Steele: "I'm In The Business Of Ticking People Off"
In an interview with the Washington Post, Michael Steele offered his own unique description of the job of party chairman, in response to those who have criticized him for gaffes: "I'm in the business of ticking people off," Steele explained. "That's why I'm chairman."
Steele also made the case that he -- and not Congressional figures, or perhaps Rush Limbaugh -- is the leader of the Republican Party. "Everyone has a role to play, but at the end of the day, all roads are going to lead to this desk," he said. "From the Hill, from the grass roots, the donors, it all comes here. They're all going to look to me to speak on issues."
Steele also explained that he is trying to break the GOP's mindset of outreach to traditionally non-Republican communities, as opposed to active involvement.
"'Outreach.' I have banned that word from the building," he said. "The Republican Party no longer does outreach. Outreach is a cocktail party where you put your arm around a black friend and say, 'Look who I know,' and that's about it. What I want the party to do and focus on is coalitions, know the major religious players, business players of both parties in your state."
Josh
Elana
Matt
Eric
Ok, how does this guy get anything done? He is doing interviews all the time. It's good for dems, but really, he should shut the f*ck up and do his job for pete's sake.
March 5, 2009 9:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Naaaah. Let him keep talking. And keep talking. And keep talking.
March 6, 2009 2:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
This guy is a cartoonish figure in a party populated by cartoonish figures.
March 5, 2009 9:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Holy shit this guy is a loser. I kinda feel sorry for him sometimes.
March 5, 2009 9:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Dear Mr Steele,
For you to be the leader of the GOP and for the 'Buck to Stop Here' as it were, you would have to have some appearance of organization and a plan. Consequently, you appear to have no actual idea what you are doing, and assuming that you keep up this pace, you will find an ever-decreasing percentage of decisions never making it to your desk, let alone stopping there. More and more Republicans will go rogue- whether it means undermining yourself, leaving the party, or swinging so far right that they're off the charts, even by your standards. Because you are no leader yourself, the loudest member of the party becomes the leader by default. Due to the lack of an actual politician to take this lead (Cantor, for example, is far too meek, shocking as it may sound), Rush Limbaugh has become that loudest member. Unless you grow a spine and take charge (and make sense while doing so), he will become more and more the leader of your party. A political party with a pundit at the helm is like a drunk bus driver in a bear attack suit. He faces no consequences for his actions and positions, but following him will result in the destruction of your party. So, Mr. Steele, I implore you to take charge, and fix your party (perhaps at the same time 'fixing' Mr. Limbaugh, if you know what I mean), because not one person in this country wants to see the death of your party, as even the most loyal democrats know that without opposition, bad things will occur.
Sincerely,
H.H. Grenaid
March 5, 2009 9:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
wrong. i would like to see it evaporate.
first step is to institute a voting system that encourages 3rd party participation.
several viable parties would be a good thing, but none of them have to be the current republican party.
March 5, 2009 9:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
I respectfully disagree. While the 'current' GOP is a train wreck and adds nothing to the discourse, what would befall the Democrats in the period of a conservative power vacuum would resemble the decay of the Democratic Party in the final decade or so of the Antebellum period- become stale and ultimately get driven into the woods for 70 years (I consider the entire Dems in the woods stretch to be 1860-1932). Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and without a cogent opposition, the Democratic Party WILL fall down that path. As defunct as it is today, the best, most reasonable, and least destructive course would be for the GOP to rebuild itself using reason instead of irrationality.
That said, I strongly support the growth of effective third parties.
And the realization by the left that being a liberal ideologue is just as bad as being a Conservative one. (yes, that was a dig)
March 5, 2009 10:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Agree on the absolute need of an intelligent, cogent and logical opposition. It is critical to keep the dems feet to the fire. As the saying goes, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Obama I trust completely to keep the dems in line, but what happens when he is out of power? That's what worries me.
That being said, I don't know if the gop is capable of rebuilding and being that opposition party. They are bankrupt of ideas and want to live in the 19th century when we are in the 21st century. I am inclined to hope for a complete implosion and then a new party created that is not beholden to the southern "religious" right and right-wing looney radio hosts. We need an opposition party not beholden to that mindset.
March 5, 2009 10:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
And you're doing a heckuva job of it, Mikey! Keep up the great work.
When the chairman of the party has to make this argument, you know he's already failed.
