RNC Race for Chairman Getting Hot

by Michael Illions | December 28, 2008 6:40 am

With just about 5 weeks to go until the vote in Washington, DC to elect the next Chairman of the Republican National Committee, the six candidates running have very little time to impress and convince the 168 voting members of the Republican National Committee that they would be the best candidate for the job.

To my knowledge, the campaigns have been positive, with each candidate pretty much sticking to promoting their own plan for the future of the GOP, while touting their individual accomplishments and resume, instead of going negative on their opponents.

In fact, in some cases, the candidates themselves have been their own worst enemy. Just a few weeks ago, it was revealed that South Carolina GOP Chairman and RNC Chairman candidate Katon Dawson[1] was a 12 year member of a “whites-only” Country Club.

Michael Steele[2], another candidate for RNC Chairman, and former Lt. Governor of Maryland and currently seen on the Fox News Channel, has come under fire from Conservatives for being co-founder of a Pro-Choice “moderate” organization along with Christine Todd-Whitman, only to have that followed by questions from Social Conservatives about why the Log Cabin Republicans endorsed him for Chairman.

And the latest incident involves Chip Saltsman[3], who is in a ‘wee bit’ of hot water for sending out a CD of 41 song parodies to all the RNC voting members that included the song “Barack the Magic Negro“, sung to the music from “Puff, the Magic Dragon.”:

However, one of the candidates, Chip Saltsman, the former presidential campaign manager for Mike Huckabee, may have made a fatal move in his bid after The Hill newspaper reported today that Saltsman sent a 41-track parody CD to the RNC’s 168 member committee that includes a song entitled “Barack the Magic Negro.”

The song, to the music of “Puff the Magic Dragon,” was first popularized on Rush Limbaugh’s conservative radio show. It was written by Saltman’s pal and conservative satirist Paul Shanklin.

“Paul Shanklin is a long-time friend, and I think that RNC members have the good humor and good sense to recognize that his songs for the Rush Limbaugh show are light-hearted political parodies,” Saltsman told The Hill.

Maybe. Or Maybe Saltman’s gag gift will turn off committee members mindful of the fact the party is losing support among minorities and that mocking Obama–with high approval ratings and today listed as the most admired American–may not be the best way to give the GOP that more “inclusive” vibe it’s been searching for since their November losses.

The mainstream media has been all over this and perhaps made it a bigger story then it really deserved to be, plus most of the other 5 candidates have been forced to address this story as well. Saltsman himself has released this statement[4] on his website:

Liberal Democrats and their allies in the media didn’t utter a word about David Ehrenstein’s irresponsible column in the Los Angeles Times last March. But now, of course, they’re shocked and appalled by its parody on the Rush Limbaugh Show.

I firmly believe that we must welcome all Americans into our party and that the road to Republican resurgence begins with unity, not division. But I know that our party leaders should stand up against the media’s double standards and refuse to pander to their desire for scandal.

What was supposed to be a race decided by 168 members and a party position, this race is getting much attention.

Endnotes:
  1. RNC Chairman candidate Katon Dawson: http://www.thestate.com/local/story/531216.html
  2. Michael Steele: http://www.steeleforchairman.com/
  3. Chip Saltsman: http://www.chipsaltsman.com/
  4. Saltsman himself has released this statement: http://www.chipsaltsman.com/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Blogs.View&Blog_id=cc9ca87e-21b2-4120-ba35-f4427f284f22&Label_id=&Year=&Month=

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