Michael Steele: Some white Republicans are scared of me
posted at 4:40 pm on November 9, 2009 by Allahpundit
Actually, he never says “some.” I’m adding that to give him the benefit of the doubt. Raw Story’s transcript of the exchange:
STEELE: Education and the economy. Education and jobs. Education and small business.
MARTIN: But your candidates got to talk to them. One of the criticisms I’ve always had is Republicans — white Republicans — have been scared of black folks.
STEELE: You’re absolutely right. I mean I’ve been in the room and they’ve been scared of me. I’m like, “I’m on your side” and so I can imagine going out there and talking to someone like you, you know, [you're like,] “I’ll listen.” And they’re like “Well.” Let me tell you. You saw in Christie and you saw in McDonnell a door open because they went in and engaged. McDonnell was very deliberate about spending –
Even better: The guy he said this to is noted Obama apologist Roland Martin. I get what Steele’s trying to do here, conceding Martin’s point to establish common ground so that he’s in a stronger position to persuade him (and his audience), but this isn’t the first time he’s laughed off a nasty racial smear about Republicans uttered in his presence. If he wants to do the common-ground thing, he could at least qualify his agreement by saying that it’s true of a few party members but isn’t true of most; if, in his experience, it is true of most, then he should make that fact loudly known so that conservatives who don’t want to be part of a racist party can walk away for good.
Exit question: Does Steele understand how sensitive most righties are about being demagogued by the left with false, politically calculated charges of racism? The answer must be no or else he’d never let something like this go unchallenged. Click the image to watch.
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for every 1 good thing he does, there are about 10 other things that just makes me shake my head at
Doctor Zhivago on November 9, 2009 at 4:42 PM
A clue. What Mike Steele doesn’t have.
fiatboomer on November 9, 2009 at 4:42 PM
Steele is not a good meme-fighter.
faraway on November 9, 2009 at 4:42 PM
Please tell me he didn’t say this.
ORconservative on November 9, 2009 at 4:43 PM
Beer summit!
John the Libertarian on November 9, 2009 at 4:43 PM
I still can’t believe he is getting worse.
jhffmn on November 9, 2009 at 4:43 PM
Get…rid…of…this…guy …NOW! He’s a DC establishment Republican .
(And do not replace him with Kaeton Dawson..)
Lothar on November 9, 2009 at 4:43 PM
Just don’t axe him too many questions, aarrright?
BobMbx on November 9, 2009 at 4:44 PM
Disgusted?… check
Afraid of what he will do to the party?… yep…
Afraid of what his being chosen says ABOUT that Party?… that they buy into racial Politics????… uh huh…
Scared he’d say somthing dumb like this???? absolutely.
Romeo13 on November 9, 2009 at 4:45 PM
Clearly race is an issue for this guy and he has no place in the attempt of taking back America from the royals.
How do these insane people get in the positions they have?
Hening on November 9, 2009 at 4:45 PM
The hits just keep coming with this nitwit. “Promote” him to honorary commodore of the fleet and put a merciful end to it all.
rrpjr on November 9, 2009 at 4:45 PM
Copying my comments from the headline thread:
I’m not saying we have to automatically antagonize the media; but, Mr. Steele, they aren’t your friend. They never will be. Stop agreeing with them on baseless premises and then trying to say “yeah, but…” You’ve already ceded the ground they were trying to take.
simon on November 9, 2009 at 4:45 PM
lame for the rnc head.
rob verdi on November 9, 2009 at 4:45 PM
I’m about to become violently ill. This country,and the republican party are f-cked! Exactly when does race as an issue end?
Ghoul aid on November 9, 2009 at 4:45 PM
So the head of the RNC just called every republican a racist fearful of blacks? And he didn’t get fired immediately because? Good to see the GOP really has their stuff together.
Well, I look forward to the coming armed revolution. If you spot me on some battlefield months or years from now be sure to say hello. We can share a laugh at what an idiot Michael Steele while we take cover in a foxhole.
chicagojedi on November 9, 2009 at 4:46 PM
I think he does, but I think he isn’t as articulate as he needs to be on the issue. I think you’re right to give him the benefit of the doubt on what he meant vs. his exact words.
I think Steele’s very presence and position in the party makes a laughingstock of the notion that the Republican party is a party of racists. I say that even with a slip like this, he’s a net positive on public perception.
