Watch List: Oklahomans who might get Trump appointments

President-elect Donald Trump is in the midst of picking appointees for his Cabinet and various other top government posts. Among the many names being mentioned for different positions are several Oklahomans.

Gov. Mary Fallin                                Businessman Harold Hamm

Secretary of the Interior

The Department of the Interior manages about 75% of all federal public land, is responsible for conservation of natural resources, and operates numerous agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Geological Survey, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and oversees policy in American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Governor Mary Fallin and Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm are being mentioned as possible picks. Fallin met with Trump on Monday, while it appears that Hamm has had no interview yet.

Secretary of Energy

Despite its name, the Department of Energy actually has more to do with nuclear issues than what you typically think of when you hear "energy" (i.e. oil and gas drilling, etc). Over half of the DOE budget is dedicated to managing our nuclear arsenal and cleaning up atomic-related waste. It also runs the Office of Science, which is focused on research. The DOE has some influence on oil and gas policy, as well as energy-efficiency standards.

Harold Hamm is one of the names being mentioned for this position.

Congressman Jim Bridenstine

NASA Administrator

The NASA Administrator is the highest-ranked official at NASA, and serves as the senior space science advisor to the President of the United States. The Administrator oversees day-to-day operations, manages resources, and sets policy and direction for the agency,

Congressman Jim Bridenstine is one of the rpeople being reported as possible appointees (interesting read here on Bridenstine being the "outsider" pick versus the "insider" options). Before being elected to Congress, Bridenstine was the executive director of the Tulsa Air & Space Museum, and helped with the effort to bring one of the retired space shuttles to Tulsa. Space issues have been one of his priorities in Congress.

Secretary of the Air Force

The Air Force Secretary is the head of the Department of the Air Force, and "is responsible for the affairs of the Department of the Air Force, including organizing, training, equipping and providing for the welfare of its more than 660,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian Airmen and their families."

Congressman Jim Bridenstine, a former Navy pilot who spent 9 years in active duty and is currently in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, has also been mentioned as being considered for this post.

Matt Pinnell

RNC Chairman

With Reince Priebus being tapped as Trump's Chief-of-Staff, that leaves the RNC chairmanship vacant. While technically the position is elected by the National Committee, the President (or President-elect in this case) will have the real decision making, and the Committee will formally elect his pick. Former OKGOP chairman Matt Pinnell, appointed by Priebus as the RNC's State Party Director, was touted as a frontrunner for the job before the presidential campaign really picked up. Priebus being Trump's chief-of-staff may help Pinnell get the job.

President-elect Trump and T.W. Shannon

Unknown

Former Oklahoma House Speaker T.W. Shannon had a meeting Sunday with Trump and top aides Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon. During the meeting, Shannon said they discussed transportation, infrastructure, poverty, education, and issues related to Western land usage. Watch his interview on Fox & Friends here. UPDATE: rumors of possibly a Bureau of Indian Affairs position?

And for one more Oklahoma, here's what the Tulsa World reports: 'Another Oklahoman, Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett, said last week that he has reached out to Trump with a request that he be named to the new administration’s Cabinet. “I’m trying to be considered with the new Trump administration to be the secretary of transportation or to be in that office,” he said Nov. 15, acknowledging that he has not heard from Trump or his transition team.'

RNC Chairman to NBC, CNN: no GOP debates if Clinton programs air

RNC Chairman Calls on NBC and CNN to Stop Promoting Hillary Clinton

RNC will not partner with networks in 2016 primary debates

WASHINGTON – Today Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus sent a letter to Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of NBC Entertainment, and Jeff Zucker, President of CNN Worldwide, calling on their networks to cancel their attempts to influence Americans’ political decisions. Both networks are airing programs promoting former Secretary Hillary Clinton ahead of her likely candidacy for president in 2016. NBC has announced plans to air a miniseries, while CNN is producing a documentary. If the productions are not canceled prior to the start of the RNC’s Summer Meeting, Chairman Priebus will seek a binding vote of the RNC to prevent the committee from partnering with these networks in 2016 primary debates or sanctioning debates they sponsor.

