The American Spectator : Would All Be Well With Blackwell?

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Would All Be Well With Blackwell?

By Quin Hillyer on 1.22.09 @ 6:09AM

Conservative stalwart wants to head RNC.

Nobody in the race for chairman of the Republican National Committee has attracted as many high-profile conservative movement supporters as has former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. And it's true that conservatives have a host of good reasons to be high on Blackwell. But while Blackwell clearly would re-energize the movement, he is not rightly seen as appealing only to conservatives. This is a man with a history of winning elections and a comprehensive plan for helping his party win plenty more of them, at all levels of government.

First, to be clear: The list of conservatives who have endorsed Blackwell's campaign is more than impressive. Former Reagan Attorney General Ed Meese. American Conservative Union Chairman David Keene. Former presidential candidate and supply-side economic champion Steve Forbes. Focus on the Family Chairman James Dobson. Legendary conservative direct-mail guru Richard Viguerie. Former Reagan Budget Director James C. Miller. Eagle Forum President Phyllis Schlafly. Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. American Spectator Publisher Al Regnery. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins. Media Research Center President Brent Bozell. Virginia National Committeeman and conservative youth trainer extraordinaire Morton Blackwell (no relation to the candidate)....

And on and on the list goes.

Even longer than the list of prominent conservative backers is the list of impressive items on Blackwell's résumé. In elective office, he has been mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio State Treasurer, and two-term Ohio Secretary of State. In appointive office he has been U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Commission, an undersecretary (under Jack Kemp) of HUD, and on official commissions for the Department of Labor, on retirement savings, and on tax reform. He has won awards for his work in government finance and in technology. And he has served on more boards and been given more honorary degrees than most people would do in several lifetimes.

Blackwell is quite good on TV. He's even better on a podium, and even better yet in a large roundtable discussion. He has every bit of "presence" you would expect from a college football linebacker who was invited to training camp by the Dallas Cowboys -- which is what he was, before getting a graduate degree and teaching for 17 years at his alma mater, Xavier University. He speaks forcefully, with a real directness. He speaks with the authority of a man who knows his facts and knows his mind.

He is superb fund-raiser, having garnered some $12 million in contributions in his race for governor of Ohio in 2006. Fund-raising ability is, of course, absolutely essential for a party chairman.

But it is, of course, his 37%-61% defeat in the 2006 governor's race which critics use to pierce his armor. If he is such a good politician, they say, how could he have lost so badly?

To be blunt, the premise of the question is poppycock. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Mike DeWine did only a little better, with his 44 percent of the vote a very weak showing for a re-election effort. The problem, of course, was that Republicans were wiped out statewide in Ohio, all over the ticket, in 2006. No Republican running that year could have won. The state's party had been wrecked by scandals and convictions, mainly involving the administration of Robert Taft: the feckless, centrist namesake of his grandfather, the great conservative U.S. Senator from 1939-1953. (The corruption never touched Blackwell personally, not even close.) And of course 2006 was an awful year nationally, with President George W. Bush's horribly unpopular presidency at the time dragging down Republicans all over the place.

By virtue of his office but through no fault of his own, Blackwell had been hurt more than most by Bush's unpopularity because Ohio voters associated him in their minds with Bush's fairly narrow victory in Ohio in 2004 -- the state without which Bush would not have been re-elected. Because the Ohio vote was fairly close and because Blackwell was the state's chief elections officer, the nut-roots who absurdly claimed the Ohio ballot was rigged placed all the blame at Blackwell's feet. With Bush especially unpopular among black voters -- voters who in previous elections had provided Blackwell three or four times the percentages that Republicans normally receive from blacks -- Blackwell temporarily lost his longtime support in that key voting group.

One election loss in a terrible atmosphere cannot outweigh nearly three decades of winning electoral politics.

BUT THAT'S ALL in the past. What's impressive about Blackwell this year is how quickly he produced an absolutely superb "Conservative Resurgence Plan" to remake the RNC. Read it for yourself. At first it comes across as just a gathering of important-but-predictable promises: Raise more money, use technology better, yada yada yada. But after a while you realize it's a whole lot more. Blackwell provides not just platitudes but details. And they all make sense.

He lays out a plan to meld good, old-fashioned precinct politics -- including neighbor-to-neighbor, door-to-door (not just by phone) work, the way we all once did it when the organization charts were kept on paper hanging from easels -- with every last bit of modern technology, which Blackwell's plan cites by name and with obvious familiarity.

He focuses on the importance of governorships and state legislatures for the crucial redistricting battles coming after the 2010 census -- an issue he knows well because he served three years as chairman of the official national Census Monitoring Board.