Caiwyn on November 9, 2009 at 4:46 PM
Steele, Republicans want you to kick Democrat @$$, not validate slander.
fiatboomer on November 9, 2009 at 4:46 PM
He seemed a bit uncorfortable about answering that directly because it gave the question legitimacy. On the other hand he didn’t want to completely blow it off. He seemed to try and emphasise that some R’s might be nervous when talking to “YOU” (the host himself)as a way of making a point. I think he 1/2 dodged stepping on a mine he couldn’t avoid there.
Mord on November 9, 2009 at 4:46 PM
Luckily, we’ve been inoculated against the deadly racism virus, just one year ago.
BobMbx on November 9, 2009 at 4:46 PM
I like Steele, but what the hell is he doing letting these idiot drive-bys establish false premises like this? When the head of the damn RNC won’t even combat the smear that conservatives are racist, then what chance do we have?
Doughboy on November 9, 2009 at 4:46 PM
Yes, they are so scared of you that they made you the frakking head of the party.
rbj on November 9, 2009 at 4:47 PM
Well that was a silly thing to say.
Oh well, I’d rather give money to individual candidates than the RNC anyway. Just make going through the mail that much easier.
NTWR on November 9, 2009 at 4:47 PM
Please Mr. Steele, stop trying to empathize with everybody. It’s not mandatory for you to reply to ignorant remarks.
Cindy Munford on November 9, 2009 at 4:47 PM
I’ve had it with Steele. The guy’s just a bonehead. I’ve never seen a bigger bunch of dupes annd losers than the GOP leadership.
Cicero43 on November 9, 2009 at 4:47 PM
The guy is oblivious…and that is a general statement about his level of awareness in all aspects of his job.
AUINSC on November 9, 2009 at 4:47 PM
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Asher on November 9, 2009 at 4:48 PM
Steele should have said it’s the communist democrats that are scared of black people, that’s why they put all their abortion clinics in minority neighborhoods.
But no …
darwin on November 9, 2009 at 4:48 PM
What’s it take to get rid of him? We might as well get our house in order right now.
Oink on November 9, 2009 at 4:48 PM
EVERYONE CALM DOWN.
I dont get the faux outrage
^^^^^this^^^^^
Look, our percentage of the black vote against obama was 2%. for black women, the gop share was 1%. ONE PERCENT.
now look at reality: black unemployment is about 18% (adjusted, about 25%) and rising. to beat the one, we have to get every vote we can. what does it HURT to play the “well sure there are a few bad apples in our party” meme?
the audience (black voters) have probably seen signs of the obama-bone-in-nose ad naseum per ms-dnc, and unless steele says out front “yes there are bad apples”, the potential voter will think “this guy is a liar. ive heard a racist comment about obama since jan 20th one time”
calm down!
i dont get posters this past weekend:
FIRST you want the gop to vote present on the abortion amendment, to play POLITICS over PRINCIPLE
THEN you want to crucify Cao because he voted yes in a dem district *after* the bill had passed already, so you wanted him to play PRINCIPLE over POLITICS
NOW you want steele to not pander for votes in a lefty media appearance, to NOT play POLITICS?
which is it??? make up your @#$@ minds.
we won’t be winning many elections with 70% black turnout and 1% black gop votes, that’s for dang sure.
but oh yes, thank goodness he didnt call us ‘racist’. i mean, no one has EVER called fringe gop ‘racist’.
ever.
no one.
steele is breaking ground.
(prediction: tomorrow, hotair will be screaming for a political move over principle, where coburn reads the bill out loud 10 times to stall its pasage instead of allowing an up-or-down vote, getting cheers of “yay for politics!” from our side)
im confused… and i mean it!
battleoflepanto1571 on November 9, 2009 at 4:49 PM
What 1 thing was that? This guy is a hack and will bend in whatever direction he needs to at any given time.
Mr. Steele, I don’t cringe and roll my eyes because I’m afraid of your blackness. I cringe and roll my eyes because of your yellowness. You have no spine and have a yellow streak down your back. Please either grow a pair and find some principles or step down and let someone else have a chance…although I fear who your replacement maybe.
Pilgrim on November 9, 2009 at 4:49 PM
Watch the video rather than just reading the transcript, his body language and his laugh at the question do alot to temper what he actually says. Still, just conceding the question itself is a bad move.
Mord on November 9, 2009 at 4:49 PM
I don’t know, Steele is all over the map as chair and it adds up to me as unreliable and therefore incompetent.
