St. Pete Times
AP: "He looked me in the eye and said 'As the chief office holder of this state, the governor of this state, I have to be mindful of what's important to help my folks, who are going through some tough times right now,'" Steele said.
"It is a judgment call that a chief executive has to take, and what makes it sting maybe a little bit more, or feel a little bit uncomfortable, is that this package is being introduced by a Democrat president who many of us at the national level in particular believe has put in place a spending boondoggle, but he's put the appropriate amount of sauce in there for states to get their support," Steele said.
..."Florida is not the red state that Alabama is and it's not the red state that Mississippi is. It may be a red state, but it's a different hue of red. I applaud Gov. Crist for having the foresight to appreciate that," Steele said. "A lot of folks believe that if we're not constantly beating that drum on one or other social issues, that we're somehow less Republican and my argument is quite the opposite. The beauty of our party is that we appreciate and know what we believe. It's core to who we are, and we have the flexibility and dexterity to speak to people on a broad array of issues."
Monday, March 2, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Steele to Republicans: Beat the Dems Online
Check out the blog below by Sergio Rodriguera Jr., former policy advisor to the DoD and DoT...
GOP Netroots: Fired Up and Ready to Rumble
Is the GOP dead? Well, that's what you would conclude from pundits on MSNBC or writing for the New York Times, but not if you have been following grassroots and online activists burning up blogs and conference calls since the November election. The newly elected GOP chairman, Michael Steele, has given fellow Republicans a challenge: it is time to beat the Democrats in the online world.
Since taking the helm of the Republican National Committee at the end of January, Chairman Steele has been popping up in new and old media taking issue with the stimulus bill and the Obama administration's tax troubled appointees. But behind the scenes he has been partnering with Saul Anuzis, former Michigan GOP chair and former opponent in the race for RNC chairman, to invigorate the GOP online activists.
Last Friday, the RNC held the GOP Tech Summit at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C., which brought together bloggers, politicos, and activists to discuss ideas ranging from social networking to online fundraising. The forum was also broadcast online so that those who were interested from all over the country could view and submit their comments. Attendees even got a surprise visit from Chairman Steele and Newt Gingrich. Followers of the discussion were then given action items and deadlines on proposals to be given to Chairman Steele. GOP Tech Summit on the RNC website has now over 2,000 ongoing contributors who are busy discussing lessons learned and strategy.
The truth is, during the last election Senator McCain was badly outmanned against the online juggernaut of then-Senator Obama. The online strategists of Team Obama understood how to capture email addresses and cell numbers at rallies by making sure they accounted for every single person in attendance. Warm-up acts before the main surrogates asked attendees that supported Senator Obama to text a number which would be captured. They we later asked for a donation on their cells before they departed the event. Also, the Obama campaign created MyBarackObama.com, which allowed users to have a direct link to the campaign and later be tasked with assignments such as turning out the vote. Both were innovative uses of a superior online media strategy.
Now, not every voter wants to be texted political messages or fundraising requests. But using cell phone technology to get a quick update (such as the choice of vice-presidential nominee) was an ingenious way of keeping supporters involved in the campaign. Use of cell phone technology is only in its infancy in political campaigns, and, just as it is now used in Europe and Asia to conduct banking transactions, it will play a major role in future political communication and organization.
Chairman Steele understands that Republicans must act quickly and there is no time to lose. Therefore, he has tasked several working groups with the responsibility for bringing together experts and concerned activists from across the country to discuss initiatives. It is clear that he and his advisers are serious about the effort. For example, Anuzis jumped on a conference call for the tech grassroots on Tuesday night, thanking them for their forward thinking and openness.
Chairman Steele is right to be focused on technology. Americans are paying closer attention to politics than at any other time in recent history. With all the technologies available to distribute information this should be no surprise. But the technology is not necessarily one controlled by politicians. Politicians should wake up and realize that anyone with a cell phone now can be a reporter. Any slip of the tongue can wind up on YouTube. (Virginia Senator George Allen realized that a glib remark made at a small campaign event effectively undermined his re-election in 2006.)