“It’s appalling to know executives at major networks like NBC and CNN who have donated to Democrats and Hillary Clinton have taken it upon themselves to be Hillary Clinton’s campaign operatives,” said Chairman Priebus. “Their actions to promote Secretary Clinton are disturbing and disappointing. I hope Americans will question the credibility of these networks and that NBC and CNN will reconsider their partisan actions and cancel these political ads masked as unbiased entertainment. If they have not agreed to pull this programming prior to the start of the RNC’s Summer Meeting on August 14, I will seek a binding vote stating that the RNC will neither partner with these networks in 2016 primary debates nor sanction primary debates they sponsor.”

Read the Chairman’s letter to NBC: http://ow.ly/nAtWq
Read the Chairman’s letter to CNN: http://ow.ly/nDDMr


This is good to see from Chairman Priebus. For far too long, the GOP has allowed the media to dominate the presidential primary debates, while pushing their extreme liberal bias. The next step is to replace liberal moderators with actual conservative Republicans.

RNC Chair Race - Today

 Reince Priebus

Ann Wagner

Saul Anuzis

 Michael Steele

Maria Cino

 The vote for RNC Chairman is taking place today, and these are the candidates. If I were to hazard a guess, the order of pictures is according to their likelihood of winning, from Priebus with the best shot to Cino with the lowest chance.

For the latest information, follow the OKGOP Twitter feed, which is posted below.

McLarty Endorses Wagner for RNC Chair

RNC Chair candidate Ann Wagner (a former Missouri GOP chair, US Ambassador, and RNC Co-Chair) picked up an endorsement by the Oklahoma GOP's third RNC vote - National Committeewoman Carolyn McLarty on Sunday. OKGOP Chairman Matt Pinnell and National Committeeman James Dunn, the other two votes Oklahoma has, both endorsed Reince Priebus last week.

McLarty issued the following letter to RNC members, announcing her intent to support Wagner.

After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to commit my support to Ann Wagner for RNC Chairman. I believe she is the most completely qualified and capable candidate running.

Ann holds her conservative values dearly. She is right-on on the issues. She knows the dangers of letting our freedoms slip away to big government control. She observed this directly during her ambassador service in Europe. As a result, she has a deep-seated concern about the direction our country is going.

Ann has firsthand experience on the RNC as a member and as Co-Chair. She has the political and managerial experience of running the State Party and a statewide campaign in the powerful swing state of Missouri.

Ann Wagner has the diplomatic skills to be a persuasive spokesperson and professional representative for the Republican Party to the press, to the major donors, to the legislative leadership, and to the public.

Ann is a person that can be trusted to use our dollars wisely and efficiently. She can inspire the confidence of major donors and of Mom and Pop donors around the country.

The election of Ann Wagner as RNC Chairman will clearly demonstrate the RNC’s determination to recover from controversy, to unify, and to set a steady, forward course to Victory in 2012.

According to National Review's Hotline On Call blog, the race currently stands as follows: Reince Priebus is first (30 votes), Michael Steele in second (15 votes), Ann Wagner in third (12 votes), Saul Anuzis in fourth (10 votes), Maria Cino in fifth (6 votes). Over half of all RNC voting members are still uncommitted, so this could go to any of the current candidates.


You can visit Wagner's website here, and watch her announcement video below.

Pinnell, Dunn Endorse Reince Priebus for RNC Chair

Wisconsin GOP Chairman and RNC Chair candidate Reince Priebus picked up two of Oklahoma's three Republican National Committee votes, as State GOP Chairman Matt Pinnell and National Committeeman James Dunn endorsed Priebus.






State Chairman Matt Pinnell: "We have a number of qualified candidates for RNC Chair - but at the end of the day I was most comfortable with Reince's qualifications and vision for the RNC. Reince is a Young Gun GOP rising star, and represents the best and the future of this Party."





National Committeeman James Dunn: "Reince Priebus has consistently demonstrated his ability and desire to work with all Republicans with differing views to find the common ground required for the RNC to achieve victory in 2012.  Reince has a long history of leading his state party to record election victories and organizational fund raising while upholding the integrity and honor of Republican values.  His commitment to lead with a servant's heart convinces me that Reince Priebus is the right Republican for the 2012 campaign cycle as RNC Chairman."



Currently, National Committeewoman Carolyn McLarty is undeclared as to her support.

According to National Journal's Hotline On Call blog, Priebus leads the field of six candidates in public commitments thus far with 22. Current chairman Michael Steele is in second place with 12 commitments. It takes 85 votes to win the election; last time, it took six rounds of voting to whittle the candidates down enough for Michael Steele to emerge as victor.

