THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN STEELE

By Frances Rice 

The mark of a great leader is success on the battlefield. This axiom applies equally to military and political campaigns. A testament to the extraordinarily successful leadership of Michael Steele as chairman of the Republican National Committee is reflected in the 2010 tidal wave election that propelled a record number of Republicans into office and shocked Democrats to their core.   

Two years ago when Chairman Steele was first elected after a spirited and hard-fought battle where several other candidates were vying for the RNC chairmanship, the political landscape for Republicans looked bleak. Faced with the results of the 2006 Congressional election debacle for Republicans and the loss of the presidency in 2008 to a charismatic liberal Democrat, President Barack Obama, Chairman Steele launched a bold strategy for a Republican resurgence. His vision was to focus on listening to average Americans and communicating the Republican Party’s founding principles of lower taxes, less government, more freedom and individual responsibility. This tactical move proved providential as average Americans spontaneously started a grassroots Tea Party movement against the Democratic Party’s out-of-control spending that destroyed our economy, grew the government and eroded our basic freedoms.  

The following statement issued by Chairman Steele after the astonishing 2010 election results shows his recognition of and respect for the power of the people.  

“Tonight, we learned that our democracy is alive and well and that voters, not politicians, will be the ones who direct the course of our great nation. After two years of arrogance on behalf of Democrats towards their constituents, the American people have taken an important step to reclaim the reins of their country by making the important decision to fire Nancy Pelosi. Tonight, voters rejected the economic policies that have resulted in nearly double-digit unemployment and record-breaking budget deficits. They have rejected the belief that government can run our health care system, automobile companies, and student loan industry better then we can. Most importantly, they have rejected the politics of President Obama where the people’s business is conducted behind closed doors.

 ”Two years ago, the Republican Party was said to be in the wilderness without a cohesive message or a plan of action. So we listened to the American people and remained true to our core principles of limited government and fiscal responsibility. Today, the Republican Party has reemerged stronger and closer to the people who put their faith in us. The new Republican majority in the House of Representatives was elected on a promise to put a check on the liberal agenda and reckless spending of the Obama Administration. We intend to make good on that promise so that the families of today can once again afford the American dream.”

Without a doubt, Chairman Steele possesses the qualities of all great leaders who are able to develop and execute a winning strategy while bravely enduring hostile fire from opponents and detractors. With this article we in the National Black Republican Association wish to express our gratitude to Chairman Steele for his dedication and untiring labors on behalf of our nation during a time of grave economic and political peril. The Republican Party would be well served if Chairman Steele seeks a second term and is so elected. 

Frances Rice, a lawyer and retired Army lieutenant colonel, is the chairman of the National Black Republican Association. She may be contacted at: www.NBRA.info

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A note from NBRA Chairman Frances Rice: Absent from media speculation about a second term for RNC Chairman Michael Steele is a recounting of details about his accomplishments. Listed below are but a few of his achievements extracted from an RNC fact sheet released before the 2010 election.

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For Information Contact: Republican National Committee 
310 First Street, SE | Washington, D.C. 20003
 | p: 202.863.8500 | f: 202.863.8820 | e: info@gop.com  

The RNC By The Numbers 

Building at the Grassroots by Affirming Conservative Principles 

• The RNC has gotten back to the values that define the party, and won back the support of grassroots conservative voters, thus boosting turnout for GOP candidates, and averting third party challenges.  

• The result: for the first time since 1930, more Republican voters voted in statewide primaries. Four million more GOP than Democrat voters voted in 35 primaries held before September 1^st.   

Fundraising 

The RNC has raised and spent more money on behalf of Republican candidates-by far-than any other entity, including both official GOP campaign committees and nominally independent groups that are not bound by the legal limits that apply to the RNC. 

• The RNC already has smashed the record for most money collected in a cycle by any committee whose party does not control Congress or the White House. Thus far, RNC receipts already exceed 5 MILLION, 34% more than the previous record set by the DNC over the entire 2006 cycle.  

• Thus far in the 2010 cycle, the RNC already has exceeded the amount of hard money raised by the RNC in 1994, even after adjusting for inflation.  

• Over 1,000,000 donors have given so far this year-far more than the last mid-term election year-with over 220,000 donations in September alone.  

• To date, the RNC has gained over 665,000 NEW donors this cycle, far more than the last mid-term.   

• The RNC’s expanded donor base reflects its grassroots focus: the average gift is .71.     

Ground Game, Technology, and GOTV 

• The RNC has established 360 Victory offices with paid and volunteer staff all across the country, compared to just 154 Victory offices in 2008 and 140 in 2006.    

• The RNC is fighting for votes in every part of the country, in every community, and among every voter group, with a renewed focus on the state and local levels. The RNC invested .5 million in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races, up from .2 million in 2005, ensuring that those wins provided critical momentum for the Republican Revival of 2010.   

• The RNC already has made over 34 million voter contacts, far more than even the 2008 presidential.  

• The RNC website has been completely revamped in 2009, making it a true "web platform". The number of page views are up 159%. Email has been vastly improved: the RNC has a 40% open rate-up from about 3% in 2008-and a click through rate of close to 15%.