Transparency is quickly becoming the buzz word in Washington. The days of politicians escaping from the public and evading responsibility for their rhetoric are drawing to an end. Websites like politifact.com are keeping tabs on the promises made and broken by President Obama. Individuals then can blast that information to their network on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter for thousands to see.
Chairman Steele has said that we are not going to win by using Facebook and Twitter. However, using all forums and media to reach voters, especially new voters, is the key to growing the party. "The internet is a living organism that is what you make of it," says David All, a Republican strategist coordinating efforts for the tech grassroots working group.
Republicans are not that far behind and are quickly gaining ground on their political adversaries. The next congressional election will be here before you know it, and the presidential election is just a few years away. It is clear that if Chairman Steele has anything to say about it, the GOP will not repeat the same mistakes of 2008.
GOP Netroots: Fired Up and Ready to Rumble
Is the GOP dead? Well, that's what you would conclude from pundits on MSNBC or writing for the New York Times, but not if you have been following grassroots and online activists burning up blogs and conference calls since the November election. The newly elected GOP chairman, Michael Steele, has given fellow Republicans a challenge: it is time to beat the Democrats in the online world.
Since taking the helm of the Republican National Committee at the end of January, Chairman Steele has been popping up in new and old media taking issue with the stimulus bill and the Obama administration's tax troubled appointees. But behind the scenes he has been partnering with Saul Anuzis, former Michigan GOP chair and former opponent in the race for RNC chairman, to invigorate the GOP online activists.
Last Friday, the RNC held the GOP Tech Summit at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C., which brought together bloggers, politicos, and activists to discuss ideas ranging from social networking to online fundraising. The forum was also broadcast online so that those who were interested from all over the country could view and submit their comments. Attendees even got a surprise visit from Chairman Steele and Newt Gingrich. Followers of the discussion were then given action items and deadlines on proposals to be given to Chairman Steele. GOP Tech Summit on the RNC website has now over 2,000 ongoing contributors who are busy discussing lessons learned and strategy.
The truth is, during the last election Senator McCain was badly outmanned against the online juggernaut of then-Senator Obama. The online strategists of Team Obama understood how to capture email addresses and cell numbers at rallies by making sure they accounted for every single person in attendance. Warm-up acts before the main surrogates asked attendees that supported Senator Obama to text a number which would be captured. They we later asked for a donation on their cells before they departed the event. Also, the Obama campaign created MyBarackObama.com, which allowed users to have a direct link to the campaign and later be tasked with assignments such as turning out the vote. Both were innovative uses of a superior online media strategy.
Now, not every voter wants to be texted political messages or fundraising requests. But using cell phone technology to get a quick update (such as the choice of vice-presidential nominee) was an ingenious way of keeping supporters involved in the campaign. Use of cell phone technology is only in its infancy in political campaigns, and, just as it is now used in Europe and Asia to conduct banking transactions, it will play a major role in future political communication and organization.
Chairman Steele understands that Republicans must act quickly and there is no time to lose. Therefore, he has tasked several working groups with the responsibility for bringing together experts and concerned activists from across the country to discuss initiatives. It is clear that he and his advisers are serious about the effort. For example, Anuzis jumped on a conference call for the tech grassroots on Tuesday night, thanking them for their forward thinking and openness.
Chairman Steele is right to be focused on technology. Americans are paying closer attention to politics than at any other time in recent history. With all the technologies available to distribute information this should be no surprise. But the technology is not necessarily one controlled by politicians. Politicians should wake up and realize that anyone with a cell phone now can be a reporter. Any slip of the tongue can wind up on YouTube. (Virginia Senator George Allen realized that a glib remark made at a small campaign event effectively undermined his re-election in 2006.)
