Chip Saltsman Withdraws From RNC Chairman’s Race
Posted on January 29, 2009 at 4:29 pmChip Saltsman’s letter to the voting membership of the Republican National Committee:
Since November’s election, I’ve had the remarkable opportunity to travel throughout thirty two states, share my vision for the future of our party, and listen to the advice of the nearly one hundred members who took the time to visit with me in their homes, their offices, their airports, and their coffee shops.
I’ve seen how the Clark County Republicans of Nevada are organizing online to defeat Harry Reid in 2010, as we defeated Tom Daschle in 2002.
I’ve heard how Republicans in the District of Columbia have expanded their membership simply by holding their meetings and spreading their message in communities that have long shared our values, but which have never felt welcome within our ranks.
I’ve witnessed how the hard work of Republican leadership in my home of Tennessee has given our state its first Republican General Assembly since 1869.
And I’ve met with Republicans in New England’s blue states who are ready to plant our party’s flag and prove that our coalition is broad enough, strong enough to compete everywhere and win anywhere.
But, while my travels make me confident in our party’s future, I wanted you to be first to know that I have decided to withdraw my candidacy to become your next chairman.
Thank you for your passion for our party and for the principles that make it great. I hope that you won’t hesitate to call on me as we rebuild our majority.
Chip
Always a darkhorse, Saltsman’s candidacy for RNC chair careened off the tracks when it was publicized that Saltsman gave a CD of political satire composed by Memphian Paul Shanklin to members of the RNC as a Christmas gift.
The lightning rod song, ‘Barack the Magic Negro’, a parody sung to the tune of “Puff the Magic Dragon” and a takeoff on a LA Times article of the same name first aroused controversy when it debuted on the Rush Limbaugh Show last year.
While he was roundly condemned in the media (and by Republican political enemies), Saltsman refused to explicitly apologize for what many saw as a serious faux pas.
Most observers considered his candidacy DOA in the wake of the controversy and there was a question as too whether Saltsman would even qualify for the ballot in tomorrow’s chairman election.
Saltsman is a former chairman of the TNGOP and ran the upstart campaign of Governor Mike Huckabee after his political mentor Bill Frist decided against a run in 2008.
SEE ALSO:
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Comments
11 Responses to “Chip Saltsman Withdraws From RNC Chairman’s Race”
[...] Saltsman was not able to woo Republicans with his Magic Negro Christmas CDs, so he is dropping out of the RNC Chairman race. (Nashville [...]
[...] Saltsman was not able to woo Republicans with his Magic Negro Christmas CDs, so he is dropping out of the RNC Chairman race. (Nashville [...]
[...] Saltsman’s letter to [...]
Up until he decided to run, South Carolina Republican Chairman Katon Dawson… ELEVEN YEARS member in a WHITES ONLY KKKountry KKKlub.
Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who would be the party’s first black chairman could have a job checking your coat there… because, being a negro, he wouldn’t have a membership to Dawson’s WHITES ONLY KKKountry KKKlub.
RNC Chair Race Update - Saltsman’s Out…
The Nashville Post is reporting that Chip Saltsman has withdrawn from the race. I had endorsed him when he first announced his candidacy because of his work on Mike Huckabee’s campaign and his leadership of the Tennessee GOP, but felt…
[...] sixth candidate, former Mike Huckabee presidential campaign manager Chip Saltsman, dropped out on the eve of the election Thursday. Saltsman, a Tennessee-based political operative, mortally wounded his campaign back in [...]
[...] So reports AC. [...]
interesting…
I think Michael Steele would be good. Am I right?
[...] had originally supported Chip Saltsman, but he dropped out of the race yesterday. I believe that he has a bright future in the party and the GOP would be wise to listen to his [...]
Hi, When I heard about Saltsman’s stupid and backwards “Magic Negro” I thought, “the republicans still don’t get it.” This type of one-sided good ‘ole boys club, secret meetings and nasty, pointless comments and attitudes is why we voted republican’s out of office. We are in hard times thanks in part to their inaction under that fool Bush. This guy Chip seems to still have a chip on his shoulder from the Civil War. Enough republican’s you are not helping this country and we are really sick of this mud-slinging, dumb caca.
[...] His statement: [...]