Submitted by Joe McDonough, Nov 21, 2006 11:00

I know conventinal wisdom among political pundits is that passing over Michael Steele for Sen. Martinez was just another blunder by Republican leadership. Political insiders are looking at racial politics as the most important reason Martinez over Steele. Hispanic voters are a more promising prize than African-American voters but Republican leaders are once again overlooking movement conservatives. I believe this mistake gives Mr. Steele an historic opportunity! Mr. Steele will not be tainted by the curse of the Bushs and could pull off a run for the Whitehouse in 2008.

In 1974 Gov. Jimmy Carter drew upon the nations discust with the failures of Washington's leadership to run as a true dark hourse candidate for the Democratic nomination for President. The debacle of Viet Nam, the Watergate scandal and the endless hearings left the public looking outside of the belt way for the next President. We have an historic parallel not perfect but pretty close with the publics disallusion with the war in Iraq, the comming congressional hearings aimed at impeaching Bush as they tried to remove Nixon. Jimmy Carter was the nations way of telling the Washington aristocracy exactly how fed up they were from thier antics. The fact that Mr. Carter was a disasster as a president is not relavent to my theory of Michael Steeles historic opportunity. Mr. Steele is a movement conservative like a Ronald Reagan.

Columnist Robert Novack recently called Mr. Steele a "black Rush Limbaugh" he is in error. Mr. Steele is a great communicator and a solid conservative and I guess some would draw the conection to Rush. But that is where politicians make a great mistake by assuming the persona of another to define themselves. Sen. John McCain is a clear example of this misguided practice. He was first elected to the House as a "Goldwater Republican" then to the Senate as a "Reagan Republican" and ran for the 2000 Republican nomination for President as a " Teddy Roosevelt Republican". The problem is that the public has not seen the original " McCain Republican" or maybe we have not by his words but by the legistlation he has promoted and voted. Michael Steele must show the American public someone we have not seen since Reagan, a "Steele Republican" I kind of like the sound of that.

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