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    FL-Sen: Steele Queues Race Card for RNC Re-Elect Bid

    By Jamie Friedland on Thu, 10/28/2010 - 11:52pm |

    On today’s menu for political scandal du jour is a report that Bill Clinton tried to encourage Kendrick Meek, the Democratic senate candidate in Florida, to drop out of the race in favor of independent candidate Charlie Crist.  At the moment, Kendrick is trailing in very distant 3rd place, splitting the Democratic-leaning vote with Crist and ensuring a Republican victory next week.

    As often happens when such situations arise, a trusted party figure tried to get the trailing candidate to step down for the good of the party.  It’s pretty simple.  However, Kendrick Meek is an African American.

    Predictably, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele had this to say:

    “One can only imagine the response if Republican leadership tried to force out of the race…a qualified black candidate”.

    As luck would have it, this probably won’t be a hypothetical for long.  It does not stretch the imagination to predict that the GOP will soon attempt to ouster its own prominent black politician: RNC Chairman Michael Steele (admittedly, this is not a perfect fulfillment of Steele's scenario - I said it 19 months ago and I maintain today that Steele has proven himself far from qualified).

    This month, when one would expect the RNC Chairman to be focused on the upcoming midterm elections, Steele has instead visited and donated money to Republican leaders in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

    Obviously, there are not any important Congressional races in these territories.  However, party members from these islands do vote to select the committee chairman.  Steele is clearly planning a reelection bid for RNC Chairman; there is no other explanation for his selfish beach getaways at the height of election season.

    I’m just going to come out and say it: Steele has done an atrocious job as RNC Chairman.  I would happily work for his reelect campaign after I’m done helping out at Organizing For America for the midterms.  I’d cite links about his poor performance, but it’s everywhere: very public gaffes, terrible fundraising, party infighting…Steele’s mismanagement is one of the few things breaking for Democrats in this election cycle.

    Many GOP leaders are rightly fed up with Steele.  Suffice it to say they would not be enthusiastic about continuing his control of the RNC.  So when Steele injects race into this textbook political situation in Florida, it reads like more than just a leader of the party of angry white men jumping at the opportunity to call Democrats racist.

    Michael Steele is queuing up the Race Card to play when his RNC reelection bid encounters its inevitable resistance.  Instead of seeing calls for his replacement as what they are – an attempt to remove a horrendous politician from power – Steele will undoubtedly accuse his detractors of racism.  Republicans don’t get to do that a lot, so Steele is apparently warming up so that he doesn’t hurt himself when he plays the Card.

    Tangentially related: Democrats/anyone who cares at all about the environment - if you haven’t already, go vote early!  Volunteer if you can.  If you’re in the DC area, get on a free bus with us to a nearby battleground state to help Get Out The Vote!

    Comments

    Great point you've made, Jamie.  I dunno....is it just me or does it seem like Steele and, um....Palin....and, um....O'Donnell......(the list goes on)....they plot out their future based on how best to cover their ass and still get ahead.  They look at everything based on "what's in it for me?" and then proceed accordingly and somehow manage to get away with it. 

     


    by LisB on Fri, 10/29/2010 - 12:25am

    Yeah.  Politics as usual.  Although to be fair, watching all these Democrats distancing themselves from the few things they actually have gotten through the Senate isn't that dissimilar.  If that's what it takes to keep D's in office, so be it I guess, but I can't help but think that if we could somehow raise the level of the national discourse we wouldn't have to watch people pander like this.  


    by Jamie Friedland on Fri, 10/29/2010 - 12:33am

    Charley Crist's campaign has been up to dirty tricks and rumors again.  I think this has been about the 5th time since June that his camp has floated rumors that he has talked to various Democratic leadership and has their support.  It always ends up in Democrats say it didn't happen or they never talked about that. 

    Meek has a long and personal relationship with the Clintons.  He was Bill's escort when he was in the Highway Patrole.  When Hillary was running for president, Meek was her introductory speeker on the campaign trail.  He stuck with her until the end.  So as soon as I heard this last rumor I knew it was straight out of the republican dirty tricks play book.   Many of us that are democrats in Florida knows this. 