Willie on November 9, 2009 at 4:49 PM
If they are scared of him it is probably because he looks like Lee van Cleef
MB4 on November 9, 2009 at 4:49 PM
Some Repubs might be scared of Mike, but he’s got the Dems tossing their cookies.
Christien on November 9, 2009 at 4:49 PM
Et tu Michael? Et tu?
TheBigOldDog on November 9, 2009 at 4:50 PM
Bullseye.
Western_Civ on November 9, 2009 at 4:50 PM
Um, when you’re on a network that is for blacks only, you really don’t have any place lecturing people on race.
clearbluesky on November 9, 2009 at 4:50 PM
Is there any way to recall Steele from the Chairmanship?
farright on November 9, 2009 at 4:50 PM
I’m starting to believe in the black helicopters, the famines and the boxcars. There is no good reason why the supposed leader of the opposition party is talking about his base this way and still has a job. We’re utterly screwed.
alliebobbitt on November 9, 2009 at 4:50 PM
I was always afraid of what would happen if Steele became the head of the GOP.
I mean if he was horrible and we “right-wingers” started saying that he needs to go, then we would be labeled as racist.
Why is it that whenever someone is promoted to the head of the GOP, they always end up going soft and being Dem-Lites?
Ken Blackwell would have been a much better pick. I mean Steele is from Maryland after all.
MobileVideoEngineer on November 9, 2009 at 4:51 PM
I am afraid of him too. Mr. hip hop, what’s up is dumber than a rock.
nondhimmie on November 9, 2009 at 4:51 PM
Asher! Face Palm… NICE image thingy!
and that is a brilliant exit question Allah, I think you’ve nailed it… and the answer is no, it doesn’t seem like he can imagine a white person feeling persecuted… for whatever that’s worse… maybe he will examine that in himself now…
max1 on November 9, 2009 at 4:52 PM
redirecting the phonelines when the Democrats tried to get people to call the Republicans to tell them to want Government Healthcare
Doctor Zhivago on November 9, 2009 at 4:52 PM
I’m sorry Mikey, but nobody is scared of a middle aged balding black guy in a brooks brothers suit, however there people who are scared of the black panthers who were standing in front of the polling place in 2008 with billy clubs.
DFCtomm on November 9, 2009 at 4:52 PM
I would’ve asked Roland Martin to re-ask the question properly.
SouthernGent on November 9, 2009 at 4:53 PM
Great.. just great.
I walk in a room I see Steele.. and because I don’t want to talk to the freaking FOOL, I am a racist.
*sighs* stupid people.. they are everywhere.
upinak on November 9, 2009 at 4:53 PM
Umm…what if…it’s true?
ronsfi on November 9, 2009 at 4:54 PM
The sad thing is, the RNC is stuck with this doofus. They try and get rid of him, he’ll go Powell on us. Idiots!
Mr. Arrogant on November 9, 2009 at 4:55 PM
They’re not scared of you. They think you’re a wimp. You don’t need O’Reilly’s body-language woman to figure that out.
Daggett on November 9, 2009 at 4:55 PM
Apologetic California on November 9, 2009 at 4:56 PM
How does smearing the party as comprised of intolerant racists “pandering” for votes? If anything, it convinces minority voters that although their party has been incompetent, at least they mean well and must win at all costs. Calling the GOP base racist takes the eye off the practical reasons for the protests in 2009. It is a concession, not an appeal.
alliebobbitt on November 9, 2009 at 4:56 PM
As I said in the comments section of the headline link to this, he needs to go for uttering those words. Today. Yesterday, if possible.
Physics Geek on November 9, 2009 at 4:56 PM
This guy is an absolute disaster. Even if he believes this why would he be so dumb as to say it? He’s catching flack for NY-23, so he plays the race card? If nothing else he should be booted immediately for reasons of sheer incompetance and stupidity.
tommyboy on November 9, 2009 at 4:56 PM
I swear to God, this idiot and the RNC and for that matter most of the so-called leadership in Congress refuse to utter the magic words “You’re premise is full of crap”!
Go along to get along weasels- the whole lousy lot of them.
jjshaka on November 9, 2009 at 4:57 PM
Wouldn’t have a problem with his answer at all…
If he was talking about white RINOs being scared of him because of what they know he’s about to do to them.
But, unfortunately, we know this isn’t the case.
