GOP chief: Party must get on track before '08
By ADAM C. SMITH
Published December 1, 2006
DORAL - The Republican Party suffers from a tarnished brand that needs fast fixing, GOP governors and operatives said as they gathered in South Florida for some soul-searching after a tough midterm election.
"Just a few years ago it was the Democrats who were in danger of being a permanent minority because they'd given up on the South, the Mountain States and the Plains states. Now they're surging in two of those three areas - and we're in trouble in New England," Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman said at the Republican governors' meeting.
He singled out Florida Gov.-elect Charlie Crist as a model for Republicans reaching out to expand the party.
Indeed, Florida was a rare bright spot for Republicans, who took a beating across the country. Democrats won control of both houses of Congress, picked off six Republican governors' mansions to hold a majority and now have a majority of state legislatures.
But among those gathered for the Republican Governors Association meeting outside Miami, leaders placed much of the blame on Washington.
Republican governors, they said, are still showing voters they know how to solve problems and produce results.
"If the Republican Party nationally is looking for a place where it can gain a bit of a guiding post, it would by seeing the successes of Republican governors," said Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, chairman of the RGA. He called Jeb Bush the greatest governor in America.
Presidential politics were a strong undercurrent at the three-day conference. Romney, a likely presidential contender, talked up the results-oriented leadership of Republicans outside of Washington, while Arizona Sen. John McCain made a visit to host his own reception in Miami Lakes for the Republican governors.
While Crist is widely viewed as a strong ally of McCain, and some of Gov. Jeb. Bush's closest aides are working with Romney, both said they had not committed to any presidential candidate yet.
Bush cited Romney, McCain, and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani as strong contenders, while Crist said he is undecided and not focused on presidential politics.
Crist spent much of Wednesday and Thursday networking with other Republicans, and during a presentation on homeland security, he was the only governor to take notes. He said he appreciated Mehlman citing him, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele as Republicans working to expand Republican support beyond the traditional GOP base.
"We worked very hard to reach out to African-Americans, to Hispanics, to all Floridians," Crist said. "One of the things I was very humbled by is that we got the largest number of African-American votes than any Republican ever in our state. That's not lost on me."
Adam C. Smith can be reached at 727 893-8241 or asmith@sptimes.com.