Many of the criticisms of Michael Steele have been unjustified.
The hoopla over $2,000 spent by an RNC staffer at a “sex-themed” club without Steele’s knowledge or permission, may have made interesting headlines, but it was not probative of Steele’s Chairmanship of the RNC.
Today, however, Steele went to a place he should not have gone, the use of race to defend himself against the onslaught of attacks on the RNC by inside-the-beltway conservatives.
In response to a question as to whether he had “thinner margins of error” because of his race, Steele said that yes, just like Obama, he did have such thinner margins. Granted, Steele did not raise the issue and was responding to a question in which the “thinner margins” terminology was used, but Steele adopted the language by answering in the affirmative.
Such comments do infinitely more damage than any excessive spending ever could do. Suggesting racial motivations in others merely because they disagree with you has become the dominant theme of the attacks on opponents of Obamacare.
By using the race card himself, Steele has given indirect aid and comfort to those behind the smears of the Tea Party movement.
Think Progress, one of the worst offenders, is giddy over Steele’s comment. This is just the distraction for which they were hoping.
Steele needs to man up, argue on the merits, and stop whining. But most of all, stop with the race card crap; that’s the Democrats’ game.
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Comments
While this is bad enough, there are bigger problems at the RNC, like its ineffective messaging, horrible media production quality, and a general air of incompetence–like it will totally fumble November (and the several remaining special elections and/or primaries along the way).
Steele should never have been elected head of the RNC in the first place. He is ineffectual,uninspired and down right boring with a miserable handle on politics. Never mind telling Steele to man-up. Steele needs to resign and let someone who knows what they are doing run the RNC. But then those with narcassitic tendencies don't ever tend to see anything they do as wrong. That perhaps is the only thing Steele has in common with a competent leader.
You are both absolutely right! People are already bypassing the RNC, anyway, and contributing to individuals. This is a good sign. I'm always left scratching my head when he speaks, because, like you say, he's ineffectual, etc.
I've been willing to put up with Steele until this point — but this is an inexcusable error. What on earth was he thinking? If it was a careless unguarded comment, then it should be the last straw in a series of many such small errors. If it's really the way he thinks then he had no business representing the party in the first place.
Yep. Steele stepped on it, big time. He should have never done that.
If only Fred and Jeri Thompson could take over the RNC…
The incident in question and RNC monies spent are indefensible and wrong, and the fact that it occurred on Mr Steele's watch does make him accountable.
However, I believe the larger point he intended to make is that some folks in the RNC do indeed hold him to thinner margins of error, but whether that is because of his race is not absolute. It could simply be how the political infighting occurs when there are some who would rather see another person in your position.
The motives behind those who critisize Mr. Steele cannot be defined by others.
However, I do believe this question was intentionally a "gotcha" type, which unfortunately, he fell for.
Angela said, April 5, 2010 7:29 PM…
Yes, indeed. I am not a member of the Republican Party. However, I'm one of those who have bypassed the RNC and contributed to individual candidates. The internet sure cuts out the middlemen [the political party elites], and keeps their grubby paws of donors' loot!
Regarding Michael Steele. What a cry-baby. Incompetence, stupidity, and irresponsibility, are color blind! Steele needs to man-up and admit he's lost control of the RNC…What little control he had.
It's looking more and more like Steele went after the RNC chair so he could collect honoraria. Instead of promoting conservative ideals. Now he want's a jet?
The funds wasted at Voyeur, on Steele's lavish spending, and stupidly backing bad candidates, could for one, be used taking advantage of New Media [i.e. social networking and other uses of the internet]. As well as retrofitting the GOP website. Having the ParaffinPrencessa [Nancy Pelosi] as a scarecrow on the GOP homepage isn't exactly doing all that can be done to inspire voters to vote conservative. A far better thing to post on the home page would be a list of vulnerable Dems, their Republican Party opponents, and strategies to help them defeat the Dems!