A not-so-crazy idea: Craig Shirley for chairman of the Republican National Committee. Shirley is widely liked across the political spectrum; is a solid Reaganite conservative; is a veteran (a highly successful one) of more campaigns than most people can count; is chairman of Citizens for the Republic, which ran the superb “Mourning in America” ad in this election cycle; and knows how campaigns work, how money works, how organizations work, and how the Republican Party has and (mostly) hasn’t worked for lo these last 35 years. He’s also genuinely witty, without current Chairman Michael Steel’s tendency to become a butt of jokes while trying to make jokes. In other words, although thhe RNC job should NOT be one primarily focused on becoming the party’s public face, Shirley will be a good spokesman when needed.
This suggestion arises because news outlets are now rife with reports about jockeying for the RNC chairmanship in the wake of some serious disillusionment with Steel. I say it’s time to think outside the RNC’s own ranks, and seriously outside the box. To the Airplane-inspired question of “Surely, you’re not serious,” I answer that “Of course I’m serious, but my name’s not Shirley.” That’s Craig’s name, and it would be a name that might look good on the chairman’s stationery.