Steele for RNC Chair

The post-election buzz is that Ken Mehlman is out and Michael Steele may be in as Republican National Committee Chair (see also the Sun story). I'll miss Mehlman. His dogged denial in the face of a mountain of bad news and even his own body language on election night was a credit to his willingness to shill and his spinning abilities.

Steele would be a real gift for Democrats. While the man certainly can be charming, he is not known for his ability to deal with tough questions or his consistency under fire. If he accomplishes as much for the RNC as he did as lieutenant governor, the Democrats simply have nothing to fear. Moreover, his status as RNC chair would make it impossible for him to return to Maryland as a "different kind" of politician. Notice how long that lasted after Election Day.

Of course, Steele is now linked to the deceptive fliers in Maryland which will make it hard for him to give the Republicans a more friendly image. Instead of looking like a serious effort to win over African-American voters, Steele now looks more and more like part of well-funded effort to deceive them. However, onward and upward.