New RNC Chairman: Michael Steele

Who knew Pax Plena's endorsement went so far?

Congratulations to newly minted RNC Chairman, Michael Steele.

Mr. Steele defeated South Carolina GOP Chair Katon Dawson, capturing 91 votes on the final tally.

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Update: The talking heads have weighed in on Mr. Steele's selection. Surprisingly, the reviews are glowing.

The GOP Chairman's Race and Republicans Who Get It

For those in the know, the GOP should have a new chairman sometime today. Though, GOP rules requires the new chairman to win a simple majority of 85 votes out of 168 cast. With some five candidates in the mix, the race is expected to take several ballots.

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Although it is a bit late, to say that yours truly doesn't have a horse in the race would be a fib. Pax Plena is firmly backing GOPAC Chairman, and Fox News Personality Michael Steele in the GOP Chairman's race.

Why?

Well, in brief, Mr. Steele gets the problem. First, he has talked at length about the need to expand the party base. The last election proved that Republicans cannot win National elections when their party appeal is limited to the South, Texas and Oklahoma. Sticking with the current chairman, or selecting another candidate from the south, make about as much sense as the Arizona Cardinals asking the Detroit Lions for advice on how to win the Super Bowl.

Second, he has loudly, and eloquently advocated for communicating the party's values in new ways that connect with a new generation of voters. Younger voters are trending Democrat in troubling numbers- in large part because Republicans have failed to reach out and make their message relevant. This must change or the term "College Republican" will become an anachronism.

Third, his conservatism comes across as reasonable, and without a hint of anger or defensiveness. In the age of Keith Olbermann and Rush Limbaugh, when we have two GOP Chairman candidates from the South - one a former member of an all-white country club, and the other a purveyor of the racists hit "Barack the Magic Negro" to RNC Members (though, Mr. Saltsman did drop out yesterday)- it is difficult to argue with a candidate who is affable on TV, reasonable in person, and secure enough in his beliefs to be even tempered.

Naturally, because Mr. Steele has called for being more inclusive, some have dismissed him as being a moderate. Here's hoping he wins nonetheless.

Although certainly not an endorsement, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell offered similar remarks yesterday where he bemoaned the prospects of the GOP becoming a regional, minority party. The Politico summarized the talk below:

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a blunt warning to Republicans Thursday: Their party must regain lost supporters plus blacks, Hispanics and voters on both coasts — or risk becoming a permanent minority party with a limited power base.

“We’re all concerned about the fact that the very wealthy and the very poor, the most and least educated, and a majority of minority voters, seem to have more or less stopped paying attention to us,” McConnell said in a speech at the Republican National Committee’s winter meeting. “And we should be concerned that, as a result of all this, the Republican Party seems to be slipping into a position of being more of a regional party than a national one.”

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If I thought Sen. McConnell had more fire in the belly, I might suggest Mitch McConnell in 2012. Even so, I take heart knowing that there is at least one Republican in the Senate who understands the big issues. We need to be more inclusive. We need to expand our appeal beyond the South. And we need to deliver a better message.

Hopefully, today will bring a GOP Chairman who gets this basic message as well.

The Goracle

For the last time, I have underestimated the wit of Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank. Mr. Milbank published a wonderfully sarcastic column today mocking Al Gore and his performance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on climate change. Below is a sample of the fun:

The chairman worried that the Goracle may have been offended by "naysayers" who thought it funny that Gore's testimony before the committee came on a morning after a snow-and-ice storm in the capital. "The little snow in Washington does nothing to diminish the reality of the crisis," Kerry said at the start of the hearing.

The climate was well controlled inside the hearing room, although Gore, suffering from a case of personal climate change, perspired heavily during his testimony. The Goracle presented the latest version of his climate-change slide show to the senators: a globe with yellow and red blotches, a house falling into water, and ones with obscure titles such as "Warming Impacts Ugandan Coffee Growing Region." At one point he flashed a biblical passage on the screen, but he quickly removed it. "I'm not proselytizing," he explained. A graphic showing a disappearing rain forest was accompanied by construction noises.
Mostly, however, the lawmakers took turns asking the Goracle for advice, as if playing with a Magic 8 Ball.

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Tonight I will rest easy, knowing that political satire remains alive and well- even in the Age of Obama.

Presidential Humor

Lest my mood seem overly dour regarding America's political state of the union, below is a terrific video featuring a bit of off-color Presidential humor.

I won't play spoiler, but if President George H.W. Bush is seeking a second career, then stand-up comedy is one he might consider.

