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By Quin Hillyer on 2.2.09 @ 9:44AM

I see I got paraphrased in the USA Today story on Michael Steele's election to head the RNC. And I do like being cited. And I can't complain that the citation is inaccurate. Here's what they wrote:

Some Republicans had concerns about what The American Spectator's Quin Hillyer called Steele's thin record of organizing, fundraising and electoral results. Steele calls that "laughable" and says he's proven himself in many posts.

Yes, those are exactly the doubts that I expressed. But I had far more to say that was good about Steele than bad. Here's the full context of what I wrote:

First, many congratulations to Michael Steele. He is a good man, a great communicator, and a breath of fresh air in attitude and outlook. The downside risks with Steele are that he was probably the least conservative of the six announced candidates, AND the one with the thinnest record of nuts-and-bolts organizing, fundraising and electoral success. Those are significant concerns -- but I think he is sincerely more conservative than not, that he has a fairly good ear for political tone, that he will be a good representative for the party, and that he has all the potential in the world to put to rest doubts about his organizational bona fides. The tests will be if he spends more money on the grassroots than on consultants, if he takes an aggressive posture on candidate recruitment rather than leaving it to the NRCC and RSC, and if he serves an an honest broker ideologically while doing everything in his power to nurture the conservative grass roots. My hopes for him are much higher than my doubts.

For the purposes of the USA Today story, there was nothing wrong with what the reporter wrote; she was just using my sentence as an example concisely summarizing some widespread concerns. But for purposes of making sure I myself am not misunderstood, and just to set the record straight: My hopes for him ARE much higher than my doubts. I think he can be an excellent chairman, and indeed that he probably will be.

I also wrote this, shortly before the final balloting. So I repeat that I am a fan of Steele's and am enthusiastic about his chairmanship.

View all comments (3) | Leave a comment

Alan Brooks| 2.2.09 @ 11:16AM

He'll do just fine.
but remember-- not that you could forget for one moment--Steele is black and that's what counts.
Mencken, where are you now that we need you most?

East Coast View| 2.2.09 @ 2:09PM

Interesting blog. Relevantly, Michael Steele, born 1958, is a member of Generation Jones---the generation between the Boomers and Gen X'ers. The Boomers have passed the leadership torch to the Jonesers. Which matters quite a bit in understanding the nature of the new chapter in politics we’ve just begun.

In this short video, Steele embraces his own Generation Jones identity, and discusses his fellow GenJones leaders: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbbVe_Twui0

Obama, and many of his Administration's top players, are Jonesers. The GOP is also now led by Jonesers, including Steele, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty and Mark Sanford.

I’m a Joneser and totally relate to it, and am enjoying all the recent media buzz about Generation Jones. We’re not Boomers or X'ers!

There is a brilliant op-ed about exactly this topic in USA TODAY this week: http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20090127/column27_st.art.htm .

I’m very curious to see what Steele’s early weeks at this new job will look like.