Quick! Can you name the present RNC Chairman? I’d bet my house that you had no idea that Mike Duncan heads up our political party. Nor would I be surprised. I understand that the role of the RNC Chairman is to strategize, support, and fundraise, but should the head of our party be so unknown? So invisible? So out-of-touch? This is precisely the time when we need a conservative cheerleader, an innovative visionary, a friendly “face” of the party.

We have a certain reputation: Grumpy Old Men. Grand OLD Party. Harrumph. That is NOT how we should be perceived, but unfortunately, we have earned it. There is nothing wrong with being an older white male like Mike Duncan, Newt Gingrich, or any number of other prominent Republicans. However, when those are the only folks who earn national positions, it gives the appearance that our party does not value the insight, participation, or leadership of other groups which make up the patchwork quilt of both our party and our country as a whole. This is not something we can turn around in the next election cycle, but there are a few tangible steps we can take to make inroads into the broader American electorate.

I do believe, sadly, that in the black community, for instance, conservatives have felt that the mountain is so insurmountable that we should not even bother taking the first step. Many believe that first step is to support the grassroots effort to elect Michael Steele as the RNC Chairman. I’m afraid that our political opponents will tar this as affirmative action, as tit-for-tat to compete with a black President-elect, but it would be anything but those things. This would give a loud and powerful voice to the members of our movement who have felt outnumbered and unwelcome despite the fact that they hold many of the same values as the movement does. Polls demonstrate clearly that many in the black community support traditional marriage, pro-life stance, school choice and vouchers, strong involvement of religious groups in solving community problems, and lower taxes. Although it was the Republicans who pushed through the Civil Rights Act of 1968, blacks are a monolithic Democrat voting block and those who stray to the Republican party are labeled with ugly and divisive terms like “Uncle Tom” (Colin Powell). Michael Steele has the ability to reach out his hand with a warm welcome to those in the black community who share our beliefs.

One other strategy that will, over time, swing the young vote in our candidates’ favor is much more integral and grasssroots involvement on college campuses and with young professionals. Groups such as College Republicans, Young Republicans, and social networking groups on meetup.com, facebook.com, and myspace.com could make small chunks of money from the RNC go far in recruiting and educating young people. Younger voters believe we are the party of their parents and grandparents, of the wealthy, of the elite and out-of-touch. We could take a page from the Obama campaign, who used technology to reach college-age Americans and twentysomethings, and who will continue to reach his 3 million campaign contributors through text-messaging and other means.

I learned today that Obama will be posting his weekly radio address on YouTube in addition to playing it on the radio. Brilliant! Obvious! Why do we not embrace these changes? After all, fewer young people listen to the radio, but we are all on YouTube. Why could we not have thought of these basic updates to our message and communication means? In order to persuade younger voters that we are not geezers or Neanderthals out of touch with their world and concerns is to be where they are and to communicate with them the way their friends do.
These are basic changes, changes that will put us on the road to modernizing our party - reaching out to people who misjudge us, but really through no fault of their own. We need to take responsibility for our failings and work for the election of Michael Steele, who can help us to course-correct.