Steele, the GOP and Confronting the Southern Strategy

Michael Steele had a lot to overcome. One of his opponents, the sitting GOP Chair from South Carolina, had just resigned from an all white country club and admitted that he became a Republican in reaction to his personal experience with desegregation. Another opponent, Chip Saltsman, sent out a wildly racist CD to RNC members which included the now infamous Magic Negro and Star Spanglish Banner songs. Saltsman was so battered by his out-of-touch comments that he withdrew from the race before the balloting began. But Katon Dawson, the SC Chair, went all the way to the final ballot before losing to Steele.

What a stark choice this was for the Republicans: an avowed disciple of the Southern Strategy era of racial politics vs. an African-American candidate from that awfully liberal pretty far north state of Maryland. That Steele won, defeating Saltsman and Dawson, is a hopeful sign that the GOP has begun to confront its shameful exploitation of race as a national political strategy over the past 44 years. But the road back to power for the party Mr. Steele has chosen to lead is a hard one. As I recently wrote:

Their recent success as a national party was built on an approach towards race that spoke to a different racial reality in America, an American one where could get away with magic negro songs, and much much worse of course. But that America - a white/black, majority/minority America - is now an historic relic, and is in the process of being replaced by an America that has 3 times as many minorities as it did just 44 years ago, and is on track to be majority minority by 2042 (for more on this historic demographic transformation see here). But for many in the GOP, including ones who might become their Chairman, they know no other politics than this Southern Strategy era politics, a politics that has been rejected once and for all by the American people of today's America.

It is important that the leaders of the GOP have begun to confront its shameful racial past. But their problem has no simple or easy fix. It will require a complete refashioning of their politics around a very different set of 21st century demographics and a much more tolerant understanding of race in America - and a complete and utter repudiation of much of their domestic agenda for the past half century. Which is major reason why I think their road back is such a long one - many of their leaders came to power by becoming expert in this kind of politics; it is the core play in their playbook; it is the foundation of their domestic agenda; and they know little else. Their old Southern Strategy dogs aren't going to learn new tricks - for the GOP they will have to slowly, over time, replace their anachronistic leaders with ones schooled in the modern governing challenges, modern media and technology and modern demography of our day. The process of watching this generational replacement take place will be one of the most interesting political stories of the next 10-20 years, and of course has become all the more necessary in the age of Obama.

Recall that one of Mr. Steele's predecessors as RNC Chairman, Senator Mel Martinez of Florida, resigned in 2007 after less than a year on the job because of the lingering intolerance of the party of Saltsman, Tancredo, Limbaugh and Dawson. So these tensions in the GOP - and the nation - will continue to play out for some time as old attitudes and people give way to new racial attitudes and a new America.

Just yesterday, Mr. Steele showed how hard this adjustment would be for the GOP. As Huffington Post's Sam Stein reported, Steele was asked on Fox News whether the GOP's position on immigration had alienated the Latino vote for a generation. His answer? No, of course. Hispanics really agree with our position calling for continued exploitation and demonization of Hispanics, but we just didn't message it very well. Score one for the nativists.

So, all in all, Mr. Steele's election is a hopeful sign for the GOP and the nation. His party not only chose a new path in electing him their new chair, they rejected candidates who would have sent a very bad signal about the values of the GOP in this new age of Obama. But as we saw with the irresponsible House stimulus vote last week, old ways die hard, and the choice of Steele alone does not a new party make.

Cross-posted at the NDN Blog.

Comments

[ViddyD]

It is a good sign.
I'm a loyal Democrat, but speaking as a former Republican who left the party 25 years ago,
it would be great for the Republican party to return to its former level of sanity.

[tifaret]

now the GOP has appointed its token black....how cynical is that?

[vgirl1]

The Republicans love to eat their own. That is why it is an interesting phenomenon to see

Limbaugh, David Duke (former KKK Grand Dragon), Palin, Joe the Plumber, Boehner, McConnell, McCain and Steele all claiming to be the voice of the GOP.

A motley crew to be sure who by their words and actions tell us exactly what the Republican party stands for and it is NOT pretty..

[Grit]

Its all BS. The Republican party only changed the color of its front man.

[Profyz]

Steele is a classic example of American tokenism. Integration beyond tokenism, on a scale of 1-10, American society has reached a 4, the Democrats a 3 and Republicans are still stuck at 1. Republicans are not only against blacks, they are against all minorities. As for the US constitution Republicans are against it the most. I think they are the only group on record having suspended habeas corpus with the blessing of our supreme court. Unfortunately President Obama has taken a shaky start because of his appointments.

[zenie]

Michael Steele is perfect for the Republican Party. He claims to be a religious man, pro-life, pro family, while he's really another amoral creep.

When Ehrlich and Steele hired busloads of poor black men from Philadelphia to hand out "Democratic Ballot" flyers showing Ehrlich and Steele as the choice for Democrats on election day in 2002, they weren't just dishonest. They not only lied to Democrats in Maryland, they prevented the men from Philadelphia from voting in their home districts.

Maybe Steele is a Rove wannabe. If so, he's perfect. If not, Republicans will stab him in the back then throw him under the bus.

[UKOH]

The country - and the world - has serious problems (just in case you didn't know it!). Lets just stop this diversionary tactic of focusing on race and become color blind once and for all.

I don't give a fig about whether Obama, or Steele, is black, yellow or sky blue pink for that matter. Lets just look at their politics and how they perform on issues that matter. After all, they are professional politicians and should be treated as such.

