to be found). Yes – we suffered through the Taft admin (and he was lame lame lame) but to say the Repubs are the most corrupt in the country is utter lunacy (did you not hear of a certain Illinois governor?)
By the way – Blackwell was elected treasurer in 1994 and was elected Ohio Secretary of State in 1998. So nice try on diminishing his record … but then that’s what you Alinski-ites do – belittle and ignore the facts. Like glossing over the fact the Gov. Palin is an executive and concentrating on her mayoral time.
Jeeze….
Whomever the democrats fear the most are the ones they try to destroy (palin/Romney/newt). I would guess Jindal will be next in their sights. Cowards without honor .
Happy new year everyone!
seth| 12.31.08 @ 1:29AM
Ohio spoke, they didn't want him. He just wants a position that forces Ohio to accept him in some form. His loss was no ACORN controversy. It was a clean mandate from the people. The state wanted someone on the side of the people, not the side that's battered with the failures brought by Reagan. That person is Ted Strickland and I am proud to see him and Brown represent people whom the GOP has bashed day in and day out.
Blackwell couldn't win even with dirty tricks and associations with Diebold. He had businesses lining up to hand him election money for contract preferences, yet he still failed.
He's just a sore loser trying to get back at people who didn't want him. He makes the McLin family of Dayton infamy look clean, and that's saying something of his character. The only difference is name and political affiliation.
JPousson:
Questioning the policies of Reagan is not heresy nor is the continued support obstinacy. Get that in your head lest Ohio turn further away from the failure known as Blackwell.
Interloper| 12.31.08 @ 4:14AM
Most voters cannot name the state treasurer or secretary of state. Many will vote the party ticket for such offices. Holding such a position does not translate into being able to run for a high profile office unless a candidate is popular with the electorate in his own right. That is why Blackwell failed so utterly. Beyond being a GOP factotum, there is nothing appealing about him.
Daecho, we've had two weeks of snowed in weather in the Pacific Northwest during which we got too much sleep, if anything.
daboss| 12.31.08 @ 9:17AM
Your right – most voters cannot name the office holders of most elected representatives … that’s why we got BHO (thanks to those great public schools – especially in Cleveland – run by … wait for it …. Liberals for decades).
Ohio rejected Blackwell and DeWine because of the lousy Taft administration. What it was replaced with is nothing better (or even worse). Think Mark Dann and his escapades.
Conspiracy theorys about Diebold and such are just that … Balckwell is a clean as the snow falling today in OH compared to the current lot – especially Jennifer Bruener.
See the problem is liberals/socialists need the government to take power (better known as freedom) away from people so they can be have it. That’s why you all get your panties in a bunch when liberals don’t win … how will you ever force your agenda on people?
We need to reduce the power and scope of government so we can all live free. But when liberals rob Peter to pay Paul … Paul will always vote for the liberal.
We are entering serfdom and no one seems to care. They just want their free health care, free bailout, free schools, free this and that … but nothing is free. We are being taxed and regulated to death – even in this current administration - and more to come with BHO.
When will someone stand up to the despotism? We had a revolution over far less!
Happy new year!
Pingback| 2.9.09 @ 3:39PM
Blackwell: More GOP Smoke and Mirrors « New World Odor links to this page. Here’s an excerpt: