Disclaimer: NextGenGOP is not endorsing any RNC Chair candidate. In fact, there is some diversity among our contributors — for example, Lance Kennedy has endorsed Ken Blackwell. However, I have personally backed Saul Anuzis for RNC Chair, and thus I wanted to .
Because I love the Republican Party dearly, I’m worried about the future of the GOP. For as long as I can remember, I knew I was a Republican because my fundamental beliefs naturally line up with the GOP’s ideology. However, despite a diverse field of candidates for RNC Chair emerging in 2008, I remained concerned because I am convinced that a different type of leader needs to emerge to lead the Republican Party back to greatness.
As soon as I began interacting with Saul Anuzis, I realized that he is a unique and incredibly talented individual. What impressed me most about him, however, was not his deep passion for technology or his recognition of the necessity of winning the online battle. Nor was it his incredible story of being raised by Lithuanian immigrants and how he accomplished the American Dream — the dream that embodies everything our great Party stands for. Instead, it was Saul’s unparalleled authenticity in his communications, convictions, and commitment to revitalizing the Republican Party.
In an effort to better understand each RNC Chair candidate’s plan for winning over new young voters (in other words, young voters who are not already Republican), we asked each candidate to respond to a brief interview. Saul was the first to take part in our interview, and to this day remains the only candidate to do so. When we evaluated each candidate’s plan for making inroads among young voters, Saul was the only candidate to comment on the post, and specifically to request of us that, “I am more than open to any ideas, suggestions or input you and/or any of the readers might have.” In this way, Saul has an incredible respect for engaging grassroots Republicans — who are the people that fight to elect our candidates everyday, and more importantly, that are able to convince friends and family to vote Republican — rather than simply appealing to insiders and preserving the status quo.
In this challenging time, Republicans need a leader who is willing to take the risk in investing in new ideas to restore our Party’s image and electability, who is willing to fight to substantially increase our vote share among crucial demographics like young voters and minorities, and who is willing to reduce the communication barriers between the RNC’s leadership and the ordinary citizens who are the beating heart of this great Party. Saul has clearly demonstrated that he is the only candidate who is authentically committed to acheiving all of these goals, and because of this, I wholeheartedly endorse Saul Anuzis to be the next leader of our Grand Old Party.
Last 5 posts by Aaron Marks
- Onward and Upward: Building a Sustainable Majority - January 22nd, 2010
- Dear Young Voters: This Is What You Get When You Don't Vote - December 1st, 2009
- The Youth Vote and the 2009 Elections - November 6th, 2009
- The Best of the Post-2009 Election Spin - November 5th, 2009
- Introducing NextGenGOP Executive Director James Kane - October 20th, 2009
I really like Saul! I would be happy if either Saul or Steele became the next chair of the RNC!
I like Saul just fine. He is the only other acceptable candidate after Steele. Here’s the thing, though: People like Saul because he seems to have a real sense about how technology and social networking work.
But let’s have some confidence in what we’re trying to do, here. We know how that stuff works, too, so we know it doesn’t really matter what the big cheese in the RNC chair thinks, so long as he buys into letting the electronic grass roots freely grow, and he throws some water on them now and again.
That sleazy hit-job sent out by a coward did raise some real concerns for me, though. Saul does seem like something of a political entrpreneur, using the process to make money for himself and his network. This is perhaps one of the biggest problems the GOP has today. So even if the portrait is unfair, we have to acknowledge it. Nobody, for example, thinks Saltsman is a racist. But we have to achnowledge he didn’t do as good a job as he could’ve in avoiding the perception.
Steele has managed GOPAC and a state party. He has the experience. He is clearly the best communicator of the bunch, which does matter. He is accused of being a moderate, too. But even if he is, what is wrong with the Chair being a bit on the moderate side? Shouldn’t someone at that level be a big tent type of guy? He’s got his social conservative ducks in a row. He just doesn’t let those issues be deal-breakers. This is, I think, a feature rather than a bug.
The only real criticism of Steele is he isn’t the best fundraiser. But if we’re going to continue to depend on a handful of large checks, we’re hosed anyway.
Thanks for making the case, though, for the second best candidate
Aaron,
I remain undecided in the chairman’s race. Each of these candidates brings some benefit, and has some weaknesses. My problem with Mr. Anuzis is that he hasn’t managed to grow the party in his native Michigan. Now, more than ever, we need a chairman who can produce GOP votes. Mr. Anuzis may indeed be the best choice among the candidates for RNC chairman, but that says more about the state of the party than it does about him.