Thesis- Michael Steele Must Resign ASAP

[seireikhaan]

Not super-recent news, but startling nonetheless.

Michael Steele, head of the Republican National Committee, apologized to Rush Limbaugh for referring to him as an "entertainer". Steele called him out for being incendiary. Rush didn't like this much, and told Steele to "do his job and get to work".

And Steele folds. What a pathetic show. He's a classic, spineless politician. He wanted to test the waters and see if he could be the guy who put the Republican party past the likes of Rush. When he got called on it, he shrank like a flower. This is a man with no conviction. No "umph". The Republican party cannot allow Rush to run the show here- he is a bitter, incendiary, and hateful man. The fact that the Republican party either cannot or will not denounce him and refuse his support is a travesty. That Limbaugh has an iron grip over the leaders of nearly 1/2 of America's political system is unbelievable.

Furthermore, Steele shamed himself in the act. Steele cannot lead this party effectively anymore- he has showed himself, like Newt before him, that he is not the one running the show. The Republican party needs a strong, even handed leader who refuses to bow to the interests of spiteful men like Limbaugh. Instead of desperately clutching to the legacy of a President now deceased and well into the political past, they need to aptly adapt to current circumstances- they must show the folly of Democrats when they make mistakes and demonstrate how government need not be expanded, but made more efficient and responsive. Steele cannot do this; he has yet to outline any coherent policy beyond tax cuts and blocking what the Democrats try to pass. His own credibility is now damaged beyond repair; he tried(?) to challenge the old order, and failed. Badly. Reduced to an apology. What a shame.

[rvg]

Yes, Steele needs to grow a pair. The GOP at this point is an total circus.

[Crazed Rabbit]

I want an effective leader who believes in minimal, small government. That means they must adapt with the times. Copying Reagan won't get it done; Reagan was a leader of his time.

They must apply the principles of liberty to our current issues.

I have little hope of an effective leader or any sort of principled stands in the GOP.

Steele, besides folding against Rush, has made other errors and mistakes as well.

CR

[Xiahou]

I think these peeing contests are pointless and both Limbaugh and Steel should've known better(then again, maybe Rush did know better- I'm sure the coverage brought in a few new listeners). I do think Limbaugh had a minor point in that Steele needs to focus on fundraising and growing the party- as is his job. There are plenty of people around to snipe at each other in the Republican party- they don't need Steele's help.

I don't really care if he resigns or not- national chairman is an overrated position anyhow. Ask Howard Dean.

[KukriKhan]

I think these peeing contests are pointless and both Limbaugh and Steel should've known better(then again, maybe Rush did know better- I'm sure the coverage brought in a few new listeners). I do think Limbaugh had a minor point in that Steele needs to focus on fundraising and growing the party- as is his job. There are plenty of people around to snipe at each other in the Republican party- they don't need Steele's help.

I don't really care if he resigns or not- national chairman is an overrated position anyhow. Ask Howard Dean.

Several good points there, chief among them "...Steele needs to focus on fundraising and growing the party- as is his job". That would be Sales and Marketing. Sadly, most of them (repub's) have forgotten, or never knew, what their "product" is, to sell.

Until they discover or rediscover that, they're just spinning their wheels. In my opinion.

[ICantSpellDawg]

I support steele. Now is the time for Republicans to move back into the Northeast and Limbaugh will only hold us back. It is time for Republicans to reject him outright - he is a jackass.

Steele and his kin are the future. The GOP doesn't have to be the party of NO, but until we put a muzzle on guys like limbaugh we will be just as bad as the left, only out of power.

We need to push smart people who listen to good ideas, but hold the position where it matters. limbaugh is the antithesis of that.

[Spino]

I'm taking a wait and see approach to Steele's leadership. Honestly though, I don't listen to Limbaugh but I thought his speech at CPAC was excellent; a pseudo speech combined with an on-air rant. Content wise I thought it was on the mark.

Whomever the Republicans rally around he/she had better work hard on purging the neo-conservative element from the party. Nothing short of a political enema will do... "So long, seeya, don't let the door hit you on the *** on your way out!" The GOP built its successful brand on sticking to their core conservative values, not this 'save the world from itself' schtick. Kick that crap back to whence it came... the wild n' crazy Democratic party of the 20th century.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Several good points there, chief among them "...Steele needs to focus on fundraising and growing the party- as is his job". That would be Sales and Marketing. Sadly, most of them (repub's) have forgotten, or never knew, what their "product" is, to sell.

Until they discover or rediscover that, they're just spinning their wheels. In my opinion.

Yeah, it's kinda like fighting over who gets to steer the Titanic after hitting the iceberg. The Republican party have lost their way and strayed from their core values. The extreme right bitterness won't work, and hoping/praying out loud that the President fails big means hoping the country gets flushed down the toilet too. Not exactly a message or political philosophy that's gonna sell too well. They need some articulate leaders, minus the partisan hatred & bitterness....where are they?

[KukriKhan]

Yeah, it's kinda like fighting over who gets to steer the Titanic after hitting the iceberg. The Republican party have lost their way and strayed from their core values. The extreme right bitterness won't work, and hoping/praying out loud that the President fails big means hoping the country gets flushed down the toilet too. Not exactly a message or political philosophy that's gonna sell too well. They need some articulate leaders, minus the partisan hatred & bitterness....where are they?

Alaska, maybe. It's just an inkling on my part, but I think Foreign Policy will play huge in 2012, assuming our domestic mess gets squared away in the next couple years. Pipe-dreaming: Palin-Petreaus (retired)) or Petreaus-Palin? Yes, sez I, but if and only if they can articulate core conservative values, and demonstrate that that phrase ('core conservative values') has something worthwhile to offer America - and that they personally can, do, and will, live up to those values themselves, without backsliding into political convenience, 'gotcha' politics, or personal gain.