The New Bipartisanship

A little over a week ago, the New York Times made much ado about President Obama's early efforts to reach out to Republicans. In fact, the NYT was down-right gushing about the efforts saying,

As Mr. Obama prepares to move into the White House, he and his top advisers are making a visible effort to engage Congressional Republicans, hoping to show they are serious about Mr. Obama’s commitment to bipartisanship and to try to enact an economic recovery measure with solid support from both sides in the crucial early going.

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Bu my what a week will bring...

In the wake of the Inauguration, the news reports gave every indication that the lion would soon lay down with the lamb, and that America's partisan ilk were finally ready to join hands and sing Kumbaya - or whatever song Aretha Franklin and her hat deemed fit.

Yet, just two days ago, far from sounding out opposing points of view, President Obama's message to the very Republicans whose input he sought on the stimulus plan, was an arrogant "I won. I will trump you on that."

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For those not steeped in political nuance, this roughly translates to your ideas do not matter. We will do this my way.

And finally, only yesterday, the President's new message of bipartisanship also took a firm departure from the New York Times's plaudits. Mr. Obama's olive branch of compromise to spend-wary Republicans on the stimulus plan read somewhere along the lines of "I will not compromise with you on the stimulus plan."

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Funny, but President Obama's post-partisan era looks doggedly like, well, the "petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics."

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Turns out, the soaring rhetoric and the President's talk of change are really about as canned as a Yo Yo Ma/Itzhak Perlman quartet. It sounds good, but you can't really hear it.

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Update: While the new bipartisanship does not include being bipartisan (or compromising), it does, apparently, include having cocktails.

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Lolcat of the Week

On days like today, with miles of work ahead, I can't help but feel this way about law school...


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Coffee and Dementia

If the study below is true (and since it comes from the New York Times it must be), then yours truly will never suffer from dementia.

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Obama and Oklahoma

By now most people have had time to parse the election returns and play pundit. Always on the cutting edge, this has gone on here at Pax Plena since early November. But even for a seasoned critic, I was surprised to see a sudden spike in interest concerning my home state. Apparently, President Obama's showing in Oklahoma was so poor that the state, ironically, became too great an oddity for the mainstream press to ignore.

In the past week, no less than two major publications have taken a pilgrimage to the Sooner State, trying to understand President Obama's lack of appeal. Proudly, they have called it the reddest state in the Union. The New York Times said it with the most panache:

Not a single county in Oklahoma stirred from the orderly phalanx marching behind Mr. McCain, the senator from Arizona who was the Republican nominee, and Mr. Driskill, the owner of an insurance agency in downtown Tulsa, said he was proud to be in those ranks. Statewide, two out of three voters supported Mr. McCain, the highest percentage in the nation.

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Note: Not a single, blessed Oklahoma County went for President Obama in 2008. The New York Times article describes Oklahomans as resigned to the the next four years- which may have some truth to it- but the Daily Best article below does the Grey Lady one better, and explains why many Oklahomans were opposed to Mr. Obama in the first place.

This underscores my own bias, but for such a cosmopolitan publication, I was glad that the Daily Beast did not flippantly dub Oklahomans a bunch of racists. In fact, it concluded quite the opposite:

Racism was an obvious fact of life in this scene in Talihina, expressed openly and jovially, though not un-self-consciously, as people were sometimes laughingly scolded for using racial epithets. If racism played a role in Obama’s poor performance in this and in similar parts of the country—and it almost certainly did for some—then it was merely a factor among the many that boil down, ultimately, to one: he ain’t like us.

Obama, in addition to being black, represents the progressive world of big cities and elite universities, and sees the grey areas in an increasingly polarized world. He is anathema to social conservatism as it exists today. In the years to come we will likely see a neo-populist revival among social conservatives, as their government, which for so long spoke their vernacular and pandered to their preferences, no longer does.

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Simply put, the reason most Oklahomans did not support President Obama is because he does not share their conservative values. As an Oklahoman, I certainly agree that he does not share my values - though I am a bit uncomfortable typifying them neo-populist. Yet, it is safe to say that President Obama's view of the world is far removed from the worldview I grew up with in the Sooner State. The article makes me miss home.

On the other hand, it is true that life has many shades of grey, and the world is increasingly complex. The question the article presents for vision-oriented conservatives is "how we will use the values of main street to inform the wide-ranging policies set before us." While I am proud of Oklahoma for raising the point, I wish conservatives had better answers to the paradox.

Obama's Secret: Whither Transparency?

The Politico is reporting on the media's frustration with the new Obama Administration's accessibility.