Transparency is quickly becoming the buzz word in Washington. The days of politicians escaping from the public and evading responsibility for their rhetoric are drawing to an end. Websites like politifact.com are keeping tabs on the promises made and broken by President Obama. Individuals then can blast that information to their network on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter for thousands to see.
Chairman Steele has said that we are not going to win by using Facebook and Twitter. However, using all forums and media to reach voters, especially new voters, is the key to growing the party. "The internet is a living organism that is what you make of it," says David All, a Republican strategist coordinating efforts for the tech grassroots working group.
Republicans are not that far behind and are quickly gaining ground on their political adversaries. The next congressional election will be here before you know it, and the presidential election is just a few years away. It is clear that if Chairman Steele has anything to say about it, the GOP will not repeat the same mistakes of 2008.
Man of Steele--StateOfSunshine.com
The blog below was published this morning on State Of Sunshine, a blog dedicated to Florida politics.
Man of Steele
by RPOF Chairman Jim Greer
Change is in the air, and it’s not just a Democrat sound bite anymore. The Republican National Committee has taken an enormous stride towards our Party’s collective future in electing former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele as the GOP’s new Chairman.
As the first major state party Chairman to endorse Michael Steele, I took several factors into consideration before deciding to support Steele’s candidacy: his ability to communicate a clear message, his understanding of technology and how the GOP can more effectively utilize it, and his experience running a large organization. It would be disingenuous to say that Steele’s heritage was not a factor in my decision-making: I am a firm believer in maintaining credibility behind one’s message. The historic election of our Party’s first African American Chairman goes a long way towards our argument that the GOP does indeed care about minority voters and will indeed reach out to these voters with our message of lower taxes on families and businesses, less government red tape, and more personal freedom.
Three days after his election, a FOX News reporter asked Chairman Steele how tough it would be to re-build the party. He replied, “I started off as a black Roman Catholic conservative in Washington, D.C., so it’s all up from here.”
Steele isn’t in denial, and that’s a good thing. He understands that President Obama’s enormous popularity and power over federal legislation, coupled with the GOP’s dwindling numbers in Congress, makes it even more difficult for the GOP to take a principled stance on policy issues, to be the loyal opposition against a President who is still very much in the honeymoon phase.
Chairman Steele also understands that it wasn’t just Democrats who voted for change. He knows that the Party needs a fresh, smart new voice with the political experience to back it up. That’s why he has already hit the ground running, making an extensive round of appearances on national news shows and introducing himself to Republicans across the nation.
While Steele thrives on camera, he’s also a proficient executive on the day-to-day operational front, the behind-the-scenes work that comes with running any major enterprise…especially one of the size and scope of the RNC. But first, we have to ensure that the money is in the bank to implement the new policies and strategies Chairman Steele has promoted.
Chairman Steele will need to tap a new generation of younger, plugged-in fundraisers while continuing to raise resources the traditional way. He will use his technology expertise to implement new fundraising initiatives that provide more buy-in from low-dollar activists via the internet. The RNC will be more ground-up and less centralized, and one of the first ways to do that is to connect with the netroots and conservative bloggers and provide the mechanism for low-dollar, viral fundraising pitches.
We can talk all we want to about social networking, messaging, and strategy, but we can’t do it without the money. For example, to put the infrastructure in place for iPhone apps and text messaging, we have to have money. To recruit good candidates and register more Republican voters in new and innovative ways, we have to have money. To get our message out more effectively by every means possible, we have to have money.
Fortunately, Chairman Steele has experience running several large organizations, from a state party to a political action committee. He’s moved fundraising online and is a self-described “techno-geek.” Perhaps most importantly, he has successfully surrounded himself time and again with teams of professional operatives who get the game and passionately seek results.
I am proud to be a part of that team and to serve as one of Chairman Steele’s earliest supporters and now a co-chair of his transition team. I am incredibly excited about working with Chairman Steele and breathing new life into the RNC. I am humbled by the opportunity to re-commit myself and the Republican Party of Florida to the conservative principles set forth by Abraham Lincoln and championed by today’s Republicans, under the leadership of our new RNC Chairman.