He pledges a revenue-sharing system, along with all sorts of other help, for state Republican parties. And he spends a great deal of space explaining why it is so important to appeal to young voters and to re-build the ties between the RNC and the national College Republicans -- historically the proving grounds for so many party leaders. Indeed, the four top current national officials of the CRs have all endorsed Blackwell, as have the CR chairmen in 13 states.

Page: 1 2 >

topics:
Conservatism, Republican National Committee

About the Author

Quin Hillyer is a senior editor of The American Spectator and a senior fellow at the Center for Individual Freedom.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (216) | Leave a comment

Rocco| 1.22.09 @ 6:59AM

No, it won't be Blackwell. He's too intelligent, has too many good ideas and would really upset the go-along-get-along surrender monkeys' apple cart of the current Republican party. Repubs wouldn't know success if it hit them in their collective face with a 2x4. I have no confidence that they will put a fresh face with a proven record of success like Blackwell in this role. Why else do they call it the "stupid party?" The view of an ex-Repub conservative constitutionalist.....

Jason| 1.22.09 @ 7:49AM

A good conservative, and quite a wonk, but not very inspiring. Look for Steele to win this one.
http://www.rightklik.net/

Michigan-Matt| 1.22.09 @ 7:50AM

Mr Hillyer might make a better cheerleader than political sage --and this post proves it, resoundingly.

The next GOP chair has to be ready, able, willing and have the capacity to engage the media, the pundits, the base and the general public --by using the power of the internet, the pulpit, the pen, the sword and brass knuckles.

Blackwell might have a document that he contends is a blueprint for a resurging GOP but when looked at closely, it appears as warmed over, 2d time around cliches and platitudes --with zero soul and nada energy or imagination.

God Save the GOP if it turns out to be Blackwell. He need better and there are far better choices in the field.

NancyB| 1.22.09 @ 8:30AM

Now that Obama is in....any black conservative put out there by Republicans will only be referred to as an Uncle Tom. Liberals will ruin the country by then.

DonS| 1.22.09 @ 8:49AM

Blackwell's bonuses to his favorites as he left Statae office in Ohio, bonuses paid from the public trough, might raise some concerns as to whether he really subscribes to conservative principles.

Greg| 1.22.09 @ 9:43AM

How conservative can he really be after spending so much time feeding at the public trough as a govt figure?

Basil Plumley| 1.22.09 @ 9:51AM

@ Michigan-Matt

Who do you think would make a better choice for the GOP? I take it from your moniker you prefer Saul Anuzis. I have no dog in this fight yet but looking at Anuzis record in MI, if Anuzis does for the NRC what he did to MI, God better help the GOP.

Jim| 1.22.09 @ 10:43AM

I have to agree with Rocco. He sums it up perfectly.

George| 1.22.09 @ 10:49AM

I really don’t care whom the Republicans select to be their chair. It seems to me that John McCain pretty much destroyed the grand old party last year. Now the two parties which represent us are so similar as to be practically indistinguishable. One can be designated the Pro-Abortion Socialists and the other the Socialists who tolerate Abortion. Whoopee!

Reagan's Ghost| 1.22.09 @ 11:16AM

Any guy that would identify/introduct himself with the mailing out of Shankland parodies is MY KIND OF GUY! That is both funny, and making a HUGE statement. That take very large, brass cajones.

J David| 1.22.09 @ 11:23AM

Amen, Basil!! We don't need anymore schmoozers that talk "Republican" but collect money for A BUNCH OF KNEE-PAD RINOs! People used to be judged by their record of successes or failures, now it's just symbolism-over-substance even for the pseudo-Republican pragmatic(soulless, amoral, moral-equivalence, godless self-worshipers)political frauds.

David Codrea| 1.22.09 @ 12:10PM

If it's Steele, I guarantee you gun owners will make the RNC sorry.

And Ken: Tina Benkiser isn't doing you any favors with many activists--for them, she's the showstopper to keep from supporting you.

Interloper| 1.22.09 @ 12:26PM

Actually, Ken Blackwell's laughable lost of the race for governor of Ohio is among the most significant facts one can know about him. A "37%-61% defeat"! Paris Hilton could have done better and she is not even from Ohio. The guy has no future in politics, that is why he desperately wants a job as a GOP functionary.

It always amuses me when the phrase 'no relation to the candidate' appears in any piece mentioning both Ken and Morton Blackwell written by a conservative. Their claims not to be bigots notwithstanding, they invariably go out of their way not to 'insult' a white man from Virginia by leaving the opportunity for folks to think he is related to an African-American. Ludicrous! Frankly, knowing what we know about the Deep South, the Blackwells may be related. Furthermore, if Ken Blackwell is Morton's equal as a person, why would such a 'mistake' be a problem?