Watch Priebus' YouTube candidacy announcement video here:

RNC Chair Race Update

As the election for Republican National Committee chair gets closer, the picture as to who will be chairman for the 2012 election cycle is beginning to form.

Currently, there are six candidates in the running: current RNC Chairman Michael Steele, former Michigan GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis, former RNC Co-Chair Ann Wagner, Party chairman Reince Priebus, former Bush administration official Maria Cino and former RNC political director Gentry Collins. Steele and Anuzis were candidates in the last RNC chair election (2009).

According to NationalJournal.com's Hotline on Call blog, this is the current tally of plegded votes for each candidate. Only members of the Republican National Commitee (three per state/territory) can vote in the chair election.

Reince Priebus - 16
Michael Steele - 12
Saul Anuzis - 10
Ann Wagner - 10
Maria Cino - 3
Gentry Collins - 2
Undeclared - 115
[Steele and Priebus do not have a website that I could find]

The Daily Caller and Americans for Tax Reform will be hosting a debate with the candidates on Monday, January 3rd at 1pm EST.

And they wonder why the RNC is seen as out-of-touch?

Ken Mehlman, the campaign manager for George W. Bush's 2004 reelection campaign and the Republican National Committee chairman from 2005-2007, publicly said yesterday that he is a homosexual.

Current RNC chairman Michael Steele had this to say: "I am happy for Ken. His announcement, often a very difficult decision which is only compounded when done on the public stage, reaffirms for me why we are friends and why I respect him personally and professionally."

And they wonder why the RNC is generally perceived as out of touch with mainstream Americans and Republicans by the grassroots conservatives that make up the GOP...


For reference, here is what the 2008 RNC Platform has to say about marriage:

Preserving Traditional Marriage

Because our children’s future is best preserved within the traditional understanding of marriage, we call for a constitutional amendment that fully protects marriage as a union of a man and a woman, so that judges cannot make other arrangements equivalent to it. In the absence of a national amendment, we support the right of the people of the various states to affirm traditional marriage through state initiatives.

Republicans recognize the importance of having in the home a father and a mother who are married. The two-parent family still provides the best environment of stability, discipline, responsibility, and character. Children in homes without fathers are more likely to commit a crime, drop out of school, become violent, become teen parents, use illegal drugs, become mired in poverty, or have emotional or behavioral problems. We support the courageous efforts of single-parent families to provide a stable home for their children. Children are our nation’s most precious resource. We also salute and support the efforts of foster and adoptive families.

Republicans have been at the forefront of protecting traditional marriage laws, both in the states and in Congress. A Republican Congress enacted the Defense of Marriage Act, affirming the right of states not to recognize same-sex “marriages” licensed in other states. Unbelievably, the Democratic Party has now pledged to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which would subject every state to the redefinition of marriage by a judge without ever allowing the people to vote on the matter. We also urge Congress to use its Article III, Section 2 power to prevent activist federal judges from imposing upon the rest of the nation the judicial activism in Massachusetts and California. We also encourage states to review their marriage and divorce laws in order to strengthen marriage.

As the family is our basic unit of society, we oppose initiatives to erode parental rights. 

A Blogging Milestone: 5000 Visits

At 5:44pm yesterday, this blog reached another milestone - 5,000 visits.

From its inception on July 31st, 2008, we have covered a wide variety of issues, some of which are listed below.

• The 2008 Election, including our series of Oklahoma-based polls, and our Bought and Paid For: Jim Roth series
• Muskogee-area Politics
• The RNC Chair Race
• The Israeli Parliamentary Elections
• The Continuing Israeli-Arab/Palestinian Conflicts
  
• The OKGOP Chair Race and Caucus Vote
  
• Global Warming, and the rising prominence of Czech Pres. Vaclav Klaus
• KFAQ's Firing of Chris Medlock
  
• The 2010 Gubernatorial Election
• The 2009 Tea Parties

I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for reading my blog. Due to your visits, this blog has been ranked as high as 3rd on the BlogNetNews.com/Oklahoma Influence Index, and is currently ranked 10th on the 12-week rolling average - a pretty good accomplishment. You as readers have also left 138 comments.

None of this would have happened without you, and I thank you all again. I hope that you will continue to read this blog in the future.

Sincerely,

Jamison Faught
The Muskogee Politico Blogmaster

Michael Steele Wins RNC Chair Race

Congratulations, Chairman Steele!