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Apparently, the President is frustrated right back at being asked substantive questions.

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I suppose I understand the indignation from the media's point of view, but I find it extremely difficult to be sympathetic to the mainstream press. They have had two years to vet the President, and failed miserably at every turn. Non-answers to questions were the status quo during the campaign, why should the situation be any different now?

But the real issue is the media's complicity in the Administration's lack of transparency. The press kept on the kid gloves during the entire campaign. It was more interesting to air stories of then Sen. Obama playing basketball with the troops, than it was to get into the actual consequences of closing the terrorist detainee facility in Guantanamo Bay. Now, the press cries foul when the Administration expects its usual pass.

The result is that the media has become an anachronism. Americans can no longer conceive of a mainstream media outlet that actually does its job.

Some Thoughts on the Obama Era

With President Obama safely ensconced in the White House, and the American way of life continuing apace (much to my relief), it seems appropriate to add my two-cents to our Nation's vast repository of opinion on the new Obama Era.

So, what of our 44th President?

Certain quarters of the inter-web have suggested that evangelical Christians should be wary of President Obama's Administration.

Rightly so.

Inviting Rev. Warren to deliver the inaugural invocation was an obvious gesture that extended an appropriate hand to Christian conservatives. But there are intelligent, reasonable disagreements over policy that should give any American pause. In fact, the Politico's Jim VandeHei and John Harris finally put down their pint of Obama Kool-Aid to offer "Seven Reasons for Healthy Skepticism."

It's big of the Politico to offer a bit of objective analysis after Obama's swearing-in. One might wish they had been so astute during the campaign.

That said, other reactions have not been so tempered. Some fire brands have suggested that Believers should pray for President Obama's failure. Though somewhat unrelated, I was stunned to read on Ex Deserto the suggestion from our normally crack team of bloggers that it is problematic to ignore 'differences' for want of focusing on bipartisan 'commonalities'. The idea, in effect, encourages America to remain mired in partisan rancor. With so many serious challenges facing our Nation, a house divided simply cannot stand. Partisan squabbles in such a time as this is the American equivalent of fiddling while Washington burns.

But President Obama's Inaugural address, unfortunately, did little to endear him to the large swaths of the population that opposed him. In what was roundly panned as a lackluster speech, some parts were flatly didactic. Naturally, George Will pounced on the language:

"One of his themes, delicately implied, was that Americans do not just have a problem, they are a problem.

"The time has come," he said pointedly, "to set aside childish things."

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Certainly, legitimate debates over policy cannot be so flippantly dismissed as 'childish things.'For a man who overtly prides himself on his ability to communicate, the President would have done well to avoid the cheap shots.

For my own part, I think that the best reaction to the Obama Presidency actually came not from Rick Warren, but from John Piper. In discussing the parallel events of Flight 1549's landing on the Hudson, and President Obama's Inauguration, Mr. Piper writes:

As much as I reject Obama’s stance on abortion, I am thankful to the bottom of my soul that an African-American can be President of United States. The enormousness of it all is unspeakable. This is God’s doing. The geese were God’s doing. The landing of Flight 1549 was God’s doing. And the Obama presidency is God’s doing. “He removes kings and sets up kings” (Daniel 2:21).

And I pray that President Obama has eyes to see. The “miracle on the Hudson” and the “miracle in the White House” are not unrelated. God has been merciful to us as a nation. Our racial sins deserved judgment a thousand times over. God does not owe America anything. We owe him everything. And instead of destruction, he has given us another soft landing. We are not dead at the bottom of the Hudson.

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This is really the bottom line. For self-professed Evangelicals the question is whether we believe the passage from Daniel. Given this context, praying for the failure of President Obama is to pray for the failure of our Nation. Such a response is not only un-American, but it is also un-Biblical (Romans 13:1-7).

Whatever God's purpose in this Administration may be, I will remain prayerful for my country, and my President. Bipartisanship should not be a four-letter word. And the wise course for the like-minded is to work with the President where we can, and vigorously offer alternative, principled, solution-oriented policies where we disagree.

Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press.

Obama's Inaugural Faux Pas

As every good lawyer knows, you should never interrupt someone with the title "Chief Justice". President Obama learned this the hard way, as he flubbed the Oath of Office.

While the faux pas is but a small blight on the Obama coronation, President Obama could easily have segued the miscue into a campaign style rallying cry:

President Obama: "Can we get the oath of office right?

The Masses: "Yes, we can!"

Let's hope this isn't a harbinger of things to come.

