Video: Steele does damage control on RNC fundraising powerpoint
posted at 5:27 pm on March 4, 2010 by Allahpundit
Three core points: (1) He had nothing to do with it; (2) he doesn’t approve of the images or language used; (3) he had nothing to do with it. Actually, there’s a fourth point — reminding viewers of the left’s own dabbling in racial caricatures to demonize people like, oh, say, Michael Steele. Technically that’s not germane to the issues with the powerpoint, which even its critics haven’t claimed is racist, but when progressives start blowing up their fake-outrage balloon, the temptation to pop it with a tu quoque is, admittedly, irresistible.
Anyway, GOP movers and shakers are cutting their losses on this one. Well, most of them, anyway.
“That a Beltway operative is supremely cynical is no surprise,” said Mark Hillman, a Republican National Committeeman from Colorado. “That he’s so foolish and naive as to air that crap publicly and distribute printed copies is just appalling.”…
“It is devastating. Seriously. I rarely say that, but this is very damaging,” said one top GOP campaign official…
GOP consultant Todd Harris thought the controversy stirred up by the leaked presentation was “stupid” and “manufactured.”
“Democrats raise money by saying Republicans want to take Social Security away from seniors,” Harris said. “They raise money by calling us war mongers. They raise money by accusing us of wanting sick patients to die. As long as Democrat blowhards like Alan Grayson are around, I don’t think Republicans have anything to apologize for,” he said, referring to Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.).
John Thune also criticized the powerpoint, but follow the link and note the comments at the end by Republican strategist John Feehery. As childish as the cartoon stuff was and as offensive as the “reactionary” label for the base is, the most glaring thing about the powerpoint in hindsight is the absence of a clear pitch for small government. It’s there by implication when they’re touting donors’ fear of “socialism,” but why you’d choose to imply it instead of stating it forthrightly escapes me. Imagine how the powerpoint would have been received by tea partiers if the central theme had been, say, fiscal conservatism. The meme du jour would be “they really are starting to get it!” instead of this crap.
For a contrarian take defending the RNC, see … Frum Forum(?).
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We love our reactionary Nazi donors.
Lehosh on March 4, 2010 at 5:28 PM
Steele hate coming in 5, 4, 3, 2…
Narutoboy on March 4, 2010 at 5:29 PM
I saw Hurricane Katrina insisting yet again that the Joker Obama is racist. Can someone explain that to me please?
Cindy Munford on March 4, 2010 at 5:31 PM
When Harry Reid saw this, he was like, “Rood run, Shaggy!”
Proud Rino on March 4, 2010 at 5:31 PM
Portrays him in whiteface?
I do appreciate Steele revealing the double standard. Then again Steele isn’t REALLY black.
Ingenue on March 4, 2010 at 5:34 PM
Steele was just babbling incoherently when he brought the left’s racism up. It was not only not germane to the issue, but was a total non-sequitor in this context. He was doing that so that he wouldn’t spend more time trying to backpedal on images that were soft, to begin with.
neurosculptor on March 4, 2010 at 5:34 PM
Nevahhhhh!!!!
portlandon on March 4, 2010 at 5:35 PM
Of course… the same guy who did the Joke Obama posters did the Acorn Funded Prostitution graffiti…
ninjapirate on March 4, 2010 at 5:35 PM
There is no real defense for this crap. This is irrefutable evidence that the establishment Republicans who still control the GOP … just … don’t … get … it.
Steele was RIGHT when he said his party isn’t ready to rule again.
But don’t worry … we’ll fix that with a good house cleaning. But for now – don’t give these jerks any money. You know how to spend your political contributions much better than these guys.
HondaV65 on March 4, 2010 at 5:36 PM
I fail to see what the problem is. I saw the interview; I think Kelly (and everyone else) was making far too big a deal out of it.
Russ on March 4, 2010 at 5:36 PM
They created a power point….with images on it. Calm down. I don’t know why people here overreact and starting suggesting we stop sending the RNC money over the tiniest thing. Republicans are ready to lead. Conservative constituents just don’t have a damn clue.
Narutoboy on March 4, 2010 at 5:39 PM
I’ll tell you what the problem ins … the same generation that is writing Obama’s speeches is putting together the RNC’s PowerPoint slides.
They don’t scrutinize their own work.
DaydreamBeliever on March 4, 2010 at 5:40 PM
HHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHA
LMAO!
You still got it, kid!
