February
1st 2009
Today on Fox News Sunday, Michael Steele argued that, to be successful, the Republican Party needs to return to the “Contract With America,” a document created by Newt Gingrich and Tom Delay in 1994. Watch it:
Steele argued that, in 1994, “the American people and the [Republican] party” bound together to support the principles of the Contract. In fact, polls showed the vast majority Americans had never heard of it. Of the few that did know, half said it made them less likely to vote Republican.
UPDATE I: ThinkProgress has more on the Steele interview.
26 Responses to “Back to the Future: Steele Calls For Return To ‘Contract With America’”
RNC Chairman Steele: 1994 Is Future Of Republican Party « News America Now on 01 Feb 2009 at 11:17 am #
[...] RNC Chairman Steele: 1994 Is Future Of Republican Party [...]
Steele Criticizes Democratic ‘Obfuscation,’ While Praising GOP For Blocking Economic Recovery Bill - CHASTER - All Around The World on 01 Feb 2009 at 12:03 pm #
[...] by Tom DeLay and Newt Gingrich — as a model. But as Judd Legum notes, “polls showed the vast majority Americans had never heard of it. Of the few that did know, half said it made them less likely to vote [...]
Karen on 01 Feb 2009 at 1:44 pm #
Okay, when the GOP doesn’t make up ground in 2010 and floats the same discredited message as it did in 2008, we will see whether the GOP is sick or not. We will see whether appointing a black guy as Chair compensates for the picture non-neocons have of the GOP as a swamp.
Jan on 01 Feb 2009 at 2:51 pm #
You mean The contract ON America? The GOP with it’s crooks, cronies, warmongers, and people who want to dictate how we should live in accordance to THEIR religion…. that party deserves to be irrelevent for years and years to come!! Gee, they just don’t GET IT, which incidentally works very well for US!
Arnold on 01 Feb 2009 at 2:58 pm #
Contract With America was a gimmick to get Republicans elected. It was warmed over talking points. Is this man loony?
It did nothing and was nothing but a con.
Oh well, maybe Rush Windbag told him to do it or else.
Gregory on 01 Feb 2009 at 3:03 pm #
The man is kidding, right?
The republicans leave the country in a shambles as they leave office in a virtual migration and they think their party is doing just fine?
Is it any wonder the CEO’s and executives have zero concious about the fleecing of American taxpayers and rewarding themselves in grand style.
The republican leadership is cut from the same skanky bolt of cloth as they.
Gregory on 01 Feb 2009 at 3:10 pm #
Newt Gingrich’s contract with America was more like a contract put on the head of Bill Clinton. It served no good. It made the republican party look like the power hungry, elitest crooks the last 8 years have proven them to be.
Please go elsewhere and start your own country and stop f***ing this one up!
Mari on 01 Feb 2009 at 3:20 pm #
I WAS a registered Republican and I along with several friends have left the party because of the Gingrich revolution ideas will now be rejuvenated as the plan for the Republican party. If Steele insists on dragging the party to their “old ways” I can tell you for certain, many more will be leaving the party to unite and work for Democrats. The Republican elite message simply is not going to work since the available winning percentage of people is just not there for the exclusionary party in that mode. I guess Steele likes his ‘out of power’ status and he and other Republicans should get used to being out of power because returning to the Limbaugh and Hannity era will finish off Republicans and it will become totally fossilized. It has been a breath of fresh air to meet with the Democrats on the net. Their wonderful “big tent” ideals welcome all who join up and they seem able to make all feel very, very welcome.
Ron on 01 Feb 2009 at 3:30 pm #
Doing the same thing over, and expecting a differnt result are we?
They are doomed.
Steele has no vision.
Surprising he was picked by his party,
considering he tried to win re-election in Maryland
by selling himself as a Democrat…literally.
BTW: I wonder if Limbaugh will tell his listeners how Steele
is where he is now due to his race?
Steele is the ultimate “I have a black friend”
oaklynne on 01 Feb 2009 at 3:35 pm #
That’s some impeccable logic: the GOP party has it’s a** handed to them on a platter due to 8 miserable years of failed and destructive Republican leadership under Cheney and his puppet, GWB — but, hey, there’s nothing wrong with the party and they should just keep doing the same things and delivering the same message! Wow. Their extinction has just been accelerated.
BobC on 01 Feb 2009 at 3:46 pm #
You know those adds that say some such thing as “Obama’s IQ is 130, whats yours? I have a new one…”Steele’s IQ 0, whats yours. This man has no ideas and will just be a talking puppet for the wingnuts. I love it. after losing 54 House Seats and 14 in the Senate in the last two elections they will probably lose that many more in 2010 this man in charge.
