Should Michael Steele resign?

[hotatlboi]

I think it was obvious he was picked to be the anti-Obama, like him in some ways but different.

Being black is part of that but not the whole part.

But I agree it seems like he has not really helped the party out at all. If anything he has been more of an embarrassment.

He hasn't offered any distinguishing new direction, and he seems to be too radical in his mischaracterizations even for Fox News...



which is NOT the way the Republican party needs to go if they want to win back voters.

 

[opinterph]

I dont know why [Michael Steele] was picked in the first place...

As of the day of the vote and based on the required signatures, 5 Republicans qualified for consideration to be elected as party chairman. Six ballots were taken at the RNC 2009 Winter Meeting before one nominee received the simple majority needed to win. (168 voters, including proxies)

First Ballot:

Mike Duncan: 52

Michael Steele: 46

Katon Dawson: 28

Saul Anuzis: 22

Ken Blackwell: 20

Second Ballot:

Mike Duncan: 48 (-4)

Michael Steele: 48 (+2)

Katon Dawson: 29 (+1)

Saul Anuzis: 24 (+2)

Ken Blackwell: 19 (-1)

Third Ballot:

Michael Steele: 51 (+3)

Mike Duncan: 44 (-4)

Katon Dawson: 34 (+5)

Saul Anuzis: 24 (unchanged)

Ken Blackwell: 15 (-4)

Fourth Ballot:
(Mike Duncan withdrew from consideration)

Katon Dawson: 62 (+28 )

Michael Steele: 60 (+9)

Saul Anuzis: 31 (+7)

Ken Blackwell: 15 (unchanged)

Fifth Ballot:
(Ken Blackwell withdrew from consideration, endorsed Steele)

Michael Steele: 79 (+19)

Katon Dawson: 69 (+7)

Saul Anuzis: 20 (-11)

Final Ballot:
(Saul Anuzis withdrew from consideration)

Michael Steele: 91 (+12)

Katon Dawson: 77 (+8 )​

 

[desmond]

No, he should definitely stay, good for the dems.

 

[iman]

Steele is the perfect leader for the Republicans, self absorbed, shameless, amoral and given to petty corruption.

 

[hotatlboi]

so for those who look upon politics as a sport (winning is all that matters) and are dems should want steele to stay on, right

yes I would say so.

 

[desmond]

And he's really entertaining ;-)

 

[JB3]

Steele is the perfect leader for the Republicans, self absorbed, shameless, amoral and given to petty corruption.

Amoral? How do you figure?

 

[JB3]

Michael Steele is great...

...for the Democrats.

I think it's obvious that he was picked in an effort to attract minority voters, which the Republican Party is noticeably lacking compared to Democrats. Trying to change their image isn't going to help, because as they should have learned from Maryland's 2006 Senate election, you can't attract minorities just because one of their own is running. Republicans need to change their outreach and philosophy to attract minorities.

Hold up; if anyone on the right claimed that the democrats picked someone because they were a minority you would be screaming bloody murder. But, because its those you disagree with you think its perfectly okay to say that the republicans only picked him because he was a minority.

 

[desmond]

Hold up; if anyone on the right claimed that the democrats picked someone because they were a minority you would be screaming bloody murder. But, because its those you disagree with you think its perfectly okay to say that the republicans only picked him because he was a minority.

Like Justice Thomas? I might call it representing our diversity.

 

[Kulindahr]

which is NOT the way the Republican party needs to go if they want to win back voters.

Right there is what's wrong with American politics: it's become all about pleasing the voters. That's the death knell of democracy -- which is inherent in democracy.

The difference is that Democrats already carry favor with minorities.

There would be no need for Democrats to do that.

Well, of course -- that's because Democrats have institutionalized the selection of people because of race rather than competence; the Republicans only do it occasionally.

 

[desmond]

[I]Sour grapes is an expression o...nnot have.[/I][/quote] oh, that was awesome.

 

[Kulindahr]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sour_grapes

Sour grapes is an expression originating from the Aesop Fable The Fox and the Grapes. It refers to envious behavior, especially pretending disdain for something one does not or cannot have.

I suppose that's accurate: I do not and cannot have such institutionalized racism as the Democratic Party has practiced for decades.

 

[desmond]

I would imagine that he might be wanting to spend more time with his family.

 

[JB3]

Let me get this straight, the Democrats are the most diverse party in America and they are racist?

Something doesn't compute...

Yeah. How diverse they are has nothing to do with it...

 

[Seasoned]

Oh, brother! Steele picked because he's black to try to offset Obama. Palin picked because she's a woman to try to pick up disgruntled Hillary voters. And the frosting on the fucking cake? Clarence Thomas replacing Thurgood Marshall. Republican gifts that keep on giving, reactionary in principle and in practice.

 

[Centexfarmer]

I'd love to see the justification that the leadership of the RNC would give for drumming Steele out as Chair of their Grand Old Party.

It's not like he was sending nasty provocative IM's to u/a pages on the House Floor, or soliciting dick in an airport bathroom.

"Yo, yo, you Dude! I'm Michael Steele! I got what you want, I got what you need! Stupid minority votes! I'll make the GOP look cool!"



I think that he should resign out of self-respect for failing to prove to the American Public why the GOP should even be considered relevant to debate the issues with anyone outside of Fox News.

But that's just my opinion.

 

[bike10]

Here man who wants the Republican Party to be the Party of the Big Tent. The Party of Inclusion not Exclusion.

However to be in the Big Tent one must be anti gay, pro life, pro gun, anti public education, pro war, pro tax cut for the rich, anti health care, anti environment, pro tea bag, birther, Obama is the anti Christ.

The Big Tent is nothing more then one ring circus with Rush Limbaugh as its ring master.

 

[Kulindahr]

Here man who wants the Republican Party to be the Party of the Big Tent. The Party of Inclusion not Exclusion.

However to be in the Big Tent one must be anti gay, pro life, pro gun, anti public education, pro war, pro tax cut for the rich, anti health care, anti environment, pro tea bag, birther, Obama is the anti Christ.

Well, two of those are good things, one is if it's not hurried.

But Obama = Antichrist is debatable for Republicans; he might just be a puppet of the evil international socialist something-or-other.
And the are a LOT of pro-environment Republicans, especially since the National Association of Evangelicals came out with their edenic stewardship thing, about how we were after all put here to take care of the place.

 

[White Eagle]

Here man who wants the Republican Party to be the Party of the Big Tent. The Party of Inclusion not Exclusion.

However to be in the Big Tent one must be anti gay, pro life, pro gun, anti public education, pro war, pro tax cut for the rich, anti health care, anti environment, pro tea bag, birther, Obama is the anti Christ.

The Big Tent is nothing more then one ring circus with Rush Limbaugh as its ring master.

You forgot old, male and white.

 

[White Eagle]

Oh, brother! Steele picked because he's black to try to offset Obama. Palin picked because she's a woman to try to pick up disgruntled Hillary voters. And the frosting on the fucking cake? Clarence Thomas replacing Thurgood Marshall. Republican gifts that keep on giving, reactionary in principle and in practice.

Very well put.