In the sixth ballot, Michael Steele beat Katon Dawson to become the new RNC Chairman. Here's how things played out:

First Ballot

• Mike Duncan: 52
  
• Michael Steele: 46
  
• Katon Dawson: 28
  
• Saul Aunzis: 22
  
• Ken Blackwell: 20

Nobody dropped out. The rules do not require any candidates to be dropped, or to pull their names out of contention. Duncan's vote total was lower than expected (the audience gasped, according to National Review Online).

Second Ballot

• Mike Duncan: 48
  
• Michael Steele: 48
  
• Katon Dawson: 29
  
• Saul Aunzis: 24
  
• Ken Blackwell: 19

No one dropped out here, either.

Third Ballot

• Michael Steele: 51
• Mike Duncan: 44
  
• Katon Dawson: 34
  
• Saul Aunzis: 24
  
• Ken Blackwell: 15

Mike Duncan dropped out after the third ballot, without endorsing anyone.

Fourth Ballot

• Katon Dawson: 62
• Michael Steele: 60
  
• Saul Aunzis: 31
  
• Ken Blackwell: 15

Katon Dawson took the lead in the fourth ballot. Ken Blackwell withdrew, endorsing Michael Steele.

Fifth Ballot

• Michael Steele: 79
  
• Katon Dawson: 69
  
• Saul Aunzis: 20
  

Saul Anuzis pulled out, without endorsing Steele or Dawson. Steele retook the lead.

Sixth Ballot

• Michael Steele: 91
  
• Katon Dawson: 77
  

Steele emerged victorious on the sixth ballot. Congratulations, Chairman Steele!

RNC Chair Update - Vote Tomorrow

Final Update to the RNC Chair race... the vote takes place tomorrow morning.

Chip Saltsman is out. Never even got a public committee endorsement.

It's anybody's guess right now. According to YourRNC.com's latest endorsement count, current chairman Mike Duncan is in the lead with 36 pledged votes. Katon Dawson leads the pack for second, with 20 pledged votes. All the rest are close behind.

My thoughts.

• Mike Duncan: Should not be re-elected. Yes, he barely got on the job in time for the 2008 election, but we need dramaticly new leadership.
• Katon Dawson: Got hit early on for being a member of a "whites-only" country club (he was unaware of the long-forgotten rule). Showing surprising strength down the stretch. Would probably be okay...
  
• Michael Steele: Too moderate for my taste. However, with Obama as president, I think Steele could be a good counter-figure.
  
• Saul Anuzis: An overall bad choice. Very poor job as Michigan GOP Chair. Read here for more.
  
• Ken Blackwell: Strong conservative; OKGOP Chair Gary Jones' pick. I really like this guy... solidly conservative, and would take the GOP in the right direction. Being African-American like Steele gives him an edge for criticizing Obama. I hope he pulls it out, but can he?
  

We will find out who the new chairman is tomorrow...

RNC Chair Debate

In case you missed it, the RNC Chair debate held by Americans for Tax Reform was held on January 5th.

It ran on C-SPAN, and you can view the debate in its entirety here.

Ken Blackwell's 'Conservative Resurgence Plan'

Ken Blackwell, candidate for RNC Chairman, has released his 'Conservative Resurgence Plan', co-authored by Oklahoma GOP Chairman Gary Jones.

You can view the document here. Blackwell is swiftly becoming the front-runner for the RNC Chairmanship.

RNC members will meet January 28-31, during which time they will vote on a new chairman.

RNC Race: The Blackwell Surprise

RNC Chair candidate Ken Blackwell, whom we first mentioned when OKGOP Chairman Gary Jones endorsed him, continues to gain heavy-weight endorsements in his bid. Today, Blackwell announced a whole slew of new supporters. Here's the press release:

Conservative Leaders Endorse Ken Blackwell for RNC C

A broad cross-section of American conservative economic, social and foreign policy leaders has endorsed the candidacy of former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell for chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC).

The election will be at an RNC meeting in D.C. January 28-31.

A meeting of conservative leaders, gathered by the Council for National Policy on November 13, asked Virginia Republican National Committeeman Morton Blackwell (no relation to Ken Blackwell) to prepare and distribute a list of questions for the RNC chairmanship candidates.

