Steele Hints Critics Motivated By Race

[dandi]

By Eric Zimmermann

Critics of Michael Steele's tenure as Republican National Committee chairman are motivated by racism, Steele suggested in an interview published on Tuesday.

Speaking to Washingtonian magazine (no online version), Steele wondered why his Democratic National Committee counterpart doesn't get the same criticism he does.

"I don’t see stories about the internal operations of the DNC that I see about this operation," Steele said. "Why? Is it because Michael Steele is the chairman, or is it because a black man is chairman?”

The RNC has experienced significant staff turnover since Steele became chairman, especially in the communications shop. That has prompted speculation about Steele's management style.

Steele's comment about racism, however, will only further anger his Republican critics, who have lamented his repeated gaffes.

UPDATE: Steele clarified his remarks in an interview with ABC News:

"It's not because of my race, but race is more of a factor than it ordinarily would be -- just as it is for Barack Obama," Steele said in response to a question following up on the Washingtonian piece.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/80401-steele-suggests-critics-are-racist


 

Bye, Mike.  Time for you to leave.

[thundley4]

That sounds like the whining of a liberal, not a conservative.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Turn it over to Condoleeza Rice, Mike, and I'll bet you won't hear that.

[Celtic Rose]

And, poof.  Any respect I had for Michael Steele just went out the window. 

[5412]

And, poof.  Any respect I had for Michael Steele just went out the window. 

AMEN!   

[Duke Nukum]

While I have been disappointed with Steele I do think he has a point from the media perspective.  The MSM has a great interest in seeing a black head of the RNC fail.  When whoever the last guy in charge of the RNC was running the Republican brand into the ground and losing elections we barely heard his name. 

The last RNC head I remember was Ed Gillespie and I remember him being very effective but after him I can't recall any names until Steele and while Steele has been our Joe Biden in some respects, if he were white, I don't think we would ever hear his name.

[thundley4]

While I have been disappointed with Steele I do think he has a point from the media perspective.  The MSM has a great interest in seeing a black head of the RNC fail.  When whoever the last guy in charge of the RNC was running the Republican brand into the ground and losing elections we barely heard his name. 

The last RNC head I remember was Ed Gillespie and I remember him being very effective but after him I can't recall any names until Steele and while Steele has been our Joe Biden in some respects, if he were white, I don't think we would ever hear his name.

"It's not because of my race, but race is more of a factor than it ordinarily would be -- just as it is for Barack Obama," Steele said in response to a question following up on the Washingtonian piece.

Sorry, he is also saying that much of the opposition to Lord Zero is race based.  That might be a part of it for some, but any conservative has valid disagreements with 0bama's policies.   That same perspective applies equally to Steele.  Now, otoh, you may be right about the MSM wanting him to fail, but they are not his critics. The media is reporting on the dissatisfaction of conservatives.

[Duke Nukum]

Sorry, he is also saying that much of the opposition to Lord Zero is race based.  That might be a part of it for some, but any conservative has valid disagreements with 0bama's policies.   That same perspective applies equally to Steele.  Now, otoh, you may be right about the MSM wanting him to fail, but they are not his critics. The media is reporting on the dissatisfaction of conservatives.

"I don’t see stories about the internal operations of the DNC that I see about this operation," Steele said. "Why? Is it because Michael Steele is the chairman, or is it because a black man is chairman?”

The way I read it, he's talking about stories in the media.  Maybe I just need to see a fuller version of his comments.   And even in his Lord 0 comments, I read that Steele is saying Obama is getting a pass in the media because he's a black liberal Democrat.

[Duke Nukum]

To add to my comments, I think Steele's biggest weakness is he just isn't very good a communicating.  And add to it that he seems incapable of going onto talk shows instead of being effective.  Less could be more with an effective and disciplined communicator.

[thundley4]

The way I read it, he's talking about stories in the media.  Maybe I just need to see a fuller version of his comments.   And even in his Lord 0 comments, I read that Steele is saying Obama is getting a pass in the media because he's a black liberal Democrat.

The media always gives the dems a pass regardless of skin color, but I read Steele's comment about 0Bama to mean that criticism of him is also race based.   Howard Dean received quite a bit of coverage. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

To add to my comments, I think Steele's biggest weakness is he just isn't very good a communicating.  And add to it that he seems incapable of going onto talk shows instead of being effective.  Less could be more with an effective and disciplined communicator.

REally, my problem with him is simply that he is pretty much cut from the same political cloth as John McCain, and as long as he's running things, GOP National will continue to screw up like it did in NY-23.

[Eupher]

To add to my comments, I think Steele's biggest weakness is he just isn't very good a communicating.  And add to it that he seems incapable of going onto talk shows instead of being effective.  Less could be more with an effective and disciplined communicator.

Bingo. He has utterly failed in the communicating department. He simply can't sit behind a desk and expect the message of the RNC to magically appear on doorsteps. He's got to develop the platform, then sell it. Hell, he can't even develop the friggin' platform worth a damn. He doesn't have the balls. 

Bye, Mike. Your time is over. Clean out your desk and GTF out. Post-haste. Oh, and it ain't got nothin' to do with your freakin' skin color, asshole.

You're starting to sound like those pimps whose ho's have left them and you can't get them to come back and continue to pay you for your "protection".

Asswipe. 

[Ralph Wiggum]

Ralph Wiggum hints that Michael Steele has been mostly worthless as RNC chairman.