As I began writing this post, I was tempted with crafting a variety of inflammatory headlines: “KKK Names Black Man its Grand Dragon,” “A Pretty Face is Placed on the Ass of American Politics,” and so on. You get my drift.
Anyway, I decided to restrain myself here and play it straight in writing about the troubles with the National Republican Committee in electing its new Chairman. For those of you who haven’t heard, Michael Steele, the former lieutenant-governor of Maryland was elected to the position on Friday by the RNC. As noted in the NY Times this morning,
Mr. Steele was elected in a contest that took six drawn-out ballots before any of the candidates received the required 85 votes. In the final ballot, he defeated Katon Dawson, the South Carolina Republican chairman, drawing 91 of the 165 votes.
From the start, Mr. Dawson, while well-liked in the party, was hampered by worries that his selection would reinforce the notion that Republicans are increasingly becoming a Southern regional party. Mr. Dawson also withdrew from an all-white country club he belonged before he started running for office, a point that was raised by Republicans concerned that it would provide a bad contrast in a year when the country elected its first African-American president.
Herein lies the problem.
The leadership of the Republican Party is composed of of old white men from the south, religious bigots and crass opportunists wrapped in the American flag. They have money, they have influence but at the end of the day, they lack any capacity to lead America. Over the last 24 years, the Republican Party has been busy redecorating politics with “Contracts with America,” “9/11,” and other slogans backed by ill-conceived policies that were motivated by ideology or greed.
As their political Ponzi schemes catch up to them, party leaders are now scrambling to cover their asses once again. This time, they hope to reestablish themselves by electing an African-American to the leadership post. What this will accomplish is any one’s guess. Will it draw in black voters into the Party? Will Steele put a shine on the scuffed shoes of the conservative movement? My guess is that it won’t but as long as party apparatchiks continue to manipulate the direction of the Grand Old Party, polling the trailer parks and pentecostal parking lots for ideas will trump real leadership and creative policy thinking that remains lacking in this system.
Bernie Madoff has nothing on these guys.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Sphere: Related Content
Related Posts
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Stumble It!
{ 0 comments… add one now }