All six active candidates, Saul Anuzis of Michigan, Ken Blackwell of Ohio, Katon Dawson of South Carolina, Mike Duncan of Kentucky, John “Chip” Saltsman of Tennessee, and Michael Steele of Maryland, answered the questions. The 37 questions and the six candidates’ answers are posted on the website Townhall.com.

After a review on January 2 of the candidates’ answers and a discussion of their other qualifications, the conservative leaders listed below announced their support of Ken Blackwell and urged the 168 members of the RNC to elect him at their late-January meeting.

Their organizational affiliations are provided for identification only.

The conservative endorsers noted that there were other good candidates, but all agreed that Ken Blackwell is the best choice. They intend to contact grassroots conservatives across the country and ask them to urge the three RNC members from each state and U.S. territory to vote for Ken Blackwell for RNC chairman.

Gary Aldrich, Chairman, CNP Action, Inc.
MORTON C. BLACKWELL, Virginia Republican National Committeeman
Robert B. Bluey, Contributing Editor, RedState
L. Brent Bozell, Founder and President, Media Research Center
Kellyanne Conway, CEO and President, the polling company, inc./WomanTrend

T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr., Former Domestic Advisor to President Reagan
JAMES C. DOBSON, Ph.D., FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN, FOCUS ON THE FAMILY
Becky Norton Dunlop, President, Council for National Policy
Stuart W. Epperson, Chairman, Salem Communications Corporation
STEVE FORBERS, CHAIRMAN & CEO, FORBES MEDIA

Dr. Ronald Godwin, Vice Chancellor, Liberty University
Rebecca Hagelin, Author and Conservative Columnist
Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring
DAVID KEEN, Chairman, American Conservative Union
Tim LaHaye, Founder and President, Tim LaHaye Ministries

ED MEESE, PAST PRESIDENT, COUNCIL FOR NATIONAL POLICY
James C. Miller, Past President, Council for National Policy
TONY PERKINS, PRESIDENT, FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL
Ken Raasch, Chairman & CEO, Creative Brands Group
Alfred S. Regnery, Publisher, The American Spectator

PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY, PRESIDENT, EAGLE FORUM
PAT TOOMEY, PRESIDENT, CLUB FOR GROWTH
Richard Viguerie, Chairman, ConservativeHQ.com

[all-caps emphasis are mine; major endorsements]

Blackwell has gathered so many influential supporters, as well as the most publicly announced Republican National Committee members, that any other candidate will have a hard time beating Ken Blackwell.

From what I'm seeing and hearing, this is Ken Blackwell's race to lose. I'm predicting a Blackwell victory come February.

Politico's 'Guide to the RNC Chair Race'

Here's Politico.com's 'A Guide to the RNC Chairman race':

A Guide to the RNC Chairman race
by Alexander Burns

The six contenders for Republican National Committee chair are rolling out every gimmick, plan and endorsement in the hopes of gaining an edge — any edge — in the tight contest for the GOP’s top job.

Just Tuesday, Ken Blackwell, the former Ohio secretary of state, announced that he was forming a ticket with Texas Republican Party Chairwoman Tina Benkiser, who is running for national co-chairwoman of the party. Former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele unveiled a set of ethics regulations designed to polish the GOP’s tarnished public image.

Earlier this week, Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis contacted RNC members to advertise his “Blueprint for a GOP Comeback.”

Not to be outdone, incumbent Chairman Mike Duncan, who confirmed his intention to seek a second term last week, is making plans for the formation of a new conservative think-tank, the Center for Republican Renewal.

The attention-grabbing stunts are a necessity in a race where the candidates don’t have many chances to confront each other directly. Two of the few opportunities will take place during the first week of January, when candidates will face each other at a debate hosted by the fiscal conservative group Americans for Tax Reform and then later that week when they compete for support from the RNC’s Conservative Steering Committee, which will hold a straw poll and release a list of approved candidates.

There’s still a ways to go in the race, and experienced Republicans point to the 1997 contest for RNC chairman — when Jim Nicholson upset a crowded field in the party’s last competitive leadership election — as evidence that anything can happen.

Here’s a look at each candidate’s prospects six weeks out from the start of the RNC’s winter meeting on Jan. 28.

Mike Duncan — As the current committee chairman, Duncan knows the party’s insiders better than anyone else in the running. And while his present term in office has left Republicans with mixed feelings — his prolific fundraising doesn’t quite make up, in some leaders’ minds, for the GOP’s devastating November losses — he’s ended on a strong note thanks to Saxby Chambliss’s victory in the Georgia Senate runoff and the GOP’s two House wins in Louisiana.