Man of Steele
by RPOF Chairman Jim Greer
Change is in the air, and it’s not just a Democrat sound bite anymore. The Republican National Committee has taken an enormous stride towards our Party’s collective future in electing former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele as the GOP’s new Chairman.
As the first major state party Chairman to endorse Michael Steele, I took several factors into consideration before deciding to support Steele’s candidacy: his ability to communicate a clear message, his understanding of technology and how the GOP can more effectively utilize it, and his experience running a large organization. It would be disingenuous to say that Steele’s heritage was not a factor in my decision-making: I am a firm believer in maintaining credibility behind one’s message. The historic election of our Party’s first African American Chairman goes a long way towards our argument that the GOP does indeed care about minority voters and will indeed reach out to these voters with our message of lower taxes on families and businesses, less government red tape, and more personal freedom.
Three days after his election, a FOX News reporter asked Chairman Steele how tough it would be to re-build the party. He replied, “I started off as a black Roman Catholic conservative in Washington, D.C., so it’s all up from here.”
Steele isn’t in denial, and that’s a good thing. He understands that President Obama’s enormous popularity and power over federal legislation, coupled with the GOP’s dwindling numbers in Congress, makes it even more difficult for the GOP to take a principled stance on policy issues, to be the loyal opposition against a President who is still very much in the honeymoon phase.
Chairman Steele also understands that it wasn’t just Democrats who voted for change. He knows that the Party needs a fresh, smart new voice with the political experience to back it up. That’s why he has already hit the ground running, making an extensive round of appearances on national news shows and introducing himself to Republicans across the nation.
While Steele thrives on camera, he’s also a proficient executive on the day-to-day operational front, the behind-the-scenes work that comes with running any major enterprise…especially one of the size and scope of the RNC. But first, we have to ensure that the money is in the bank to implement the new policies and strategies Chairman Steele has promoted.
Chairman Steele will need to tap a new generation of younger, plugged-in fundraisers while continuing to raise resources the traditional way. He will use his technology expertise to implement new fundraising initiatives that provide more buy-in from low-dollar activists via the internet. The RNC will be more ground-up and less centralized, and one of the first ways to do that is to connect with the netroots and conservative bloggers and provide the mechanism for low-dollar, viral fundraising pitches.
We can talk all we want to about social networking, messaging, and strategy, but we can’t do it without the money. For example, to put the infrastructure in place for iPhone apps and text messaging, we have to have money. To recruit good candidates and register more Republican voters in new and innovative ways, we have to have money. To get our message out more effectively by every means possible, we have to have money.
Fortunately, Chairman Steele has experience running several large organizations, from a state party to a political action committee. He’s moved fundraising online and is a self-described “techno-geek.” Perhaps most importantly, he has successfully surrounded himself time and again with teams of professional operatives who get the game and passionately seek results.
I am proud to be a part of that team and to serve as one of Chairman Steele’s earliest supporters and now a co-chair of his transition team. I am incredibly excited about working with Chairman Steele and breathing new life into the RNC. I am humbled by the opportunity to re-commit myself and the Republican Party of Florida to the conservative principles set forth by Abraham Lincoln and championed by today’s Republicans, under the leadership of our new RNC Chairman.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Republican Leaders Working to Protect Floridians' Right to Secret Ballot
Watch House Majority Leader Adam Hasner and Rep. Garrett Richter discuss their efforts to protect the right of secret ballots in Florida.
"This is not an anti-union bill," said Hasner. "Harassment and intimidation are wrong, whether they come from a union boss or a management boss. With a secret ballot, you're the boss."
"This is not an anti-union bill," said Hasner. "Harassment and intimidation are wrong, whether they come from a union boss or a management boss. With a secret ballot, you're the boss."