Joseph on 01 Feb 2009 at 3:59 pm #
This is worse than I thought. How is it possible, go back to 1994? How about go back to 1950 or 1882. It almost makes me think that the Republicans platform isn’t anything more than talking points to get them elected, then just sit there and create an echo chamber on FOX news network. How bout this a** monkey just go to the junkyard and find those old caprice classics and Lincoln Town cars and ‘renew them’ or Have all of their supporters go back and dig up old VHS tape decks for entertainment purposes, and watch those dumb Encyclopaedia Britannica commercials, and Don LaPre scam ads. devolution.
Jamie on 01 Feb 2009 at 4:09 pm #
More like a Contract On America, as I remember.
Kate on 01 Feb 2009 at 4:13 pm #
Steele is a Republican from Maryland, which is heavily Democratic. Democrats in Maryland traditionally have been fiscally conservative yet socially liberal on many issues. Republicans in Maryland are sort of mainstream — not too far to the right, with many in the DC area who are simply government workers who want smaller government (ha!). They talk a good game, but they are not truly conservative, in the way they claim. And, of course, Steele would have to be an unusual type of guy to go against the grain of his majority party in his home state, AND the majority of people of his race. You would not expect him to have a lot of forward-thinking ideas when he aligns himself with the party of the past.
walter on 01 Feb 2009 at 4:15 pm #
Been there, done that. Didn’t work out so well for us Americans.
Ron on 01 Feb 2009 at 4:16 pm #
Mari
I like your point about Steele possibly actually prefering
to keep his party out of power.
After all, would HE be party chair today
if they were not in exile?
Things as they are
have benefitted him quite well so far.
GoBears on 01 Feb 2009 at 4:39 pm #
“Contract ON America” is more accurate – just as that wrecking crew has finished ruining our economy and dismantling consumer safeguards and negating worker protections they want to start up again???
Un-fuquing-believable!
GoBears on 01 Feb 2009 at 4:40 pm #
Jamie, I missed your comment but it just shows that great minds work alike.
StLBoy on 01 Feb 2009 at 5:10 pm #
“Contract with America, Part II”?
Is he serious?
With Palin gearing up for 2012, and this schmuck running the GOP, as a registered Democrat, I’m sleeping very well these days.
El.kaobng on 01 Feb 2009 at 5:34 pm #
But doesn’t that mean that they have to admit to the fact that they _broke_ the “Contract with America”?
I suppose you could consider this phase of our contractural relationship as the “Litigation of America”(RNC vs America) to be followed shortly by the “Compensitory damages to America” (”Discovery by America” is ongoing). Whereas I expect the rewards to be almost infinite, and that sounds good, the truth is that even though the RNC is at fault, America will end up paying the damages, So therefore, its really America vs America, and that is, in a word, pointless.
Now, if anyone has any idea how to get the RNC to bail out the banks, I’m all ears…
-ek
Grainne on 01 Feb 2009 at 6:09 pm #
We must make sure that the GOP’s contract on America is never again allowed to be put into action. I am gobsmacked by their utter cluelessness. The GOP today is like an abusive husband – “oh come on baby, just give me another chance and I won’t behave badly again. I will treat/abuse you in the same way I always have, but I won’t behave badly again.” GOP’s new path: the Road to Obscurity (hopefully!)
Bradbury on 01 Feb 2009 at 6:34 pm #
The Republican Party left me and …now I am a Democrat, the first in five generations, and work hard to elect candidates who will uphold the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, equal rights, reproductive rights, economic rights… The so-called Republican party is really the “self-interest, corporate power, force our religious ideas on the rest of America, folks.
Carol Martin on 01 Feb 2009 at 6:40 pm #
Michael Steele is aptly named: he’s never had an original idea in his life. Recycling Newt Gingrich’s “Contract” is the classic definition of insanity. Even his identity is questionable. He is a Hindu passing for an African American.
MRW on 01 Feb 2009 at 7:11 pm #
The Contract “On” America did exactly what the Reaganites wanted – it destroyed the middle class, which has not only never recovered, even under Clinton, but was driven into near oblivion by the resurgent Reaganomics, i.e. the “trickle down” theory, under Bush. Reaganomics caused two major things: 1) middle class destruction; and 2) the creation of a new superwealthy class of Americans, 2% owning 98% of the wealth. Go ahead Steele. The GOP will die its due demise.
Ms. Lou on 01 Feb 2009 at 7:33 pm #
Next time the American public goes to Washington, DC it will be to protest the Republicans obstructing President Obama’s legislation. Across the globe citizens are coming out against the mismanagement of their economy. George Bush & the Repubs have gutted this country’s treasury. Now the American public will suffer. Also Steele will not bring any Black voters into the Republican party. He will be ignored and held in utter contempt by Black Americans. And he knows it!
The Gr8 Communicator on 02 Feb 2009 at 2:06 pm #
Lets all pray that Steele keeps up the good work. With him at the helm the GOP will become even more impotent than it is now. Sarah Palin? Michael Steele? This is awesome.