This isn't the first time -- nor will it be the last -- that Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele humiliates himself. He's willfully good at it. He's a self-drawn caricature designed for, and determined to be, the butt of the joke. Think about it: If the Republican mascot is the elephant, Steele is the elephant's ass. He's the ass wagging the elephant; this is the point I'm trying to make.

Justifiably, I've written about Steele before but not as much as I could have. It's been an act of resistance not to do so, as his entire tenure thus far as the RNC Chairman has been blog bait. Steele's rapid-fire propensity for regrettable moments in blackness has been ferocious and equally funny. But this most recent act might be the coup de grâce of his absurdity. Hitting the Web is a series of tomfoolery "coonfoolery" photos of MC Steele striking various cliché hip-hop poses from 1986 album covers along with an assortment of other embarrassing shots. And he brought along his dancers interns for good measure.
To be sure, all the photos make us cringe, but isn't there something slightly unsettling about him and the young female interns? Benefit of the doubt given, but in the current climate and context of the Tiger Woods scandal, it just doesn't play well. You have to give it to the chair, though, The man is ballsy. Most men don't have an eighth of his moxie, nor should they want it. But remember this is the same guy who declared that the RNC would lead an "off the hook" public relations strategy to connect with the younger generation by applying Republican party principles to "urban-suburban hip-hop settings."

No one, including Steele himself, has yet to decipher what that means.

What we know for sure is Steele is "out to lunch," and he isn't returning anytime soon.

Remember when we could rely on political leadership, irrespective of party or race, to act with the appropriate decorum as called upon by the office? The streets of politics used to be navigated with more precision and savvy. Politicians stayed in their lane. We liked it that way.

Then arrives Steele, freewheeling the RNC -- getting his swerve on from lane to lane -- coming at America all reckless, with ambitions of endearing the Republican Party to a younger generation. But (most) young people know better, as polls continue to indicate. Left in the path of political roadkill is Steele's dignity and the Republican's chances of ever getting a solid voting base under the age of 40.

Let me put it another way: Michael Steele is the poker neophyte who really doesn't know what he's doing, but he likes to pretend and posture as if he does. He's heard the lingo and thinks he has a sense of the game, which leads him to push his chips to the center of the table and moronically declare "I'm all in" simply because it seems cool. These photos are the equivalent. See, reaching out to the younger generation is advised but also admonished when the pandering becomes too silly. It's clear from the spirit of this photo shoot that MC Steele is one bad thought away from getting jiggy with it and breaking out in the running man 2009. Don't tempt him.


The Takeaways:

1.) Golden rule. Not all parents should act like political types, but all political types should act like parents. Don't embarrass yourself or the kids. This is why teenagers and young adults are bypassing Facebook in Biblical proportions; they're avoiding awkward run-ins with parent and political folks behaving badly.

2.) Men, ask yourself what I always ask myself: What would President Obama or George Clooney do? That's right. And if you can't imagine either one of them doing what you're about to do, like hip-hop posing for pictures with interns to be released to the public by your communications director, then neither should you.

3.) Famed UCLA basketball coach John Wooden said, "Whatever you do in life, make sure to surround yourself with smart people who will argue with you. It's obvious Michael Steele hasn't. Either that or he's not listening.





Mason Jamal writes about issues pertaining to the style, substance and sensibilities of men (and sometimes women). For more of his musings, you can visit www.MasonSays.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @masonsays. More of Mason's Black Voices posts.