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Republicans catch a lot of hell from black people in this country - and with good reason.
For decades, the Republican agenda on issues of concern for most black folks wavers somewhere between apathy and downright hostility. But I'll step out on a limb and give the old GOP some credit.
The party that hasn't received more than 20 percent of black votes for any of its national candidates in my memory took a huge gamble and put Michael Stephen Steele, a Maryland lawyer, failed businessman and former brother-in-law of Mike Tyson at the helm of its party.
But the Michael Steele Experiment is over with his announcement that he would not seek a second term as Republican National Committee chairman. Wisconsin GOP Chairman Reince Priebus will take over the debt-ridden GOP.
At first glance, its easy to see why Steele got the job in 2009.
Tall, elegant and well-spoken on many topics, Steele, the first black elected statewide in Maryland, had the looks of a guy who could attract black folks to at least listen to the Republican message.
Unfortunately, Republican kingmakers didn't look beneath the surface.
If they had, they would have found a man with a penchant for putting his foot in his mouth, spending lots of money and offering few solid results. It takes a lot more than throwing around a few hip-hop terms at ritzy GOP fundraisers to build a black presence in a political party.
That is not to say that Steele is a bad man. He isn't. The former seminary student showed great courage, but a heap of political naivety, in taking on Rush Limbaugh two years ago in a dispute over who speaks for the Republican party.
In the end, Steele was simply not up to the task of bringing black folks to the Republican message. Perhaps no single person is.
If so, that would be a shame because black people, if considered a monolith, will never gain political power giving all of its votes to a single political party.
Maybe if Republicans are serious about bringing blacks into the fold, they would rethink their opposition to issues like affirmative action and funding of job training programs that turn off so many black people from the jump.
Comments: (6)
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By: soundoff on 1/17/2011 11:25AM
Steele had it coming he was not even a power house voice to be heard, we only heard him when he was defending himself against the wolves and he found out quik their was no special love for him from the very start because of his failed mission. 1) he could not convert blacks to him. 2)he could never explain any logical question on tv with out fummbling and utlitmatily it kept him defending himself and his party. 3)he was the weakest link. It never hurt to try and steele tried but to no aveil.
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By: Brady on 1/17/2011 11:54AM
Im a Michael Steele supporter. I support him not because of his politics, but becuase he demonstrates the diversity that excist with B/folk.
He clearly demonstrated that a Black man can compete on his merits, that nobody has to lower the standards becuase he is black. That he can make it without the government handout.
He showed that we can survive and prosper without being democrates, that there is another way.
Good luck
Mike
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By: stare k on 1/17/2011 5:51PM
I have to say you are right . All blacks are not on hand out . assit. as some peopel would want you to beleive .
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By: Sue on 1/17/2011 6:46PM
Hear, hear, hear! Good riddance! Hope he doesn't come back like a bad penny! That is one unconciously INGORANT negro!
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By: DueGee on 1/24/2011 12:56AM
Michael Steele did not please those who were the same race as him, nor did he please those who were of the white race.
He washired as a minstrel sideshow for the purpose of luring Black votes to the Republican party.
Michael Steele was the remedy to the fear that was instilled into racist white America when the first Black president was elected.
The republican party felt that they had to show Blackness to draw Black votes to compete with the Democratic Party.
Running a Black presidential candidate as a Republican was out of the question for them.
The result of their brainstorming the problem led them to the brilliaint idea of placing a Black in a superficial position.
They gave Michael Steele this highly visible position of court jester in an effort to give themselves on equal standing with the Democrat's electing a Black President.
This proved to be disastrous, Michael Steele did not come across as a Black man but a white man trying to come across as a Black man.
He insulted republicans by his actions and Blacks with his tap dancing routines.
Michael Steele is currently a man with no nation, an alien resident in a foreign land.
The Republicans don't want him and by his actions he has disowned his people.
Michael Steele has been rejected by those who used him merely as superficial window dressing having no sincere interest in him nor his race of people.
Michael Steele was nothing more than a 21st century political Uncle Tom.
The lesson to be learned from this is remain true to yourself, be who you are and strive to be what you want to be not what others want you to be for self serving purposes.
DueGee
Michael Steele was played by the Republican Party
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By: ncal on 2/10/2011 9:26AM
Republicans have proved that they are masters at not allowing black men to succeed. Even when it is in their own intelligent best interest.
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