Is the upcoming RNC Party leadership election more about politics or race?

As the negative gaffes begin to pile up from misspoken statements to unheard of predictions, current Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele may be in for a helluva re-election battle. However beyond the normal political gestures and whispers that often go on behind-the-scenes of a Party election, Steele may be facing more of a racial undertone that could spell his demise.

The 52-year old Prince George's County native has held the Republican Party top post since his 6th-ballot 91-vote victory on January 30, 2009 becoming the 64th Chairman of the RNC. Facing a possible up-hill battle, if he chooses to run for re-election this time around, he certainly will not be deterred by such systematic provocations as he has been challenged time and time again throughout his career.

Beginning his political career and his rapid rise throughout the Republican ranks, he started by founding the Republican Leadership Council in 1993, a fiscally conservative and socially inclusive PAC. Later becoming the first ever African American elected Chairman to a State's Republican Party, in Maryland's 2000 election, he had his sights set on greatness. Two years later he was touted by the Party to be the running mate of then GOP candidate for Governor, Robert 'Bob' Ehrlich, Jr. Winning an election most thought was impossible, with the Baltimore Sun stating that the "state GOP chairman Michael S. Steele, brings little to the team but the color of his skin," - as they were the first Republicans to lead the State since Spiro Agnew left office on January 7, 1969 - newly elected Lt. Governor Steele became the first ever statewide African American elected official in Maryaland.

Serving in this position graciously and honorbly he then chose not to run on the Ehrlich ticket for re-election and instead chose to run for the State's open United States Senate seat. Having long time Maryland U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes retiring, Steele felt this was the time to obtain another historic statewide seat for Republicans, subsequently losing to Democratic candidate Ben Cardin.  Succeeding former congressman J.C. Watts, Steele became the Chairman of the Pete DuPont founded group GOPAC, in January of 2007. Having his sights set on advancing conservative initiatives and seeking a Republican controlled Congress once again, following the whopper they just took in 2006, Mr. Steele felt more was in store for his leadership abilities.

Finally in January 2009 after six-ballots being cast, numerous opponents eliminated or dropping off, the Roman Catholic father of two became the national leader of the Republican Party. Many speculated that the philosophy behind his election was simply to mirror and rebuttal any statements or policy initiatives given by America's first black President, Democrat Barack Obama. Seeing a host of popular party leaders support his candidacy, such as former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich along with Presidential candidate and Arizona Senator John McCain, the new Chairman felt he could do no wrong. Yet almost immediately following his election he began making statements and gaffes that both surprised and in some cases outraged supporters and RNC members.

In March of 2009, only a month after becoming the RNC Chairman, Steele spoke with comedian D.L. Hughley on CNN when he came out against Republican radio big-mouth Rush Limbaugh saying his recent statements were 'incendiary' and 'ugly'. Later asked was he [Limbaugh] the "defacto leader of the [Republican] party," he boldly stated that "Rush certainly was NOT, and people should stop making that reference on all the cable networks." Later in the year he was blasted for making a statement in a GQ magazine article where he stated that "Abortion is an individual choice," later retracting those words saying that "he is pro-life, always have been, always will be!"

These statements and consistent gaffes made a lot of people worry and begin to doubt his leadership abilities, including early supporter John McCain. Then early in 2010, during a crucial mid-term election season, Chairman Steele predicted on national television that the Republicans would in fact not regain control of the House in Congress. This statement, from the leader of the Party whose job it is to ensure this take over of not only the House but the Senate as well, truly sent shockwaves throughout the GOP! Therefore many Party leaders circumvented his leadership and the RNC by having groups like the Republican Governor's Association, Rove/Gillespie founded group Cross-Roads and other organizations receive the bulk of financial donations and be charged with strategizing and organizing for the most high-profiled and crucial elections. Relegating the Steele-led RNC to a 48-state 'Fire Pelosi' bus tour where he would be still of some use, yet less likely to do any more damage to the Party, at least in their opinions, others have been lining folk up to take on his role for the Presiential election filled RNC tenure of the next Chairman.

As there are about 15-possible Republican nominees for President in 2012, each one are sure to want their own hand-picked Chairman of the Party to provide an advantage in their possible candidacy. While many are expected to run against Chairman Steele, if he even chooses to seek re-election, only one has come out and actually announced his intentions. Saul Anuzis, the former Michigan Republican Party chairman, who was a challenger in the 2009 election for Chairman as well, believes he can provide a better solution to the Party's financial woes that have been evident for some time now. Stating in his announcement that "he would NOT strive to be the voice or the face of the Party," Mr. Anuzis believes that announcing early will allow him to pick up early supporters and votes, while scaring others back into their holes thereby not making it a crowded contest which many believe would play into the hands of a Steele strategy.

"There is a concerted effort to coalesce behind the strongest contender if Steele stays in the race," said one committee member in the anti-Steele camp. "There is a fear that too many candidates plays to Steele's advantage. If Steele sees the writing on the wall, it will be the wild, wild west."

Steele, who has yet to formally announce whether he intends to run again, is widely assumed to have between 50 and 60 solid votes for a second term. He would need 85, a simply majority of the 168 voting members of the committee. Stating in a Washington Times article, when he began his term, that he would recast the GOP's image in more of an "urban-suburban hip-hop setting", he has certainly taken great measures to do just that. Having had the most African American GOP candidates run for Congress throughout the Country this year, with 15-candidates still standing in the 2010 General Election, he saw two historic candidacies occur under his leadership with the election of South Carolina's Tim Scott and Florida's Allen West to the House of Representatives. The first two black GOP members to be elected out of the South since Reconstruction, these members were just a fraction of the largest House sweep since the 1948 Democratic take-over with a 75-seat net swing. Having gained at least 63-seats in the House with another 6 in the Senate, the current Chairman Michael Steele should get all the glory; to the victor goes the spoils.

Having won a tough election in 2009, beating South Carolina Party Chairman Katon Dawson by 24 votes, the strongest possible challenger in this upcoming election could be his '09 campaign manager. Reince Priebus, chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party, helped the GOP win the governorship, a Senate seat, two U.S. House seats and seize control of both the state House and Senate last Tuesday. Priebus remains undecided on a challenge to Steele and those close to him insist he is not actively organizing for such a bid, however powerhouse Republican Haley Barbour, Mississippi Governor and Chairman of the RGA, has a nephew who has been said to be actively recruiting Mr. Priebus. 

Though most of this seems more to do with politics than anything else, some still are wondering that had a white man been Chairman of this historic Republican take-over, would they be actively being sought to resign their position? Now that the race factor of Steele's mirroring Obama did not seem to work as they had once thought, is the black man not good enough now to take the Party to the finish line of a victorious Presidential election in 2012? While all the serious and high-profiled Republicans seem more interested in being in the running for President, rather than taking on the leadersip role of the RNC, why are we even having such a discussion? Michael Steele has proven that though he is not the most politically correct chairman of all time, he certainly must have done something right as we have seen a Republican resurrgence, when only two years ago people had buried the GOP for at least the next five to ten years. Yet to see such a dramatic electoral swing in less time than it took Karl Rove to actually take back the Congress in favor of Republicans throughout the early years of the 2000's, we should really give Chairman Steele the opportunity to prove what he could do with another two years of service!

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