Hope-Mongering

In a few hours from now, Sen. Barack Obama will become the next President of the United States. While I remain frightened of his policies, my plan is to say a prayer for the Nation I love, and for its next leader.

That said, the waning hours of the Bush Presidency have already begun to generate interesting, and varied responses. This conclusion yesterday from perennial anti-theist, and wayward liberal, Christopher Hitchens, was especially intriguing.

Oddly, Mr. Hitchens grudgingly gives as well-reasoned a defense of the Bush Years as any I have read. Here is a sample:

Inescapable as it is, "compared to what?" isn't much of a defense. And nor has this column been intended exactly as a defense, either. It's just that there's an element of hubris in all this current hope-mongering and that I am beginning to be a little bit afraid to think of what Wednesday morning will feel like.

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I do not suppose that the phrase 'hope-mongering' will catch on, but it aptly summarizes the artificially high bar that has been set for a man who has done little more than campaign the past four years.

The frightening element of hope-mongering is the buyers remorse that will inevitably set in when President Obama fails to deliver on any one of his many campaign promises.

Christian Acapella at Dartmouth

It may surprise some of the Pax Plena faithful, but yours truly was once a baritone for one of the Ivy League's premier acapella groups. Though my stint lasted only a short while, during my Freshman Fall, I opted to join the Dartmouth acapalla group X.ado over the Dartmouth Chamber Singers, and the Handel Society.

The move ushered in one of the best decisions I made while at the College on the Hill.

X.ado has a unique role among Dartmouth's acapella groups. While many organizations undertake some form of out-reach or advocacy, X.ado's overtly Christian mission is to communicate the Gospel to students (and bystandards alike) through song. The hours spent rehearsing were intense, but our Christmas tour in the New York City-area made the time commitment worth the effort. The hallmark of our trip in 2001 was a performance for the rescue workers at Ground Zero. We spent the bulk of one afternoon inside the Red Cross relief tent where workers took their meals, performing intermittently, and serving New York's Bravest and Finest their lunch. Our contribution, to be sure, was meager, but providing some joy through music in such a desolate place, in literally the shadow of 9-11, will long remain embedded in my memory.

Ultimately, I ended up leaving the group. Greener pastures called, and I took a job working for the Dartmouth Sports Network as a color analyst, and eventually play-by-play announcer for the Women's Basketball team. But the video below is a reminder of the good times I had. The clip features the current X.ado members and their performance of one of our old repertoire numbers, "And Can It Be."

The message of the song is stunning, and the music is perfectly wed to its premise of grace, and mercy.

Enjoy!

Lolcat of the Week

Classes have resumed full-bore here in Arizona. I have three words for the new semester: bring it on.


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Lesser of Two Evils?

You know times are tough when your daily options for disaster include bitter-cold temperatures, or feces-throwing monkeys.

Bush on the GOP

President Bush has been an afterthought on the political scene since roughly November 4. But his parting wisdom for Republicans is both prescient and timely.

He had a few words of advice for the Republicans, who he said could mount a comeback.

“Our party has got to be compassionate and broad-minded,” he said.

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Compassionate. Broad-minded. Of late, Republicans have been neither.

OU and Florida Square-Off Tonight

Your humble blogger is en route to Tucson after a nealy month long, much-needed hiatus.

But the real headline is tonight's BCS National Championship game between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Florida Gators.

Big 12 pride is on the line. The pride of Oklahoma is on the line. And the hype of it all could not be bigger.

Below are five reasons (according to SI's Andy Staples) the Sooners will win.

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John Doe Letters to Slain Servicemen

Government is well-known for its bungling of the various affairs of state.

But the latest faux pas by the United States Army is simply inexcusable.

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A Tale of Two Headlines

The subtle ways in which the media sugar-coats unpleasant truths besetting their favorite party (viz., the Democrats) is a source of endless amusement for yours truly.

Today, the CNN headline read:

Bill Richardson bows out of commerce secretary job

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But what the headline did not say is that Gov. Richardson is being investigated by a Federal Grand Jury for corruption, and was forced to resign.

Seems the pay-to-play, political model is alive and well for Democrats across the Nation.

Conspicuously, the mainstream press felt that this motivaion behind the resignation was unworthy of a headline. To be sure, no such oversight would have occurred were the administration Republican.

Understanding Bush

Parsing the Bush Presidency will be the task of historians for many years. Hopefully the inquiry will begin after a few years have passed, when people can finally begin to think rationally, and dispassionately about the past eight years.

Admittedly, this is probably wishful thinking.

That said, for those seeking an early jump on the Bush revisionist history, the AP article below is worth your while.

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