Steele: GOP Does Not Have A Message Problem

RNC Chairman Michael Steele took to the Sunday talk show circuit for the first time since he was elected to the post. And while he pledged to help restore the Republican Party to a more powerful perch, he outlined a game plan that seemed reminiscent of years past.

Pressed by Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace, Steele diagnosed the GOP ills as a problem of the messenger but not the message -- he even suggested that the party should look back to New Gingrich's Contract With America for inspiration.

"We failed to lead," said the former Lt. Maryland Governor. "The principles we espoused [in 1994] are still true and good today and that's not what people moved away from us for. They moved away from us because we behaved badly. We came to Washington and we became like the people we were sent here to replace. And they replaced us."

That mindset extended itself throughout the conversation on policy and politics, where Steele did little to distance himself from the issues that defined the GOP's poor showing in recent elections. He put forward Gov. Sarah Palin's name -- among others -- as the future of Republican leadership. And on immigration, he pledged "no change in the position on the party..."

"The GOP position is secure our borders first," he added. "Let us know and let us make sure the American people know that we've taken care of the important business of dealing with the illegal immigration into this country."

Steele also restated his support for a constitutional ban on gay marriage, and applauded the united GOP front to the stimulus bill currently making its way through Congress. He brushed off concerns that the party would look like obstructionists if not one member supported the president's plan.

"The Republican Congress did a great job in drawing the line," he said. "I hope the Senate will follow."

There were aspects of the program where Steele discussed the need to forge a different path for the GOP. He talked openly about his work with the centrist Republican Leadership Council, and -- more broadly -- about the need to recruit moderates back into the party tent. At one point, he highlighted poverty and education reform as two issues that could be new areas of focus for the party.

But mainly the ten minutes Steele spent on the show were aimed at propping up the Republican brand as it currently exists -- the byproduct of the race he just ran, in which he largely played down his more moderate roots in favor of positioning himself as a conservative standard-bearer.

"For those Democrats who want to put up road blocks, the name calling and the obfuscation," Steele said early on, "I don't have time for it."

Comments

[TAH]

In a sense he is correct. They do not have a message problem. That would be much easier to remedy. The GOP has an idea problem. They have not had a new idea in decades and have completely lost their way. The GOP is now the party of pay-for-play and corruption that has sold its very soul to firms like Haliburton.

[buggedabouttheus]

Exactly.

[southwestque]

For some reason , the above picture with Micheal Steeles' right hand up reminds me of the infamous Polo Jockey statue. As the story goes, the Polo Jockey froze to death because his owner made him stand outside and hold his horse. He froze in that position, with his arm out. Mr Steele just needs to put a jockey hat on.

[trumpetman]

long333
The reason why the people on this thread is attacking the republican party is because they have ruined this country and continue to espouse hate and wedge issues. And for the record I am a moderate with some liberal beliefs and conservative ones, and I will say this I CAN'T STAND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ! Until they change and get rid of the bigotry I might respect them.

[miltonista]

trumpie, you've got a long way to go...

Republicans in principle, do not want the law to look at people as different colors or tribes of people. This phenomenon is unique to the Democrats. Afirmo-action, etc are antithetical to an egalitarian society which does not value one minority over another.

The velvety soft big0try of low expectations needs to be discharged from the democrat party, not the republicans. Well intentioned Democrat policies which replaced the father with the state have destroyed the black family in the last 4 decades. You don't see the republicans shouting this from the rooftops... because it would leave a bad taste in the mouth. (but I'll say it)

I have no idea what big0try you're seeing in the republican party... would anyone give me an example of this? And don't cite rush... you know better than that. We got rid of our big0ts in the 50's and 60's... it seems the Dems still need to eject theirs.

[research]

The GOP use any wedge issue to rile up hatred. He's correct.

The GOP HAVE learned.

Now they just discriminate against the peasants.

[BizarroCub]

Example 1...

Modifying state constitutions and attempting to modify the national constitution to codify discrimination legally...

And go...

[GloriaC]

From my vantage point, an educated Latina living in California, I can site campaign after campaign, local and state in which the Repugnantcan party attacked Hispanics. Ex-gov., Pete Wilson basically handed over CA to the Democrats after his wedge issue politics got Latinos fired up against Repugs. Locally, a termed out Rep. assembly seat was easily and handily won after the Repug. candidate used wedge issue tactics that angered the latino electorate. Republicans are bigots and they can't help themselves. Even seeing how bigotry in campaigns causes lost races, they still go for the hate!

