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Written by Louis Weisberg, Staff writer
Jan 27, 2011
Monsivais/AP The newly elected Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus casts his vote at the Republican National Committee’s winter meeting Jan. 14. Priebus was elected after seven rounds of voting, beating four other candidates, including outgoing chairman and former Priebus friend and ally Michael Steele. – Photo: Pablo Martinez
Kenosha native Reince Priebus, who was voted chair of the Republican National Committee on Jan. 14, is a hardcore conservative who opposes same-sex marriage and believes outlawing reproductive choice is “paramount” to his party’s mission.
Brandishing his fundamentalist Christian beliefs for GOP delegates shortly before they voted for a new leader, Priebus announced that if he won, it would be through God’s blessing. He went on to take the job of his former friend, ally and supporter Michael Steele after several rounds of balloting.
In a Jan. 3 debate at the National Press Club, Priebus reiterated his opposition to marriage equality, which he also showed during his stint as chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party.
“I don’t believe that judges can rewrite the Constitution and redraft what marriage is,” Preibus said, as reported by the Washington Blade. “I think … there’s a sanctity of marriage … I believe my kids and believe children should grow up with one father and a mother if possible.”
“I don’t believe anybody should be denied dignity in this discussion, everyone should be loved,” he continued. “But at the end of the day, I believe that marriage, through the sanctity of marriage, should be between one man and one woman.”
Despite Priebus’ right-wing statements and record, Log Cabin Republicans expressed hope they could work together.
“As chairman Priebus stated, ‘We must come together over common interests. We must unite,’” said R. Clarke Cooper, Log Cabin Republicans executive director. “I look forward to continuing our successful partnership with the Republican National Committee, and urge chairman Priebus to continue the committee’s strong record of coalition-building which was an important part of GOP success in 2010. Inclusion wins and our party is strongest when we embrace a big tent philosophy centered on the core principles that unite us as Republicans. It is onward and upward to win back the White House.”
The diminutive, soft-spoken Priebus signals a shift in both style and substance from his confrontational, shoot-from-the-lip predecessor. Steele, who is a self-styled hipster, reflected the GOP’s panicked reaction to the 2008 election of Barack Obama. Steele represented an attempt to attract younger voters and people of color into the Republican fold at a time when the nation’s changing demographics seemed to have made that strategy a political necessity.
Priebus, on the other hand, is a reaction to the ascendancy of the Tea Party. Although at age 38 he’s younger than the average tea partier, he’s a strong adherent of the movement.
Priebus, whose nickname is “Prince,” wrested the GOP chairmanship away from Steele by trumpeting his achievements as chair of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. Under his leadership, Republicans won the state Assembly, Senate and governor’s mansion in 2010. They also toppled Democratic U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold.
But while Priebus boasts about his party’s turnaround in 2010 compared with 2008, when Obama won Wisconsin by 14 points, Democrats point out that he also headed the state’s GOP during the 2008 election. If young people and minorities return to the polls on Election Day 2012 in the numbers they did during the last presidential race, the outcome of last year’s election will be reversed, according to Democrats.
Steele said he was blindsided by Priebus’ bid to oust him after the two had worked side by side while Priebus served as general counsel of the RNC.
“I know exactly how Caesar felt,” Steele told the FrumForum website following his loss.
