[...] The person selected as the new chairperson for the RNC will be critical to the rebuilding process. While there are many gifted politicians and many people who have successfully run state organizations, there seems to be only one person who has run a successful campaign, who knows how to mobilize the internet to the advantage of the campaign and who knows how to do it effectively and on a budget. That man would be Chip Saltsman, who managed the Huckabee primary campaign. Saltsman's resume included time as state chairman of the Tennessee GOP, where he managed to deny Al Gore a victory in his home state in 2000. Endorsed by Mike Huckabee and by Bill Frist (former Senator and majority leader), Chip is talking with RNC members about making a run for the position. Saltsman takes to the air for RNC chair. [...]

Looks like a pack of old, white guys, to me. But what else is new in the GOP?

The long-term viability of the GOP is really in doubt right now and they don't seem to get it. Southern White rural lower-income and uneducated voters is a shrinking voting block in America. Gay marriage and abortion are giving way to major domestic and international issues that affect large groups of our society.

The GOP needs to make some macro-changes. Not a tweak in message or candidates, but a tweak in ideals. If this party puts forward another Palin or Huckabee-like candidate with base-only appeal, I guarantee that will be this party's death knell. John McCain would have been a far more formidable candidate had the party let John McCain be John McCain. He spent the majority of time trying to rally the base something that NEVER happen in a general election.

Matt,
Please explain trickle up economics. Please tell me how many poor people have employed you? Trickle up? Sounds like it defies the laws of gravity.
If anyone can tell me how giving to people who have no idea how to handle their own finances from paycheck to paycheck is going to all of a sudden save the rest of us by pumping that money up the chain, I'd listen.

His own personal plane? Sounds like Al Gore.

Susan November 14th, 2008 3:48 pm ET

"What has Gov. Palin ever done to the obama gang/"

As a part of the proud Obama Gang, that question has a very simple answer — Gov. Palin is everything we detest in a leader — unethical, hateful, conniving, spiteful, ignorant, unable to speak acceptable or correct English — oh, I could go on and on! Her race baiting, disgusting, name-calling, and hate-filled rhetoric on the campaign trail didn't help.

The part that maddens me the most, thougn, is the Republican campaign's attempt to "sell" her to the American people when, according, to Rick Davis' own words here, she was not vetted, qualified, or capable. That's insulting!
———

YOU GO GIRL!!!

Huckabee's( failed )campaign mgr…flying in his Piper…need I say more
Same old, same old???

WHERE IS THE LEADERSHIP FOR THE REPUBLICANS? IS IT IS SAME OLD STUFF AND OLD REPUBLICANS THEN FORGET THIS PARTY IT DOESN'T REPRESENT AMERICA!!

I think the Republican Party needs to figure out where they are before they look for someone to lead them to where they want to be.

To facts are facts – And what would you say the definition of moderate is? Same sex marriage? Well I guess compared to marrying an animal it would be but I don't think we should start down that slippery slope. That's why we need the good ol' "extremists".

barack obama should be your best option

IT IS SO FUNNY.

Tennessee has a real question, behind it's citizens!

I DON'T THINK THIS ELECTION BETWEEN OBAMA AND MC CAIN IS QUITE OVER YET.

LETS SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS!!

I don't know why he is even bothering. It is obvious from the photo-op yesterday, that they have already chosen Sarah Palin to lead them. Look how they all gathered around her to support her. She has them all " just where she wants them ".
Give it up losers. Sarah is your leader.

Ron Paul is NOT for smaller government. If he were, he would not support government intereference in a woman's reproductive choices. Period. Telling individual members of society what they can and cannot do with their own bodies is NOT small government. It is big brother in the bedroom and the doctor's office. This goes for constitutional amendments to "define" marriage. Not small government's business. Get over it. Religious beliefs and the morals of some should not be injected into politics.

As far as being "afraid" of Palin? Not on your life. I just do not believe that someone who lies publicly and often, and cannot grasp the idea of speaking in complete, coherent sentences deserves to be a public figure.

Another religious wingnut at the helm. The GOP will never recover.

JUst stop being greedy and you'll be on the right track… "Money is the root of all evil"….

Joe the Plumber sounds great!!!

who cares about GOP?

Two words: Huckabbee. Creationism.

