Michael Steele: Trendy or Substantive?

After one of the most contested races for GOP Chairman in years, Michael Steele was chosen to lead his party. Why anyone would want that job is beyond me, but he pursued it with a vengeance and he now has the post.

The question many will ask is, why was he chosen. Is he the GOP's answer to Barack Obama? Are they saying, as a party, that "we can choose a black man too"? There is no doubt that he is an articulate and successful African American who certainly has the biography that is worthy of the post, but is he the best person for the party in the times we are in today?

Pros of Steele

The new media is playing a bigger role in politics now than ever and that is only expected to grow. Steele is a huge fan of social networking websites (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) and used them even towards the goal of getting elected as Chairman of the party.

Furthermore, he is extremely articulate and conveys an image of the Republican Party that most people simply have not seen else where, but certainly needs portrayed if it is going to be anything more than a minor party. When Steele discusses the needs of minorities and issues of importance to them, it resonates in a very sincere way.

Cons of Steele

We keep hearing that the former Lt. Governor of Maryland is very "conservative." This is one of the statements that demands an asterisk or a disclaimer. He is "conservative" by media standards and the reporters who interview him. He is "conservative" by African American standards, which is a population that tends to be over whelming liberal. He is "conservative" by Maryland standards, which is one of the most liberal states in the union. He is not nearly as conservative, however, as the rank and file of his party that is crucial in electoral success.

The biggest problem facing the GOP is that it is becoming increasingly like "Democrats Light." Republicans are socialist, they are just not as socialistic as Democrats. We are soft on social issues, just not as liberal as Democrats. Some where along the way Republicans became convinced that the big thing the GOP can do is be a "softer" version of the Democrats. That is what the media, which is clearly in the Democrats pocket, has encouraged for years.

The GOP has always enjoyed its biggest level of success when it acted more like Republicans than Democrats. The stronger the positions that the party has enjoyed on free markets (particularly taxes), strong defense, and pro family, the greater the electoral wins. I believe Republicans need to restore its Reagan roots and becoming the party of success it use to be. I don't know if Michael Steele can help the GOP reach that objective.

Kevin Price is a syndicated columnist whose articles frequently appear at ChicagoSunTimes.com, Reuters.com, USAToday.com, and other national media. Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at PriceofBusiness.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.

Conservative Bloggers Fight Back

The conservative movement has successfully dominated the radio air waves since the 1980s. While much of the country had written off the AM dial, talking heads like Rush Limbaugh were just about to fire those dying stations up during the Reagan years. The result is Right wing dominance of this media. Talk radio's success and value to conservatives was driven by the fact that the mainstream media had largely become elite and hostile to conservative values. Talk radio was listener driven (through callers) and changed the way people got their information.

Fast forward fifteen years ago and you have a new player on the media scene, which is blogging and it is starting to dominate its industry. For some reason, liberals embraced this vehicle as a tool for change and for quite some time they have been the leader. Conservatives have found themselves limping along. I'm sure that there are multiple more liberal bloggers for each Conservative.

The problem isn't merely in numbers, but infrastructure. The left has developed support mechanisms, liberal organizations recognized bloggers as media long before conservatives, and their web platforms are far more numerous and sophisticated.

Positive changes are on the way, however, and are seen on a micro level at the 2008 Texas Republican Convention. For one thing, the party itself made it easier to for bloggers to get media credentials than in any time in the past. Unfortunately those credentials may become devalued over time if "anyone" can get them. I am sure more vetting will need to take place over time as the number of bloggers grow, but erring on the side of generosity of credentials simply makes sense at this time.

More exciting than a friendly environment for bloggers is the efforts of the Texas office of Americans for Prosperity in developing RightOnline.com. This will be more than another blog, because its unique state focus will help bloggers fight their battles on several government levels. The site and project are early in their progress, but I hope that it breaks down categories in a way RedState.com does, but includes a section for states and even regions. In addition to that, the organization created a "media room" at the recent convention (actually a very elaborate booth) where boggers were provided wired work stations surrounding an attractive stage where elected officials and candidates could be interviewed by the bloggers. It included an excellent PA system, video cameras and the videos from the conferences will show up on YouTube.com. A large screen TV makes it for an even more "polished" event. I will have a slide show about it in the next few days.

The organization is planning an event for conservative bloggers that is designed to help them improve their craft in Austin, Texas on July 18th and 19th and its list of speakers is most impressive. The event seems to be designed to be both informational and inspirational and speakers include conservative writer Michelle Malkin, former Maryland Republican Governer Michael Steele, Erick Erickson of Redstate.com, and many others. You can get more information about it at RightOnline.com.

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Kevin Price is Host of the Houston Business Show (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.