Editorial: The Many Faces of Charlie Smith

Just who is Charlie Smith? Why is he running to be the next Chairman of the CRNC? What exactly does Charlie Smith stand for? For the casual follower of College Republican politics, those who simply read the headlines and look no further into them, these are questions that cannot be answered. To the average onlooker, they may even think there are three separate Charlie Smiths in our organization: the Charlie Smith who voted for Paul Gourley and was vying to be the heir to his throne, the Charlie Smith who was vowing to Unite the CRNC just weeks ago, and the Charlie Smith that now wants to bring you, Joe CR, a New CRNC by embracing reform and an agenda he once opposed. That average CR would be right, too, in thinking that three separate versions of Charlie Smith exist, because within the past six months each face of Smith has been worn publicly.

There really is no true way to tell where Charlie Smith does, in fact stand, and this is not a good place for a politician of any level to be. Fresh in American minds is the image of a flip-flopping John Kerry, a man who measured the changing winds of opinion before making his choice. In the 2005 CRNC election, Charlie Smith publicly endorsed the current Chairman of the CRNC, H. Paul Gourley, and Colorado cast its electoral votes in favor of Chairman Gourley. This past summer, and into the early fall, Smith was maneuvering to succeed the wounded Chairman in 2007 and be anointed heir to the relative dynasty that is the Establishment within the CRNC. He held at least two separate conference calls discussing the possibility of him running in place of Gourley, in order that the Opposition may not become victorious in the next go round. There was no doubt, until very recently, whose side Charlie Smith stood on.

Then came a couple of amendments, one proposed in 2005 and pulled from the floor and the other a new idea. Both involved making the elections process more accountable, and both were seen by some as a vengeful act by holdovers from the 2005 campaign. Charlie Smith signed on as a sponsor, and Charlie the Uniter was born. In the run-up to the 2006 CRNC Winter Board Meeting, held just last month in Denver, both sides bickered back and forth regarding the merits and intent of the amendments, but by December when state chairmen gathered to vote in the Rockies, both would pass with ease. Some still in the CRNC office were not happy with them, nor with Charlie for playing a role in their passage. Smith's former patrons were none too pleased with their protege, and this is why Charlie Smith did not announce his candidacy at the Board Meeting.

Now playing cowboy, and rounding up all of his straying cattle, he was on the defensive. No solid platform had been proposed, and so Ohio's Brian Siler and Brent Ludeman of Washington, two other rumored candidates, put forth an all-encompassing slate of ideas for reform, under the label of Real Reform. Nearly every supporter of Real Reform initially, and to this day, has been an unquestioned supporter of reforming the CRNC, so it was somewhat surprising to see Charlie's response to the move. Charlie Smith was so brash to welcome proponents of Real Reform to the debate, a debate that Charlie himself was more than fashionably late to. He released his own list of supporters, and it was noticeably heavy on Gourley supporters, especially for a group posing as one of reformers. What he could not admit, however, was that his letter brought no substance to the debate, but merely rhetoric.

Still portending to wish a coming together, a unification of the CRNC, Charlie Smith purchased a domain to back up his Unite the CRNC platform, which never went live (and no platform ever emerged). Shortly after this was discovered, just in the past few days, Smith shifted his focus yet again. After receiving a mere 22% of the vote in a Truth Caucus poll, he wrapped himself in a new banner: a New CRNC. Another domain was bought, and College Republicans were left wondering what this Smith guy stood for.

As a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, I am all for conversions in faith and beliefs. One of the biggest goals of College Republican organizations across the nation should be winning hearts and minds with our proven message. True conversion is something that must manifest itself in concrete actions and not mere words. So when I see politicians converting from pro-life to pro-choice, and back again, simply for the purpose of winning votes and support, it disgusts me. I have seen this same convenient conversion, still a false change, in the evolving stances of Charlie Smith.

This pandering nature is something I have noticed for some time, and have remained quiet. Everyone should be given a chance to show themselves true, and so I have allowed this chance multiple times in Charlie Smith's case. Time and time again, we have seen him change his foundations to what is currently popular, seemingly for his own benefit. Though I have not met him, Michael Davidson appears to me to be a great diviner of character. You will recall that Davidson recently met for dinner with Charlie Smith, purportedly to discuss Smith's intentions of running nationally. You will also recall that Smith was sent away for want of solid evidence of his reformer stance. If Michael Davidson did not see him as a true reformer, I remain hesitant to as well. This upcoming CRNC election is far too important to choose a new Chairman based solely upon what a man may say. No, we must follow those who have backed up their words with actions, like at least three other possible candidates have. We cannot, and must not pick a man who does not even know where he himself stands. Charlie Smith, a man of many faces, is most definitely not the man for the job.

From here on out, Red State Rampage will pull no punches, because Charlie's third change was the charm. We need leadership with clear direction, not someone who is heading down three separate paths. We need a man who will stand up and fight for his beliefs, not a man wishing to be everything to everyone. The answer to the question, then, is that no one really can know who Charlie Smith is. One thing is certain though: until he makes up his mind, we should not be trusting him to lead us.