Most of all, Duncan is benefiting from a divided field of opponents who haven’t developed a consistent critique of his leadership and against whom he could quickly become an unobjectionable consensus candidate.

“If there was a movement that could push Duncan out, I think it would be identifiable at this point,” said one Republican strategist who expects Duncan to be reelected. “I just do not get the feeling that there is going to be some great change.”

Saul Anuzis — Among the field of candidates seeking to become the anti-Duncan, Anuzis stands out for his energetic campaigning and his emphasis on technology. The Michigan GOP chair announced his bid on Twitter and has been hammering away at the theme of tactical innovation. Multiple Republicans noted Anuzis’s big, colorful personality — he rides a Harley-Davidson and sports a goatee as an asset in a race where candidates are struggling to distinguish themselves from an ideologically homogenous field.

Anuzis has also rolled out more public endorsements than any other candidate, drawing heavily on support from blue states like New Jersey and Connecticut and shaping a perception that his candidacy is picking up steam.

“If I had to assign momentum in what has been a very, very sleepy race, I’d assign it to Anuzis,” said another Republican strategist.

Anuzis’s weakness? Michigan has been very tough ground for the GOP in recent cycles, and the support he’s receiving from Republicans back home may not be quite enough to kick voters’ suspicion that he just hasn’t delivered the wins an RNC chair needs.

Michael Steele — Steele, a former state party chair who served as Maryland’s lieutenant governor before losing a Senate race in 2006 to then-Rep. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), is essentially tied in second place with Anuzis. Steele announced his candidacy on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity and Colmes” to great fanfare, touting his skills as a political communicator at a time when Republicans lack a high-profile leaders on the national stage.

Steele’s campaign hasn’t gone quite the way he expected it to, according to some Republicans, who believe Steele expected his star power to carry him farther than it has in a race in which many RNC members would prefer to elect one of their colleagues on the committee.

And though he’s consistently reaffirmed his commitment to conservative social positions, his association with the moderate Republican Leadership Council has some RNC members uneasy.

“I don’t think there’s any question that he is personally pro-life. I think the only question is how he views the role of social conservatives within the party,” said James Bopp Jr., the influential social conservative who serves as national committeeman for Indiana.

But despite these hiccups, Steele seems destined to make it to the finish line with the clout to make it through multiple ballots. And if he can edge out Anuzis on the first vote he could give Duncan a run for his money.

Katon Dawson — Running a little behind his fellow challengers, but still mounting an energetic and serious campaign, is South Carolina Republican Party Chair Katon Dawson. With a better win-loss record than Anuzis and a closer rapport with RNC members than Steele or Blackwell, Dawson could ride a wave of conservative and Southern support into the late stages of balloting — particularly if the Blackwell-Benkiser gambit falls flat.

The Palmetto State Republican is billing his campaign as a vehicle for outside-the-Beltway competence and emphasizing the need to return control over the RNC to successful state-level leaders — a message that’s certainly in tune with the mood on the committee.

Dawson’s major obstacle is, in a word, Southernness. At a moment when some are labeling the GOP a regional party, Dawson may not look (and sound) like the change the GOP needs. And his critics are only too eager to hype up a damaging story that Dawson belonged to an all-white country club as recently as last summer.

Ken Blackwell — The former Cincinnati mayor and Ohio secretary of state entered the RNC campaign late — on Dec. 5 — and has lagged behind the other contenders. While his candidacy hasn’t exactly caught fire, it got a potentially significant boost this week in the shape of his partnership with Benkiser, who could help Blackwell appeal to the significant social conservative bloc on the committee.

Blackwell has also moved forward with a series of moves that appear designed to capture the RNC’s fiscal conservative vote, receiving the endorsements of publisher Steve Forbes and Club for Growth head Pat Toomey. Endorsements don’t necessarily pack much of a punch in an internal election like this one, but every little bit helps.

Like Steele, however, Blackwell’s not a member of the RNC and he still faces skepticism about both his qualifications and his viability. The Ohioan still has some catching up to do in this race and a running mate alone won’t do the trick.

“He’s a very plausible candidate,” said one member of the RNC, who cautioned: “He’s neither fish nor fowl. He’s not a figure with national prominence and he’s not a figure with experience keeping the trains running on time.”