    There was a campaign commercial many years ago done by some one that was running against Crist,  that had Crist dancing all over the place.   It always stuck with me and it sure has turned out to be very true.   It has been long enough ago that I don't remember what the race was for.  

    Right now in Florida there is early voting going on for the last two weeks.   Also many elderly vote by mail and did so this month.  Crist is listed down in 9th place on the ballot for Senator after the libertarian, socialist, and other assortment of canidates.  This could hurt his votes from the elderly and people who don't pay much attention reading the ballot.  Crist has no party to support him with a ground game and GOTV.  Right now the parties are working hard with GOTV.  I went to both Rubio and Meek rallies to see them in person but I never saw hide nor hair of Crist.  He only was here locally in private events that was covered in the news.   He has ran his campaign mostly on national MSM.  There is a lot to be said for retail hand shaking politicking. 

    The prize here in Florida is the governor's seat because of redistricting. This is a large state and will effect the House and peel off some of the republicans that Bush gave an advantage to 10 years ago.  So the dems need the votes that Meek's coalition brings to the election for close races.   Many of these voters will stay home if Meek isn't there to vote for.  The polls missed a 20+% spread in the primary Meek won.   So who says the polls are getting to those voters this time to count?  I am not saying there is a chance he will pull this off but that chunk of support that is under the radar is important to the democrats.

    This last rumor is a sign that Crist campaign is getting desparate.  No matter how much I dislike Rubio, I can't  come up with a reason to vote for a republican weather vane like Crist. Being a Florida common sense voter, my common sense tells me Crist is going to lose too.  I am holding my liberal/progessive head up high and my vote went to Meek.  He has earned it.  Win or lose he is doing more good for this political cycle then given credit.                    


    by trkingmomoe on Fri, 10/29/2010 - 5:16am

    Thanks for that detailed insight.  I had initially included a line/link to the various denials of this potential rumor, but the latest report I saw before I clicked post was that the Clinton camp had confirmed it I think?  The broader point about Steele stands, but it is clear that there is more to this announcement than meets the eye.


    by Jamie Friedland on Fri, 10/29/2010 - 8:37am

    I agree with you about Steel that something is going on there.  It will be an interesting to see in what direction the republican party will take with it's leadership after this election.  Will it be influenced by the Tea party? 

    Bill and Kendrick are freinds and I am sure they talked about it when Cllinton was here to campaign for him.  Kendrick had to weigh out his options and what was best for Florida.  It does make me wonder if a group of high schoolers are running Crist's campaign with some of the moves that Crist has made?    


    by trkingmomoe on Fri, 10/29/2010 - 3:25pm

    Thanks for that ground report. It doesn't look like Crist could win even if Meek dropped out. Plus dropping out is a downer which could spill over nationally. The governorship is extremely important in the mechanics of the 2012 election--I have always felt that if Crist had not extended voting hours in 2008 the results might have been a lot different.

    I owned a house in Charlotte county in '04 and had the distinct displeasure of voting there. The lines were horrendous and I'm going to guess 80% Republican. There was a college student ahead of me and a guy had asked her a question and then proceeded to argue with her about Bush. So I had to take him on. 

    I don't know the quality of the polls in Meek's primary but if they missed the mark on Meek to that extent, I wonder what it portends in terms of the possible under-representation of minorities in the midterm polls in general.


    by Oxy Mora on Fri, 10/29/2010 - 8:40am

    That was a rough year to live in Charlotte County.   I am in a county north of there and has a good Supervisor of Election.   I give Crist credit for trying to take on some of the election crap that has been practiced in Florida for years.  It was to the point that pitch forks and torches were out. 


    by trkingmomoe on Fri, 10/29/2010 - 3:46pm

    Jamie, thanks for your post. It seems that with people like Rove, their disrespect of Steele is palpable.


    by Oxy Mora on Fri, 10/29/2010 - 8:45am

    Sometimes I feel that people like Steele and Clarence Thomas do more harm to minorities in this country that tens of thousands of white racists.


    by Richard Day on Fri, 10/29/2010 - 1:23pm

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