November 14, 2008

Steele: Obama 'Played the Race Card Beautifully'

@ 3:50 pm by Hill Staff

Former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele said President-elect Barack Obama "played the race card beautifully" on the campaign trail during a conference call with bloggers Friday afternoon.

"The Obama campaign played the race card beautifully," Steele said, as reported by Matt Lewis of the conservative Townhall.com blog. Steele, who is an African-American, said that Republicans should not hold back in attacks against Obama "just because the President of the United States happens to be a Black man."

Steele also indicated that he would have liked to have seen Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) campaign make more use of Obama's ties to controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright during the campaign.

Steele talked up the value of bloggers in the call, and emphasized his credentials as a pro-life conservative.

"If I wanted to be a Democrat, having grown up in Washington, DC," Steele said when asked of fears that he would move the GOP to a more centrist position, "then I would have joined the Democratic Party."

-Michael O'Brien

Archived under: Administration, Campaigns, News

27 Comments »

1. Mike Tyson's former brother-in-law really does want the racists in his party to vote for him in his quest for the RNC chair, doesn't he?

   Comment by Carlos Arturo — November 14, 2008 @ 4:47 pm

2. Michael Steele auditions for GOP black attack dog. What a principled contribution to our national political dialogue.

   Comment by josephDC — November 14, 2008 @ 4:54 pm

3. Fine Mr. Steele, stay on that far right - and lose the next several elections. That won't hurt my feelings one bit. The right sure is snarky for folks with no ideas and no plans.

   Comment by JB — November 14, 2008 @ 4:57 pm

4. Quite a comment coming from a Stepin Fechit ofay like Steele. He wants to head the RNC? Do they think it can happen by putting one of the few black republicans (um, where's JC Watts anyway?) left BEHIND in the GOP/RNC/Train Wreck?

   Comment by kravitz — November 14, 2008 @ 5:51 pm

5. Mr. Steele needs to sit down somewhere. I'm glad that we citizens of the Old Line State were smart enough to not vote him into the U.S. Senate. Republicans should not hold back from attacking Obama because he is black?! Yeah, people really held back.

   I suppose the same "see beyond skin color" should also apply to anyone critical of Mr. Steele. Trust me, I have no problems seeing beyond his. Please don't hold back because he's a brother. Attack him on his merits, which is something that John McCain, Sarah Palin, neoconservatives, and folks like Joe Lieberman failed to do with regards with the President-elect.

   Comment by AK — November 14, 2008 @ 5:51 pm

6. Hey, maybe if you ask real nice, you can get Miss Palin to support you. And I bet she would to…as long you don't eyeball her.

   Comment by Stuart — November 14, 2008 @ 6:07 pm

7. Steele plays the Limbaugh-apologist card beautifully.
   And that's why he's not in the Senate.

   Comment by cha cha cha — November 14, 2008 @ 6:35 pm

8. Mr. Steele epitomizes the current state of the GOP; out of ideas and out of time. All he can suggest is more attacks.

   Since he talks about the race card so much, perhaps he should play it and see if he gets anywhere.

   In a way its good the GOP is riddled with such leaders; they will continue doing what has led to their demise. During the next 20 years the bible belt with its ineheremt racism will too have to give in toe the larger progressive forces of the country..Keep going Mr. Steele.

   Comment by Shafqat Khan — November 14, 2008 @ 6:59 pm

9. Republicans, please listen to Steele! And Bill Kristol! And I think 2012 is a great time to run Alan Keyes! If any skirt will do when it comes to picking a vice president, then surely any colored person will do!

   Comment by r€nato — November 14, 2008 @ 7:05 pm

10. I hadn't noticed that part where Obama "played the race card," unless Steele meant to imply that he did so by being born black! Jesus Christ! Will these Republican Party elitists every cease the mindless trash-talk?

    Comment by Sam Russo — November 14, 2008 @ 9:31 pm

11. And this is why Republicans will be in the minority wilderness for a LONG time. They haven't gotten the message, that most Americans want women to continue to have the right to choose concerning reproductive rights, and most Americans are tired of politicians attacking each other, especially when there are more pressing issues like a failing economy.

    Comment by Felicia — November 14, 2008 @ 10:00 pm

12. If, according to Michael Steele, Barack Obama played the "race card" then I would suggest Steele himself is playing the "Oreo" card in order to present himself to the white folks at the country club who will barely tolerate him as a member.

    Comment by Michael Deane — November 14, 2008 @ 10:50 pm

13. Oh, and the republicans aren't playing the race card by sending Steele out to be the attack dog?? I am ashamed to be a Marylander today.

    Comment by LA — November 14, 2008 @ 11:53 pm

14. African American voters in Maryland went overwhelmingly for Ben Cardin and against Steele in 2006, so obviously Steele knows something about playing the race card.