Angry Dumbo| 1.22.09 @ 12:28PM

Ken Blackwell is the Man. Make it so.

Stephen| 1.22.09 @ 1:25PM

The RINO radar is out and is pointed right at you, Interloper. Maybe you drank a little too much of that hopechangey elixir of Obama's. Blackwell should be the choice.

Joe| 1.22.09 @ 1:30PM

Your right once again, Quinn. Blackwell is great. Michael Steele is good. But Blackwell is great.

Michigan-Matt| 1.22.09 @ 2:00PM

Basil asks: "Who do you think would make a better choice for the GOP? I take it from your moniker you prefer Saul Anuzis."

The "Michigan" refers to UofM, Basil; not the state.

Like you, I don't have a dog in the hunt. But please, oh please, anyone but Grandpaw Blackwell --who appears to only have once been a 3rd rate office holder in a state where GOP corruption nearly equals recent Democrat corruption in that state to the north (Michigan).

Blackwell's only acceptable to the marginally GOPish, farRight social conservatives who, by most estimates, sat out this last election once Duncan Hunter and Fred Thompson imploded from their own peculiar penchant for boring, pendantic, lackluster performances.

Good God, anyone but Blackwell. Anyone including Anzuis, Steele or even Chip the Bigot.

The guy makes oatmeal look exciting.

pat| 1.22.09 @ 2:10PM

The first one is correct. If it makes any sense,
seems like the perfect idea, the person is not a
RINO, the RNC will obviously not pick that person. Bush helped the RNC and GOP win 3 big
election cycles. He did not alone help the GOP
lose 2 big election cycles....the RNC had a huge
hand in that, as did GOP lawmaker complacency,
and stupidity.

You got run over by a mack truck, a campaign
on steroids that took out the sure winner-
Hillary, and easily took out the old guy we
put up against him. Wake up RNC!

The DNC lost big and decided to take a chance
on that crazy, yet effective, guy Howard Dean.
Guess what? They won the House, Senate, and
White House with that crazy guy leading the way.

When you lose, when you're out in the cold, you
don't need to become more RINO-esque. You
need to get back to solid, basic, winning conservative and Republican ideas. Tax cuts
and less govt., more individual freedom and choices, basic const. freedoms, and a strong ready defense.....creates freedom, creates investment, creates jobs, creates lasting prosperity that lets us ride out tough times like now.

RNC - it is 2009, not 1999. High tech update time
in software and machinery, and yes, in the selection of the top person - get creative for a change. Are there no women available for that job? Hispanic, Asian, yes, a black Republican.....
no more pasty face white guys who are stuck in
the age of Ford and Carter in their ideas and
style.

John Jarrell| 1.22.09 @ 2:35PM

I have a great deal of respect for Michael Steele. Ken Blackwell, though, provides a proven record of WINNING and accomplishment. He's the "Man with the Plan" and demonstrates the wherewithall to carry it out. For the sake of the entire country I sincerely hope he wins.

One thing for certain, if the current chairman who is running for re-election wins it will prove that Republicans learn from their mistakes so well that they can repeat them exactly every time.

Michele San Pietro| 1.22.09 @ 3:21PM

I am all for Ken Blackwell. He's the right man for the great Republican Party.

Patrick| 1.22.09 @ 3:45PM

So if we attempt to follow the convoluted logic here it goes something like this: Blackwell would have won in Ohio except for the fact he lost. He lost because he's a Republican but if he wasn't a Republican he would have won because he's such a great guy. But since he is a Republican, he has to lose, so he's perfect to lead the Republican Party because he understands how to win, he just can't win.

Whew, and Republicans think Democrats are illogical beings who rely on emotions as the mainstay of their reasoning? If there was an Emmy Award for rationalizing failure, this author would be a shoo-in. Perhaps it's better to sing another rousing chorus of "The Media are all Liberals" and leave logic to the mathematicians.

Joe| 1.22.09 @ 4:02PM

Blackwell is the best for the Job I've seen so far. The current state of the GOP is directly attributable their abandonment of conservative principals due to lack of spines to stand for them and lack of voice the air them. Conservatives need to take control of the GOP and the only way they can do this is to unite (fiscal and social coming together) at the grassroots level (local and State) to form a strong foundation that adheres to principles on which to build the national party. Ken Blackwell is the only candidate with a solid, detailed plan to do just that and has the best track record to pull it off.

