I hate to zing another black conservative, but Michael Steele is just such a Drama Queen. Every time I turn around, there is Michael in the news kicking up some stupid drama. Steele’s latest bit of theatrics comes from an ABC News Radio interview where Steele lashes out at his critics, saying things like: “get a life”, “shut up” and “fire me or get out of the way”. The cherry on top of the cake is when Michael Steele follows in the ill-fated footsteps of Obama and grades his own performance for the year, giving himself a solid “B”.
Oh boy! The problem with Michael Steele is that he is in love with the sound of his own voice. He loves getting out there on TV and trying be such a hip, cool and edgy Republican. Here is the thing, right now the GOP does not need a hip, cool or edgy Republican leader, what the GOP needs is a solid and competent one.
The GOP stands to do rather well in the 2010-midterm elections despite low fundraising and a base that has gone rogue. The GOP’s good fortune is not because of anything Steele has done, rather it has everything to do with the Democrats trashing their brand.
If Steele really wants to really earn a solid "B", he could start by getting everyone in the GOP leadership to abandon the stupid idea of watering down conservatism in order to create a “big tent”. Just today, Gallup once again shows America is firmly center right.
Americans don’t just want to flee the Democrats; they want something to vote for as well. This means Steele has to develop a message based on strong core principles and then support only candidates who live and breathe those principles. Stop wasting time and money on Republicans that waver all over the place. The day of poser is over, Americans want true substance.
Unless Michael can tear himself away from the cameras and start getting serious about taking full advantage of the golden opportunities being offered by the Democrats gone wild, he is wasting everyone’s time and risks having the Tea Party movement actually become America’s new third party.
Via: Memeorandum
Via: ABC News
Via: Gallup
Via: Newsweek
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9 comments:
Steele gives good fodder for the conspiracy types who would say each party is playing into the other's hands.
"right now the GOP does not need a hip, cool or edgy Republican leader, what the GOP needs is a solid and competent one."
Wow. That is spot on.
It's kinda baffling to me that sometimes that statement isn't true-- no matter which political party we're talking about.
But yeah, the political time for hip is over-- just look at CNN flailing wildly, hawking funny/hip T-shirts on late-night Cartoon Network. It's pathetic and people are seeing it as such.
Especially since the reality of the Christmas bombing is settling in, people want the security of calm competence. And Michael Steele just isn't exuding it-- nor are any other major GOP players.
Of course neither is Obama and the Dems so...
Excellent observations. I truly like Steele, but I often groan at home after he addresses an issue ineffectively that "I wish he had a spine of STEEL instead of one of Jell-O." He doesn't have the drive needed to undo the Democrats, who have Rahm "Chicago Way" Emanuel and other slimey dedicated vermin willing to fall on their swords for the Dems. Steele is too nice more often than not, and when he tries to get tough, he sounds whiny.
He often "talks the talk," then has a "senior moment" memory overhaul on what being a conservative is. I will never forgive his stupidity when being interviewed by DL Hughley and DL said that the cheering crowds at the C-PAC convention "scared" him and that it seemed like it was a gathering of Nazis or some other such nonsense (never mind that all Obama's assemblies during the campaign were identical with cheering, jumping folks in a crowd). Instead of gently rebuking or not-so-gently smacking DL for the uncalled-for Nazi slam, Steele just chuckled politely. WTF??? Hey, go ahead and bash conservatives aka GOP to my face, DL... ridiculous. Not the response of a strong leader.
The tea parties have no leader, and for now, that doesn't seem to be an issue. However, we're about to launch into the bloodiest election year we've seen in decades. Steele, Gingrich, and other GOP old-timers need to unify the party's message, and not ignore Scott Brown like they did Doug Hoffman (until the 11th hour, when it was too late). They also need to be less nasty and more supportive of Sarah Palin, who has done more to galvanize the party than anyone else since maybe Reagan.
Loved your statement that "The day of poser is over, Americans want true substance." Well said and so true.
I really want to like Steele. I supported him to become the head of the RNC. But, sometimes he seems a little overwhelmed with the responsibility. He has lost fundraising with the base after the Dede fiasco.
Everyone I know is giving directly to candidates, not to the party. Candidates can only collect so much money and need the party to fill in those gaps.
I do think that staying away from the Brown race may be a smart thing. If the libs in MA think that the RNC is getting to involved it may motivate people who wouldn't have otherwise not bothered to vote.
Dang! True though. They're calling for money everyday and I'm not interested in giving any. Been there, done that. It won't take money to win this one. It will take something more than dollar bills.
BTW - If there is a need for money you gotta come correct. Tell me how much you have, how much more you need, and what you're going to do with it. Don't just use a bunch of scare tactics and say please send us money. I mean the local mission says, 'we can feed each homeless hungry person for $2.56 per day'. So I decide how many homeless I want to feed, write a check and stick it in the mail. You gotta come correct, or let's get the Tea Party rolling for real.
Well I have to say that I've supported Michale Steele since he was made RNC chairman and have shared a few "interesting" e-mails with him - starting with my DEMANDING that he get Snowe,Collins and Specter to drop the "R" after their names! He responded to that by saying although he wished he could, he lacked authority to tell anyone that they had to remove an "R" after their name, which, had I thought about it, I should have realized. He said he was going to be focusing on putting up money to help Primary chalenges to any "R" who was so out of touch with mainstream Republicanism.
Part of the reason Mr. Steele is having so much trouble today is that he's getting shot at by fellow Republicans ALL THE TIME - sometimes because he deserves it, but IMO, sometimes because some folk want to be head of the RNC themselves, or simply don't like him.
But I would hope and expect that most folks - especially my fellow Conservative or Center-Right folks, would remember one little thing: It's the REPUBLICAN PARTY not the CONSERVATIVE PARTY. He took waaaay too much heat in NYS over that replacement cause he supported the Republican Nominee; but NYS is MUCH different from other states because we've had a true Conservative Party for like 50 years or so now. They almost always nominate or support the Republican Party candidates, except in that one race. Had Steele been more hip to NYS politics, he could have seized the moment, so to speak,and endorsed the Conservative Party Candidate, but doing so would have alienated a large hunk of NYS Republicans cause he's supposed to be THEIR National Party Chairman.
In any event, I think Steele has suffered from all of the Republican in-fighting and jostling for postion for head of the RNC. I think he's a good man and will ultimately win the day.
"hip, cool and edgy" summed it up very well, Clifton. There is a point when we realize that's the stage we left several decades ago.
Good post. Steele is not leading, which sometimes means challenging the members, focusing on goals and destroying any doubts. If Palin can do this, without party backing, then the machinery of the GOP should have no problem in taking the initiative. If this opportunity is wasted, then the GOP doesn't deserve the position as a party.
I liked Steele ever since hearing him speak at the 2004 Republican convention. His message on how he was raised and what his mother instilled in him I found quite inspirational. Although now I'm really wishing we had his Mom as the leader of the GOP.
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