Black Republicans fall short despite party effort
Republicans had hoped to brand 2006 as the year of the black Republican. But with high-profile failures in Maryland’s Senate race and in governor contests in Ohio and Pennsylvania, prospects for GOP gains among black voters turned up short this year and gave scant hope for 2008.
Michael Steele, Maryland’s lieutenant governor, lost by almost 10 percentage points to Rep. Ben Cardin. Ken Blackwell, a conservative darling who would have been Ohio’s first black governor, lost by almost 24 percentage points; Lynn Swann lost his bid for the Pennsylvania governor’s office by 21 percentage points.
You can fool some of the people…
Prominent black congressmen are expected to gain chairmanships in three of the most important House committees: Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Ways and Means. And, according to research by David Bositis of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, that’s also the case with 16 House subcommittees. These posts are important for more than just policy reasons; they shore up a visible and diverse leadership in the Democratic Party. It’s one thing to appoint Condoleezza Rice. It’s another to have a party with black leaders and lawmakers at every level of government.
Ken Mehlman was on the talk show circuit after the election bloodletting, describing what happened with all their “homeboys” and increduously said, we have to reach out to the African American community and let them know that they should stop feeling obligated to the Democratic Party. He said that with a straight face after they had to fall back on their old reliable southern strategy when their white candidate was trailing in the polls in Tennessee. Now, Mr. Mehlman, tell me what, why, how and when I should come on over to the Republican Party that cares so much about me.
Squarepeg,
Maybe you should also ask Harold Ford, Jr. what he was doing in a redneck bar with rebel flags on the walls, wearing a hunting cap and trying to look like one of the good ol’ boys. That didn’t work too well either.
Steele is extremely popular within Republican circles. He comes across well on TV (he waxed Cardin in their televised debate two weeks ago) and he has executive experience as a lieutenant governor. There is real movement to elevate Steele to RNC chairmanship (the DNC has yet to elevate a black Democrat to that post).
And in the ultimate horror scenario for Democrats, imagine if Republicans decided to choose and groom an “heir apparent”, which would mean 1) Dick Cheney resigns, and 2) perhaps — just perhaps — Michael Steele is chosen as VP to fill out the remainder of Cheney’s term. And let’s say that Steele runs for President and picks Condolezza as his VP. Now that would really be something. What would Hillary do? What could she do?
And its possible tomorrow morning I will wake up and Jessica Alba will be next to me nude in bed.
But not very plausible.
“And let’s say that Steele runs for President and picks Condolezza as his VP. Now that would really be something. What would Hillary do? What could she do?”
LMAO! Hillary would march into the White House with about 70% of the vote. Republicans run black candidates, they just don’t vote for them.
Did you find the pony yet?
If no one else is going to point it out, the Condoleeza Rice boomlet ended two years ago. Something about a fiasco in another hemisphere.
And Cheney resigning? He’ll have a heart attack–a fatal one–first.
Steele might make an attractive head of the RNC. And in that position I’m sure he’ll resolve the crisis in Iraq, reverse the three decade long decline in workers’ economic prospects, get North Korea to abandon its nuclear program, craft a program for universal affordable health care, find a diplomatic opening to Iran. . . . At which point a grateful nation will elect him President.
“There is real movement to elevate Steele to RNC chairmanship (the DNC has yet to elevate a black Democrat to that post)”
The late Ron Brown was chairman of the DNC from 1989 to 1993. Oh, he was black, by the way.
Michael Steele is chosen as VP to fill out the remainder of Cheney’s term. And let’s say that Steele runs for President and picks Condolezza as his VP. Now that would really be something.
Now I know you’re on drugs! Really, joints dipped in embalming fluid is bad for you!!
Steele will be forever tainted by his despicable dirty,if not illegal,shenanigans on election day. He tried to take Maryland black voters for fools. He is a failed business who went bankrupt. He was paid to be head of MDGOOP and runb with Ehrlich in 2002. Don’t into the hype. This guy is an empty suit. A train wreck for the GOP
This guy is an empty suit. A train wreck for the GOP
Well, then, by God, he’s our guy!