And how is Howard Dean working out for the DNC??
On Sat, Jan 15, 2011 at 3:43 AM, Tommy News <[email protected]> wrote: > GOP Eat Their Own: RNC Chair Michael Steele is Removed Despite > Historic Party Wins > > Michael Steele's many blunders led to defeat in RNC chair reelection > campaign > > -by Perry Bacon Jr > > Discussion PolicyYour browser's settings may be preventing you from > commenting on and viewing comments about this item. See instructions > for fixing the problem. > Discussion Policy CLOSEComments that include profanity or personal > attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed > from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain > "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. > Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our > posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other > policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing > commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the > content that you post. > > By Perry Bacon Jr. > Washington Post Staff Writer > Friday, January 14, 2011; 7:13 PM > > Republicans emerged from a 2008 electoral drubbing not only lacking a > telegenic spokesman for the party but virtually any major officials > who were not white, a major void after the election of the nation's > first black president. Michael Steele seemed like the right man at the > right time: an African-American Republican who loved going on > television. > > But instead of turning into a solution for the GOP, critics say Steele > blundered so many times in his first few months as chairman of the > Republican National Committee that party officials openly considered > replacing him well before the first quarter of his two-year tenure had > ended. > > Republicans completed the dumping of Steele on Friday, voting out the > party's first-ever black chairman. > > His reelection defeat was widely anticipated but still an unusual > moment in American politics: a party removing its chairman after > winning historic victories with him at the helm. Despite the wins, his > tenure may be best remembered for the committee paying for an evening > at a bondage-themed Hollywood night club for potential donors, > Steele's feud with conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh and his > declaration that the war in Afghanistan was one of "Obama's choosing." > > "I hope you all appreciate the legacy we leave. Despite the noise, > despite the difficulties, we won," a weary-looking Steele said Friday > in his speech at National Harbor in Prince George's County as he > withdrew from contention for the chairman's post. > > For Steele, the defeat ends his time in a place he had long coveted: a > high-profile job in national politics. The D.C. native, who was > lieutenant governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007, ran unsuccessfully > for the U.S. Senate in 2006 and decided against a run for party > chairman the next year. > > When they elected him in January 2009, Republicans considered Steele's > charisma and eagerness to communicate to be assets in a party whose > main leaders were figures such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch > McConnell (R-Ky.), a dry speaker. > > But Steele had never before had his words so closely scrutinized. The > party chairman's interviews often turned into political disasters, > such when he played down the influence of Limbaugh - leading to a > public feud with the talk show host - and mused about GOP senators > being challenged in primaries. > > > His tenure was also dramatically affected by an unexpected > development: the tea party movement. > > In his successful RNC campaign, Steele had pledged to reinvent the > party in his image. With Steele leading it, he touted a Republican > Party that would campaign in urban, Democratic areas all across the > country, wooing young and minority voters who had overwhelmingly > backed Obama in 2008. > > But by the middle of 2009, Republicans had found their voice: > conservative activists flooding town hall meetings all over the > country to protest President Obama's health-care reform plan. Other > party officials still wanted to expand the base and reach of the > party, as Steele sought to, but that quickly turned into a secondary > priority to rallying the nearly all-white, mostly older, tea party > activists, many of whom were disaffected Republicans. > > Steele quickly aligned himself with the tea party activists, but their > energy and the growing dissatisfaction among Republicans and > independents with Obama seemed to render much of Steele's message of > change for the GOP irrelevant. > > By the end of 2009, Republican gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey > and Virginia won major victories by rallying the traditional coalition > of voters who had long elected Republicans. > > Ahead of the 2010 elections, sensing the chances for a big victory, > GOP leaders in Congress simply wanted a party chairman who could raise > money and keep attention focused on the troubles of congressional > Democrats. > > Never known as a strong fundraiser and plagued by a lack of confidence > in his leadership, Steele struggled to raise money for the GOP. Party > operatives instead built outside fundraising operations, often > collecting checks from people who were shunning Steele's RNC. > > Meanwhile, the RNC continued to make mistakes. In March, the > committee's campaign finance reports showed a low-level aide > authorized spending $2,000 for potential donors to visit a > bondage-themed night club in Hollywood. Three months later, Steele > publicly questioned the continued presence of U.S. troops in > Afghanistan, even as the majority of congressional Republicans back > the war effort there. > > By last month, when Steele declared he would run for reelection, he > had almost no chance of winning. The committee's staff was fleeing > after the election, anticipating Steele's departure, and one of his > top operatives, Gentry Collins, publicly blasted Steele for wasting > the party's money. The RNC ended 2010 with a record $20 million debt. > > In choosing to run a long-shot campaign for a second two-year term as > chairman, Steele admitted he was a clear underdog. > > Steele has not said what he will do in his future, but the role as the > GOP's most prominent minority figure may no longer be open to him. > Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), who is Cuban-American, and Rep. Tim Scott > (S.C.), who is black, won in 2010 and are likely to emerge as key GOP > figures. > > The 6-foot-4 Steele, known for his bold pinstripe suits, had relished > the attention that came with being party chairman, asking "How do you > like me now?" in the press conference after he won in 2009. > > He seemed aware Friday that, for now, his moment is over. > > "Thank you for the opportunity to serve and to lead," he said Friday, > "and now I exit, stage right." > > More: > > http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/14/AR2011011405866_2.html?sub=AR&sid=ST2011011406780 > > -- > Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. > Have a great day, > Tommy > > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at > http://www.PoliticalForum.com/<http://www.politicalforum.com/> > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
