BROWN: And you're looking at our countdown clock right now, 47 minutes, looks like, until the polls close right here in New York.

We just called the state of Virginia. The governor's race has been closely watched there, the Republican winning that race.

We want to bring in Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele to talk to us right now from Virginia tonight.

Welcome to you, Mr. Chairman.

MICHAEL STEELE, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: Hey, Campbell. How's it going?

BROWN: Pretty good for you, from the looks of things so far.

(LAUGHTER)

BROWN: Let me get your reaction. What do you think?

STEELE: Well, I think it's a very good night tonight for the party here in Virginia and certainly for the people of Virginia, who made a very clear statement about the direction they wanted their state to go.

So, I'm just honored to be here and to have been a part of it. We have got a lot of work ahead of us still, as we get ready for 2010, but tonight's a great night to celebrate Bob McDonnell and his team and the leadership they brought to this race. And I think the response of the people of Virginia has just been fantastic.

BROWN: Let me ask you, health care about Bob McDonnell, a Christian conservative himself, but also really pushed more moderate issues in this race and tried to highlight his stance on certain issues as more of a moderate.

Do you think that that's the direction you're headed, or is that tailor-made for this state that he needed to go in that direction to win? STEELE: Well, I actually kind of disagree with the -- with the analysis there. I don't think he, you know, pushed a moderate tone or whatever.

What he did was responded to the concerns that the people of Virginia had. He brought his conservative principles. he didn't shy away from being conservative. He didn't try to dress it up as Democrat-lite or anything.

He said: Here I am. I want to serve the people of Virginia to deal with transportation and health care. And he put those principles to work through the policies he articulated. And people just felt that connection. They felt that this gentleman resonated with them a lot better than Creigh Deeds did. And they voted for him overwhelmingly, I believe, tonight.

BROWN: So, in your view, what does this say about the president, about the national picture here? Is this just about Virginia, or is it about something more?

STEELE: No, I didn't think it's just about Virginia.

I think it's about leadership paying attention to what people are saying. When you don't listen, when you don't take into account their concerns, they will respond. And they responded here tonight.

And I think the president, the White House, certainly the leadership in Congress as they prepare to vote on a health care bill that no one wants, they need to pay attention. There are ramifications. Their votes are being paid attention to. And people are going to respond next year if they don't think the direction that the administration and the Congress are going in is the one they think the country should go in.

BROWN: Let me ask you about the race in New York that's been getting so much attention. You originally supported the Republican Party candidate in this race. You had a lot of big-name Republicans who defied you, who rallied against her.

Do you think your party is divided on the types of candidates who should be running?

STEELE: Well, I'm amused that you say they defied me. Oh, I wish I had that kind of power, that people could defy me.

No, look, this was a local decision that was made by seven or nine county chairmen who selected Ms. Scozzafava. They didn't have a primary. She was not the choice of the primary voters.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: But you supported her.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: But hold on a second, because you were behind her. The national party was behind her. So, it wasn't a bunch of local guys.

(CROSSTALK)

STEELE: Excuse me. Excuse me. I didn't select her. The national party didn't select her. So, what do you think I'm going to do as the national chairman when the state party committees select her, when the state party, this is their nominee?

Come on, Campbell. You know how this works.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: All right. But...

STEELE: You would be making a whole story if I said as a national chairman the other way.

This is the bottom line. It was a local decision that was made. They made that choice. As a national chairman, I supported the state party in their choice. The primary is what you saw played out in the last few weeks.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Let me just clarify, though. Do you think she was a bad pick?

STEELE: It wasn't my pick to make. So, whether I thought it was bad or not doesn't matter. The local party made that decision.

(CROSSTALK)

STEELE: The national party supports the state party and the local party in their decision. I don't get the privilege to go around the country and pick and choose winners and losers. I have to live with the decision that's made at the state level and the local level in these elections.

Sometimes, you like the choice. Sometimes, you don't. But it's their choice. And my job as a national chairman is to make sure that when the state party says, we want to try to win this race, we're there.

Clearly, the people in that direct had a different perspective. They should have had a primary there. I think, if they had, the results would have been where they are tonight, with Hoffman potentially winning that seat.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Let me ask you, though, you did say that parties -- and these are your words here -- need to be careful about outsiders coming in and dictating outcomes of local elections.

STEELE: Absolutely.

BROWN: So, does that mean that you think Sarah Palin and some of the other big names...

STEELE: That would include me.

(LAUGHTER)

BROWN: Yourself included -- do you think they shouldn't have intervened there?

STEELE: No, no, that's a different -- that's a -- you're talking an apple and an orange.

Getting ahead of the process to try to dictate a particular outcome is not the role of the national chairman, is not the role of anyone else for that matter who does not live in that district.

Once that choice is made, as an individual, I can make -- I can say, living in Maryland or Texas or someplace else, wow, I don't appreciate that. I support someone else.

That's your option as an individual and as a party leader without -- without the responsibility of representing the entire party as a national chairman, you have that freedom. I don't as a national chairman. I support my state party leadership. I support their efforts. And where I disagree and think they need to change, as I think they need to do in this case, I will talk to them about maybe you should think about a primary system, so you don't have this problem in the future.

BROWN: All right.

Chairman Steele, sharing you views tonight, we appreciate it. A lot more to talk about on this subject in the days ahead obviously. Thank you for your time.