GOP trips on Steele’s GQ interview; GQ levies insult at Steele and the South

The real dialog about Steele's GQ interview should address the use of the term 'reconstructionist.'Flying around the blogosphere with the fury of a speeding bullet are numerous criticisms and/or defenses of Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele. I will say candidly that he’d have to be a man of steel to willingly work in this political climate. Commenters on various blogs are like gossips leaning over their Chardonnay or granola—did you hear what he said about abortion? About being gay? The horror.

For starters, I have yet to find commentary in establishment media that reflects a full reading of Steele’s remarks in what really is a personable interview for a chic-chic magazine that’s been around for as long as I can remember.

The prevailing editorial group think of the Web insists on truncating everything—people only have so much attention left these days. We try not to overtly truncate here, editorial policy on the Web be damned. But I’d suggest if you decide to comment about Steele’s responses in GQ, at least read the whole interview.

For instance, Steele responded at length to a question about abortion and he concluded by saying, “The states should make that choice. That’s what the choice is. The individual choice rests in the states. Let them decide.”

And of course, constitutionally speaking, many agree with him. And he elaborated on something establishment media did not report and rabid bloggers ignored—the GOP is far more welcoming to pro-choicers than the Dems are to pro-lifers. Can you imagine a pro-lifer speaking at the Democratic National Convention? You’d need the U.S. Marines to protect the speaker.

Another source of friction with some in the GOP base involves homosexuality. Gay is a favored meme, so the interviewer brought up a topic debated by experts—are you born gay or do you choose gay? As someone who counts a number of gay individuals among her inner circle, I can honestly say I have no idea. I don’t care. That’s who they are and I accept my friends for who they are. They don’t ask me what I like to do in bed or why I chose to marry the guy I did. That is what freedom is all about. Why would that question even matter?

How is debating the state of gay relevant to the current political dilemma we find ourselves in as we wander off with the current Democratic administration along the socialist/collectivist lane? And note there are a few wayward Republicans strolling alongside Pelosi, Reid and our president.

Steele did a personable interview, completely in context with the type of magazine GQ is—a fashion template with moody depressed looking fellows modeling expensive clothes and editorial content reminiscent of Esquire.

Conservatives should be reminded that in these troubled times it’s best to focus on core principles—fiscal conservatism, small government, individual liberties, a strong national defense, adherence to the U.S. Constitution.

The GOP has lost sight of those principles; the Democratic Party is so far removed from them they’re on the mass formerly known as Planet Pluto.

During the presidential debates President Barack Obama the candidate stated that marriage is between a man and a woman and by now everyone knows he endorses abortion with no limitations. Wouldn’t you say abortion is perhaps the only matter the Democrats do not want to regulate?

There is not a media pundit in the land that will ask Obama why he believes that way about marriage, or who will present hard questions to him on abhorrent procedures such as partial birth abortion.

The GOP once again fell for media manipulation, failing to treat media as a hostile witness, or more specifically, as a hostile interrogator. After McCain, Palin, Limbaugh and others, you’d think the lesson would sink in. If you’re a conservative, there’s a target on your forehead, back and chest.

The Dems are pros at media manipulation because the Dems ARE the establishment media, most of it. And that’s exactly why they cleaned house in the last election which was actually a political beauty contest.

Perhaps the greatest insult came from GQ who dubbed Steele the “reconstructionist.” To call the first African American who leads the GOP a “reconstructionist” is a putdown the size of Obama’s “57 states” remark. That term not only insults Steele, it insults the South, a trend these days with literati, tinselati and others who promote themselves as arbiters of wisdom and goodness.

For conservatives, established media will always be a challenge. Rather than focusing on Steele’s truncated remarks, it’d be best to focus on how to message all those naïve voters sucking in propaganda from writers who are often card carrying union members acting as promoters of all things left-leaning. Many reporters now work for the Obama administration. To believe that a coincidence is the same as believing Obama is a centrist.

Finally—a sidenote to Steele. Never say I’m sorry in politics.