(UPDATE: Todd Beeton at MyDD is liveblogging a debate between all of the RNC candidates at the National Press Club. Hilarity ensues.)
The group, which mixes leading economic conservatives, including Steve Forbes and Pat Toomey, and leading social conservatives, including James Dobson and Tony Perkins, had agreed to endorse and campaign together for a candidate based on a questionnaire assembled by veteran GOP activist Morton Blackwell (no relation)."The conservative endorsers noted that there were other good candidates, but all agreed that Ken Blackwell is the best choice. They intend to contact grassroots conservatives across the country and ask them to urge the three RNC members from each state and U.S. territory to vote for Ken Blackwell for RNC chairman," they said in a press release going out shortly.
After all, head GOP house negroKen carried the water for Chip Saltsman and his decision distribute a CD with "Barack the Magic Negro" on it, even as others in his party condemned Saltsman.
"I don't think any of the concerns that have been expressed in the media about any of the other candidates for RNC chairman should disqualify them. When looked at in the proper context, these concerns are minimal. All of my competitors for this leadership post are fine people."
No wonder Blackwell satisfies Tony Perkins of Family Research Council. After all, Tony had no problems paying former KKK-wizard David Duke $82K for his mailing list.
Check out the full list of right wing Blackwell endorsers below the fold. A lot of familiar names are on this list.
Gary Aldrich, Chairman, CNP Action Inc.Morton C. Blackwell, Virginia Republican National Committeeman
Robert B. Bluey, Contributing Editor, RedState
L. Brent Bozell, Founder and President, Media Research Center
Kellyanne Conway, CEO and President, the polling company, inc./WomanTrend
T. Kenneth Cribb Jr., Former Domestic Adviser to President Reagan
James C. Dobson, Ph.D., Founder and Chairman, Focus on the Family
Becky Norton Dunlop, President, Council for National Policy
Stuart W. Epperson, Chairman, Salem Communications Corp.
Steve Forbes, Chairman & CEO, Forbes Media
Dr. Ronald Godwin, Vice Chancellor, Liberty University
Rebecca Hagelin, Author and Conservative Columnist
Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring
David Keene, Chairman, American Conservative Union
Tim LaHaye, Founder and President, Tim LaHaye Ministries
Ed Meese, Past President, Council for National Policy
James C. Miller, Past President, Council for National Policy
Tony Perkins, President Family Research Council
Ken Raasch, Chairman & CEO, Creative Brands Group
Alfred S. Regnery, Publisher, The American Spectator
Phyllis Schlafly, President, Eagle Forum
Pat Toomey, President, Club for Growth
Richard Viguerie, Chairman, ConservativeHQ.com
BTW, in the questionnaire, candidates were asked about how the GOP can expand its base and attract racial and ethnic minorities. Look at this howler from Blackwell:
Republicans can broaden the base without compromising principle. The Republican Revolution occurring right now in Louisiana is proof. Governor Bobby Jindal and Congressmen-elect Ahn "Joseph" Cao, two young Americans of Asian heritage, are both conservatives who won difficult races in Democrat strongholds. Louisiana Republicans elected three physicians to Congress this year, including two conservative freshmen. Louisiana Republicans have given us a model on which to build a broad, new Republican majority. But their strategy is based on sticking to principle, not abandoning it.Americans of Hispanic heritage rightly belong in the Republican Party because we share so many values. We must build relationships in the communities and appeal to them on our shared values such as support for our armed forces, social issues and economic opportunity. But our strategy to win the bulk of the Hispanic vote cannot involve granting amnesty for illegal aliens or foregoing our national sovereignty and failing to secure our borders.
In contrast, the other black candidate for the GOP chair, Michael Steele, at least gave a plausible, realistic assessment.
First, conservatives must act in a genuine way to demonstrate the truth of America: that every American regardless his or her station in life, upbringing or social status has the opportunity to turn their hopes into action and to realize the promise that is the American dream! Second, conservatives must act to demonstrate the truth of the Republican Party: that as the party of Lincoln stood with those whose hands and feet were shackled over a century ago, today we will stand with those who are shackled by the soft bigotry of low expectations in education, the de-humanizing effects of addiction and poverty and the hopelessness of lost opportunity at the hands of an opportunistic government. In other words, we must demonstrate that we are prepared to move outside our comfort zone.As a conservative, I have served our party as a County Chairman in an overwhelmingly African American community (registration 5-1). I know how African Americans and other minorities view the Republican Party and I have proven I know how to engage the dialogue necessary to reestablish trust and support for our candidates and our party as a whole.
I am convinced our messages on traditional values and economic growth resonate with Asian, Hispanic, and African-American voters. Now the challenge and opportunity will be developing new strategies to communicate those messages. Presenting new solutions, new faces, new ways in which the GOP is seen to be relevant to the debate of ideas and in fact has ideas to share will work to restore voter confidence in our leadership.
I could be wrong, but I haven't seen any sign that the party wants to take Steele's advice. They like the well-worn path of using race baiting to win, and their aging, shrinking under-educated base thrives on it.
Check out how badly the party clings to bigotry in the DKos diary The Republicans' Old Black Magic.
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