Posted on 01/30/2009 2:57:04 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
Washington, DC (AHN) - Beating out opponent South Carolina GOP chairman Katon Dawson 91 to 77, Michael Steele, the first African American elected to statewide office in Maryland, has won election as chairman of the Republican National Committee.
A former lieutenant governor in Maryland, Steele will replace Mike Duncan, who dropped out of the balloting earlier today. Michigan GOP chairman Saul Anuzis also dropped out of contention for the Republican National Committee chairman because of the rationale, "Can't win. I know how to count."
The race was headed into a sixth ballot with 85 votes needed to win. On the fifth ballot, Steele led Dawson, 79 to 69. Anuzis was third with 20 and dropped out without endorsing either of the remaining candidates.
After losing the White House and congressional seats around the country, the RNC Chairman will be charged with reviving the slumping Republican party. Also a factor in Steele's victory is the fact that he is an African American, a sign that shows the GOP is ready to change and open it's doors to be more inclusive of minorities.
I suggest Mr. Steele work on our image first. And I hope like h#ll he's as offended as I am if ANYONE thinks he got the job just because he's black. Grrrrrr!
I was kind of hoping for Blackwell but will wait and see with Steele.
It’s deliberate. The tactic is to lie, lie and lie some more to manipulate the masses. Either that, or this author is as stupid as a rock.
He will be a great chairman of the GOP. A good VP candidate too.
I was hoping for Steele or Blackwell. Not because they’re black. But because they seem to have some brains, and willing to shake things up.
The Dawson guy just looked like another empty suit.
Unlike those ugly days when no blacks were allowed, when Bush appointed those two white Secretaries of State. Sheesh, what are you gonna do, it's the lamestream media...
I agree: Steele and Blackwell are tops not because of their color but because of their qualifications.
I’ve already written to Michael to congratulate him: I sent it to GOPAC. Anyone have a better address for him?
I’m offering my help on a grassroots level to begin putting the party back together.
The main factor, in my opinion, is an excellent strategy for the GOP to remove the race card from the Democrats' deck. Now the Dems can't pull out the race card every time the GOP attacks our newly installed marxist President. However, plan on seeing e a lot of Dem whining for Steele to stop the "racism" that the Rats are going to pretend exists among GOP party leaders, representatives, etc.
I’m not real trusting of the leadership after the stunt they pulled with my former congressman. They put him on their lost cause list and withdrew party money from his campaign and left him to lose by a whole 2%. Now I have a shiny new socialist democrat congressman and one less true conservative in the house.
Especially since one the candidates was a member of a whites only golf club for 12 years and then found out...
They’re making it sound as if Steele JUST joined the party! What a bunch of jerks — not surprising though. I hope Steele informs these bigots in the press of the TRUTH about the Republican Party.
This reporter is a moron. Look at the reason the GOP was formed, they allowed blacks to register, while the Democratic Party barred them from registering and voting. MLK was a republican, not that most dems today would know that.
Funny how it’s always libs playing the race card. The Republicans have always welcomed minorities. It’s just that so many are too stupid to come off the dim plantation to the conservative side.
I Steele a black man ? Funny, I just want a conservative.
Same here. The fact that Michael Steele is black won't help him one bit with the MSM. Since he's Republican, he can't be an 'authentic' black person. So they may make note of it now, but they'll soon start pounding on him as they do any Republican.
I was just discussing with a friend that there was no affirmative action going on here. The two most qualified individuals just happened to be black.
Considering all the RINOS that we have been dealing with...
Martinez, Bloomberg, Hagel, etc. etc, I can't name them all.
Now we have someone articulate that can speak the conservative message, other than Rush their has been no face/figurehead.
Now maybe, just maybe the RNC will have a presence and bring all those here that are p!$$ed back into the fold, provided they get back to Reagan's Message. I thinK Mr. Steele is the man to do it.
It is time to rebuild...
Too bad we didn’t get that with Steele. The party is near death. What should a good, old fashioned Conservative do? I’m tired of voting against the lesser.
Liberals keep racism alive by using it as a weapon.
word
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