Michael Steele says "Republican party facing irrelevancy"

[octoburn]

"Party elders are still executing a southern strategy," he said. "They predominantly looked at the party through a southern lens where we have a great base and a great deal of strength, but the country has changed."
Moving forward, Republicans need to reassess their strategy and find a way to become more inclusive, Steele said….

"Get out of your comfort zone and go into communities where people who don't look and sound like you live and ... talk to them about empowerment and ownership and the very core principles of our party," he said.

That kind of inclusive strategy was used during the 2010 midterm elections and proved to be effective in helping Republicans regain control on the House, Steele said. But changing the party's approach could take some time. Steele likens it to the 12-step program, which requires a commitment to prolonged change. In other words, it is a lifestyle change and not a quick fix.

"Those voices in the party that are serious about this have to step forward, otherwise guess what? In five or six years, we're irrelevant," he said.

Linky

Michael Steele gets it. Let’s hope the party elders get it too.

[DaggerJohn]

There are not enough details in the article to assess Steele's strategy. How does he suggest picking up more of the non-white vote? He doesn't say. And i think he misread the 2010 results. The 2010 successes were due to the Tea Party's energy and organization--not to the Republican party being more "inclusive".

[Far from home]

The Tea Party will break off and make their own party.
At the same time, there will be another party that will rise up.
This might be a good thing for the country.
The fracturing of the two part system will help our shams of elections.

[Wizard777]

They should listen him! Michael Steele is an expert on irrelevancy.

Ironically or maybe it's moronically enough, I don't they're smart enough to regret not allowing Chairman Steele to make the party a lil more hip, phat and phresh. Oh well, their loss is our win.

[Contumacious]

Michael Steele says "Republican party facing irrelevancy.

Well Duh.

The federal government has become a bankrupt behemoth under BIPARTISAN leadership.

So they ARE irrelevant.

.

[MithrilKnight]

Well Duh.

The federal government has become a bankrupt behemoth under BIPARTISAN leadership.

So they ARE irrelevant.

.

I've yet to hear his conservative positions. I think he may be confused about to which party he should belong.

[Brohan]

Steele is an Uncle Tom.

[musicmd]

Steele is an Uncle Tom.

How long did it take you to come up with that one?

[octoburn]

All it really means is that Michael Steele wants to run again as well.

[Hexexis]

...The federal government has become a bankrupt behemoth under BIPARTISAN leadership. ...

Leadership is not the fed. gov., nor is it a behemoth. It only seems that way because that's how media report it; same media that shoot for behemoth status themselves.

[zenwalk]

He speaks as if this irrelevancy happened last week. Michael Steele as RNC chairman is Exhibit A that the republicans have been irrelevant a bit longer than that. You can date it precisely to the night McCain announced Palin as his running mate.

[Brohan]

How long did it take you to come up with that one?

Not long at all. I remember Maryland Democrats barking that ad nauseam.

Such a repulsive, petty lot those MD Dems. Toss an oreo's lately?

[ODENTON]

The GOP has been working on irrelevant for years............midterm will the time to finish removing the divisive/obstructive teaparty so that reasonable people can debate for the betterment of the people.

The teaparty hoodwinked some people in 2010.........now most people should know what they're about. Vote accordingly.

[Brohan]

The GOP has been working on irrelevant for years............midterm will the time to finish removing the divisive/obstructive teaparty so that reasonable people can debate for the betterment of the people.

The teaparty hoodwinked some people in 2010.........now most people should know what they're about. Vote accordingly.

Hardly. Take look at the # of Republican Governors around the country.

[TheResearcher]

Urkel Steele is one of the reasons the GOP is in the shape it's in.

[SomeIdiot]

I'm always skeptical about claims like this. Only 10 years ago Republicans were talking about a permanent majority and yet here we are.

[octoburn]

Not long at all. I remember Maryland Democrats barking that ad nauseam.

Such a repulsive, petty lot those MD Dems. Toss an oreo's lately?

LOL. I had almost forgotten about the "Myth of the Flying Oreos" that were supposed to have been "as thick as locusts" flying through the air at that debate.

The de~bunking of that story was but a hint of things to come from the Ehrlich~Steele campaign and the dirty tricks associated with it.

Linky

[soulflower]

There are not enough details in the article to assess Steele's strategy. How does he suggest picking up more of the non-white vote? He doesn't say. And i think he misread the 2010 results. The 2010 successes were due to the Tea Party's energy and organization--not to the Republican party being more "inclusive".

2010 was due to low turnout on the Democrat side.

If Dems got the same turnout in 2010 that they got in 2008, the results would've been much different

[soulflower]

I'm always skeptical about claims like this. Only 10 years ago Republicans were talking about a permanent majority and yet here we are.

True but politics aside, Whites are already a minority among children born since 2011. The demographics of the country are shifting in a manner that requires the GOP to moderate their rhetoric on issues like immigration and civil rights if they want to remain relevant. The simple fact is, there aren't enough Angry White Males for the Republicans to win national office the way they have in the past.

Political parties remain relevant by adapting...

[SomeIdiot]

True but politics aside, Whites are already a minority among children born since 2011. The demographics of the country are shifting in a manner that requires the GOP to moderate their rhetoric on issues like immigration and civil rights if they want to remain relevant. The simple fact is, there aren't enough Angry White Males for the Republicans to win national office the way they have in the past.

Political parties remain relevant by adapting...

I think they probably will eventually (or they'll be replaced by another center-right party less prone to exploiting racial fears) but I don't think we're quite there yet. For all the talk of a landslide the Republicans still hold the House by a considerable margin and while Obama won a lot in terms of electoral votes his margin of victory really wasn't that high in terms of popular vote.