Last updated on August 10th, 2014 at 05:44 pm
Some Republicans are outraged at GOP chairman Michael Steele because he has refused to call President Barack Obama a Socialist. The Republican National Conservative Caucus has been pushing the RNC to adopt a resolution calling on the Democratic Party to rename itself the Democratic Socialist Party.
Here is the resolution, “RESOLVED, that we the members of the Republican National Committee recognize that the Democratic Party is dedicated to restructuring American society along socialist ideals; and be it further RESOLVED, that we the members of the Republican National Committee call on the Democratic Party to be truthful and honest with the American people by acknowledging that they have evolved from a party of tax and spend to a party of tax and nationalize and, therefore, should agree to rename themselves the Democrat Socialist Party.”
However Steele has said that he doesn’t view Obama as a Socialist, “We don’t see this president so much as a socialist as we see him as a collectivist. When you strip away this idea that the individual matters, for this concept of the collective – all of us pulling together and working towards some governmental goal – that’s what I’m more concerned about.”
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This is a real problem for Steele because his base is moving further right than he is willing to go. Steele realizes that calling a president with a 64% approval rating is probably not the best strategy for a party that is hoping to pick up seats in a mid-term election. It is also likely that the GOP is going to lose the NY-20 House special election that was contested in a heavily Republican district. This dispute is bound to stir more problems in the RNC, where many members have been grumbling that Steele isn’t the correct person for the job.
All you need to know about the current state of the Republican Party is that their most hotly debated issue revolves around calling the Democrats Socialists. They have become a party that is completely empty of ideas. One would think that they might be working counter proposals for the economy and healthcare, but no, they are busy complaining that Michael Steele won’t call Obama a Socialist. The GOP leadership does not understand that there is no quick fix to their problems. There isn’t some magic word that will take Obama’s popularity away. I think Steele is right, but the RNC will probably end up dumping him anyway.
(h/t: Think Progress)
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
