# A Democrat to head up the RNC **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 10, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876 "2006-11-10T16:12:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/1 "2006-11-10T16:12:37Z")
Apparently, we kicked Republicans so hard that they decided that they need to be lead by a guy who had to run as a Democrat to even make 45% of the vote. [http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001979.php](http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001979.php) Michael Steele ran a pretty good campaign, but I’m not sure ditching your party affiliation in order to try and trick African Americans into thinking you are a Democrat and that Black leaders who endorsed your opponent endorsed you is really such a stellar qualification to lead the Republican party. Personally, I think it sounds pretty great to me. It’s the perfect story of genuflection to the Democratic wave: a story of defeatism and enshrining it. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/2 "2006-11-10T16:19:18Z")
1986: By being like the Republicans we can defeat the Republicans. 2006: By beling like the Democrats we can defeat the Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/3 "2006-11-10T17:10:40Z")
Steele, recall was also the once anonymous Republican who referred to being a Republican as like having a “scarlet letter” hung around your neck. That’s a lot of RNC pride baby! ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/4 "2006-11-10T17:28:02Z")
[QUOTE=Apos] Steele, recall was also the once anonymous Republican who referred to being a Republican as like having a “scarlet letter” hung around your neck. That’s a lot of RNC pride baby! [/QUOTE] Wasn’t Steele referring to the way being a black republican is treated by most blacks? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/5 "2006-11-13T21:05:20Z")
Can I applaud this decision? I like the idea of a party of frauds being led by a fraud. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/6 "2006-11-13T21:28:17Z")
Actually, I deeply hope this is an honest move to back the Republican party away from the neocon, warmongering, proto-fundy mess it’s been morphing into for the past decade. I hope the neocon movement will take its rightful place on the “scrapheap of history,” if I may borrow a phrase. Perhaps then, I’ll be able to vote Repub occasionally in good conscience. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/7 "2006-11-13T21:33:07Z")
Nope. Menendez of Florida. Look for the Pubbies to take credit for Castro dying of cancer. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/8 "2006-11-13T22:14:33Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] Nope. Menendez of Florida. Look for the Pubbies to take credit for Castro dying of cancer. [/QUOTE] Martinez. They don’t all look alike, do they? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/9 "2006-11-13T22:19:40Z")
That was a gift, **John**. I know how much you love to post corrections. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/10 "2006-11-13T22:21:19Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Martinez. They don’t all look alike, do they? 😉 [/QUOTE] They? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/11 "2006-11-13T22:57:06Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] They? [/QUOTE] Them. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/12 "2006-11-13T23:18:35Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] That was a gift, **John**. I know how much you love to post corrections. [/QUOTE] Well, it could have been pretty confusing, since there **is** a Senator Menendez from NJ who is a Democrat, which would reinforce the OP’s title. It did need correcting. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/13 "2006-11-14T01:16:51Z")
[QUOTE=Ogre] Actually, I deeply hope this is an honest move to back the Republican party away from the neocon, warmongering, proto-fundy mess it’s been morphing into for the past decade. I hope the neocon movement will take its rightful place on the “scrapheap of history,” if I may borrow a phrase. [/quote] It took then 30 years to fall off the rails; they won’t get it back on track overnight. That said, I still feel that conservatism is fundamentally a value system built on selfishness, fear, and ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/14 "2006-11-14T01:50:59Z")
[QUOTE=rjung] That said, I still feel that conservatism is fundamentally a value system built on selfishness, fear, and ignorance. [/QUOTE] Thanks for the update. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/15 "2006-11-14T02:11:53Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] Thanks for the update. [/QUOTE] Update on Ehrlich and Steele’s [Disrespectin Democracy Tour](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/12/AR2006111201084_pf.html): > [@](#): > > An Ehrlich aide who agreed to discuss the strategy on the condition of anonymity said the purpose of the fliers was to peel away one or two percentage points in jurisdictions where the governor would be running behind. No one inside the campaign expected a strong reaction. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/16 "2006-11-14T04:32:15Z")
[QUOTE=Apos] Steele, recall was also the once anonymous Republican who referred to being a Republican as like having a “scarlet letter” hung around your neck. [/QUOTE] Hmmm . . . Wouldn’t a big red “R” tattooed/branded on the forehead be more effective? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/17 "2006-11-14T04:52:34Z")
The Mark of McCain? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/18 "2006-11-14T05:30:37Z")
- BANG! \* Now I just need somebody to swear out this warrant… ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/19 "2006-11-14T11:24:41Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Them. [/QUOTE] Great big mutant ants? ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876/20 "2006-11-14T11:29:10Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] [QUOTE=rjung] That said, I still feel that conservatism is fundamentally a value system built on selfishness, fear, and ignorance. [/QUOTE] Thanks for the update. [/QUOTE] 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-democrat-to-head-up-the-rnc/379876.md?page=2)