Dissection of Steele's Victory
Brad Todd has an insightful look into RNC Chairman Michael Steele's victory, published in PoliticsMagazine.com Highlights below.
...The core of Steele’s winning coalition were the RNC’s newer members—people like Preibus and mostly-unknown state party chairs like Jim Greer of Florida and Bob Tiernan of Oregon.
...As a conservative Catholic, Steele hit expected right-wing high-notes, but he also talked about school choice for urban children and long-term solutions to poverty. Steele carries three Blackberries and is prone to flurries of past-midnight emails, and he made a convincing case that he would bring the GOP’s campaign technology into the digital age.
...In short, Steele built a leadership team—and a winning campaign—with tactics, ideas, and coalitions rarely before used in the GOP. Steele promised to shake things up at party headquarters—and to the old guard’s surprise, the new RNC was in a mood to shake...
...The core of Steele’s winning coalition were the RNC’s newer members—people like Preibus and mostly-unknown state party chairs like Jim Greer of Florida and Bob Tiernan of Oregon.
Half of Steele’s 21-person “whip team” on the committee rose to their current Party leadership roles after the disastrous election of 2006. They’re the brave ones who swam toward the sinking ship.
...As a conservative Catholic, Steele hit expected right-wing high-notes, but he also talked about school choice for urban children and long-term solutions to poverty. Steele carries three Blackberries and is prone to flurries of past-midnight emails, and he made a convincing case that he would bring the GOP’s campaign technology into the digital age.
...In short, Steele built a leadership team—and a winning campaign—with tactics, ideas, and coalitions rarely before used in the GOP. Steele promised to shake things up at party headquarters—and to the old guard’s surprise, the new RNC was in a mood to shake...
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
CQ: GOP Ramping Up Online Organizing
Congressional Quarterly reports on the GOP's efforts to "Prep the Portals of Online Organizing."
Highlights below:
Republicans already are gearing up to regain lost ground from the 2008 elections, with a plan to level the digital playing field and fight the Democrats precinct by precinct and byte by byte.
That was the overarching theme Feb. 6 at a hastily organized “Tech Summit” held by the Republican National Committee, which brought party activists and strategists together to present ideas on how the RNC can better use available technologies to engage voters.
Under new Chairman Michael Steele, the GOP has embraced new technology as part of its rehabilitation efforts in the wake of the disastrous 2008 election.
Close to 300 people took part, with hundreds more joining online. The summit featured a steady stream of speakers, each sharing their thoughts on everything from online marketing to political text messaging to social networking.
“Bottom line is, if we haven’t done it, let’s do it. If we haven’t thought of it, think about it. If it hasn’t been tried, why not?” Steele asked in a speech that verged on a sermon. The audience at the Capitol Hill Club responded with vigorous nods and occasional murmurs of “Yes!”
“The goal,” said Steele, “of bringing the party into the 21st century is all that and then some.”
Read more...
Highlights below:
Republicans already are gearing up to regain lost ground from the 2008 elections, with a plan to level the digital playing field and fight the Democrats precinct by precinct and byte by byte.
That was the overarching theme Feb. 6 at a hastily organized “Tech Summit” held by the Republican National Committee, which brought party activists and strategists together to present ideas on how the RNC can better use available technologies to engage voters.
Under new Chairman Michael Steele, the GOP has embraced new technology as part of its rehabilitation efforts in the wake of the disastrous 2008 election.
Close to 300 people took part, with hundreds more joining online. The summit featured a steady stream of speakers, each sharing their thoughts on everything from online marketing to political text messaging to social networking.
“Bottom line is, if we haven’t done it, let’s do it. If we haven’t thought of it, think about it. If it hasn’t been tried, why not?” Steele asked in a speech that verged on a sermon. The audience at the Capitol Hill Club responded with vigorous nods and occasional murmurs of “Yes!”
“The goal,” said Steele, “of bringing the party into the 21st century is all that and then some.”
Read more...
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