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Republican Chairman Michael Steele Owes His Victory to Puerto Rico, Other Territories

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Steele's RNC Chairmanship is on borrowed time. GOP hard-liners don't want him or a big tent strategy for the party.

Kevin of DC 12:26PM March 11, 2009

The election of Michael Steele is a ploy to get the black race to start to register republican.People don't remember the 1980's.Or what happened in Germany.And as far as Puerto Rico,I was born there.I can't believe what is happening.

Genaro Lopez Jr. of PA 10:12AM February 11, 2009

I like his ability to be upbeat,smiling, a good debater, smart...but I personally think we need to abandon any specific racial outreach. Just be good conservative Republicans and we can win. Steele can be good, but if he has a real racially-based background, and wants to make this diversity thing a basis for his being, I dont want him. He can b e a real good opposition face to Obama

Danny Curry of AR 4:35PM February 10, 2009

I am glad you wrote about the power Phil Burton wielded in the House with the island delegates. It corrects Politico's misperception of our clout in the House, especially in the Democratic caucus. As to our "clout" at RNC, it is a bit overstated. Yes, we provided the margin for Michael Steele but as my husband was reported as saying in another interview, it was our "Brigadoon moment." Only once every several years (last time 1997) do we appear out of the mist to really make a difference with our votes. Michael Steele only had one of the 15 territorial votes at the outset of the balloting but acquired the others as candidates dropped out because he made the effort to write a plan that included outreach to the territories.
One small note on American Samoa: we took our seat in the House in 1980 and only gained DNC membership at Atlanta in 1984 (a year after Burton died) and on RNC at New Orleans in 1988. Northern Marianas joined RNC in New York in 2004 and has not yet joined DNC. NMI just took its House seat this year. I might say that we primarily are seeking not to be overlooked by RNC, not expecting huge sums of cash to be dropped on us. Even such small things as making sure we are included in on-line maps and dropdown menus so that we don't have to select "international" as I am forced to do here in order to submit this comment to USN&WR (are your paying attention, webmaster?)

Amata Radewagen 4:31PM February 10, 2009

please help us in Puerto Rico with the Social Problems we are haing:
1. Divorce rate over 62%
2. High School drop out over 42%
3. Crime rate 80 since Jan 09
We need better jobs/educated the low poverty income family/and motivated kids to go to school and stay
4. We need to expand the JROTC in public schools and have student exchange programs/ let these kids see the world.
Thank you, retired veteran IH

iaveon hernandez of CA 2:51PM February 10, 2009

I don't know why you belly aching semi-Republicans, liberals and progressives even care about Michael Steele. He is a true Conservative that will move this party back to where it needs to be. He will put fourth clear platform and not be Democrat lite.
I think that Larry’s comments are a bunch of Red Herrings from someone with an agenda.
It’s time to move past the politics of personal destruction and start defining what Conservatives stand for. Michael Steele is the perfect person to get this done.

Larry of CA 1:55PM February 10, 2009

This is all very interesting but not particularly important. The real question is if Michael Steele can survive another 60 days. Go look at the GOPAC expenditures, go look at his record at the MDGOP, go back to his and his sister's relationship with not with Mike Tyson, but Rayful Edmond. It is not good.
And now we have the FBI involved? Bogus invoices? What about billing his wardrobe?
How can a candidate to was paid to run with Ehrlich, second choice that was, truly rally the troops about things that matter?
RNC rules say 2/3rds of the vote to remove from office. If you resign, then we can get on with our business and have a real party.

Larry Taylor of FL 1:09PM February 10, 2009

I think us liberals and progressives are going to come to like Michael Steele. He plans to talk against Obama policies A LOT, and the more he does so, the dumber the whole party is going to sound, apparently.
Yesterday, for instance, came his insistence that government cannot make a job, just make work. Dr. Maddow last night reminded us that firefighters, soldiers and Lt. Governors (like say of Maryland) are jobs government makes every day.
Not so, say the economic purists. But the purists are going to be drowned out here by the commonsense-ists.

Muser of NM 12:20PM February 10, 2009