    Comment by Patrick — November 15, 2008 @ 1:08 am

15. Steele is living proof that blacks don't vote just on skin color.

    If they did, he'd be in the U.S. Senate. Obama played the race card by hardly ever talking about race. He made 1 statemen about the presidents on the dollar bill, over which he was savaged by the McCain campaign. After that,he never brought it up again, which kept McCain from mentioning it either.

    I guess Obama played the race card by not playing the race card. In this, as in every other way, his campaign ran circles around Rove's boys. What better way to destroy the myth of white superiority than to be black and be better. If Steele can pull that off, maybe he can get some black votes.

    Comment by Real Straight Talk — November 15, 2008 @ 1:56 am

16. Steele is the one playing the race card. What he is saying is I will have no problem using the race card and the GOP can stand behind my black face to do it. Simply amazing.

    Comment by Blain — November 15, 2008 @ 4:31 am

17. I find the remarks of former Lt. Governor Steele to be offensive, not his remarks on the "race card," which I thought were simply stupid, but the notion that the Republicans need to be attacking President-Elect Obama at all. Seriously? President Obama is not even in office and the Republicans are asking themselves how best to attack the president. Where have you been? This election was nothing if not a referendum on the excesses of partisan politics. We have big problems to solve in this country and the only way we'll solve them is by putting the best ideas forward, rolling up our sleeves, and getting the job done.

    Comment by Mark — November 15, 2008 @ 10:10 am

18. I see an allegation with no substantiation. What a joke.

    Comment by Anthony — November 15, 2008 @ 10:17 am

19. Is this all the RNC has? Is this all they got? Jeebus, are they that dense? I hope Obama appoints Romney to Health and Human Services. The democrats should bring all the intelligent, educated "RHINOS" into the party. I know Steele needs a job, but he is really being silly. Is this the way to forge a relationship with minorities?

    I for one, did not want Cindy McCain as first lady and Sarah Palin as VP. I didn't know Obama when he started running in the primaries–but I knew he ran an organized, well disciplined campaign. But I knew Biden. Biden was a great VP choice for someone new to Washington. I also compared Michelle to Cindy. I would rather my daughter grow up to be like Michelle.

    Comment by Joyce — November 15, 2008 @ 11:08 am

20. Oooooh, ohhh, oooooh, Michael Steele, sorry that you feel you need to be the Black face of the racist loving republican party. It's a joke that you think the republican party as it exists today has a chance of attracting minorities. Yes, the Democratic Party was the racist party at one point, but they have moved on, and should they EVER revert, they will be like the republican party is today - irrelevant. The progressives in this nation will form a 3rd party, should the need arise. I will NEVER be a member of any party that condones racism as does the republican party. Michael Steele, like most republicans, operates in an inverted universe and is divorced from reality. Barack HUSSEIN Obama pointed out the obvious that republican operatives were going to use against him; which they did, albeit, ineffectively.

    Comment by IslandGyal — November 15, 2008 @ 11:37 am

21. Please Mr. Steele do yourself some good before ot's to late, get on your knees and find JESUS.

    Comment by john — November 15, 2008 @ 4:57 pm

22. Ah, good to see that Steele is still the angry little demagogue I remember from my days in Maryland. Dude is just not very likeable.

    Comment by Roman — November 15, 2008 @ 5:57 pm

23. since George Bush is not going to be in office next year, maybe Mr Steele can take his place as the dumbest Republican, Sean Hannity and Rush can be runner up

    Comment by Jonh Q... — November 15, 2008 @ 5:59 pm

24. Wow, can it not be more obvious this guy is a liberal plant. I'm suspicious of this Steele guy.
    He's been waiting for this moment when the GOP felt the need for more "diversity" and is poised to take advantage of it. This has bait and switch written all over it. We don't need another RINO like McCain or Snowe.

    Its time to go back to Bob Barr and Reagan.

    Comment by matt — November 15, 2008 @ 6:33 pm

25. "African American voters in Maryland went overwhelmingly for Ben Cardin and against Steele in 2006″ Funny.

    However, I have no way of confirming or denying the results among African American voters, but it is worrying that Cardin won by just 54.20%, his worst election result ever.

    links please

    Comment by QuillMoarTekzans — November 15, 2008 @ 7:55 pm

26. It is sad that this guy is focused on attacking the President -elect, rather than attacking the serious problems of this country. No more GOP.

    Comment by James in Virginia Beach Va — November 15, 2008 @ 8:54 pm

27. Obama never played te race card. The media, Clinton, and the GOP did. Steele is a good ouse n****

    Comment by rooted4obama — November 16, 2008 @ 12:51 am

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