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Michael Steele is out with his campaign website. That every campaign, even one that is essentially limited to less than 200 people in the U.S. and its territorities has a website is somewhat odd. However, Steele gives an interesting picture of what his chairmanship might look like:
Do you have a great new idea for the future of the Republican Party or just think their is room for improvement? Now you can text your ideas directly to Michael Steele. Text Steele to 66937 today!
To send a text simply follow these steps:
1 – Select messages on your cell phone
2 – Dial the Short Code 66937
3 – Enter Message “Steele” and send
4 – You will then receive a return message confirming your registration. Just repy back – Y.
5 – You are now able to text your ideas to the Steele website. To do that -
- Select Message and dial the short code 66937
- Start your message with @Steele (and then text in your thoughts)
I guess it’s a great opportunity to provide an idea to fundamentally transform the GOP in 150 characters or less. I don’t think any of us R42012 frontpage posters are going to make it. (Hat Tip: Hot Air.)
It does seem to be a consensus among most candidates in the race that new media needs to be used more. However, I think we need more specifics, because while the text idea is interesting, it seems a little gimmicky.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Did a high schooler make that site in Dreamweaver class?
November 24th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
You know, I had similar thoughts. My wife could have done better. Putting up a barebones website like that doesn’t help the “tech savvy argument.)
November 24th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
I think at this point, Michael Steele has to be considered the presumptive favorite. Since Fred, after testing the water, pulled himself out of the running, my top three choices would be:
1) Michael Steele
2) Ken Blackwell
3) Newt Gingrich
November 24th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
JA Pruce, I think if bloggers decided, you’d have a point. But, I remember the last open Chairmanship race in 1996. Jim Nicholson won and no one foresaw that. It really depends on the dynamics in that room.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
My first thought when I saw this earlier this morning was, “Holy crap the GOP is in a lot of trouble technologically speaking if we have to give that explicit of instructions just for people to be able to send a damn text message.”
Anyone under the age of 25 probably saw Steele’s website and scoffed, laughed, and thought, “How pathetic.”
I really, really, hope for the party’s sake that Steele just overshot on those instructions. Seriously though, I do not want someone that presents this pathetic of a technology front leading our party.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
It’s all about Candidate Recruitment.
Candidates for 2010 Senate Races.
Arkansas: Mike Huckabee
California: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Colorado: Bill Owens
Hawaii: Linda Lingle
Maryland: Robert Ehrlich
North Dakota: John Hoeven
Vermont: Jim Douglas
If Steele becomes RNC chair, he needs to get these guys on the phone ASAP and beg them to run.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Yeah Adam, that room definitely portends to be smoke-filled. I think we should probably expect the unexpected.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
#6
Huckabee ain’t running in Arkansas. Please, forget it. No means no. Find somebody else.
I can’t stand Arnold, but I’d take him over Boxer. I’m not sure Bill Owens is a political hot property and unless Akaka, Leahy, or Mikulski retire, I don’t think any candidate will be able to wedge them out. ND: either Hoeven or Ed Schaffer.
I think we also have to look for out of the ordinary candidates with some good stories. I think people are tired of Washington.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
#8: Public Policy Polling http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_Colorado_714.pdf
Ken Salazar (D): 44%
Bill Owens: (R): 41%
Co with Bill Owens is winnable. Arnold is 100x better then Barbra Boxer. Republican Governor Jim Douglas keeps getting reelected every two years by crushing landslides in the most liberal state in the country, even in 2006 and 2008. Vermonters love him, and he can beat Leahy. North Dakota is probably our best chance to pick up a Dem Senate seat. Recruitment the best candidates!