TXUS on November 9, 2009 at 4:57 PM
Anyone, and I mean ANYONE in the Repub party that states that we are racists, or agrees in any way to that premise, is DEAD to me.
Even though, I am no longer a Republican, and haven’t been since Shamnesty.
tickleddragon on November 9, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Maybe if Mr. Steele wouldn’t keep accepting the false premises of the leftist media, people would want to talk to him…
phreshone on November 9, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Well, Michael, let’s review. You’re really tall, and really out of f@#$ing control!!! Your skin color is the least of this white boy’s worries.
manwithblackhat on November 9, 2009 at 4:58 PM
Jumpin jeebus…now he’s playing the race card??
What Up?
Itchee Dryback on November 9, 2009 at 4:58 PM
It’s been a few hours since the transcript was posted. Has Steele released a statement refuting this transcript? If not, there seems to be no doubt about it, Steele made a career ending blunder.
Loxodonta on November 9, 2009 at 4:59 PM
More like Scozzafava. Powell realized he had gotten all the mileage he could get from the GOP and jumped ship. If Steele got sacked, you can guarantee there would be a conference call scheduled with Rahm Emanuel. This really sucks.
alliebobbitt on November 9, 2009 at 4:59 PM
we need a http://www.FIRE-MIKE-STEELE.com website NOW!!!
moonbatkiller on November 9, 2009 at 4:59 PM
Awesome.
Doorgunner on November 9, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Oh, I just can’t wait to get my next “past due” notice from the GOP begging me for money.
Come on Michael, send me another one, I still have plenty of that Monopoly money to send you.
Knucklehead on November 9, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Kick Steele out! Enough of this!
cubachi on November 9, 2009 at 5:00 PM
+1
I was so excited when he got the nod for the GOP Chair. It’s been disappointing.
Although, in some small way, I understand what he’s trying to say there. As a teh ghey, and certainly in no GOP poser chair, I’m met with curiosity at a minimum by my fellow Republicans.
It’s worse coming from the liberal teh gheys tho…they’re mostly in total shock and anger that I could be a Republican.
JetBoy on November 9, 2009 at 5:00 PM
I’m not afraid of Michael Steele! I would LOVE to meet him face to face so I could tell the incompetent BOOB what I think of him and his backstabbing!
American Elephant on November 9, 2009 at 5:00 PM
*cripes…not “poser chair”…”power chair”.
JetBoy on November 9, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Why would anyone donate to the RNC now? Steele is an idiot or worse.
alliebobbitt on November 9, 2009 at 5:01 PM
Didn’t Steele make a similar mistake much earlier in the year? At that time, he was on CNN, and he got boxed into an answer without protest.
Steele, start making the case that blacks who vote Democratic suffer from Stockholm syndrome and that black Democratic polticians are nothing but plantation overeers.
BuckeyeSam on November 9, 2009 at 5:01 PM
He’s like joe biden, clueless and dangerous.
the_nile on November 9, 2009 at 5:01 PM
Note to the whole country:
QUALIFICATIONS FIRST, RACE DOESN’T MATTER
Daggett on November 9, 2009 at 5:01 PM
damage control:
There are closed minded people in all parties and perhaps one day the Democrats will concede their bias and ignorance.
rob verdi on November 9, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Fortunately for him, he said it to Roland Martin and therefore nobody saw it.
Jim Treacher on November 9, 2009 at 5:02 PM
battleoflepanto1571 on November 9, 2009 at 4:49 PM
I feel your pain, but don’t get into the “angriest posters on HA = what conservatives think fallacy.” They’re the sliver of a sliver of a sliver.
There is probably some truth to what Steele says, at least in Steele’s mind, but that doesn’t mean it would better to have a fighter in situations like these. He’s so determined to demonstrate to lefties that he “gets it” that he forgets to point out that they’re dealing in obnoxious stereotypes and meaningless buzzwords (“scared” – what exactly does that mean in this context?).
CK MacLeod on November 9, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Wind. Steele is breaking wind.
Follow up:
“So, republicans are still a bunch of old racist white men?”
Can we can him now?
ROCnPhilly on November 9, 2009 at 5:02 PM
Being the typical white person that I am, I sent my most recent monetary political contribution to Club For Growth, because I’m scared of Michael Steele.