Otherwise, it's just more smoke-and-mirrors. And I'll throw my vote away again on R. Paul.

[rvg]

Alaska, maybe. It's just an inkling on my part, but I think Foreign Policy will play huge in 2012, assuming our domestic mess gets squared away in the next couple years. Pipe-dreaming: Palin-Petreaus (retired)) or Petreaus-Palin? Yes, sez I, but if and only if they can articulate core conservative values, and demonstrate that that phrase ('core conservative values') has something worthwhile to offer America - and that they personally can, do, and will, live up to those values themselves, without backsliding into political convenience, 'gotcha' politics, or personal gain.

Otherwise, it's just more smoke-and-mirrors. And I'll throw my vote away again on R. Paul.

Palin imho is a kiss of death for any republican ticket.

[Strike For The South]

Limbuagh is a piggy looking pill popping windbag. I'm pretty sure him and Teddy Kennedy were separated at birth.

We're just lucky Limbuagh's never been to chapaquidick

[Spino]

No Palin, please. For some crazy reason the media keeps dragging her into the spotlight, quite possibly because they subconsciously either love to love her (Fox) or love to hate her (everyone else in the news business).

I don't think Palin is as big a disaster as people make her out to be (she did a pretty good job of recovering after stumbling out of the gate during the election) but she will never shake the widespread doubt that thinks she's anything but a serious contender. Conservatives need a couple of heavy hitters to take on Obama in 2012 and Palin is clearly a lightweight. She's certainly a great asset for for energizing a segment of the conservative voter bloc on the campaign trail (one of the reasons why McCain picked her) but that's about it.

[LittleGrizzly]

I suppose i could see some reason behind a Palin pick if the 'cans had a similar frontrunner to McCain, a moderate leader to win over the essential moderates, and Palin to make sure the conservative faithful are happy and definetly coming out to vote...

Though she has some baggage now... can she shake it ?

[Xiahou]

GOP's Steele clarifies his opposition to abortion

GOP national chairman Michael Steele said Thursday that he's opposed to abortion and that Roe v. Wade should be repealed, commenting a day after a magazine quoted him as saying abortion was "an individual choice." Steele clarified his stance in a written statement after online publication of the interview with GQ magazine.

Steele, who is adopted, said in the interview that his mother had the option of getting an abortion or giving birth.

He said: "You can choose life, or you can choose abortion." He said his mother chose life.

Asked whether he thought women had the right to choose abortion, Steele said: "Yeah. I mean, again, I think that's an individual choice."

So Steele manages to step in it again. He's not wasting any time is he?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Major Robert Dump]

I would rather listen to Ann Coulter than Rush, because she admits she's a jerk. Rush, on the other hand, says incendiary things in an articulate, polite, smiling manner, then when people get peeved he cops the whole "how dare you, I was being civil, how can you be angry?" schtick.

I saw his speech, too, and it had some great points, except that part about wishing failure. Thats jacked up, man. Nonetheless, no matter how many intelligent things he says, I will never, ever be able to forget his spouting the virtues of the drug war while abusing drugs himself. He shoulda been made an honorary DEA agent like fat, sweaty Elvis.

Rush is an entertainer. And here's my favorite Rush video of all time, poor Rush is such a victim here, he makes the audience mad with the typical "you people are all the same" accusation, then gets whiney when they do the same thing to him, then denies ever doing it to begin with. A wonderful 10 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNK4...eature=related

[JAG]

Xia - that is brilliant, he completely disagrees with the point he was trying to make. 'Er, what was the position I held again?' Individual choice =/= wanting to ban abortion. I haven't seen much of this guy, but maybe he should go if he can't even get that right.

This thread has amazed me, all the people who normally champion Rush are, in some cases, belittling him and not stepping forward with their forthright condemnation of everyone but him. Maybe you guys are changing ;) it can only be a good thing.

[Lemur]

For some crazy reason the media keeps dragging [Palin] into the spotlight, quite possibly because they subconsciously either love to love her (Fox) or love to hate her (everyone else in the news business).

Did you know that there's a word for "loving to hate"? It's hathos. If you watch Al Gore and find yourself enjoying the hate, that's hathos. Love that word.

[KukriKhan]

Did you know that there's a word for "loving to hate"? It's hathos. If you watch Al Gore and find yourself enjoying the hate, that's hathos. Love that word.

First I've heard. 'Hah-thos' or 'hay-thos' or 'haht-os'?

Oh. And on-topic: Steele. What t'heck is he doing? TRYING to get fired? The radio yesterday told me he hadn't even picked a staff yet, but was making the media rounds anyway.

[Lemur]

I've always pronounced it HAY-thos. I wonder if I'm allowed to call something hathetic, or if that's a neologism too far ...

Sorry for dragging the thread off-topic, but I love obscure words more than is entirely healthy.

-edit-

Nevermind, I just saw that the adjective form is hathotic. Good to know.

[ICantSpellDawg]

Xia - that is brilliant, he completely disagrees with the point he was trying to make. 'Er, what was the position I held again?' Individual choice =/= wanting to ban abortion. I haven't seen much of this guy, but maybe he should go if he can't even get that right.

This thread has amazed me, all the people who normally champion Rush are, in some cases, belittling him and not stepping forward with their forthright condemnation of everyone but him. Maybe you guys are changing ;) it can only be a good thing.

I've listened to a handful of his programs in my entire life - I have never been impressed. He is an undereducated, vitriolic, opportunist. I've managed to become a conservating without paying any head to what he has been saying, and I won't start now.