'nuff said

Here's a big news flash for the Republican party~~~~
You can NOT continue to pander to the far right evangelical groups and expect the Republican party to win. People are tired of being told they are un-Christian and un-patriotic just because they don't subscribe to the views of that fanatical segment of the population. The Republican party needs to start caring about ALL people instead of a select few. Until you move more back to the center and quit letting the zealots call the shots for the GOP, you won't be seeing my vote or my money come your way ever again.

Another Gomer Pyle clone like the Huckster. Don't the GOP get it?

The days of the right wing extremists and religious cults is long gone in America with tolerance and moderation being the key words of today.

P. S. I see Newt Gingrich is in the running. Keep him off of FOX NEWS and maybe he'll be alright. That radical Sean Hannity if a black eye even to the Catholics.

Cracking me up that you think the Republicans party needs to not look and act like Democrats and "get back to its conservative roots." Have you been conscious since November 4th? It's blind adherence to conservative ideological premises such as trickle-down reaganomics, despite all evidence showing it does NOT work that way, that has gotten the Republicans to where they are today.

I should be wishing for them to "stay the course" like people are suggesting, so they are utterly destroyed, yet here I am trying to convince them to wake up and save themselves. Go figure.

How nice to hear that Mr. Saltsman will not have to undergo any of the inconveniences that the American people have to withstand, like going through Public/Commercial airports! No matter, I suppose, as fewer and fewer of us can afford the inconvience.

Chairman of the next Republican National Committee…hmm…wonder what that will bring? More Palins or more of Palin?

The prospect of either is pretty creepy, wouldn't you say?

WOW…..the gop ticket has turned into the jerry springer show…..lol

"Winning formula for 2010″, ok, but a formula to win which part of the Republican electorate? The right-wing fundamentalists? The fiscal conservative, moderates who are not so interested in the "social values" of the former faction? Or who? Can they come up with a viable plan to attract both? Who's gonna do that? So far they don't seem to find a common ground.

The question is: Is Saltsman a big enough weasel to be the head of the RNC?

I bet they're going to choose someone with really really edgy ideals for a Republican; Someone who thinks women should be allowed to leave the kitchen, who thinks white people may not be superior to anything, who has thought that rich people may – at times – be subject to laws too, and that the constitution might have some good ideas in it!!

…

Nah, they'll just put up the richest racist and polish him up until he can fool people like they always do.

Hey Don't Blame Me: you're showing your rightwing delusion again by saying McCain and Bush act like Democrats. #1 if that's true, then why did the [D]s win so big in this past election?……actually people noticed a BIG difference and they voted [D] to get away from Bush and McCain. #2 if that's true, then YOU were really voting for [D] principles back in 2000, 2004, and now in 2008 when YOU voted for Bush and McCain? I guess you buggered yourself there buddy.

Good try in attempting to off-load very bad rightwing behavior as [D]. But delusional thinking and talking drivel is what lost you the election. So you keep right on talking that crap while we [D]s walk into even more offices in 2010. You gotta love these neo-morons!

Wow, look at the republicans scrambling……

Who???

"What has Gov. Palin ever done to the obama gang/"

As a part of the proud Obama Gang, that question has a very simple answer — Gov. Palin is everything we detest in a leader — unethical, hateful, conniving, spiteful, ignorant, unable to speak acceptable or correct English — oh, I could go on and on! Her race baiting, disgusting, name-calling, and hate-filled rhetoric on the campaign trail didn't help.

The part that maddens me the most, thougn, is the Republican campaign's attempt to "sell" her to the American people when, according, to Rick Davis' own words here, she was not vetted, qualified, or capable. That's insulting!

Please get palin in 2012 and 2016 and 2020 then we are sure to have democrat in the white house always! HA HA HA! LOSERS!

The Republicans wont be in power again for a VERY LONG TIME. The people now have an honest POTUS moving in. Last year when gas was almost $4.00 a gallon, my wife and I took a road trip to the Northwest. During our trip, guess where we found the cheapest gas – Casper Wyoming where Cheney is from. Let them keep there 3 or whatever electoral votes.

I am a Democrat leaning person. I always have been. I keep hearing how Republicans are for smaller government, less spending and less taxes. If they ever actually stood for that, I might become Republican. I keep hearing about how Democrats are for Tax and Spend. I don't believe that, but I like the sound of it much better than the Republican affection for Borrow and Spend.

This guy ran the "middle of the road" Mike Huckabee's campaign and if elected will run the RNC to defeat the same way.

