Michael Steele, first black GOP senator since reconstruction?

[DanS]

Steele is an interesting character. A black Republican who became Maryland's Lieutenant Governor (i.e., the state's #2 pol) several years ago. He's a "seamless garb" catholic (pro life, anti-death penalty), and doesn't seem cut from the black preacher/orator mold -- although he was in the seminary for a while. Graduated with a law degree from Georgetown, so he's not from the black political civil rights establishment. He was head of the Maryland GOP, so he has some political heft.

He'll probably be an underdog in the general election, but probably has the Republican nomination locked up already.

I would be interesting in hearing more about him, especially his strengths and weaknesses. The WaPo has articles about him from time-to-time, but I haven't followed him because I don't live in Maryland.

http://www.gov.state.md.us/ltgovernorbio.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/25/AR2005102500543.html

[lord of the mark]

what about Ed Brooke from Massachusetts?

[DanS]

Don't remember him. Educate.

[OzzyKP]

Steele would have a real good chance at winning unless the Dems put up Kwesi Ufume (sp?), which seems likely, in which case Steele is screwed.

[lord of the mark]

BROOKE, Edward William, III, (1919 - )

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senate Years of Service: 1967-1979
Party: Republican


BROOKE, Edward William, III, a Senator from Massachusetts; born in Washington, D.C., October 26, 1919; attended the public schools of Washington, D.C.; graduated from Howard University, Washington, D.C., in 1941; graduated, Boston University Law School 1948; captain, United States Army, infantry, with five years of active service in the European theater of operations; chairman of Finance Commission, city of Boston 1961-1962; elected attorney general of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1962; reelected in 1964; elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in 1966; reelected in 1972 and served from January 3, 1967, to January 3, 1979; unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1978; first African American elected to the Senate by popular vote; lawyer; awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on June 23, 2004; is a resident of Miami, Fla.

[lord of the mark]

BTW, in 78 Brooke lost to Paul Tsongas. Tsongas was mentioned as presidential or VP possibility, but became ill with cancer and retired. His seat was then won by John Kerry.

[DanS]

Thanks, LotM.

[RGBVideo]

Men named after Steel

Tsongas was mentioned as presidential or VP possibility

Nearly won the '92 presidential primary season, btw.

[Bosh]

http://www.wtopnews.com/?sid=602850&nid=25

In the Senate race, Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben Cardin had a nine-point lead, 47 percent to 38 percent, over Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, who was expected to announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination Tuesday.

Cardin will win the Dem nomination, Mfume's campaign is dead in the water.

[OzzyKP]

Ah, ok.

Should be interesting. I think I may vote for Steele.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by VJ
Men named after Steel

[Gangerolf]

Originally posted by VJ
Men named after Steel

Stalin?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by VJ
Men named after Steel


Nearly won the '92 presidential primary season, btw.

Nah, he didn't even get close. By the time I voted for him, in Pennsylvania in April, he'd already shut down his campaign (but it was too late to take him off the ballot, and voting for a no-longer-running Tsonga still seemed preferable to either Clinton or Jerry Brown; plus it preserved my perfect record of never having voted for a winning candidate in a primary )

[Ramo]

Steele would have a real good chance at winning unless the Dems put up Kwesi Ufume (sp?), which seems likely, in which case Steele is screwed.

It's the opposite, actually. Mfume would likely narrowly lose to Steele since apparantly he has some baggage relating to illegitimate children, etc. Cardin, OTOH, seems pretty clean (if dull), and should easily win such a Democratic state. Recently independent polling shows Cardin up nine, and Mfume down two. The only caveat is if the primary turns dirty and Cardin alienates blacks, he could lose.

[Timexwatch]

Re: Michael Steele, first black GOP senator since reconstruction?

Originally posted by DanS
Steele is an interesting character. A black Republican who became Maryland's Lieutenant Governor (i.e., the state's #2 pol) several years ago. He's a "seamless garb" catholic (pro life, anti-death penalty), and doesn't seem cut from the black preacher/orator mold -- although he was in the seminary for a while. Graduated with a law degree from Georgetown, so he's not from the black political civil rights establishment. He was head of the Maryland GOP, so he has some political heft.

He'll probably be an underdog in the general election, but probably has the Republican nomination locked up already.

I would be interesting in hearing more about him, especially his strengths and weaknesses. The WaPo has articles about him from time-to-time, but I haven't followed him because I don't live in Maryland.

http://www.gov.state.md.us/ltgovernorbio.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...102500543.html

Being somewhat involved in the informal fundraising apartus for Lt. Governor Steele, I've met him several times, that last time being yesterday.

In person he's incredibly charming, dynamic and articulate. He definitely has the ability to look you in the eye, shake your hand and make you feel important. He's going to be very effective on the campaign trail when it comes to pressing the flesh. He's also got roots in the area and wasn't born with a silver spoon (his dad was an alcoholic and his mother scraped by on marginal jobs while refusing welfare).

Politically he's a republican in the moderate, pragmatic, pro-business mold. He admits that he can't change DC or shake up politics, but he says that he will come to DC to accomplish a few, important things to benefit Maryland.

Now that he's announced, expect a few things to change:

*His poll numbers will improve. He's nine points behind Ben Cardin, but if he starts to make serious inroads in the black democratic vote, Cardin will have a tough race. He guessed that if he peeled off 20%-40% of the black vote from the dems, he could take the race decisively. There will certainly be a little dissatisfaction with the Dems for sinking the Kweisi Mifune campaign. Expect the Martin O'Malley to nominate a black running mate who will campaign hard for Cardin.

*His cash numbers will seriously improve. He's already got a lot of interest from national PACs, and his meet and greets and closed-door meetings have had heavy attendence from PAC managers and lobbyists who decide how to divy up the political cash. Since he's now official and has basically sewn up the primary, leadership PACs and NRSC dollars will start coming in. It's going to get a lot of funding because a Maryland victory will be big upset for Dems.