Posted on 12/29/2008 8:12:07 AM PST by St. Louis Conservative
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.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
He’s my choice as of now.
Ping.
The time is right for a CONSERVATIVE Republican movement in OH. Strickland is an incompetent idiot. His hand picked AG Marc Dann has resigned in shame, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If Kasich can be persuaded to run for Gov (hopefully the rumors are true) the liberal D’s can be run out of this state.
If Blackwell is the chairman, Voinovich may switch parties and give the Democrats that 60th seat.
So be it. JMO.
Good luck, Ken!
I campaigned hard for you for governor. I’m still sad that you lost only because of today’s conditions were foretold if we elect Teddy.
The only prize I got for that is the unsavory satifaction of ‘I told you so’.
Is Blackwell for real? We have been fooled so many times.
What do you mean, “for real”?
I really like Michael Steele, but someone said he was for affirmative action and that did it for me. No one for affirmative action is for real; at least, I have found that to be.
Duh, a real honest to God conservative for the people. Why do ask such a question?
He's the real deal, no smoke and mirrors here.
It's wonderful to note that at least two of the contestants dropped out to endorse and work for Ken!
It will be an uphill fight to keep Steele from grabbing the post, however, as he's from the East Coast NY/DC political wing of the party and also a media "star" thanks to FOX.
Had Ken Blackwell been given as much on-air face time, I daresay, he'd be the only one at the top of the heap but then he, like Sara Palin, bucked the "insiders" in his own state party and not from the elitist wing!!!
He knows how to talk to ordinary people, especially in fly-over sections of the country and is easily understood and very likeable with a charming family.
Blackwell is horrible at party-building. He never did a single fund-raiser for a legislator or legislative candidate, even the conservative ones. He would have been a great draw at any of them. After refusing to help a family member in their race for office, he and his campaign staff began a whisper-campaign against said family member when she did not agree to endorse him right away in January 2005. She had a job that prohibited her from making endorsements and was looking for another and was planning to help him. Blackwell and his minions waged a bitter personal campaign against her, even trying to tell the Cincinnati Enquirer that she was a closet lesbian. This included anonymous e-mails and a threatening phone call made by Ken himself to the father of the family member.
Ken Blackwell is a cult leader disguised as a conservative Republican.
You’re either with Ken Blackwell at his demand or you risk being the victim of a smear campaign.
Will he carry the water?
They don’t get any more “for real” than Ken Blackwell. He is solidly and dependably conservative.
That doesn’t sound good.
As much as I like him; I can’t support him for those reasons. It’s like a sheep in wolf’s clothing.
He refused to do so in OH that's why the top of the Party didn't back him with any $$$ so he lost to a terribly weak candidate on the left as the people were sick of "tax and spend" Republicans who ran speaking one language then governed like liberals.
I continue to state that when the voters are faced with phony RINOs as opposed to the RATS who lie about what their real intentions are, choose the RATS instead.
RINOs are just too phony and untrustworthy instead of radiating with warmth and genuine appeal (Sara Palin), yes they have warts but they don't claim that their flaws are a wonderful example of how we should live our lives.
Whoa! I’ve honestly never heard anything like that before.
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