Blue Steele

Michael Steele’s short but tumultuous tenure as chairman of the Republican Party has inspired ardent and enthusiastic coverage from pundits, journalists and bloggers alike. While it is strange for a party head to attract very much attention from the public or the media, it is likely that the currently rudderless Republican Party is looking for leadership in strange places. Although the function of the party head is largely symbolic, Steele's position as the first black Republican chairman does make him stand out from his predecessors. However, the tone of Steele's coverage has been far from positive. The GOP chairman has quickly established himself as a faux pas machine on par with Joe Biden, and the American media appears to be more than happy to monitor Steele’s every word in the hopes of catching an embarrassing slip up.

Steele has made the job incredibly easy for his critics. His gaffes are numerous, but the most shocking highlights include “sending slum love” to Bobby Jindal (in a reference to Slumdog Millionaire and Jindal’s Indian heritage) and repeatedly referencing hip-hop culture in a misguided attempt to reach out to young African Americans. It is fairly ludicrous that Steele apparently believes that the GOP can increase its meager share of the black vote by using outdated slang like "bling bling." Steele's hip-hop posturing has predictably drawn mockery from various members of the media, most notably inspiring Stephen Colbert to challenge the 50 year-old chairman to a rap battle.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Conservative Rap Battle - Michael Steele's Response
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Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest

Steele’s blunders go beyond his open use of profanity and slang; he openly contradicted the beliefs of many influential party leaders by announcing that he did not support a federal amendment to ban gay marriage. Furthermore, Steele's highly publicized spat with Rush Limbaugh amounted to nothing short of a Democrat’s dream. The infighting between two of the GOP's most public stars served only to highlight the claims of critics who argue that the Republican Party is being torn apart by warring factions. When Steele eventually made peace with Limbaugh, it was evident that the party’s head could not risk antagonizing a man he had previously derided as little more than an “entertainer.” In a battle of alpha-males for control of the GOP, it was evident that Limbaugh came out on top.

Media analysts of all political persuasions have effectively framed Michael Steele as a bumbling failure. While this image is undoubtedly an exaggeration that focuses on only a small portion of Steele’s character (as discussed by Jamieson and Waldman in The Press Effect), Steele's negative image is based almost entirely on his own ridiculous actions and statements. The media may be focusing on Steele's mistakes, but there is no doubt that has made more than his fair share. Although his failure to stay on script could theoretically be perceived as a refreshing alternative to a president who rarely speaks without the aid of a teleprompter, Steele’s verbal missteps demonstrate a disconcerting lack of self-awareness. There is a fine line between "maverick" and "lunatic," and Michael Steele has had difficulty keeping himself on the right side of that division.

While left wing outlets tend to portray Steele as a Bush style Republican who is constantly putting his foot in his mouth, conservative leaning analysts have also criticized the chairman’s many blunders. Several right wingers have condemned Steele for lacking the conservative credentials necessary to lead the Republican Party. Neither image is particularly flattering. It should be noted that Steele is not simply trying to guide his party to a more moderate platform, as his own positions appear to fall all over the political spectrum. He did not shy away from attacking moderate Republicans who supported the president’s stimulus package for straying from the party line. Yet he has paradoxically argued that abortion should be an individual's choice, openly contradicting the GOP's platform.

Steele has only recently managed to give a more positive spin to the negative frame created by the media. At a recent appearance in Baltimore he made a concerted effort to portray himself as an unscripted innovator, while dismissing his detractors as conventional thinkers. The question that remains is whether Steele’s efforts to resell himself to the public as a political trend setter will prove successful, or if his attempts to redefine his image will be too little too late.

It should be noted that Michael Steele does have a very cute dog.