November 24th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
#6,
Schwarzenegger would be good but I don’t think he will run. I would really like to see Kelsey Grammer give it a go though as I think he could be pretty formidable.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
#8: People are really tired of Washington. Notice that all the candidates I listed are Governors.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Okay, I’ll concede Owens is a good pick, except the Divorce issue might haunt him:
http://bill-owens-news.newslib.com/story/5824-3191586/
I think given how tired of politicians people are, you’ve got to look beyond the big names in many of these races.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
#12,
Man, Owens just can’t live down that divorce – how long ago was that anyway. Isn’t there a statute of limitations on these thing? The man’s ripe for a comeback and was once frequently talked about as a future POTUS, I don’t understand why people cling to this divorce thing about him.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Owens divorce was this year. I’m not saying it’s a disqualifier, what I’m saying is that given his support for healthy marriage and divorce prevention, it’s going to be attacked as hypocritical. You may be thinking of a trial separation that was 5 years ago. That’s a little different.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
I think voters care more about the economy then a divorce.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Alan Colmes has left Hannity and Colmes after 12 years. It sounds like Hannity will not get a replacement.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
The moral hypocrisy charge is always a powerful against Republicans and even if voters won’t be scared off by it, Owens might.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
#5, I have never sent a text message in my life.
I don’t really get the purpose of them when you are holding a cell _phone_ in your hand.
The focus on tech seems a bit gimmicky to me.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
#18: Very often, a text is convenient when a call is not:
1. A call requires both parties to be in an environment where they can talk.
2. Texting does not have to be simultaneous and can be responded to when convenient, like email.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
I can see how that would have appeal especially to the younger crowd.
I don’t multitask, so text messages seems like a thing I’d rarely even want to use. If I can’t get up with someone I just leave voicemail or call back later.
I’m not sure of the political potential for text messages but it appears to be something primarily for young voters.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Doug,
There has been numerous studies thatshow kids under 25ish don’t use email for regular conversation. They do text all day long though, so it’s a good idea for parties to get in it now, or else they won’t be reaching any 40 year olds 15 years from now.
November 24th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
I’ve actually begun sending Text Messages, so I can send to my Twitter feed while I’m away from the computer. It’s nicer if you’ve got a Blackberry. Pecking out a 100-character message is the pits.
November 25th, 2008 at 12:02 am
The RNC is going to pick one of their own for the next chairperson (state chair or national committee person). I am not sure if this is a good idea, but they seem committed to a person within their own ranks who will by definition keep the national and state operations more in sync.
November 25th, 2008 at 12:09 am
Republius,
That’s actually part of the rules of the RNC — whoever is nominated for chair has to be a current committeeman/woman. For someone like Steele to get elected, the rules would have to be amended. If Steele had enough support behind him, this wouldn’t be an issue and would be a quick and painless exception.
November 25th, 2008 at 12:24 am
The same thing goes for Saltsman. Steve Merrill, the Governor of New Hampshire ran for Chair 12 years ago.
November 25th, 2008 at 1:36 am
Anyone under the age of 25 probably saw Steele’s website and scoffed, laughed, and thought, “How pathetic.” I really, really, hope for the party’s sake that Steele just overshot on those instructions. Seriously though, I do not want someone that presents this pathetic of a technology front leading our party.
I text all the time, and I didn’t think that. It’s pretty standard to give basic instructions on something.
November 25th, 2008 at 1:40 am
I will say that I’m not impressed with the design of the site. There’s just no excuse not to have a beautiful, eye-catching website in the post-Obama era, and this site indeed does look like, as Jason said, it was made by a high schooler on Dreamweaver.
November 25th, 2008 at 4:38 am
I used to think that way too. I’m not overly tech savvy. It just doesn’t interest me. But text messages are great for communicating something to someone with who you don’t want to be trapped on the phone for an hour. You know the type, right? Some people that you may not have talked to for a while can’t help but telling you all of the most trivial details of their lives before getting to the point of the conversation. Rather than hearing Aunt Millie babble on about how cousin Oliver is on kindergarten now and is already into sive 4 shoes and that two inches of snow fell last night, you can just text, “Thanksgiving dinner is at 4″ and be done with it.
November 25th, 2008 at 4:40 am
with whom*