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Steele Calls For GOP Conventions With More Than "36 People Of Color In The Room"
The Miami Herald reports that Michael Steele urged state party activists in Florida to more aggressively register voters, to directly serve communities, and to reach out to blacks and Hispanics.
"Please send some folks to the convention that look like Florida," said Steele. "Could you help a brother out? No more national conventions with [only] 36 people of color in the room."
Here's the thing: In many ways, Steele is right.
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Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
Oh, bullshit. There weren't even 36 people of color during the Republican convention last August.
Talk about overblown hyperbole! (From the department of redundancy department).
Steele's math may be off, but he's absolutely right.
April 7, 2009 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, out of 1583 delegates to the RNC convention in 2008, there were 32 black delegates, 116 Hispanic delegates, no one counted the Asian Americans and/or the Native Americans. (and those numbers are significantly down from 2004 and 2000, especially for Hispanics, who, as a group had been growing in both numbers and influence in the party. the Republican stance on immigration seems to have been the tipping point.)
It is the one thing Steele has said that is pretty accurate.
April 7, 2009 6:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Damn. I stand corrected!
April 7, 2009 7:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm sorry. Maybe I missed something.
Steele is right about what, exactly??
He has not said anything but please have more than X number of "people of color at the next convention?"
What is he right about?? That there were only 36? Fewer than 50? Didn't we already know this??
This is the 2nd time today I've read what looks like an attempt to rehabilitate Steele and present him as some sort of plain-speaking truth-teller to power. (WaPo column by someone who should know better. Forget his name).
Please.
Again: Right about what??
April 7, 2009 3:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's right that if the Republican Party in Florida wants to stop losing ground to Democrats then its going to have to reach out to all those Floridians who aren't older whites.
April 7, 2009 3:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
And another thing:
I find his "help a brother out" another crude and over-the-top performance of "blackness."
And I'm African American...
Who the hell talks like that in a professional setting???!!!!
Also: Has he advocated a change of policy/platform/reconsideration of Republican positions on immigration, abortion, war, defense spending...
ANYTHING???
He says "reach out." With what, exactly????
Steele clearly infuriates me - just like he has driven the AA woman in South Carolina (RNC member)around the bend! She and I could not be more different when it comes to political issues, but I share her disdain for Steele.
Let's stop pretending he is anything other than a ridiculous figure.
OK: I'm done now.
April 7, 2009 3:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's more like "the reach out to the one-armed midgets" strategy.
April 7, 2009 6:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thread drift on David's front page piece:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/04/framing_the_debate.php
Someone might want to ask Joe about the paycheck's he earned before running for Congress at the age of 29:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Scarborough
Private high school. UA. Law school. Just three years after being admitted to the bar he ran for Congress.
Something tells me that Joe wasn't earning many more paychecks than Joe was prior to either of them running for public office. Pretty typical Pot:Kettle spot from both wingnuts and the alleged MSM.
John
April 7, 2009 3:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Shorter Mike: The GOP needs to work more on it's tokenism.
April 7, 2009 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
'Cause it's way too obvious right now!
April 7, 2009 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
When the average republican stops be an oblivious bigot, then, and only then, can anyone dare come near me, asking me to consider "joining" the republican party. That's not gonna happen, so I will be an Independent Democrat for the rest of my life.
April 7, 2009 4:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
What is the life-expectancy of this dufus as head of the RNC?
April 7, 2009 4:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
He has a good point. But--
Is the problem that the RNC isn't sending enough of its minority members to the convention? Or is the problem that the RNC doesn't have enough minority members? Does there exist any polling on what percentage of Florida hispanics or african-americans identify as Republican at this point?
And is the problem that the RNC isn't trying hard enough to register minority voters, or that the RNC isn't trying hard enough to actually do anything for or appeal to in any way minority voters?
Steele's done a good job of identifying the problem. But when he tries to move past that it seems like he's treating the symptom not the cause. It seems to me that if you're thinking about how many people of color are visible at the convention, but you're not thinking about what your policies and messaging mean to people of color, then all you're thinking about is PR.
April 7, 2009 4:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Florida GOPer to Steele:
"Michael, I'm confused. Why do we want these people you're talking about to come to the convention? They're the people we're always trying to keep from voting!"
April 7, 2009 4:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, he is absolutely right. However, it's not just reaching out. It's showing that your policies ACTUALLY HELP these people. I believe Democratic policies help all individuals prosper(well alot) that's why I am a Democrat.
April 7, 2009 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, i think he's an idiot, but he did nail this item. I can't stand republican conventions, but I always watch for a little while just to count the "people of color". It doesn't usually take too long, especially since the wheeler-dealers herd them together for the tv cameras.
What i find funny is the fact that republicans don't really LIKE "people of color" ....why do I say that? Do you hear of any republicans crusading for equal rights, after-school programs, child care, jobs, etc etc? Heck no. All they care about is their precious tax cuts, which will be financed by getting rid of all those wasteful programs helping the poor folk.
April 7, 2009 6:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
What Steele means is: "We're gonna have to rent more buses next time."
April 7, 2009 7:20 PM | Reply | Permalink