[Badfickle]

Lets remember how we got in this financial mess. Reaganomics is DIRECTLY responsible for our current economic crisis. Since 1980 wages have been stagnant. Check out the graph in the middle of this article

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-tasini/conspiracy-of-silence-wag_b_155531.html

For 40 years or more productivity and wages were coupled. As workers became more efficient and productive they were rewarded with higher wages. Since 1980 wages have been stagnant or gone down. normally this would cause a drop in demand. This has been offset by a sharp rise in debt both on the government side and on the personal side. Reagan racked up $3trillion alone. This kept the economy from collapsing but it could only last so long. Personal savings have gone from a historical average of 8% down to 0. Consumer debt is at an all time high. This set the stage for were we are now. And then there is the deregulation of the banking industry by Phil Gram and company. Specificially the bit of "free market" brilliance deregulating the Credit Default Swaps. Supply side ecnomics and the whole GOP economic policiy is exactly why we are where we are economically.

[egal]

Yay, more delusional and only-in-touch-with-the-19th-century(and barely) failure to grasp the obvious. Maybe if the GOP keeps digging in their hole, more people will realize how deep they've gone...and how destructive they are.

[gdaerin]

newt gingrich, isn't he a womanizer? Didn't he cheat on multiple wives? Yeah, I'm not interested in any kind of contract with that guy.

I care about family values, and Republicans have nothing to offer me since the party is full of people like Haggert, Craig, Palin, and Gingrich.

[denholt]

Newt Gingrich is now on Wife Number 3. He served divorce papers on Wife Number One while she was hospitalized recovering from cancer surgery.

On another note, Laura Ingraham, not married, adopted a daughter from Guatemala. For a party who preaches "family values," "intact" families -- meaning both a mother and father, definitely no families consisting of two same-sex parents -- the hypocrisy of the so-called "conservatives" is truly, truly staggering.

[gdaerin]

Actually the problem is/was the messenger AND the message.

[Badfickle]

The finacial crisis we are now in is a direct result of those principles the GOP held in 1994. We are not in the state we are in today because Bush failed. He did what he was told. We are in the state we are in today because GOP economic policies failed.

[RJII]

the GOP got their own Magic N*g ro. I can't wait for MN to dust off Newt's Contract with America. Bwa haa.

[Exit]

Wait until Republican David Duke hears about this...

[hortonhearsawho2]

Sheet Party...

[trumpetman]

The republicans think they are going to get more women, minorities, and young people to vote for them LOL Ha HA Ha ! PLEASE !

Even that M O R O N Long 333 believes that. Well it will never happen as long as the republicans are a radical right party that espouses racism and hate through their wedge issues.

[gdaerin]

I know as long as Republicans keep on their platform the plan to take away birth control to all women, they're not going to get any more women voters!

They're so obviously pandering by picking this guy. This is so incredibly typical for the GOP. They really think Obama is a token because the way they see it, that's all minority pols are good for. They figure all they need is a token also. They are all living in the first half of last century!

They just end up looking even more pathetic, if that's possible!

[harriettubman]

Steele can start by suggesting sensitivity training for GOPers.

[long333]

I would suggest people get some sensitivity training for their treatment of Palin and Steele on this board. I guarantee it all qualifies. Funny how liberals think it is OK if their targets are republican.

[TheHandyman]

Funny how you don't think at all. You have the same relationship with you brain as your sphincter, you only use it to push out the waste! You have some really smart role models.

[hortonhearsawho2]

Palin knocked up again...with all the sensitivity musterable...how's that.

[Madmac]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It's time for these people to own their failures, its time for them to own their fate.

[Muskered]

These Republicans just have to be insane! There's no other explaination.

[research]

Greed and the lust for power.

[trumpetman]

Long 333
Talking about ideas has your party finally come up with something that is not from the 19th century ! LOL

When will you realize your party is going to D I E because you have no substantive ideas. You will not survive if you can't appeal to young people , and minorities, and perform better with women and that is a fact !