The American Spectator

Mark | 1.6.10 @ 12:10PM

Is there a case for not firing him? No, I don't think so.

Eric Cartman| 1.6.10 @ 12:20PM

Besides giving the Liberals ammo for slinging accusations of racism, I can see no reason. He has been as feckless as George Bush.

Teflon93| 1.6.10 @ 12:39PM

The reason not to fire him is to avoid the poisonous narrative that Republicans--the party which has done more for racial relations and civil rights than any other in American history)---are not opposed to socialism but are rather opposed to blacks.

The answer is to put in a number 2 at the RNC who can run the show. Take the real power away from Steele (who clearly doesn't know how to use it) and give him a minder who can control his nonsensical utterances until his term is up.

Fire him and we hand the Dems a very useful bullet for the 2010 cycle.

james wilson| 1.6.10 @ 12:40PM

Since the fabulous Haley Barbour, we have had a succession of absolute boobs. Do we really wonder why? We're beyond coincidence territory. The Republican Party is a conservative party or it is nothing.

Al Adab| 1.6.10 @ 12:41PM

Not really. After his and the RNC performance in NY-23 and AZ-1among others, it is clear that the RNC and GOP do not represent a clear Conservative voice.

Better the Conservative movement, the source of GOP success in 1980 and 1994 (lost opportunity) regain its position as the dominant philosophy in the GOP. Mr. Steele simply does not represent the Movement well. Would that a principled Conservative name came to mind, but none does.

Uriel| 1.6.10 @ 12:42PM

Yes!
The Republican Party is ineffectual, corrupt, broken, stupid and utterly useless in helping America return to it's Founding Principles.

Therefore, who cares who their Chairman is?

DrTomVoter| 1.6.10 @ 12:50PM

The RNC's dismal cash flow is due to Tea Party conservatives figuring out that it is more efficient and effective to give directly to the campaigns of conservative candidates. Steele or someone else from the RNC, will not change that. You have lost our trust, and are irrelevant. The Club for Growth figured that out years ago, and the people are just catching up.

Franklin| 1.6.10 @ 1:11PM

You took the words right off my fingers!

Giving to the RNC is like paying taxes; you don't have control over where it goes.

Pasadena Phil| 1.6.10 @ 1:09PM

Replacing Steele is only the start. The entire GOP leadership has to be replaced and it is unforgivable that it hasn't happened already. These guys are just sitting back waiting for the pendulum to swing back so we can go back to the days of McCain's "Gang of 14" (aka Plan B for the Democrats). So long as we are thinking and saying those things, the GOP has a problem. Solution? Replace the leadership!!!

Ken (Old Texican)| 1.6.10 @ 1:10PM

DrTom,
You took the words right out of my mind. Thank you.
It is going to be fascinating what Sarah does with her magic facebook over the next few months.
TEAM America is doing precisely that; identifying great candidates and helping them.

I got a letter from John Cornyn yesterday asking for a donation. (He chairs the Republican Senatorial committee.)
I like John's stands on most every position...But.... I had to write and refuse his request.
TEAM America is doing the homework to get the best conservative "repealers" on the ballots across the country.
www.myteamusa.org
Best regards

Mike| 1.6.10 @ 1:57PM

Palin for Chairman... sounds good to me.

FedUpWitZero| 1.6.10 @ 3:41PM

I got a donation request from the RNC in the mail one day. I quickly took a magic marker to it and loudly proclaimed NO MORE RINOS!!!! MY MONEY GOES TO SARAHPAC!! ALL OF IT!!

Tim| 1.6.10 @ 1:19PM

Any success that the GOP enjoys in November will have very little to do with the inept, worthless boobs running the RNC. In fact is is entirely possible that the GOP could surge back, and the RNC would go right on bankrolling Obama's agenda.

Mike| 1.6.10 @ 1:53PM

Steele is quite a disappointment and has been, even during his Senate bid. I want him to do well because he is a Catholic, conservative that hasn't had multiple marriages. He could have been something much greater, but chose the easier path more often than not. He is selfish.

Thomas| 1.6.10 @ 2:26PM

Not a Republican, don't ever plan on being a Republican. They are part of the problem. They have no concern for principles; their only goal is to maintain power and win seats for their party regardless.

FedUpWitZer0| 1.6.10 @ 3:39PM

Funny....sounds like you're describing the DemocRat party!

Will Spencer| 1.6.10 @ 3:00PM

I'd like to hear some more suggestions for potential replacements.

Who do you think could possibly lead the Republican party and America to a recovery in 2010?