SouperConservative on November 9, 2009 at 5:02 PM
I’ve been very discouraged with Steele generally, but this one doesn’t move the meter much for me one way or another. Taken word for word, the response was pretty week but it was in response to a question about republicans giving up on the black vote and that is pretty much true. We don’t make much of an effort there. I’m in Lacy Clay’s district and we often don’t even put up an opposing candidate in his district every 2 years. Now there’s reasons for that. The virtues of sending a sure loser out there may not outweigh the costs of giving people a choice in these 65-75% dem districts, but it hurts up-ticket because there is nobody out there giving an alternative viewpoint to what they have been indoctrinated with.
I don’t know if fear is the motivation, I think it is more dealing with practical realities, but either way things are going to be like they have been for decades if we use the same playbook.
stldave on November 9, 2009 at 5:03 PM
Michael. Michael. Michael. I am not afraid of you, in fact, I think you are pretty hot. In a Dick Cheney sort of way, without the brains of Dick Cheney. But Michael, really, I like you and am not afraid of you. So please, sweetie, don’t go telling the libtards that whitey is afraid of you. I am not. We are not. I think you are great.
bloggless on November 9, 2009 at 5:03 PM
Steele should learn from Liz Cheney the technique of destroying the libs false premise.
farright on November 9, 2009 at 5:03 PM
Amen
nyx on November 9, 2009 at 5:03 PM
I think Steele could have handled it better but looking at the larger picture he is better than the kinds who have served GOP lately.
I mean I would keep him just for the line about Obama being racist against Black governors.
rightistliberal on November 9, 2009 at 5:03 PM
don’t even put Joe biden and Michael Steele in the same sentence.
bloggless on November 9, 2009 at 5:03 PM
Great work, which I predict will be plagerized many times.
TXUS on November 9, 2009 at 5:04 PM
Michael Steele playing the race card? Jayzus.
Annietxgrl on November 9, 2009 at 5:05 PM
“How to Make Friends and Influence People” by Michael Steele
dandy on November 9, 2009 at 5:05 PM
+1000
Steele got owned by the white guy. Sad.
unclesmrgol on November 9, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Freudian slip, eh? :P
Yeah, you and SouthernGent probably get the worst of both worlds, unfortunately.
lorien1973 on November 9, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Er,..no. Not if that means playing Obama’s game.
So, saying some GOPers are afraid of him because he’s black, will bring the black vote over? I see.
I don’t recall a RNC chair doing it
You got that right!
Your call.
a capella on November 9, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Yup. Fortunately, he is not a Senator or a VP. Unfortunately, he is the party chairman of the RNC.
nyx on November 9, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Steele, wtf?
*facepalm*
Midas on November 9, 2009 at 5:05 PM
Oh Jet.. I like you. But does the power chair do anything? Like transform into a snow blower or a mower?
Then we should talk… cause I want one.
upinak on November 9, 2009 at 5:05 PM
*** faceslap ***
Come on, Steele. Don’t give these people any ammunition.
UltimateBob on November 9, 2009 at 5:07 PM
kinda like my friends who are gay Log Cabin Conservatives. We mess with them but don’t ever question their conservative values unless you want a brick smashed into your face. Watching them freak out on liberals who call them sellouts ant traitors is interesting to say the least.
Doctor Zhivago on November 9, 2009 at 5:07 PM
Shovel Ready!
farright on November 9, 2009 at 5:08 PM
I am so ticked off and this thread desperately needed some humor. Thanks so much for that.
Loxodonta on November 9, 2009 at 5:08 PM
JetBoy,
I’ve always had a far kinder, more welcoming reaction from conservatives and Republicans than from liberal homos who react with horror, anger and often viciousness.
American Elephant on November 9, 2009 at 5:08 PM
Plagiarized. Shoulda spell checked.
TXUS on November 9, 2009 at 5:08 PM
What is it with this idiot. He takes psychology 101 and then he tries to open a psychiatric practice. He is another black racist like precedent Ogabe. Dislike and loathing and bellicose hatred are not the same as fear. The pillow-biters and the islamo-fascists make the same mistake. Just because everyone dislikes you, hates you, and would like to see your sorry racist backside fed to the sharks does not mean they fear you. Islamophobia and homophobia is what they call the hatred that decent people have for the godless sodomite devil worshipers. No fear in hatred. These are separate emotions. I certainly don’t fear Elton John’s candy @ss.
Jerricho68 on November 9, 2009 at 5:09 PM
Steele has a tendency to try to please the audience he’s in front of. I don’t want to throw the guy out.
dforston on November 9, 2009 at 5:10 PM
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