Let me be the first to say that I was wrong. Completely wrong. The RNC has selected Richard Steele to head the Republican Party into the furture. Only time will tell, if Steele will be the true leader of the RNC and not just another Judas Goat as we saw with the Palin candidacy of the party to garner African-American support.
Steele already finds himself on an uphill climb to garner the support of his own party. After finally emerging the winner after six rounds of voting, it appears that Steele's staunchest opponent was Katon Dawson, chairman of the South Carolina GOP who had secured very strong support from party insiders. After five rounds of balloting, the race for the chairmanship came down to a choice between Steele and Katon Dawson, the South Carolina GOP chairman who secured strong support from party insiders after former chairman Mike Duncan dropped out of the race after the third round of votes. (Source)
The former Lt. Governor of Maryland won the RNC seat with 91 votes from the 168-member committee to be named chair. A simple majority of 85 was all that was needed to win the honors.
The RNC seems to have a "monkey see - monkey do" mentality here that I hope does not back-fire in their faces. It will take more that putting an African-American at their helm to "prove" that they are diverse and willing to listen to and act on diverse thinking leading to action. They can't simply lean on the laurels of former Republicans deemed great in the eyes of many or contradictory in the eyes of a few. Billboards espousing membership in the RNC by renowned and revered civil rights leaders is in itself, a divisive recruiting technique that will fall on death ears. And as long as the mantra of the party remains "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps" while they pull themselves "up by the my bootstraps and on my back", the Party will continue to look the way it does currently regardless of its leadership. It will take much more than rhetoric and much more than putting a black face at their helm.
I hope the RNC is truly wanting to turn the corner leaving behind their policies, strategies, and foundation that has divided the citizenry of this country for decades. I pray that they now realize as President Obama continues to say "There is no red America. There is no blue America. There is only the United States of America!" I hope they realize that this is much more than winning or loosing a political seat or 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This is about our survival as a Country, as Americans.
I congratulate you, Mr. Steele. Now convince me why I - an African-American wife, mother, and professional should support all-things Republican. I'll be waiting...
Obliged to you for hearing me,
and now old SjP ain't got nothin' more to say...
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Sojourner's Place
9 sojourners hollin' back
They really scraped the bottom of the barrel with this one. How dumb do they believe the AA community has to be to go for this?
Typical. They are late as usual.
@ Raina, I'm surprised. I really didn't think they would go there. My concern now is whether or not its one of those 'we got Black friends" things.
@ TRochelle, They will soon learn that it takes more that putting a black face at the helm. He'll have to do the same thing as Barack had to do and that was to prove himself. I just wonder if he's up for it.
@ Shae', yeah...monkey see monkey do.
I am not surprised one of the black guys won. The GOP is tired of geting its collective butt kicked all over the U.S. and in the court of public opinion.
While from a human perspective I'd like for Steele to be successful, I still recall some of the twisted stuff he said during the presidential campaign and that feeling quickly dissipates.
I hope this move to blackface the RNC in order to win votes actually backfires all up in their faces.
Black folks are not falling for this GOP okie doke.
You have something waiting for you at my blog. Happy Saturday!
Noblesse Oblige Award
The question is what going to change, an I am betting not a dang thing.
Which makes his selection insulting.
I am like Raina, I am not surprised. You know I have to say this (or in this case write this), Some folks can't STAND YA..but they wanna always USE YA!
yup...and you know what the sistah is saying SJP.
I have to say better Steele than Blackwell. That would been insult and injury all in one.
However, this is just as transparent as adding Palin to the ticket. I am not impressed with this latest GOP "upgrade".
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- SjP
One Christian, African-American, Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Professional, Sorority Woman just Sojourning for the Truth and not afraid to tell it!
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Est. January 1, 2008
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