What about Newt Gingrich?

BOB| 1.6.10 @ 3:02PM

Nope. And here's a suggestion for a replacement. Tom Davis, ex-Virginia Congressman. Yeah, yeah, he's more moderate than the basse, but he's as politically sharp as anyone w2e've got.

Hank| 1.6.10 @ 3:10PM

Really, RNC chair is where Sarah Palin should be. I'd rather she her running the party than trying to run for President.

Kevin| 1.6.10 @ 3:30PM

Absolutely agree. I would much rather see Sarah Palin as head of RNC than as 2012 presidential candidate, although frankly, the Republicans really don't have ANYONE who excites me for 2012. Newt?? Please. He ain't the answer.

FedUpWitZer0| 1.6.10 @ 3:37PM

Yes! Sarah for chairperson....she could get the party going in the right direction.She would be a breath of fresh conservative air that the party needs.

Red Phillips| 1.6.10 @ 3:42PM

Will, the Party Establishment is too Establishment and you want to fix that by replacing Establishment Steele with Establishment Newt? You do know that Newt endorsed the liberal Republican in NY-23? Newt is a Party Man to the bone.

Al Adab| 1.6.10 @ 4:50PM

Sadly not Newt, too much baggage. Sarah? Perhaps. Who else? Jon Kyl? What about Huckabee? The Conservative movement must be the source.

Sweet Lou| 1.6.10 @ 5:17PM

What's Norm Coleman up to?
And their's always Fred Thompson.

Al Adab| 1.6.10 @ 6:28PM

Fred isn't a bad idea and (it just occurred to me) what is Mrs. Ed Cox up to these days?

Sheila| 1.6.10 @ 6:07PM

Steele is the Republicans' answer to Barack the magic negro: "See? We an put a black in a high position too! We're not racists!" Totally aside from the fact that I just don't play that game and despise those who do, Steele is ignorant and inarticulate and alienates those whom he is supposed to court. Just how many republicans, even party hacks, did he woo with his repeated appearances on black radio and television shows spouting apologies for conservatives in hip/hop dialogue? He is obviously promoting himself, not the RNC, and is thus grossly unsuited for the job. Even so, since I no longer consider myself a republican and would never consider donating to any national party organization ever again, I don't really care whom he embarrasses or purports to represent. My money goes directly to the candidates I support, and my own two senators, Kay Bailout and Cornyn, are not amongst them. I can only pray Kay resigns and some good soul challenges rino Cornyn from the right - I'll be the first to volunteer to go door to door for them. Anything to get those two OUT!

JohnInFlorida| 1.7.10 @ 10:41AM

Nope ... Left vs Right ... Too much Govt vs Little Govt as possible ... Dem vs Rep ... seems simple to me. Steele, McCain, Graham, and their ilk, all part of the wishy-washy, moderate, rino, loser wing of what should be the conservative Republican Party. The sooner we divest ourselves of this wing and return to the party of the Right as defined above, the sooner we prosper.

Teflon93| 1.7.10 @ 1:18PM

The requirements for a successful RNC chair:

1. Know lots of people who can contribute time and money to the cause;

2. Be telegenic, media savvy, and a great communicator in order to get the RNC message out to voters through a hostile Left Wing Media;

3. Be well-organized and have sufficient management savvy to keep the operation focused;

4. Be a committed conservative---nobody's fooled by a phony.

Haley Barbour if you recall had all of these. Michael Steele has none (easy graders might give him #1).

There is one other person who comes to mind who excels in all of these areas.

His name is Rush Limbaugh.

Bigdaddy717| 1.7.10 @ 8:45PM

I can't think of any reason for not firing Steele other the left being given an opportunity to scream racism. Michael Steele should have followed Abraham Lincoln's advice that "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt". His lack of confidence in the GOP to take back control of the House and Senate in his interview earlier this week shows his lack of ability to lead the party. He had a golden opportunity to make a very positive statement for the GOP this week when some Democrat Senators were announcing they would not seek re-election in 2010 and his comment in an interview was that he didn't know if the Republican's were ready to lead. If he doesn't know then who does? After all he IS SUPPOSED to be the leader of the party.

Steele is not good for the Republican party because he leans way too far to the left and every time he opens his mouth he says something stupid. Republican's have been booted from control of both houses of Congress and the White House because they are too "moderate". They have become almost as liberal and greedy as the Democrats. He is paving the way for a third party which can divide the conservatives and lead to a second term for Obama and also keep the far left wing socialists in power.