RNC Chair Steele: GOP Needs "Hip Hop" Makeover

Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele, in an interview with the Washington Times, says he's planning an "off the hook" public relations offensive to attract young blacks and Hispanic voters.

The RNC's first black chairman will "surprise everyone" when updating the party's image using the Internet and advertisements on radio, on television and in print, he told The Washington Times.

...

"There was underlying concerns we had become too regionalized and the party needed to reach beyond our comfort" zones, he said, citing defeats in such states as Virginia and North Carolina. "We need messengers to really capture that region - young, Hispanic, black, a cross section ... We want to convey that the modern-day GOP looks like the conservative party that stands on principles. But we want to apply them to urban-surburban hip-hop settings."

Asked if this venture will be cutting-edge, Steele replied, "I don't do 'cutting-edge.' That's what Democrats are doing. We're going beyond cutting-edge."

Steele recently said that President Obama's stimulus was just "bling bling."

Comments

[bnhood81]

this is what the first commercial might look like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V6T0FhT6AM

[CabaretArtist]

Hey Steele, "Off the Hook" is OUTDATED!!!! The Republicans picked the stupidest African American they could muster up. Steele is so out of touch. Even Jose (from the Washington Post) pointed out that the phrase "Off the Hook" is so 2003-ish. He'd gone to the little tech gathering the republicans had among their younger constituents. One interesting thing Jose said, was that while some of these young rethugs are computer savvy, THEY'VE GOT NO MESSAGE! What will be the "Off the Hook" (ha ha haha) message? Guess it will be delivered as a message in a bottle.

[C IH8U2]

Steele wants to change their image, well ain’t that great.
But he fails to see, it’s much too late.
People know bout the real, they know he’s fake.
In 2010 they’re going down, now watch their boots quake.

Do they wanna feed the Hungry (He// No!!)
Do they wanna help to homeless (He// No!!)
Do they wanna save the country (He// No!!)
Guess the GOP’s hopeless (Now that’s so right Yo!!)

Since they don’t have us in mind, it’s they to go.
The color I see on them is yellow.
They’ve been losing this battle from the get-go.
Everybody wave and say good to ya’ll tr0//s!!!

Do they wanna feed the Hungry (He// No!!)
Do they wanna help to homeless (He// No!!)
Do they wanna save the country (He// No!!)
Guess the GOP’s hopeless (Now that’s so right Yo!!)

[blackgrl71]

i LOVE when Steele talks... it's one gaffe after another... I just KNOW the “sweet-kin­d-&-gentle­-Southern- white GOP power-structure” is just thrilled beyond belief that this man is one of their leaders and articulating so well their goals and beliefs. plus I know that people like Gov. Sanford or David Duke in LA are just soooo happy that Steele is kickin’ a lil’ hip-hop their way. I mean you can only crank Hank Williams Jr. for so long before succumbing to the likes of TI or Lil’ Wayne.

[roboturkey]

Is this story a joke? Mr. Steele can't be serious. The Republican "brand" is going to get shredded by this guy. In the meantime, I cannot wait to see SNL take off on this.

[Mr-Mikey]

I swear if he tries >ANY< harder, he'll break something. Give it a rest grandpa.

[joeythetrollslayer]

sad

[jason10006]

YO! Me N Tracy Jordin are all about REPUBLICANS in da hizOUSE!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!

aaaAAAIGHT­!?!?!?!?!?

(Only 30 Rock Fans will get this...)

[nancytheragingliberal]

Ha. Public relations to attract Blacks and Hispanics.­.Hip Hop, no less. Blacks and Hispanics will see through the nasty repub. charade and won't budge. They detest repubs. and will never vote for them. Well, maybe some will, but not many. The repub. party is over, done, dead. They shafted the world in the eight years they had of total power. People are broke, homeless, without jobs, food, you name it. They will not pull the lever for repubs. for a long time, however, if we have another Bill Clinton-like scandal, then all bets are off. O. had better be beyond squeaky clean and his entire administration, as well.

[cloudmaker]

Steele is the best thing that could have happened to the Democrats. In
their eagerness to embrace African Americans, they chose the worst possible
spokesperson. The man is a total nitwit and puts his foot in his mouth at every
opportunity. Now the GOP is stuck with him because they can't be seen
canning a black man, but with every appearance Steele continues to prove that
the Republicans haven't a clue how to reach minorities. Hilarious.

[CabaretArtist]

So true. So true. And, someone needs to tell Steele that the phrase "Off the Hook" is SO OUTDATED!!! It's indicative of how out of touch Steele really is with minorities.

[goldcatt]

Kinda reminds you of something, doesn't it?

[Forester]

true that.

They are in a pickle!

[C IH8U2]

Tell me this. What respected Rap/Hip-Hop artist will allow the GOP to use their music and images???
What are they gonna do, use music and images without the Artist's permission again?????
That's SSOoooooo worked out for them so far hasn't it!!!!! LMMFAO. :-P

[dct1999]

They'll have to go with reggaeton and let Daddy Yankee be their spokesperson.

[mattamorr]

Hope they get the approval of any "Hip Hop" artist's music before they use it.

[ddemos]

Ahhh...rem­ember when the Boss was outraged and banned Reagan from using 'Born in the USA' as his campaign song?? Can't wait to see what 50 cent will do...Also can't wait to see the definition of what "beyond cutting edge" means to the Repup. party

[javagirl322]

A "makeover" for the GOP? Michael Steele does NOT have that kind of power....

[caseyblab]

Maybe not a "makeover", but everyone could get a bumper sticker:
I'D RATHER BE KRUMPING- it'll be big in Dixie.

[miketothad]

LMAO

[Rynox]

Wow, the GOP still doesn't 'get it'.

We want competence, not gimmicks.

Simple as that.

[DR350SE]

yet you elected a man that has never even had a job.

[MsMicki]

Guess what Dr. Einstein, Community Organizers do get paid. Not much, but you can't say that they don't have a job. Also, as an Instructor of Constitution Law at the Univ. of Chicago, he was paid for doing a job.

Please stop hating. It makes you look so (as an alleged doctor) QUACKY!!!!!!

[USADownUnder]

DR350SE - have you stopped taking your meds again?

[IndependentTogether]

Another one uh dem dere low information voters, I see.

[helmboy]

nothing sadder than someone being superficial without a clue. so, you 'street' it up and somehow the 'others' will come. rather patronizing of you, Mike, don't you think?

[ihateliars]

How many ways can you put "NO" to music?