Chip Saltsman — A former chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party and campaign manager to Mike Huckabee, Saltsman has more to gain than any other candidate from a protracted, multi-ballot knife fight for the chairmanship. The 40-year-old has been running a vigorous race against more established candidates, though he’s had to distance himself from the Huckabee campaign in a race where no one wants to support a stalking horse for 2012.

Saltsman knows he’s an underdog, but as a student of GOP politics he also knows that once an RNC race gets past the first or second ballot, all bets are off. If Saltsman can become a second- or third-choice candidate for a significant number of RNC members, and survive the first ballot, he could try and follow the Jim Nicholson path to victory. Yet even if he is unsuccessful, he’s established himself as a name to be taken very seriously in years to come.

The MuskogeePolitico has not yet decided which candidate to support. Certainly not Mike Duncan, with the terrible performance and leadership the RNC has had the past few years.

As we reported, Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman Gary Jones endorsed Ken Blackwell; so far, he has been the only Oklahoman to endorse a candidate.

RNC Chair candidate websites:

• Saul Anuzis
• Ken Blackwell
• Katon Dawson
• Chip Saltsman
• Michael Steele

(Current RNC Chairman and candidate Mike Duncan does not yet have a website.) [CORRECTION: Duncan does have a website]

I have added a list on the sidebar with the candidates websites linked.

OKGOP Chair Endorses Ken Blackwell

Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman Gary Jones has endorsed Ken Blackwell in the RNC Chair race. Here is the letter from Chairman Jones and Lousiana GOP Chair Roger Villere. Blackwell has made them the co-chairman of his RNC chair campaign.

Dear RNC Member,

Today we join Steve Forbes and Chuck Yob in announcing our support for Ken Blackwell for Chairman of the Republican National Committee. As part of that support we have agreed to serve as Co-Chairs of Ken’s campaign.

We believe that Ken Blackwell will make the strongest RNC Chairman for the following reasons.

- Ken is a conservative who has experience working with important segments of our base such as the National Rifle Association, the Family Research Council, and the Club for Growth.

- Ken has experience representing our party on national television and has the authority to be taken seriously by the media and the American people.

- Ken knows what it takes to win elections having been successful in thirteen out of the seventeen times he has been on the ballot.

- Ken understands the mechanics of our party having worked in all fifty states across the country to fight Democrat attempts to rig the census.

This year Louisiana Republicans experienced one of the best years ever, winning two congressional seats in runoffs this past Saturday by a combined 2% while ousting an incumbent Democrat in a Democrat district. It was a phenomenal ending to a phenomenal cycle in Louisiana.

Oklahoma Republicans also had a successful year, winning majority in the Oklahoma Senate for the first time in state history while delivering every county for John McCain.

We want to thank Mike Duncan for his service on the job he did under difficult circumstances and appreciated the help provided by Chairman Duncan and commend him for his many years of service to our party.

That said, we believe it is time to go in a new direction and that Ken Blackwell is the best person to lead our party against Barack Obama, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi.

While we realize there is an effort to make sure that a current member is Chairman of the RNC, we believe it would be a mistake not to field our best team against the Democrats.

Ken understands the importance of working with RNC members in building partnerships between the RNC and the states. Ken pledges to appoint RNC members as deputies and to use their experience and knowledge to prepare our party utilizing the best training and technology available going into the next round of elections.

We look forward to working with each of you in the years to come and urge you to join us in helping make Ken Blackwell RNC Chairman.

Sincerely,

Gary Jones, Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman
Co-Chairman - Blackwell for RNC Chairman

Roger F. Villere Jr., Louisiana Republican Party Chariman
Co-Chairman - Blackwell for RNC Chairman

(link)

You can visit Ken Blackwell's campaign website here.

Update to RNC Race

Current RNC chairman Mike Duncan will be running for re-election, and has launched his own website.

Here's the current list of announced candidates:

Mike Duncan
Michael Steele
Saul Anuzis
Chip Saltsman
Katon Dawson
Ken Blackwell

UPDATE: Added Ken Blackwell to the list.

Saltsman Launches RNC Chair Website

Chip Saltsman, former Tennessee GOP chairman and campaign manager for presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, has launched his website for RNC chair candidacy. You can visit it here.

Other candidate for the RNC chair that have websites include Michael Steele and Saul Anuzis.