The Republican Force of Michael Steele
Published in Le Journal du Dimanche au Quotidien
(France) on 31 January 2009
by V.V. (link to original)
Abraham Lincoln’s old Republican Party revolutionized politics when it chose an African American as its president for the first time on Friday. Michael Steele, deputy governor of Maryland, has been elected and will take control in an effort to modernize and reinforce the Grand Old Party in the aftermath of the electoral defeat in November. Bush will soon be history.
The Obama atmosphere seems to have influenced the Republican Party. For the first time in their history, Republicans have chosen an African-American, Michael Steele, to lead their political organization. This appointment didn't come easily, as it took 6 ballots and 5 hours of election to pass. The Grand Old Party is trying to find itself after a huge defeat in last November's elections and a minority in both houses of Congress. “It's fantastic, it's with great humility and a sense of duty that I accept," said the delighted elected representative in front of the press. “I thank you all for giving me the opportunity to be the new national leader of the party," he added after his election.
A native of Maryland, Steele, 50, was a seminarian for three years before turning towards a career in law. With a degree from Georgetown University, he holds combined degrees in law and politics. He became deputy governor of Maryland in 2003 and presumably emerged on the political scene during the Republican National Convention in 2004, where former President George W. Bush commended the talented speaker. But this election, as noted by many American media sources, really brings an end to the Bush years. The new boss of the Republican Party has been a treat for the press, especially when criticizing the war on Iraq and acknowledging the response to Hurricane Katrina as a “monumental mistake." By law, Mike Duncan, Steele's predecessor, who was appointed by the former president of the U.S., had to give up at the third round.
A Laborious Change
Nevertheless, would it be possible to already dream of a presidential campaign with two African-Americans in 2012? The chances are slim. The leaders of the Grand Old Party have always been candidates to the White House. Michael Steele is there in an attempt to modify the image of conservatives. Never camera shy, Steele is on a mission to wage a head-on Democratic attack, heading towards Washington. For a long time, especially during the latest campaign, the Republican Party has been seen as a cold organization, not representative of the average citizen, uninterested in the fate of the minorities, and always ready to spark tensions between factions, especially in the South. “Nothing is further from the truth," said Steele after his election. “It's time to do something completely different (...) we are going to take the party to every street corner, to every meeting room, to each neighborhood, each community. And we are going to tell each of our friends or enemies that we want you to be with us. We want to be with you, we want to work together, and to those who would want to stop us, be ready to be defeated," he explained, in a very confident style, often compared to Obama's.
In this fashion, the Republican Party seems determined to follow the same goal-oriented road as Obama. But, this change of course will be laborious. Steele's opponent in the last run of Friday's ballot was Katon Dawson, leader of South Carolina's party. He is heavily criticized for being a member of a whites only country club. He apparently canceled his membership just before the ballot.
The Obama atmosphere seems to have influenced the Republican Party. For the first time in their history, Republicans have chosen an African-American, Michael Steele, to lead their political organization. This appointment didn't come easily, as it took 6 ballots and 5 hours of election to pass. The Grand Old Party is trying to find itself after a huge defeat in last November's elections and a minority in both houses of Congress. “It's fantastic, it's with great humility and a sense of duty that I accept," said the delighted elected representative in front of the press. “I thank you all for giving me the opportunity to be the new national leader of the party," he added after his election.
A native of Maryland, Steele, 50, was a seminarian for three years before turning towards a career in law. With a degree from Georgetown University, he holds combined degrees in law and politics. He became deputy governor of Maryland in 2003 and presumably emerged on the political scene during the Republican National Convention in 2004, where former President George W. Bush commended the talented speaker. But this election, as noted by many American media sources, really brings an end to the Bush years. The new boss of the Republican Party has been a treat for the press, especially when criticizing the war on Iraq and acknowledging the response to Hurricane Katrina as a “monumental mistake." By law, Mike Duncan, Steele's predecessor, who was appointed by the former president of the U.S., had to give up at the third round.
A Laborious Change
Nevertheless, would it be possible to already dream of a presidential campaign with two African-Americans in 2012? The chances are slim. The leaders of the Grand Old Party have always been candidates to the White House. Michael Steele is there in an attempt to modify the image of conservatives. Never camera shy, Steele is on a mission to wage a head-on Democratic attack, heading towards Washington. For a long time, especially during the latest campaign, the Republican Party has been seen as a cold organization, not representative of the average citizen, uninterested in the fate of the minorities, and always ready to spark tensions between factions, especially in the South. “Nothing is further from the truth," said Steele after his election. “It's time to do something completely different (...) we are going to take the party to every street corner, to every meeting room, to each neighborhood, each community. And we are going to tell each of our friends or enemies that we want you to be with us. We want to be with you, we want to work together, and to those who would want to stop us, be ready to be defeated," he explained, in a very confident style, often compared to Obama's.
In this fashion, the Republican Party seems determined to follow the same goal-oriented road as Obama. But, this change of course will be laborious. Steele's opponent in the last run of Friday's ballot was Katon Dawson, leader of South Carolina's party. He is heavily criticized for being a member of a whites only country club. He apparently canceled his membership just before the ballot.
The grand old party and the new democrats all sleep in the same bed.
Americans need a new party. One that represents the people not the corp machine.
wash must be cleaned out. It is a nest of thieves that pretends to represent the people with their loud talk.
Then the constitution must be changed such as term limits for congress. Professional politicians have destroyed America. They are in the pockets of the lobbyists. Corp fascism is alive and well in America.
It will be decades before the average American sees a need to start over and clean out wash politics as usual. Of course nations almost always deserve their leaders. We are no exception.
the repubs tried this stunt with palin and we all saw how that worked out for them.
American style of capitalism is in its last throes. We are living on borrowed money and borrowed time. Come on Europe loan us some more. Wall street needs more bonuses.
We still have Iran to bomb and do some nation building there like we are doing in Iraq. If they have oil we are on our way there now.
This is how dumb ok corrupt congress is. They are handing out hundreds of billions (borrowed and printed money) to the very people (ceo’s) that caused their organizations to go bankrupt. That does not even pass management 101 at any university.
Well maybe a MBA program at Harvard, Yale or Stanford but I meant a university that is not in the pockets of the industrial military complex. Few very few in Europe understand the power of the industrial military complex in America.
This is not hatred I have for America just sadness. We had such potential to do good in the world instead we chose wars for profits. Ike warned us but no one listened.
“wash must be cleaned out. It is a nest of thieves that pretends to represent the people with their loud talk.”
I should explain here as it is the system that drives most of congress to be seeking money for reelection from the first day in office if they want to get reelected.
Change the existing system change the behavior. Example term limits for congress and public financing.
Also all lobbyists should be sent to Cuba to work in the sugar fields for 6 years before they can be lobbyists. :-)))))))
that would reduce the number of corp paid lobbysits in wash.