Let's just cut to the chase: Steele is black, and he's thinking he has a shot because those crazy Dems just got a black guy elected president. And I'm sure Steele has white backers who are thinking the same thing: this will show how diverse the GOP is.

How do I know this? Because we just got through a campaing where the GOP nominated a brain-dead woman for VP in response to Hillary Clinton's historic candidacy. Hillary campaigned, whereas Palin got herself picked out of the chorus line for wearing tight-fitting clothes and having good eye contact -- but to the GOP it's all the same.

I think it says something about the collapse of the Republican party that they are copying the Democratic party's moves, but only in terms of skin color and genitalia. I also think this is probably not a recipe for future success.

Well said, Phantom, well said.

In some ways, it ties in with the dust up on Hardball, yesterday. A young African-American Republican advisor told Pat Buchanan to move on as times were changing. No more lip service he demanded. Pat was stunned that he was being asked to go voluntarily to the bone yard.

However, Steele appears to have more appeal to the present administration as he lacks any measurable qualifications, than what is needed to attempt to rebuild the shattered Repug Party and try to bring back the once Republican Party - That being the one where moderates and liberals helped pass the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts.

As Pat B helped shatter that type of Party, let him go at quick step into that dust bin of history.

"no achievement, no record, no evidence and certainly no command of the issues."

Works for Sarah Palin

First we were hoping they'd pick the Newt, now we're hoping for Steele. I'm sensing a pattern here.

Just say it flat-out, Mr. Benen. The GOP doesn't have any good choices who won't ultimately help the Dems. =)

As someone said in the past few days, ex-lt govs usually don't get mentioned for anything sexier than trustee of the state land-grant university.

So, like ThePhantom said, this is all about Steele's skin pigmentation.

It shows how clueless the GOP is. To summarize 40 years of history:

1) Dems push for affirmative action as a way of getting qualified women and minorities an opportunity to excel.

2) The GOP spends decades deriding affirmative action as a means for forcing people to hire unqualified women and minorities.

3) Talented Democratic women, blacks, Hispanics, etc. succeed in politics.

4) The GOP sees what's happening, and confuses it with their own dopey conception of affirmative action.

5) Envious of Dem successes, they then implement that misguided conception, by running Palin for VP, and giving Steele a shot at RNC chair.

Let's just cut to the chase: Steele is black

More importantly, is he an atheist?

The GOPers who think Steele would help them get votes in the shrinking racist red south patch are even dumber than I thought. He would get some centrists, but das base would be totally demoralized, especially since Steele is not a fire-breathing pro-lifer:

http://www.creativeminorityreport.com/2008/11/is-michael-steele-pro-life-maybe-not.html

If they lose the anti-choice zealots and the racists, they're toast. And if they keep those two groups happy, they're toast.

Good times.

Michael Steele is a man who has made a career of being a political functionary. He's been head of the Prince Georges (MD)County GOP, the Maryland GOP, and continued to take a salary as he ran for LtGov. in 2002.

He's kind of a sane Alan Keyes.

Being in charge of the GOP actually fits his skillset a lot better than being a U.S.Senator.

I like it because it would push the racists over to the Constitution party and potentially remove them as an appreciable voting bloc thereby removing their influence.

I see a stronger, better Republican party as a tool to improve the Democrats. If the Democrats are opposed by knuckle dragging racist morons, Democrats will surely settle for mediocrity.

THIS IS BAD NEWS FOR DEMOCRATS!

But seriously, Steele is monumentally bad at trying to form coherent arguments for Republican policies. Anytime he is on television, he says something illogical and just flat stupid. Give him the reins!

Lighten up, Steve. Michael Steele is an attractive package--he's a smooth communicator, and he can appeal to new audiences (yes, African-American). And he doesn't seem like your typical hater. True, when you scratch the surface, he's a hack and a liar, but your previous commenter was right, his skill set is right for this position.
I don't see anybody else in the Republican party who could cause people to take another look at the Repubs. I don't fear him, but I do take him seriously.

Please, Please, Please....
Palin/Steele in 2012

He is only well known BECAUSE he is a strange bird; the black republican.

If you want a job in media, just claim to be a black republican or a feminist who believes women should carry a rapist's baby.

low tech, you are correct and well said!

He is an idiot and his political career is based entirely on the fact that he is black. When I see him I think of the black cop in "Beverly Hills Cop" that Eddie Murphy mocks so effectively.

"I can appreciate the racial component to this. Republicans want to appear more inclusive, and Steele, who is African American, would presumably help the GOP's image."
---

I don't appreciate it. There is a saying in many a 'black community' that goes: Keep it Real!

It is pretty straight forward in its meaning. Don't lie, don't try and deceive, etc. etc.

Steele does not keep it real and will come of as the insincere token we see on Faux News.

Mr Steele, you are no Edward Brooke.

One of the greatest accomplishments of Arican-American Senator Brooke, (R) Mass, was to help block the nominations of Haynesworth and Carswell, thus forcing Nixon to nominate Blackmun. Thus, Roe v. Wade.

Phantom and cyclist said it well and early. The Republican party is suffering from the fact that anyone that has done anything in government from the Republican side of the aisle that is worthy of mention is also worthy of ridicule.

Republicans have spent the last forty years opposing anything and everything that would benefit anyone other than RICH WHITE MEN. Pure and simple. Whereas Clinton was derided for using polls to find out what the American populace wanted and gave it to them, Republicans use polls to try and sell to the American populace what they did not want or need. Republicans are the consumate con men. They look nice, talk a good game, and rob you blind. It is all about image to them. They DON'T DO POLICY, unless graft is a policy.

So what are they left with? Palins and Steeles that have no demonstrable record to impress anyone. That is the fundamental problem with their party. The smart ones are all involved in corruption and so they must celebrate ignorance and inexperience for fear of being hammered by their abominable record.

It's GOP cargo-cult politics at its best. Hey, there was this woman who seems to attract a lot of votes; we better get ourselves a woman on the ticket. A black guy just won the presidency over one of us; time to roll out a black guy of our own so that we can get a share of this black-popularity thing.

This of course completely misses the fact that the woman and the black guy they're trying so crudely to clone got to where they are because they know things, are able to impress people with their ideas, and are able to get things done.

Are they trying extra hard to make sure the word "Republican" is a de-facto synonym for "superficial?"

Steele was on the Bill Maher show a few weeks ago, and Steele said (to a chorus of boo's) that Sarah Palin was going to be the next Vice-President and the democrats should just get used to it. Sorry to disappoint you Michael. Just another brain-dead republican

When I see Steele, I think of Steve Gilliard. He pretty much nailed it.

Not a lot different from GHWB selecting Thomas as the replacement of Justice Thurgood Marshall. He decided it was a "Black" seat ti be filled and had the nerve to say Thomas was the "Most Qualified" individual in the land.

'Whereas Clinton was derided for using polls to find out what the American populace wanted and gave it to them'

Are you sure the American populace wanted NAFTA? Clinton was only elected the first time because anti-NAFTA sentiment split the right and center.

it's like the gop has a minority outreach program that exclusively targets incompetants....

thomas, gonzales, yoo, wolfowitz, rice, myers...etc etc...

these days when i think of the gop i think of morons who can't do their jobs...and the base that votes for them....