Joe Caps on March 4, 2010 at 5:40 PM
much ado about nothing.
the RNC doesn’t get it. that much is for sure. they don’t want to get it. they think if they are just no Obama they will win. WHich is true but they will screw it up on day one because they have no plan.
unseen on March 4, 2010 at 5:41 PM
Wouldn’t a white faced joker Obama only be 1/2 racist if racist at all? I thought the demonrats playing the race card would diminish with the election, but I guess it has always worked for decades, so why change it because it doesn’t makes much sense now?
volsense on March 4, 2010 at 5:42 PM
It’s not the images that people have a problem with – most conservatives would call those images “tame” and “too soft”. It was what the RNC said about conservatives that has people ticked. Personally, I don’t care what they say about conservatives. The RNC is fairly useless and is best ignored.
neurosculptor on March 4, 2010 at 5:43 PM
I guess it’s the white paint. Although, this line of thought comes from the same people who recently proclaimed pick-ups are racist so really, who knows.
Joe Caps on March 4, 2010 at 5:43 PM
All this tells me is that the RNC needs to can their current fundraisers and hire some with some professionalism.
Y-not on March 4, 2010 at 5:47 PM
heh.
crr6 on March 4, 2010 at 5:47 PM
Let them be ridiculed.
Speakup on March 4, 2010 at 5:48 PM
Democrats???
Chip on March 4, 2010 at 5:48 PM
The offensive part wasn’t what was said about the Dems; it was in the implicit assumption that conservatives could be profitably played by waving bogeymen like Obama’s “socialist policies” in their faces.
For the establishment GOP, conservative core principles are just tools to extract money from the rank and file. They’re fully interchangeable with other principles when convenient, as long as the money keeps rolling in. In contrast, the grassroots insist that power is only worth having if it’s used to implement conservative principles. That seems to be a chasm that between the base and the party that apparently is not close to being bridged.
It’s also the reason that I won’t give a dime to national GOP organizations.
Cicero43 on March 4, 2010 at 5:48 PM
Probably not a good argument for sending them money.
a capella on March 4, 2010 at 5:49 PM
Like He** I’ll go to Frum Forum
KBird on March 4, 2010 at 5:52 PM
While Rome burns we argue over what? Do something constructive call your Congressman and tell them to stop Obamacare…Call Sen. Corker and tell him to back off of banking reform.
tnarch on March 4, 2010 at 5:52 PM
I don’t see anything wrong with how they were described.
Narutoboy on March 4, 2010 at 5:53 PM
The only problem with the presentation is the Rs (typically) gutless reaction to its exposure.
When I saw it I thought, “Good, they finally picked up the hardball. Do they have the guts to throw it?”
NOPE!
single stack on March 4, 2010 at 5:54 PM
I don’t care, either, but I don’t take the RNC seriously.
neurosculptor on March 4, 2010 at 5:58 PM
He just learned about this coming off the road… I hope to God that doesn’t mean his book tour. Just wow.
chunderroad on March 4, 2010 at 5:58 PM
The seems to be the gist of it, and I don’t get it. Are they saying that the character The Joker could never be played by a black actor? And that any implication that a black person is like The Joker is inherently racist? What a load of crap.
ProfessorMiao on March 4, 2010 at 5:59 PM
The part that’s bad is calling the unholy triumvirate the Evil Empire. Yes, their policies are bad for America. But they are still elected officials, not the former USSR. This cheapens not only our political discourse, but trivializes national security — something best left to the Democrats.
chunderroad on March 4, 2010 at 6:02 PM
They need to grow some and label the Far left fringe of the Democrat party what they really are – Socialists.
Chip on March 4, 2010 at 6:02 PM
So … “unholy” is okay, but “Evil Empire” isn’t? They are trying to be the “evil Empire”. Right now, they’re just evil and stupid.
Well … they would feel more at home in the USSR than in America, and they are trying to turn us into them.
It doesn’t trivialize anything. These treasonous idiots are doing everything in their power to destroy the US, from within and by weakening our national security.
neurosculptor on March 4, 2010 at 6:07 PM
At some point, the Democrats said calling him a socialist is racist. That’s what we get for letting them set the terms of debate. Joe the Plumber had Obama on the ropes for “spreading the wealth,” but McCain let that opportunity slip by like all the others. The Republican motto continues to be Snatching Defeat From the Jaws of Victory.
chunderroad on March 4, 2010 at 6:07 PM
Why can’t the GOP learn that politics is a hardball game, and that self-deprecation and apologizing for playing rough loses every time?
IronDioPriest on March 4, 2010 at 6:11 PM
There is more truth in that statement than you know.
Used to manage a group of creative types at a marketing co. in a previous life (professional I mean…I’m no Shirley McLaine, LOL).
