A post by Pat
After six ballots, Michael Steele won the Republican National Committee chairmanship. Mike Duncan, the sitting chair, dropped out after the third round declaring “the winds of change have come to the RNC.â€
In a Tough Time, GOP Turns to Man of Steele
Michael Steele is the new chairman of the Republican National Committee, winning the final ballot with 91 out of 168 votes.
From some of his victory remarks:
“As a little boy growing up in this town . . . (long pause) This is awesome.â€
“To those who stand in difference to us, it’s time for something completely different, and we’re going to bring it to you.â€
“We’re going to bring this party to every corner, every boardroom, every street and every community in this country. . . . To those of you who want to obstruct, get ready to get knocked over.â€
“To our friends in the Northeast, get ready baby, because it’s time to turn it on. We’re going to do what we always do well, which is win. We’re going to win in the Northeast, and we’re going to keep winning in the South. We’re going to win with a new storm in the Midwest. In the West, we’re gonna lock it down and win there, too.â€
Congratulations Mr. Chairman, now let’s kick butt.
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Delighted to get this news! Steele is a take-no-prisoners conservative. I hope he realizes Obama’s popularity is as ephemeral as cotton candy. Impressive to look at, but a little cold water makes it collapse. Randy.
Will one of the better-known political cartoonists do up a drawing of him with a mammy-style bandana on his head and the text “Don know nothin’ ’bout winnin’ no ‘lections”, similar to what they did with Condoleeza Rice?
Good riddance, Duncan!! You know a lot about wind — too bad you were so full of it a year ago that you couldn’t (wouldn’t) give us a candidate who was worth a damn. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass. J
I have listened to Michael Steele many times now, and have a lot of respect for this guy. If anyone can turn this party around, it’s him.
Hey, here’s the ticket for 2012: Newt Gingrich and Michael Steele. Or Michael Steele and Sarah Palin.
Tough talk coming from the newly elected Mr. Chairman. I hope and pray he will follow through with plenty of tough action. He’s got lots of help and support coming from we ” Fightin’ Icons ” Backbone & grit Mr. Chairman !
I haven’t been this excited about something the Republicans have done since I don’t know when. I am very happy about this and wish the best to Mr. Steele. I hope he does kick some butt and I happen to think he will.
I was a big backer of Mike Steele’s Senate campaign, and I’m still a big fan: this is well-deserved. He’s a tireless campaigner as well as a principled “big idea” kind of guy, and both are necessary qualities in a party chairman. I wish him the best, and don’t begrudge him the fact that this is an obvious stepping-stone to other things.
One year ago I attended a dinner for Michael Steele. Let me tell you folks, his backbone is
made of steal. His mama raised him right and this
man ain’t no namby pamby. He is a straight shooter and doesn’t mince words.
Not much impresses me
but when he was done speaking we were blown away!
Finally a great decision by the RNC. Steele is the perfect man for the job. He is a great communicator and can engage in expressing conservatism and go against the liberal socialists.
Steele has a lot of rebuilding to do as well as recruitment efforts in getting great conservative representation in congress and the senate.
How about that lead in by MSNBC. Why didn’t they
just say TOKEN? Could those clowns be anymore transparent? The speech is the easy part now the hard work starts. Is Steele the real thing? I hope so. being from NY however we Conservatives got rolled before. Remember “King” George Pataki.
Conservatives put him in office, 8 years later he was giving us the finger. Steele better be real.
I hope this means the GOP is going to start getting serious about trimming the size of government. I care about the social issues, and hope for a GOP that doesn’t mock them the way the DNC does, but what I’d really like to see is a GOP populated with leaders who not only refuse tax increases, but demand stubbornly for decreases in the tax burden placed on the average american.
A close second would be to have those same new leaders appoint constitutionalist judges as a rule.
Last, I’d like to see a GOP that denied any campaign funds to any party members who’d approved a tax increase or an increased budget. If they could promise me something like that, I’d start donating money to the GOP. I can’t donate money right now, because I don’t know if that money will be going to a ‘me-too’ republican or not.
That tie he’s wearing brings Steele’s judgment into question.
We shall see. I will verify then trust. Let’s not get our hopes up with anyone in this position. I am not ‘shocked’ or surprised that Steele was selected – in fact it was a bit anti climatic with all the breathless reporting today – however, I am hesitant.
Steele talks a great talk, not it’s up to him to stop talking and start acting. He made a good start tonight on Hannity’s show on FNC. He stated that the Dems have become the party of “liberals” the RNC reemerging as the Conservative party – let’s hope so.
Again..we need to breathe and reboot. I will wait and see on Mr. Steele..
