Steele takes lead; within six votes of win

Posted: Friday, January 30, 2009 3:31 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Michael Steele took the lead after the fifth round of voting in the race for RNC Chairman, overtaking South Carolina Party Chair Katon Dawson, 79-69.

Steele is now within six votes of becoming the first African American to lead the Republican Party, two months after Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States.

Almost immediately after the results were announced, Saul Anuzis, who garnered just 20 votes in the third round, took to the podium and withdrew. He declined to endorse either candidate.

Dawson needs a 16-4 split in the sixth and, likely, final round.

EMAIL THIS

Comments

"It seems like the record is skipping. I see the same post over and over again, "President Obama? Why isn't it President Obama", or as it's coming across I'll hold my breath till you say President Obama.

I believe the protocol is to Refer to the individual in the opening line by their office and name, and further references are open to other variations, Mr./Ms., full name, or first and last name, he, she. If you stick with the title through out it gets a little unwieldily for the person speaking, or writing." - Mike, Nashua NH
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Mike, I assure you I am not going to hold my breath. I opted for shoe throwing instead! :)

Your protocol is 100% correct, and it is that "opening line by their office and name" that is the problem. That is not being done Mike. Repeatedly.

Thanks for your concern.

Nashville_fan (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 3:46 PM)

Maybe I'm naive, but I'm hoping that this indicates a change in tone from the divisive rhetoric of the lunatic fringe. Maybe the party will reject the rantings Lord Limbaugh, Crazy Coulter, Hysterical Hannity, and the rest of the toxic talk group that the GOP has allowed to define them. As an African-American, I congratulate Steel and wish him all the best. Despite his party affiliation, this is indeed another milestone.

Day 10 of 100
http://jawillie.blog.com

jawillie, Philadelphia, PA. (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 3:49 PM)

Who are THEY trying to kid? It's almost like, "I'll see your African American and raise you one." Pleeze. When have they EVER been for a minority......especially an African American? They DO realize slavery has been abolished, don't they? (Better remind them in the Bible belt).

Diane from Illinois (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 3:51 PM)

I can HARDLY Wait !!

What'll it be Cancer of Polio ??

How EXCITING !!

MSierra, SF (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 3:57 PM)

I am so laughing that the evangelical christian lunatic fringe is about to lose control of the party they wrecked. I will be so awaiting the premature ejaculation of hate and outrage from Mount Lushmore. Viagra Boy is not going to take this lying down and I can't wait for his vitriol of hatred towards the repugnant ones who defied him.

Prison for rove!

Eric, Salinas, CA (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 3:59 PM)

They are the ones who abolished it!!! Get a life

Luigi,MD (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 3:59 PM)

Why on earth would an African American want to be a Republican in the first place? Wonders never cease.

moir (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:00 PM)

Maybe the party will reject the rantings Lord Limbaugh, Crazy Coulter, Hysterical Hannity
------------------------------------------------------
When are the Democrats going to reject the unhinged rantings of Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow?

Claire (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:02 PM)

Diane from Illinois, is everything about race with you? I thought we were in a post-racial era. I see you're having trouble letting go.

Erica, Salinas CA (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:03 PM)

Pete - Albany, NY (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:03 PM)

This is really funny to watch the competing parts of the RNC duke it out. This is only happening because each state gets equal representation. Thus all the states that the GOP are losing ground in want to see the party shift towards the center. But even if they elect Steele, it won't change the fact that the Democrats in power in Washington are ultra conservative and proud of it.

Kelly (from Pittsburgh) (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:10 PM)

I wonder what their token thought of the "Barack the magic negro" GOP mix tape? He must be very proud of his party. Remember the GOP brought us, "Macaca", "Islamo-facists", "B. Hussein" and who could forget, "I don't trust him, he's a muslim".
The GOP, political arm of the KKK.

Eric Rudolph(R) (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:11 PM)

"When are the Democrats going to reject the unhinged rantings of Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow?"

Please find me one video or audio of Rachel Maddow engaging in a "rant." Agree with her or not, she always maintains a calm, respectful demeanor.

Michael (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:12 PM)

phoney and disingenuious! Republicans will not follow the lead of any African American. Period. They are just boosting Steele in hopes to get some minorities, who they really don't want in the first place, on their side. It won't work and Steele, bless his heart, will not be respected one iota for any of his efforts to lead this racist, backwards, pin headed party!

jodi, central jersey (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:15 PM)

I'm a true blue Dem, but I must remind Diane for Illinois that the Republicans once had a proud tradition of supporting Black rights - at least until 1876, when Rutherford B Hayes promised three southern states that he would pull the union's troops, in exchange for their electoral votes.

The southern states responded by disenfranchising Black voters.

Before that, however, Thaddeus Stevens, the GOP (if we could really call a 10-year-old political party "Grand Old") speaker of the House, fought for legislation that would provide land and income for recently-freed slaves. They just don't make Republicans like him anymore.