Give me former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, any day over this guy.

The republican party needs to get back to its conservative roots and stop looking and acting like democrats, which is what Huckabee, McCain and Bush did.

NO. Palin should be CHAIRMAN!

And she could run for the Secretary General of the UN, and the first female POPE. Also.

Still can't admit they've been wrong. I'll bet $700B they think they can just find someone who is a charismatic liar to re-sell their tired, disproven ideological dogma (more like dog crap) to the American public and we'll suddenly forget all about the past 50 years and believe them all over again.

I nominate Joe the Plumber too.

I thought Micheal "Drill, baby, drill" was going to run for the head of the RNC. He's enough a snake to hold that post.

What about Joe the so-called-Plumber, or Tito-the-builder????? How about those dudes?

There was a comment on the other article from a far-right-blogger saying that we Liberals are afraid of Palin!

Good grief, we are not afraid of her, we do not want her anywhere near the Oval Office!

Although…….. hmmm…… go ahead and nominate Palin in 2012……. that will give President OBAMA an easy victory!

Hopefully they choose someone who is capable of self-reflection and can help the party change course.

It doesn't matter who the chair is. The republicans do not reach out to minorities and that's their biggest problem. It's good to have homies and amigos supporting you.

Current RNC chairman Duncan said "we have a deep bench in the Republican Party". Yeh, that's right moron. You've got a deep bench because alot of your starters got relegated to the bench the last two elections. Thine bench overfloweth.

Hope the RNC will pick someone who is totally ignorant, uneducated and has no grasp of the English language or America.

These people scurrying around trying to see who can be boss are laughable.
They need to clean up their act and start behaving like decent human beings instead of the slimey hate filled group that just got slammed in this election.
Maybe their closeted homosexual senator Lindsey Graham will take the reigns…nah, if he does his supporters won't be allowed to take communion. LOL
Anyway, look, laugh, and enjoy the show courtesy of the RNC.

So,

You democrats need watch the Republicans get their act together with Governor Sarah Palin, the happy, gracious, honest, strong, courageous, smart, intuitive and likeable charismatic who has a record of authentic reform!

If the GOP was smart, they would pick a republican from one of the blue states. They need another perspective, other than that of the south.

Well, the Demcorats have been focussed on their message of hatred for years now, and they just won control of the government.

Lefties, judging by the comments here, think that the GOP is just as disgusting and depraved as the Democrats are. We're not… but if hatred, racism, lies, and intolerance (such as has been amply demonstrated by the left) is what it takes, maybe the Republicans should move in that direction.

My – My – Such Mean comments from the obama gang -
Let's all unite, support and get behind our new President -
Just like the obama gang supports and Respects our CURRENT President – Right!!!!!
What has GOV Palin ever done to the obama gang – maybe you were worried that McCain/Palin just might win????
Back Off!

I would nominate…Joe the Plumber.

JOE THE PLUMPER!!!!!!!!!!

The Republicans can put whomever they want in the chair,but as long as their policies remain buried in the kind of blind ideology of the recent past,they will remain an non-entity.Except for the relative handfull that fall for such harmful direction.

the republicans just don't get it.

Flying his own plane so as to avoid the inconveniences of airline travel?

That sounds kind of elitist to me. What would Joe the Plumber say?

I totally agree that commercial flying is inconvenient. For all the money that the Repubs complained about Obama raising, I see they can still afford private jets for their members. I guess the faltering economy hasn't hit their party as yet. Oh, right, the money never did trickle down did it.

The GOP needs to get back to the fundamentals. I know it is tough in this environment, when everyone is looking for a handout. But it is not always easy to do the right thing, actually it is hard more times than not. But it has to be done…. give the people a choice between conservative principles and liberal ones.

We didn't have that choice this time around. It was just two liberals running.

We need someone like a Ron Paul to lead the party. No more undercover democrats. It's time to go back to low taxes, smaller government and fixing illegal immigration. Ron Paul is the only trustworthy republican left to get the younger generation on board.

Wheres he flying in from,Columbia?Check his bags,he may have some goodies or money with him.

GIVEN THAT THE GOP WAS SO MUCH IN LOVE WITH HIM, WHY NOT MAKE GEORGE W. BUSH THE RNC CHAIR – PLEASE!!!!

Perhaps the RNC's new slogan could be: "Let them eat cake".

Get Palin.I need another good laugh !!!