Bye Steele...

[LurkerNoMore]

I guess he couldn't woo blacks to the GOP with "fried chicken and tater salad" like he promised.

Ahh well.  Whether the GOP ousted him or he just gave up and quit half through his plan to hold the spot, it doesn't matter. 

-----
Steele, the former lieutenant governor of Maryland, has spent much of his tenure fending off criticism. He faced frequent complaints about questionable spending, anemic fundraising, staff shake-ups and cringe-inducing comments.

Longtime establishment Republicans and GOP elders in Washington argued that he damaged the party's image and its long-term fiscal health.
-----

[Benny B]

So sad...I was hoping he'd be RNC Chair forever. He will be missed. 
























 

[Emmortal]

I opened this thread expecting some hot tips on buying steel commodities.

I was disappointed.

[240 is Back]

he inherited huge anti-obama sentiment...

and left them 20 million in debt.

[Purge_WTF]

  It's about friggin' time.

[chadstallion]

1. he will be missed. he was always fun for a sound bite.
2. who got the job? any chance they will be as 'wheels up' as Steele ?

[Dos Equis]

he inherited huge anti-obama sentiment...

Steele took office in January 2009, at which time Obama had a 69 percent approval rating.   

January 26, 2009
Obama’s Initial Approval Ratings in Historical Context
Rank among the best for a newly elected president since World War II
by Jeffrey M. Jones

PRINCETON, NJ -- With a 69% job approval rating in the latest Gallup Poll Daily update, Barack Obama continues a strong start to his presidency. That rating follows his initial approval rating of 68% -- based on Jan. 21-23 polling and reported Saturday -- and ranks him near the top of the list of presidents elected after World War II.

In fact, only John Kennedy had a higher initial approval rating -- 72% in 1961 -- though Dwight Eisenhower and Jimmy Carter also had ratings in the mid- to high 60s. But Gallup did not measure those three presidents' initial ratings until early February, and new presidents' approval ratings typically increase in the first few months of their presidencies. Thus, Obama's initial approval rating of 68% looks more impressive compared to the average 55% approval rating for the four presidents whose first ratings were measured in January after their inaugurations.

. . . 

http://www.gallup.com/poll/113968/obama-initial-approval-ratings-historical-context.aspx

[Dos Equis]

He needed to go.  Too much controversy.  Became too polarizing. 

One of the largest nationwide Republican victories happened on his watch, so he gets credit for that. 

[Soul Crusher]

He needed to go.  Too much controversy.  Became too polarizing. 

One of the largest nationwide Republican victories happened on his watch, so he gets credit for that. 

I think hedid a decent job ralying the troops, but in terms of fundraising and debt - he had to go. 

[Dos Equis]

I think hedid a decent job ralying the troops, but in terms of fundraising and debt - he had to go. 

Fundraising and debt would be a larger concern if he didn't get results.  But he did need to go.

[LurkerNoMore]

He needed to go.  Too much controversy.  Became too polarizing. 

One of the largest nationwide Republican victories happened on his watch, so he gets credit for that. 

Bullshit.  He gets credit for nothing.  It was the Anti-Obama movement and the Tea Party that gets the credit for the last Nov election results.  Not Steele.  That was going to occur no matter who held the position.

Wonder what Steele's approval ratings were after two years?  Willing to be much lower than Obamas.

[Dos Equis]

Bullshit.  He gets credit for nothing.  It was the Anti-Obama movement and the Tea Party that gets the credit for the last Nov election results.  Not Steele.  That was going to occur no matter who held the position.

Wonder what Steele's approval ratings were after two years?  Willing to be much lower than Obamas.

That's not really how it works.  Leaders get credit or blame for most success and failure that happens on their watch.  Sometimes it's fair, sometimes not.  The fact there were fundraising and debt problems was a failure on his part.  The November massacre was a success on his part. 

[Soul Crusher]

If anything, Obama/Reid/Pelosi are to be credited for the GOP victory.   The GOP did nothing to deserve the victory, instead it was a complete rejection of obamacar, cap n trade, spending, etc.     

[MM2K]

He needed to go.  Too much controversy.  Became too polarizing. 

One of the largest nationwide Republican victories happened on his watch, so he gets credit for that. 

Some people say it could have been 75 seats in the House instead of 63 if we had better fundraising, and maybe we could have had two more Senate seats.  But who knows. The same argument was going on in the Dem Party with Howard Dean as thier chair. People said they should have gotten more seats than they did in 2006.

[Dos Equis]

Some people say it could have been 75 seats in the House instead of 63 if we had better fundraising, and maybe we could have had two more Senate seats.  But who knows. The same argument was going on in the Dem Party with Howard Dean as thier chair. People said they should have gotten more seats than they did in 2006.

Perhaps.  Although it's hard to imagine how the beat down could have been much worse for Democrats.  It was 1994 all over again. 

[240 is Back]

Barbour and the repub governors deserve the credit for 2010 landslide.

Repubs succeeded IN SPITE OF Steele.  otherwise, you wouldn't be seeing his job going away, despite the huge win.  Who engineered the 1994 landslide, and did he/she lose his job 2 months later?  LOL...

[LurkerNoMore]

Barbour and the repub governors deserve the credit for 2010 landslide.

Repubs succeeded IN SPITE OF Steele.  otherwise, you wouldn't be seeing his job going away, despite the huge win.  Who engineered the 1994 landslide, and did he/she lose his job 2 months later?  LOL...

Exactly.   

Defending Steele and trying to give him credit for this just shows blinding desire to tow the party line no matter what the circumstance or discussion is.

[240 is Back]

Barbour did an incredible job, however. 

i don't think his comments will stop any 2012 chance, and I think the reason he doesn't want the RNC job is because he plans on running for President.

And in a debate, he'd do VERY well against Obama.  He's not going to shine in NY or Cali, but those are obama states anyway.  He'd grab all the states like NC and FL and even southern OH/Appalacians that Obama grabbed.  I think barbour would win by 50 electorals.

[Soul Crusher]

I will vote gop no matter what in 2012, but the boss hog routine seems so foreign to me I really don't see it.
Who knows. 

[Straw Man]

I thought Steele came across pretty good on his last interview on the Daily Show:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-december-15-2010/the-great-gaffesby