Throughout the 20th Century, there was an occasional Repub that fought for racial equality. But those days are long gone.

Tony Mendocino, Barstow, CA (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:16 PM)

Keith O is great!

Steele will not change the mantra of the Repukes. Maybe he will be good for the recruitment of 4 or 5 other black folk (his family) for the Repukes. In addition, he can add the Preacher Joe Watkins, and the even crazier Ron Christi as advisors.....

Remember that Repuke Convention.....the cameras panning the floor found it hard, if not impossible to find minorities of any shade.....can't deny that!

Wait till Rush gets into this one.....he sure will fire up the base.....WINK!

What have the Repukes done lately? OMG, it's a nightmare if I try to remember!

Ed, San Antonio (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:20 PM)

As an African-American, I congratulate Steel and wish him all the best. Despite his party affiliation, this is indeed another milestone.
jawillie, Philadelphia, PA

Are you a betting man?
Pete - Albany, NY

I wouldn't be surprised if Dawson gets the 16-4 split, but even if Steele is elected, while that would be progress from a racial stand point, Steele is a right wing social conservative.

who would want the job? (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:21 PM)

Diane, the racist from Illinois: Do your research before you open your mouth and spew hatred. Bush appointed quite a few blacks in quite a few prominent positions.

No Racisim (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:21 PM)

Diane, from Illinois

Slavery has been abolished...and I believe it was a Republican president who got it done.

And what does slavery have to do with this blog post anyway?

Jill F., Tulsa, OK (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:21 PM)

He just won. Good - maybe he can change the tone of the RNC. I hope!

cindy, Las Vegas, Nv (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:22 PM)

So...they are actually getting a little better at the game. Instead of an old white guy they picked the black white guy. Or is he the white black guy? I'm so confused! :-)

Syko, NY (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:23 PM)

STEELE IS THE FRONT RUNNER FOR HEAD GOP LEADER OH MAN NOW THAT IS FUNNY AS HELL THAT GUY IS AS BAD AS HANNITY FAT MOUTH RUSS L AND CRAZY COULTER HE IS JUST THE HOUSE NEGRO THEY DESERVE. HE WILL FIT RIGHT IN HE IS NOT FOR HIS PEOPLE THIS JERK IS A RACIST AGAINST HIS OWN PEOPLE.YEA I WISH HIM A LOT OF LUCK ALONG WITH HIS BUDDY JUAN WILLIAMS TRUST ME THEY WILL KEEP HANNITY GOOD AND HAPPY GLENN BECK AND O'REILLY WILL LOVE THIS I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL KEITH COMES ON.

SANDRA (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:24 PM)

Luigi,MD (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 3:59 PM)
- They are the ones who abolished it!!! Get a life

The current Republicans are the one's who abolished slavery? I think not. I knew Abraham Lincoln and his supporters and the current members of the Republican leaderhip and party are no Abraham Lincoln or his supporters. In fact, those who strongly support the republican party today and the majority of their base hail from the south. At the time of the abolishment of slavery they would have been on the opposing end.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:25 PM)

Mr. Steele is socially conservative (pro-life, for traditional marriage) as are a large majority of african americans who have to check their conscience at the door to vote democratic. Hopefully now they'll begin to have more options than to vote for the extremist left-leaning, immoral Hollywood influenced Dem party.

reality (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:27 PM)

Are you a betting man?
Pete - Albany, NY (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:03 PM)

==========
Well, Martin Luther King had a dream, and look who's sitting in the White House. It can happen.

Day 10 of 100
http://jawillie.blog

jawillie, Philadelphia, PA. (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:30 PM)

As an African American, I, too, congratule Steele.

That being said, he will do NOTHING TO CONVINCE ME TO EVER VOTE REPUBLICAN!!!!

Kevin ST Pete, FL (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:37 PM)

As an African American, I, too, congratulate Steele.

That being said, he will do NOTHING TO CONVINCE ME TO EVER VOTE REPUBLICAN!!!!

Kevin ST Pete, FL (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:45 PM)

When are the Democrats going to reject the unhinged rantings of Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow?
Claire (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:02 PM)

==========
Forgive me, but I don't recall a Democratic politician criticizing Keith O., then later PUBLICLY groveling at his feet for his forgiveness. Do you?

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/18067.html

Day 10 of 100
http://jawillie.blog.com

jawillie, Philadelphia, PA. (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 4:50 PM)

Show me the Republican racism? I challenge anyone here to prove it. Show me pure, 100% Republican racism! What's racist is the fact that the left wing blames everything on White people. And before you even start; I'm not white. White people wouldn't know what racism is if it punched them in the face.

DDH, Lake Oswego, OR (Sent Friday, January 30, 2009 5:51 PM)

SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

Your name, city and state (John Doe, Seattle, Wash.):

Your e-mail address (jdoe@msnbc.com):

Your website (it's okay if you don't have one):

Remember me? (We'll keep it private) Remember me?

TRACKBACKS

Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/trackback.aspx?PostID=1774697