I was thrilled when I heard this last night! I was a volunteer at Steele’s Maryland Senate Headquarters in 2006, and was saddened what happened to him. Michael Steele inspired me back in 2006 and again yesterday to go out and do more volunteer work to help him succeed for our country. Like he said, he can’t do it alone, we ALL need to do something now. He’s a good decent man and richly deserves this opportunity. I wish him well as the new Chairman of the RNC — Go Michael!
What a dingle that MSNBC reporter was, “cannot miss that there is a AA RNC chair and an AA president”. The press will be so off point if they continue to think that Michael Steele is just a token copy attempt by the RNC. Michael Steele is the real thing; he doesn’t try to be every thing to everybody, as does Obama. MSNBC also cracked when they snarled, you couldn’t miss the image to the public; Michael Steele is more than just an image, unlike Obama. Michael Steele has been in the trenches here and knows the debate. Oooh, the press is going to be made to look so like the fools they are if they keep this up (and they will). Only Michael Steele can address the issues and roll his eyes when anyone interviewing him tries to put him in the category of a token, a bimbo, a front for the angry white men (as I heard one anchor when he buried the Republican Party). And, remember, while everyone is going on and on about Michael Steele as only an African American and just a turn away from the Bush Republican way (front page of the WashPost this morning), Michael Steele is also Catholic. Why is this important? I am embarrassed to say, so are many of those moronic reporters on MSNBC – Chris Matthews, Norah O’Donnell. Many, many conservative Republicans are Catholic (as am I) and we have to deal with the power this group wields in DC and on the news. It’s just so embarrassing. It will be nice to have a real debater to these fools, if they ever have the nerve to interview him. That would be very costly; I suspect they won’t.
Talking Horse – this is a learning experience for all who don’t know Michael Steele; his tie is made up of the colors of the Maryland state flag. It wasn’t an accidental choice, I am sure. He is letting the bluest state in the country know that he is first a Marylander. Maryland thinks it is only a place for Democrats, our way or the highway. That is the attitude of late for most in the country, that we have been saved by you know who and the GOP is dead, kind of thinking. That tie is classic Michael Steele, in your face, hon. Everybody is referred to as a “hon” in Maryland; but used by the Dems here, it has become a know your place sort of slap (we’re Maryland, you aren’t).
I could go on and on but this is such a selection for the country, not just an RNC Chairman. It gives Steele a platform that will revitalize those who have awoken from their drunken vote for Obama and are saying, what have I done? I haven’t felt this good since before the election.
Let the Party begin!
When I see Steele talk, I notice that he’s even-featured, calm natured, and is not easily pulled off course by duck ‘n weave hacks like Alan Combs. He knows what he believes in and why…and he has no trouble expressing it with cheerful confidence.
I also notice he’s gone bald but it doesn’t harm his looks. What isn’t noticeable is his race, probably because he speaks like everyone I know and trust and obviously shares the same values.
Comparing that to Obama’s dichotomy of on/off ghetto hip-hop in Brooks Brothers and Urkle-goes-to-Washington thin-skinned dorkiness, will take a whole lot of lying ink from scribblers to make Michael Steele look bad.
The news that Michael Steele is the new RNC chair is the first news that has calmed me in months. I have seen him grilled by that moron Alan Combs, and Steele stays on point, stays a gentleman, and always speaks something substantive. I also believe that he will work to make the changes he has pledged, so much that I too would volunteer to work on his projects, despite the fact I have little free time. He will challenge Barky’s b.s., because M. Steele is a grown-up, a person of knowledge and grace. Barky hides behind a warm persona, but in spirit is infantile, dishonest and mean-spirited. He controls with his charisma. He is the most dangerous person to ascend to high office in this country. I have heard Steele speak about Barky, and he knows the pathology he is dealing with, and I believe has the poise, intelligence and focus to lead us in the right direction, the right way.
I hope he’s a conservative and not a RINO. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the racist liberals start calling him an “Uncle Tom.” By the way, I don’t see much diversity in the lame stream media. Just alot of white male and female lib reporters. What’s up with that?
MSNBC SUCKS! They called Steele a Moderate! haha! I am FULLY convinced now these mainstream media networks just don’t get it. The GOP is back folks! We are letting nothing stand in our way to bring back the full Conservative movement. Anyone in the way WILL get steamrolled. There is NO other choice now left in this country now to save it but the Conservative movement which has always been a trait of the Republican party. Sorry, the Democrat party needs it’s own revival after seeing the shame they just rammed into their party. We Conservatives started ours, now re-start yours, if you can. Steele is FAR from a token selection. Free African Americans have always been members of the GOP until the late 60’s when the radical African Americans moved into the Democrat party & lied to Blacks. Study the history and you will see. It is high time we welcomed African Americans back and time to get them off the bottom! God Bless Steele! It is a VERY, VERY happy day for America!