The writers and artists were–for the most part–in their twenties. I often had to overrule them on stuff that was too clever by half because of how it would be perceived by one group or another. Even though that was more than a dozen years ago, I see the same traits in my twenty-something kids now. It’s not blatently, purposefully being offensive, but it can be offensive none the less. When the content is for public consumption, you have to be even more careful now than you did then, as political correctness has really jumped the shark.
BTW: my apologies to sharks of every creed, color and religious persuasion.
Chewy the Lab on March 4, 2010 at 6:15 PM
Although Democratic policy would diminish the US and forever alter our national identity, we do not face the same threat from the Democrats that we faced from the USSR, namely nuclear holocaust. That’s like comparing 911 to SCHIP.
About the first part, you have a point. The second part is debatable. The USSR was a superpower. They want multilateralism. More like they want to turn us into France.
I respectfully disagree. Ronald Reagan chose his words very carefully when he called the USSR an Evil Empire. The RNC went too far in comparing our President to a former enemy.
chunderroad on March 4, 2010 at 6:16 PM
THREADWINNER. Michael Steele has become an embarrassment.
chunderroad on March 4, 2010 at 6:19 PM
+1 Well said!
P. Monk on March 4, 2010 at 6:21 PM
Why can’t the Far-leftist wing of the Democrat party admit that they are Socialists?
53% of them had a favorable impression of it, why can’t they admit what they truly are?
Why the deception?
Chip on March 4, 2010 at 6:22 PM
No argument from me on that. I was only making comparisons in terms of domestic policy, though it is interesting that The Precedent came into office and tried to take over the old role of the USSR, looking to ally with the old Soviet client states and treating traditional US allies like dirt.
We will just disagree on this notion that the “Evil Empire” tag is going too far. I don’t think it goes far enough.
neurosculptor on March 4, 2010 at 6:22 PM
Isn’t that really referring to far-left Democrats?
That comment doesn’t make any sense.
Chip on March 4, 2010 at 6:25 PM
Socialism is a continuum. Countries like Sweden, Denmark and Norway are what are generally called social democracies. They remain democracies but have handed over a great deal of control over peoples’ every day lives to the government. The US moved some distance in this direction under both FDR and LBJ. And Obama/Pelosi/Reid are very clearly trying to shove America further in this direction. There is no doubt that their agenda is more socialism, and McCain should be hung out to dry for letting the obvious opportunity to point that out pass him by. Worst campaign ever.
ProfessorMiao on March 4, 2010 at 6:33 PM
As MM said does the Republicans have the balls. It’s looking more and more like they are neutered by their own hand.
tarpon on March 4, 2010 at 6:34 PM
The <strong>real exit question:
Does this silly detail have any significance whatsoever with the fact that Steele must go *N*O*W*?
Lockstein13 on March 4, 2010 at 6:34 PM
Agreed. I think Two Face is more appropriate anyway. Then again, that would imply he has a GOOD side.
Ingenue on March 4, 2010 at 7:36 PM
Yawn…
petefrt on March 4, 2010 at 7:41 PM
Memo to all the GOper that troll this site,how do u feel now that the party of no and the party of hate and racism doesn’t give a crap about you small time people? You’re being played for suckers and you don’t even know it,well maybe you do now.
Anyone that condones this outright racism and race baiting IS RACIST!!! if Michael Steele has any credibility left,he would find out who is behind this and fire them NOW. If he doesn’t know what’s going on in his own house,they HE SHOULD RESIGN. He owes the President a public apology for this
DcMike2K on March 4, 2010 at 7:54 PM
Memo to lefties who troll this site: Learn to spell and punctuate so you don’t look like a total imbecile while trying to stammer out your assinine point.
Cicero43 on March 4, 2010 at 8:50 PM
Buy a clue, trolls. Whiteface is clownish makeup. It’s most apt that the malignant clown-in-chief is sporting it in the lampoon of the ego-feeding campaign posters.
onlineanalyst on March 4, 2010 at 11:21 PM
The young artistic types prefer to think of themselves as edgy.
Remember though that Alinsky’s rules allow for mockery.
onlineanalyst on March 4, 2010 at 11:26 PM
chunderroad on March 4, 2010 at 6:16 PM
Thank you for keeping your guard up. It is extremely important we don’t hit back this bunch of loudmouth selfish brats even 1/8 as hard as they are hitting us, especially given the fact that everything they accuse us of we are not and they are. That’s how propaganda works. And that’s what truly matters in the end.
Alexey on March 4, 2010 at 11:37 PM