Michael Steele's (Many) Problems
Michael Steele has been under a barrage of criticism from fellow Republicans since his ascendancy to the chairmanship of the Grand Old Party. Along the way, he has embarrassed himself and his supporters with some of his rhetoric and for not seeming to show where he wants to take the Party. But it's not all his fault. The GOP is in nearly as bad shape as the domestic automakers, so it's probably accurate to believe that he was handed the keys to a beat up Ford Pinto, not a brand new Rolls Royce. While he is the lightning rod, the GOP's problems can't easily be fixed -- by anyone. Be that as it may, Steele's stewardship of the Republican Party leaves much to be desired.
It's not like he entered the job with a mandate for change. He was the default winner of the chairmanship. One leading candidate was eliminated after the "Barack the Magic Negro" CD snafu. Another had the temerity to seek the job despite membership in a racially exclusive country club -- that's not the resume line that suggests the GOP is really interested in having a "big tent." Steele's win did not come with the momentum or wide range of enthusiastic support that one usually has entering this position, so his blunders and missteps have been magnified.
He got mocked at the White House Correspondents Dinner and has had a series of media blunders that have called into question his judgment and leadership. He embarrassed himself by capitulating to Rush Limbaugh after showing some political bravery (and recognizing the facts) by stating that the bloviating talk show host was an incendiary force within the Party. Conservatives seem to be the only ones who don't understand that most people don't want to support a party whose most important figure is a talk show host. Steele's honesty was followed by a hat-in-hand appearance on Limbaugh's show. That event, a month into Steele's term, showed everyone that the chairman is neither feared nor respected by Limbaugh (and those of his ilk).
Steele will likely be among the fall guys after the 2010 elections which, at this early date, will look a lot like the 2006 and 2008 ones. The rush to regionalize the GOP will be nearly complete by that time. For the sake of a two-party democracy, let's hope that moderates will find the strength they need to push back against a conservative onslaught that has nearly destroyed the GOP.
Michael K. Fauntroy is an assistant professor of public policy at George Mason University and author of the book Republicans and the Black Vote. He blogs at MichaelFauntroy.com.
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"For the sake of a two-party democracy, let's hope that moderates will find the strength they need to push back against a conservative onslaught that has nearly destroyed the GOP."
Two party democracy will survive just fine without the Republicans just as it did without the Whigs. It will be a much healthier democracy when we are choosing between Democrats and Libertarians.
Think about this folks....in order for there to be a Pres. Obama the universe has to give us the opposite of tht, so tht we can KNOW wht it is we are experincing.......
AND WHO IS MORE OPPOSITE OF OBAMA?.......STEELE!!
Its a good thing, i don't feel for tht man, he choose to kiss a$$ of the GOP and so do all the other blacks in tht party....the real schoker is though.....THEY REALLY DO HATE THEMSELVES IF THEY FEEL THEY CAN IDENTIFY W/A RACIST, BIGGOTED GOP.......but you know tht is called LIFE!!
Well, until they do get rid of him I must admit he's a joy to watch. He's emblematic of everything that's wrong with the RepubliKan Party...and that's a rather extensive list.
http://kennethmarkhoover.com
The Grand Oil Party continues imploding.
I wonder how many racial slurs he has to "let pass" daily talking with the GOP membership? I worked in an all-GOP shop. They talk that way about Obama. You know today's SCOTUS nominee brought out "slurs-galore."
What does it do to a man's soul to swallow that stuff, day after day? What kind of denial, repression and projection does one have to engage in to remain "friends" with bigots?
I don't see how the few black Republicans make it. I really don't. Or, perhaps they don't - they do seem a bit "damaged" and mentally ill (even Colin Powell seems wrecked out).
You would think that some of them would come out, do a "tell all," wake up the GOP. Maybe being a coward is a prerequisite. (Condi: "I didn't sign off on anything,...")
Did you mean to say "lightening rod" instead of "lightning rod?"
Steele's a patsy? Hmmmmm.
The reason that Republican Moderates won't find the strength to push back the "conservative onslaught" is that this poorly adapted political subspecies is virtually extinct. There may be a few relic Moderates in deep woods somewhere, but they aren't breeding.
In what sense is the already regional Republican Party necessary to the good health of American "Two Party Democracy" (what ever that ill-defined term means)? Where in the Constitution is the GOP enshrined? Or the Democrats for that matter, or the Whigs, Libertarians etc. Political parties evolved spontaneously in US politics, and thinning of the herd is historical, inevitable and healthy. The sooner the staggering Republican Party keels over belly up, the sooner a viable opposition to the Democratic Party can arise. The Republican Party is not too important to fail.
Want a healthier democracy? Takes steps to eliminate gerrymandered, safe districts and elect presidents on the basis of popular vote. If you believe in one man one vote, elect senators at large.
It is hard to do something well when your heart is not into it. Steele representing the republicans is like Dred Scott leading the Confederates, it is ridiculous. The party that he wants to lead has no place for him in it and he knows it. I kept waiting to see him at one of those Palin rallies but for some reason he or Joe Watkins never showed up. I wonder why? Steele knows that the party needs to change in order to grow but he will never be the one to do it. It is going to take a few more election defeats before someone says look in order to survive we have to dump Rush and the Wingnuts. The vaunted Southern strategy has come home to roost.
How do you know his heart is not into it? He fought like hell through 6 votes to get the job.
That just means that he ego is in it. Let's face it, this guy has never successfully done anything, and he thought that by being one of the few black Republicans out there, he could climb the ladder of success at a faster pace than he would with the Democrats. He's really ticked now that Obama, one black guy in a sea of minorities, managed to get farther than he has. I feel sorry for Steele, I really do, because I really don't think that he realizes what a pawn and a figurehead he is right now.
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