Michael Steel Will Stay on as GOP Chairman

Michael Steel, the Chairman of the Republican National Committee, is a buffoon. The man has put his foot in his mouth so often that he brushes his teeth with anti-athletes foot cream. His latest absurdity is his statement, captured on video, saying that the war in Afghanistan is "a war of Obama's choosing." He also said, "This [Afghan war] is not something the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in." The war started in October 2001 with the US bombing the bejesus out of Taliban and Al Qaeda sites in Afghanistan. Ill-informed, ignorant, plain stupid, one may choose one's own description. Nevertheless, Mr. Steel will stay on as chairman for the simple reason that no one else wants the job.

William Kristol, an odious conservative who shames that ideology with every breath he takes, wrote a column in which he said, "At a time when Gen. Petraeus has just taken over command, when Republicans in Congress are pushing for a clean war funding resolution, when Republicans around the country are doing their best to rally their fellow citizens behind the mission, your comment is more than an embarrassment. It's an affront, both to the honor of the Republican party and to the commitment of the soldiers fighting to accomplish the mission they've been asked to take on by our elected leaders."

And he's not the only GOP power broker who's annoyed. Erick Erickson of the crypto-fascist RedState blog wrote, "Michael Steele must resign. He has lost all moral authority to lead the GOP." Katon Dawson, who lost the chairmanship fight to Mr. Steel, has said, "The RNC should do the responsible thing and show Steele the door."

But to what end? The mid-term elections are just five months away, and to replace Mr. Steel now would require the Republican National Committee to engage in a leadership fight in front of TV cameras. Normally, the opposition party gains seats during the mid-term elections, but this kind of fight could undermine party unity, and result in some inefficient fundraising and fund-spending.

The unpleasant fact for Republicans and conservatives is that this job right now is a useless office. The Congressional leadership seems to be inept and clueless (Messrs. Boehner and McConnell are hardly household names), the defeated quitter Sarah Palin is not taken seriously except among irate activists who don't understand politics, and Rush Limbaugh (the true leader of the party) won't do anything to undermine his ratings and paycheck, like acting responsibly.

Until such time as the job is a real one fit for an ambitious politico, the Chairmanship of the GOP is a titular title. Mr. Steel has done a good job of promoting himself in the role, but what effect has he really had? None. However, who could replace him and do better? The trouble is you can't beat somebody with nobody. A year from now, there could be somebody to fight him, but now, he's got a lock on the job because no one else wants it.

© Copyright 2010 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.

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