Posted on 02/18/2006 9:07:29 PM PST by Theodore R.
Leadership Problems Plague Steele in Md. by Matt Lewis Posted Feb 18, 2006
It seems the wheels are coming off of Lt. Governor Michael Steele's U.S. Senate campaign. In the past couple of weeks, he has lost his campaign manager and his communications director.
Steele, the African-American Republican Lt. Governor of Maryland, represents one of the few chances Republicans have of picking up a formerly Democrat Senate seat. Additionally, several pundits have speculated that his election, along with Lynn Swann in Pennsylvania and Ken Blackwell in Ohio, would be a major step forward in terms of attracting blacks to the GOP.
Of the three, only Blackwell is an experienced campaigner, having been elected to several offices including Mayor of Cincinnati and Secretary of State of Ohio (a point also made today by George Will). No doubt, this experience explains why Blackwell has not encountered the gaffes that both Steele (who compared stem cell research to Nazi experiments), and Lynn Swann (who didn't realize overturning Roe v. Wade would simply send the abortion decision back to the states) have encountered.
While national GOP insiders have courted Steele and Swann, they simultaneously worried that Blackwell would be too conservative and too much of a maverick.
Ironically, it has been Steele and Swann who have committed the gaffes, and Blackwell who has (so far) run the best campaign. Again, I would primarily attribute this to the fact that Steele and Swann are novice campaigners, while Blackwell has a 20-year track record of winning elections.
According to the Washington Post, Steele's recent campaign shake-up has been the result of the age-old power struggle of local loyalists vs. D.C. consultants:
"The lieutenant governor's longtime supporters said yesterday that they have tried to fend off a national GOP "consultant culture" that espouses a cookie-cutter approach ill-suited for Maryland, a state dominated by Democratic voters.
"National advisers, however, described Steele loyalists as rigid and unsophisticated about the needs of a campaign of that scale. They said a parochial approach being counseled by Steele aides was destined to fail in a media-driven race that has drawn national attention and could cost more than $10 million before it's done.
First of all, let me say that losing a campaign manager is not necessarily the death knell of a political campaign. Remember, everyone started writing off John Kerry when his campaign suffered a shake-up in late 2003. Of course, Kerry went on to win Iowa and the Democrat nomination, so the reports of his political demise were slightly premature.
But clearly there is a big problem in Maryland, and I can identify with both sides of this argument.
Too often, national politicos believe they are the sole source of knowledge in the world. D.C. political operatives often have a condescending attitude regarding local political folks. This, of course, only serves to make local political folks fear and dislike national operatives. As Ronald Reagan once said, "the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help. Well, insert the words "national GOP" in place of government, and you'll understand how local operatives feel when the "Feds" show up and try to take their jurisdiction.
On the other hand, often times when politicians run for higher office, their operatives are simply not qualified or capable of playing at a higher level. Just as a college football coach who goes to the NFL can't bring all his players with him, political candidates who want to win simply must surround themselves with professionals, and phase out those who aren't ready for prime time.
The best way to handle a situation such as this is to have a Karl Rove -- someone who is clearly the indisputable dictator of the campaign -- take over. This immediately removes any confusion regarding who is in charge.
This leader, if he is smart, will incorporate both national and local members into his team. National leaders are needed because of their expertise. Locals are needed because they know the lay of the land, the quirks and unique aspects of their state, and perhaps most importantly: because they have the trust and confidence of the candidate.
When Ronald Reagan moved from a California politician into the presidential fray, he kept California loyalists like Lyn Nofziger, Ed Meese, and Mike Deaver, but also added national operatives like John Sears -- and later Jim Baker. While there certainly were internal struggles within the Reagan operation, President Reagan probably benefited from having a mixture of national operatives and California loyalists on his team.
Ultimately, it comes down to leadership. Problems and power struggles arise when it is not clear who the boss is. It is for this reason I've long held that leadership abilities and communication are as important to political success as is understanding political strategy and tactics.
Steele's problem, so far, has nothing to do with failure to execute political tactics -- it has everything to do with a lack of leadership. Let's hope they get their act together.
Mr. Lewis has managed political campaigns and served as director of grassroots for the Leadership Institute, as well as political director for GOPAC. In 2002, Campaigns & Elections Magazine selected him as a "Rising Star of Politics." He is the author of "Teaching Elephants to Talk." His blog can be read at MattLewis.org.
The title of this article was just a bit histrionic when compared to the body of the work, IMHO...
Since Lynn Swann is running for Governor, abortion rights would NOT fall under his pervue...and like you said, the abortion rights people have lied about this so much that a lot of people believe what Swann did.
BUT, he was very articulate when saying he is pro-life and does not believe in killing babies..
Hopefully, the Steele campaign is going through a rough patch and will right itself.
I only hope the MSM is stupid enough to push this. Swann could turn it around quickly by saying...
But the Dems and MSM have been telling us this for years. You mean they have been lying all this time. etc, etc.
Steele really is running a poor campaign. He has never been elected in his own right to a statewide position. Unlike most states, Lieutenant Governors are elected as "running mates" and are appointed by the gubernatorial candidate like in Presidential races. To win a statewide race in Maryland to the Senate as a conservative is already exceedingly difficult considering the state. Steele is very unpolished and was definitely not the right candidate for the state.
There's nobody who would have made a better Senate candidate in Maryland. Party tends to run a lot of weird old no-name guys from obscure parts of the state in futile campaigns against Mikulski and Sarbanes in the past.
Well I don't live in MD, but unless he has a primary looming, the issue now is fund raising. If he is raising money, better to get a gaff or two out of the way and the right team on board for the September to November run.
Stick with Steele.
He may not be your favorite choice. But he can't be worse than: Mikulski and Sarbanes.
Besides, I love the idea of the Donkeys on the left freaking out when so many prominent blacks get elected for the GOP.
His election remains enormously important.
I get newsletters via Email from the Steele campaign, but nothing else. I checked off almost every box in his registration form for what I was willing to do for his campaign along with a generous check. I know I live in a county that he will win by a wide margin (Frederick), but as I stated when I registered, I own a business in Montgomery County that is very much in play and I offered my support there as well.
I think his campaign people are not up to the task and I hope they get it together soon, cause Michael Steele is an extremely well spoken leader here in Maryland and IMHO he will make a great Senator for my State of Maryland
Well best of luck. Maybe with time his campaign will gain energy at the right time heading into the election.
Michael Steele has been under attack by the wacko's here, and he has handled himself extremely well considering the RATS have called him everything from "Uncle Tom" to a "Traitor" to his race as they tossed "Oreo Cookies" at him in a few of his campaign events, and those protests were sponsored by the NAACP
Steele seems fine to me.
This is the problem with the GOP. Don't upset the playhouse they have which right now is little better than the Democrats. The good news is we have several "mavericks" who got in anyway.
We will probably regret not vetting Lynn Swann a little better. I read this week he does not vote much at all.
I hope that is not true. It will make a knock out commercial for Fast Eddie. Swann is a nice guy but has little experience with what he is about to face. I am hoping we will not see last minute info dumping by Democrats and the former DNC Chairman Rendell. I think we will
It is February. The Steele campaign is moving along fine and it appears it will be well funded. Always look for the source for information in articles. Do you trust the Washington Post, which has pulled out all the stops to defeat Steele?
Geez, you have written about Swann precisely what was written about Ronald Reagan before he ran for Governor in California.
You're overreacting. The lates polls show Steele slightly ahead in heavily Democrat Maryland. It's true that he's made some gaffes recently, but he has plenty of time to recover.
Good grief. In your dreams...
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