March 5, 2009 9:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ok. Here's my translation:
March 5, 2009 9:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
So Michael Steele wants Republicans to form coalitions with the Church and the business community? How is this different from their old strategery? And Mr. Steele, being a two faced coward doesn't tick people off, it turns you into a laughing stock.
March 5, 2009 9:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Can't wait to see how he's gonna tick off the churches!
March 5, 2009 10:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey, if he thinks their strategy should be to give up on outreach and just play to their base, who am I to argue?
March 5, 2009 12:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
You can't lie, this guy is entertaining as hell.
March 5, 2009 9:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
This guy is the caricature that the GOP tried to paint Obama as being.
March 5, 2009 9:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
The saddest part is that even he recognizes that to the GOP, minorities like himself are nothing more than tokens:
Outreach is a cocktail party where you put your arm around a black friend and say, 'Look who I know,' and that's about it.
March 5, 2009 10:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't that job already taken by the incendiary, ugly, (oops, sorry Rush, my bad) Limbaugh?
Sounds like a resident I know from a small town who voted for McCain/Palin because she thought that small-town resident Palin would "stick it to" those folks in Washington. Whatever that means.
8 years of the GOP sticking it to the American people wasn't enough.
She's against welfare but her 2 knee replacements, made necessary by her 300+ lbs. morbid obesity, were billed to Medicare. Personal responsibility is important but only for others.
The GOP: In the business of ticking people off, now more than ever.
March 5, 2009 10:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Steele will ensure that the Republican party continue to lose seats. This guy will not be able to raise enough money to surpport any candidate, I think they will be on their own. Question; How much money has he raised since he was elected as Chair of the RNC? I give this nut cake less than 60 days and he will be out or on his way to the Big House.
March 5, 2009 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
This guy is the kind of buffoon who may have a great resume for the public face of an organization, and a great job interview, but whose true weakness of character and capacity to bring down the whole enterprise doesn't shine through until he gets warmed up, which he apparently has. In James Carville's words, Steele is "done." The RNC can't leave him in a minute longer. The problem of course is the same with the income tax-challenged Obama appointees: Keep on replacing people and you look like the Gang who Couldn't Shoot Straight.
The RNC Chief has to have the same approach to Rush as Obama and in fact Walt Whitman: sure he can say what he wants, the RNC is large... it contains multitudes. But its voice must be clear, mature and from the real top of the organizational pyramid. These theatrics are fun, but the Dems really need a loyal opposition.
March 5, 2009 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Republican party; ONE BIG JOKE!
March 5, 2009 10:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry state of affairs when even he can't denounce the guy that said the following:
"We are being told that we have to hope he succeeds, that we have to bend over, grab the ankles, bend over forward, backward, whichever, because his father was black, because this is the first black president."
Spineless leadership. The lot of them.
March 5, 2009 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Still taking nominations for Steele's replacement.
Terrell Owens
If all you have to do is pizz people off, TO is the guy. Plus he is between jobs right now.
March 5, 2009 10:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Just what we need.
Another republican who thinks his reason for being on this earth is to piss people off.
March 5, 2009 10:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
If we were living in a '70s sitcom, Steele would be the "Jive Turkey."
March 5, 2009 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Honestly, I thought that was the job of the Republican party...to tick people off.
How's that working for them?
March 5, 2009 12:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Today's GOP is just the British Conservative Party of 1998 all over again, with Michael Steele as William Hague and Rush Limbaugh as Ann Widdecombe. The Republican Party will be back, because the time will come when it will have to and will be welcomed to. But in the meantime, they're looking at a deacde or more in the wilderness. It's taken the British Tories 12 years to return to any electroal viability at all, if that's any indication.
March 5, 2009 1:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
"know the major religious players".....what an insult to principled people everywhere. religious players SHOULD be an oxymoron. With this guy, it's just moronic.
March 5, 2009 3:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kickin' ass and takin' it in the face from Rush!! You go Mr. Steele, (and take your b.s. with you).
March 5, 2009 4:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
If this guy is the face of the Republican Party, I hope everyone in the party is content with Democrats running the country for a long time. I do not believe he truly represents the whole party, but he definitely shows the GOP in a poor light. He speaks like he is trying to run a controversial talk show, not a whole political party. His antics are more entertaining than effective.
March 5, 2009 4:36 PM | Reply | Permalink