Guest-post by Robert Jursik:
It has been more than a month since the last flake of confetti fell from the ceilings at November 2nd’s victory celebrations. But while potential presidential candidates relax in their homes and study New Hampshire’s road maps, politics in the Granite State is very much in business and turns the focus to party chairmanships.
For Republicans, the immediate interest is to find a successor to Chairman Gov. John Sununu, whose retirement is widely presumed to be imminent. During his tenure as the head of New Hampshire’s GOP, Sununu presided over one of the most spectacularly successful election cycles in our state’s history. To whom does the party now go to produce a second act?
Let us begin with the obvious: the success of 2010 cannot be repeated. Republican victories this year resulted from an unprecedented harmonic convergence of circumstances that will not be valid two years from now. The dismal economy will likely improve, perhaps not to "boom" levels but enough for a sitting president and his Democrat fellow travelers to attempt to claim credit, no matter how unjustified. Many Republicans won races in traditionally Democrat precincts; some contraction with those seats must be expected. Presidential candidates will be stumping everywhere in New Hampshire, straining the ability of activists to devote time and attention to other campaigns. There are always unanticipated conditions, issues and personalities that will affect the results. It is asking too much for the next party chairman to preside over a 2012 version of this year’s landslide.
I am growing weary of this game. We can no longer wait for the current NH State GOP chairman to tell us once and for all what his intentions are. I’m not even sure why we are waiting. GraniteGrok has video of the announced retirement from the Cornerstone Dinner.
(Sarah Palin’s