Smith for GOP chair?

State Sen. Fred Smith of Clayton is giving some consideration of running for state Republican Party chairman next year.

Smith, who unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination for governor this year, has been conferring with party leaders to gauge interest in him serving, Rob Christensen reports.

"We have have received phone calls from all over the state the last couple of months encouraging me to consider that," Smith said.

Right now, Smith is focusing on his business interests in real estate development, paving and banking to make sure they are stable during the financial downturn. But he said he is open to the possibility of leading the GOP.

"I am considering it," Smith said. "By the end of the year or the first part of next year I will decide whether to pursue it."

The current chair, Linda Daves of Charlotte has not said said whether she plans to seek another term at the GOP convention which is traditionally held in late spring.

The Republicans had a bad year. Democrat Barack Obama carried the state, Sen. Elizabeth Dole lost her seat, and Gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory’s effort fell short. The GOP also lost Congressman Robin Hayes and State Auditor Les Merritt.

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Re: Smith for GOP chair?

Submitted by j1c2kp on November 13, 2008 - 4:16pm.

Since he has been a public figure and probably wants that to continue, has anyone checked the people builing the homes? Personally, I don't think it should only be the large employers like the slaughterhouses that get raided for illegal aliens.

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Barbeque & Books

Submitted by razor0397 on November 12, 2008 - 9:35pm.

More of the same. Proven not to be a winning combination.

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A B F - Anybody But Fred

Submitted by AwakeReader on November 12, 2008 - 7:24pm.

Why is this a story in Dome? Don't think the N&O isn't playin' an angle.

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Hmmm...

Submitted by PoliticalJunkie on November 12, 2008 - 6:04pm.

The NCGOP needs somebody that has a burning desire to rebuild the party and can lead the party into the future.

Smith sounds like he doesn't really want the job - he appears to be claiming that he is being drafted.

He ran a poor campaign for Governor that showed little understanding of modern campaign techniques and at best lackluster utilization of old fashion campaign techniques. Consider that he spent almost 4 million dollars and campaigned for 4+ years during his race for Governor and still he was soundly beaten by an opponent that got in the race a mere 5 months before the primary and only spent 1.5 million dollars.

Smith hasn't offered a reason that he should have the job. Will he raise money, recruit and groom candidates for office and generally sacrifice his personal ego to build the party or is this a jump off point for building up a Fred Smith Machine for another run for statewide office?

Smith's run could be like Jerry Meek's run that seems to have revitalized the Democrats in 2005 or it could be like the self-serving terms of former GOP Chairs Bill Cobey (set up to run for Governor) or Ferrell Blount (aborted run for higher officer).

However, it would seem that people like Pat McCrory, Patrick McHenry and Richard Burr represent the future of Republicanism in North Carolina while Fred Smith is link to the Helms era of Repulicanism in the State which is on the wane and is part of a past GOP era in North Carolina.

Finally, shouldn't Richard Burr as the nominal leader of the GOP in the State have the opportunity to put in place a team he has confidence will help him win in 2010?

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Re: Smith for GOP chair?

Submitted by ncweathercraft on November 12, 2008 - 4:59pm.

Great news for Dems. He cannot properly run his HOA (Riverwood Life), not too mention that he has illegal immigrants building his homes.

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Re: Smith for GOP chair?

Submitted by cornbread on November 12, 2008 - 2:16pm.

Democrats would love Fred Smith as GOP Chair.

With his thoroughly old-timey campaign, he was ousted handily in his party's primary in a year that even only the hardest of hard-core Republicans chose to vote in the Republican primary - and even they rejected him.

This marginalization of the GOP into a Fred Smith brand of politics would be the best gift from the Republicans to Democrats going into the 2010 cycle.

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