Joe Cuddy| 1.22.09 @ 4:32PM

some recent postings seem to be from Democrat fakers wanting to knock K.B. - I'm an Ohioan who knows Ken Blackwell for years - he's the smartest gov't person you'll ever meet. His ideas will pull the GOP into the 21st century - and keep the best of 1776 ideas intact. Plus - he's honest!

Kathleen| 1.22.09 @ 6:35PM

I was most impressed by Ken Blackwell, until I read his bio and proposals for the RNC. A member of the Council on Foreign Relations will never get my vote and a Republican who is still touting Karl Rove's and John McCain's rhetoric about "appealing to minorities..." is someone who mirrors all the reasons McCain and Republicans went down in flames. Until the RNC realizes that it is we, the people, and not we, the CFR, who run this country and embraces all people living legally in the U.S. they will continue to loose members. Pandering to Hispanics and marching to the CFR's orders will only further alienate current and former RNC members.

Mark J. Goluskin| 1.22.09 @ 6:59PM

I think that Steele would be good as he is excellent on television. And I think that Blackwell has the nuts and bolts down. To doubters out there. Blackwell is HATED by the Ohio GOP establishment. Much like another politician. Kind of like Gov. Sarah Palin. And Quin, you are right. Nobody did well in Ohio in 2006. Oh, that is because the Ohio GOP would rather have lost an election instead of backing someone like Blackwell. They spent too much defending RINO DeWine. One drawback for Steele is that the only elective office was the Lt. Gov. of Maryland. And he lost the senate race in-you guessed it-2006.

Quartermaster| 1.22.09 @ 8:26PM

I was an Ohio County Engineer (an elective office) until 2004. Blackwell was the only, the only, bright spot among the Republicans during the Taft years. Taft was an utter disaster for the party, but he was loved by the GOP establishment while the utterly hated Blackwell.

In a nutshell, they hated Blackwell because he had principles, and they really hated him because he was not touched by the scandals of the Taft misrule. Let there be no mistake, Taft was a RINO, and the voters punished the GOp in Ohio because the establishment put up people like Taft, Dewine, and King George Voinovich (he's not as popular as the national press thinks he is).

The Ohio GOP central committee is so out of touch it's pathetic. They need to be cleaned out and rebuilt. Many of the county committees have the same problem and need attention as well.

Nick| 1.22.09 @ 9:08PM

Quartermaster,

I met someone who went to college in Ohio in the 90's. He became acquainted with Blackwell. He told me Blackwell was the real deal.

Your post and others convince me he is. Anyone who bothers the GOP establishment is my kind of guy. That's why I like Sarah Palin.

Michael L. Hauschild| 1.23.09 @ 6:04AM

You lost me with the nebulous “traditional values.” The only thing that is traditional about the RNC and their candidates is that they lose. By the time the next election rolls around “speaks well" and "capable of raising a lot of money” is not going to carry much clout.

R. George Dunn| 1.23.09 @ 7:29AM

Blackwell is very much a player in that he is in it for self. His positioning during the primary was one of the good ole boy bow. Blackwell supported the RINO factor, heading up the one world order Club for Growth. He will be more of the same. Surely he has social conservative credentials, but his fiscal foundation is not, it is big corporate.

As to Saul and the Michigan GOP health, in this purple State, he has kept it from going blue despite the totally contentious actions of the RNC and the elected GOP Congress. The RNC dictated from above, with thumb screws cranking and pork spilling over. Saul kept the grassroots from giving up with his continuous communication and outreach.

If you cannot see RINOs in the GOP and that the RNC is in their pocket, then you have not a clue as to why so many corporation set up shop overseas and are very much in collusion to keep their treachery in place, even at the expense of America. RNC members have best put in place someone who is for bottom up leadership and not this evil that has took over our GOP from above.

Michael L. Hauschild| 1.23.09 @ 7:34AM

And after reading "Resurgence."

I have good news and I have bad news. First the good news: Political consensus for most of us here (and in a considerable portion of those who voted against the RNC) actually exists. It is principled citizenship and based in the constitutional tenants of lesser government, personal freedom, the maintenance of infrastructure and support for the common defense. I have read the “manifesto” of Blackwell and it is simply the same old tired crap, from the same old tired losers. (Hint: Every time one of those big red stars scrolls by RR spins in his grave.)
Now the bad news: The Republicans will be swept back into power, not by anything that will enhance democracy, reestablish personal freedom, or restore economic viability but by existing as the alternative to the horror of the next two/four years. They will ascend to “power” and their primary function will not be to serve their country or constituency, it will simply be, as before and sadly always, to maintain the trappings of office.

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