[daddigrace]

Congratulations to Lt. Gov. Michael Steele on winning the RNC chairmanship! Although I am a democrat, I welcome the debate. If that makes the racists on the far right, and the closet racists on the far left squirm and have fits, that's even better!!

Obama and Steele, you make us PROUD!! We love you both! Kick the racists to the sidelines and lets have a REAL debate about the REAL issues that matter.

[LMPE]

Last summer, Matt Taibbi wrote an article in Rolling Stone about his coverage of the GOP convention in Minneapolis. He said that many of the high-ranking members were quadruple-chinned southerners.

Basically, the GOP is the party of white men. A combination of Wall Street types and the angry white males to whom Rush Limbaugh appeals.

[yappnmutt]

the general problem with all politics is that ideology gets in the way insuring our leaders are a generation behind the present in their thinking. obama may be the exception but he has already had run ins with the old(present) guard. steele's task may be impossible given the number of people in his party who consider him the enemy by virtue of his skin color.

[ExpositOne]

Race continues to be made the issue on the left . . . how many republican senators or congressmen do you think consider Mr. Steele the enemy because of his skin color? Go ahead please make an "educated" guess.

[ohioan73]

By all accounts, the black community should or would vote Rep. seeing as the general social conservative values are almost in lock step with neo-cons. Older, out-of-touch people still set the precedent for social standards no matter how much debauchery is in Hip-Hop or Rock n Roll. How frightening it is to see the naughty teens you grew up with turn 30 and become Jesus freaks. This is a pattern of Americana-type culture that has been drilled into the rural segregated white community and the segregated inner city black community. We all once lived in VERY close proximity to each other right across the plantation for centuries. Of course we have picked up some of the traits. The black community is not a safe liberal haven for black atheists like me. Its very frightening. Something akin to being in one of those creepy small towns.

One thing black libs and cons have always agreed on is that we hate discrimination. No matter how conservative a black person is, they know how to separate that from what really matters. What really matters is a Tom like Steele is one of the cogs in the discrimination machine and he will not be supported no matter what. I can call up 10 blacks "conservatives" right now and get a thumbs down for Steele. Don't everybody get worried that the blacks are gonna leave the Dems. We know a Tom when we see one.

[muybuena]

Ditto on the Black atheism... and everything else.

[langej]

Hey, both Democrat and Republican parties are composed of people from all of the different races and ethnicities that make up in America. The two party's records on race oscilate over time. Get over it.

A brief history lesson: Republican Abe Lincoln started it by freeing the slaves (in the south only), Democrat Andrew Johnson continued with the 14th Amendment , the Civil rights Act of 1875 was co-sponsored by a Republican and a Democrat, and Republican Ulysses Grant presided over the passage of the 15th amendment to the constituiton in 1880. Republican Teddy Roosevelt spoke out against discrimination (thought did but a little) Democrats were behind most of the Jim Crow segregationist laws from the 1880s to the 1950s, which Democrat Franklin Roosevelt frequently intervened to support. Finally, Democrat Lyndon Johnson reversed the trend and put the Democrats again in strongly favor of equal opportunity with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

[StillIRise]

I appreciate your point, but when Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which was followed by the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the southern Democrats who opposed civil rights for blacks, known as the Dixiecrats, turned to the Republican Party for refuge, and became the very face and character of the Republican Party for the last 45 years. It would literally take a new generation of Republicans to significantly change who the Republicans have been for the last half century. Yet, that generation is even now being cultivated by the same racist, bible-toting, CHRINO (Christian-in-name only), self-righteous, war-mongering and divisive Republican brand that we're now witnessing, and those who don't buy into that mindset are becoming Democrats. So it seems that until they all die out, this Republican Party is stuck in a dead zone! Maybe in another fifty years, the cycle will swing their way again, but as it is, they are so far out of touch, not only with mainstream America but with themselves, that it will take nothing short of a miracle for them to be a viable party again. This is not to say that they won't find their way back to power - by stealing elections or manipulating the lowest informed of the American people - but even if they do, they will still be the same Republicans that they are today!

[hapaglloyd]

Great post.

[langej]

So we win by gathering a majority of votes, but they can only win by stealing elections or manipulating?

I find such vitriolic attacks, whether aimed at Democrats or Republicans to be both un-American and anti-American. Un-American because they are prejudiced rather than reasoned, anti-American because they encourage anomie.

[lvdragonlady]

"is a hopeful sign that the GOP has begun to confront its shameful exploitation of race" You do not really believe that do you?
Minorities will recognize this for what it is, a ploy to get votes and nothing more.

[sandpiper1]

Agreed...Steele is a token black who was chosen in the belief he would attract AAs to their party. One only has to look back in 2004 Ohio and Ken Blackwell, a black man and how he disenfranchised his own people at the voting stations to maintain the status quo in the WH. Michael Steele is no better than Blackwell, considering the disgraceful, unamerican shenangians he practised in Maryland when he was running for the senate. I certainly hope AAs will remember both occasions and their respective actions.

[tigerakabj]

The Republican party hasn't changed one bit. Michael Steele was neck and neck with Katon Dawson, who just resigned (now he's probably gone back since he didn't get elected) from a whites-only country club. The powers that be in the stuck pig-of-a party couldn't decide whether to go with or without the lipstick. The lipstick won.

They will double down on the hate, lies, inuendo, and trickle-down economics until the very end. They've been doing it since Nixon, over 40 years. Harvest time has come and they will eat their bitter harvest and like it.

[lagumbo]

The GOP will do Steele treat Steele just like they treated Martinez. They won't change. Steele better watch his back because the GOP love hanging parties, and they never hang their own. Steele will never be one of their own, not in the south for sure.