Tongue Tied Elephants

Over the course of the past month, I have grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of GOP leadership in Washington. The Republican Party's inability to effectively represent itself during the stimulus debate, Gov. Jindal's poorly written response to Obama's congressional address, and the recent feuding amongst party factions clearly evidence a lack of cohesion, organization, and vision.

The GOP is unquestionably in a period of transition, and such birth pangs are to be expected along the way. However, given the present situation, the Republican Party is not endowed with the luxury of having spare time to reorganize itself. In Congress, important decisions that will have long term impacts on the welfare of the country are being made, and the GOP needs strong leaders with good communication skills NOW.

I am supporter of the new RNC Chairman Michael Steele, and am still hopeful that he will bring some much-needed change to the GOP. But the past few weeks have certainly been a rough start to Mr. Steele's tenure. At present, the GOP has received its most effective representation from the promising new cohort of Republican Governors, such as Charley Crist (FL), Tim Pawlenty (MN), and—despite his poor performance a week ago—Bobby Jindal (LA). But these individuals cannot continue to serve as the voice of the GOP on national issues; this role must be fulfilled by Republican leaders in Congress.

The Republicans have virtually no power in House of Representatives. To this end, John Boehner (the present House Minority leader) receives very little attention from the media. However, Senate Republicans retain the power to filibuster legislation and consequently wield more influence than their counterparts in the lower house.

This leads me to the individual whom I believe to be at the crux of the GOP's present deficit in representation: Mitch McConnell (KY).

McConnell assumed the role of ranking Republican in the Senate following the 2008 election. McConnell is a skilled and experienced political strategist, but as Dick Morris remarked, he "runs from microphones." McConnell seldom makes media appearances, and often gives a dry and mundane performance during interviews and speeches. I mean no disrespect to Mr. McConnell, and am very thankful to have him in the Senate. However, communication and advocacy are not his strength, and I personally believe the GOP should consider appointing a new figurehead who can effectively advocate the Republican viewpoint to the public.

President Obama is, without question, one of the most effective communicators to ever hold the office of President. Overcoming his power of persuasion will be difficult. But while it will be almost impossible to match the eloquence of his rhetoric, I believe that the GOP can find meaningful representation by selecting a spokesperson who is intelligent yet simply spoken, respectful, genuine, and down to earth—a Mike Huckabee if you will. In my opinion, the contrast provided by such an individual would problematize Obama's style of exposition, making it seem contrived, insincere, and even elitist.

As has been demonstrated throughout the history of U.S. politics, Americans have a strong affinity for straight talk. The GOP simply has to find leaders who can provide it.