Special Sunday Post: RNC Chairman Michael Steele’s bizarre interview with Univision’s Jorge Ramos
Posted on: November 3, 2009No comments yet
For months now, I’ve resisted trying to equate Michael Steele with Sarah Palin — a Republican Party choice (a.k.a. token) to appease a certain demographic. Palin was to appeal to women voters. Steele was to be the public olive branch to people of color.
The trouble is the Republican Party got more than what they bargained for with both of them. This morning’s interview between Michael Steele and Univision’s anchor Jorge Ramos, on the news show Al Punto, exemplifies the point beautifully.
Either Steele just doesn’t have the eloquence when it comes to thinking on your feet or he’s parroting Republican party rhetoric that I find hard to believe that Latino Republicans totally agree with. Either way, it makes for a bizarre exchange.
In fact, the whole interview, which touched on issues of racism and Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize, health care and the Hispanic vote, provides enough “blogger fodder” to last a couple of weeks.
But it’s one of those things that you have to believe for yourself. So, thanks to Univision’s PR dept. who sent Latina Lista the transcript of this morning’s interview, I republish it here — reserving the right to blog more about it this week.
TRANSCRIPT:
INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL STEELE
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2009
Jorge Ramos – Mr. Steele, thank you so much for talking to us. I really appreciate it.
Michael Steele – My pleasure.
Jorge Ramos – Let’s start talking about the Noble Peace Prize. I remember clearly that when leaders of Guatemala, Argentina and South Africa won the Noble Peace Prize most of the citizens were celebrating. That was not the case here in America when President Barack Obama won the Noble Peace Prize. Why do you really believe he has done nothing to deserve it?
Michael Steele – Well, I think the reality of it is given when the nomination process closed 11 days after the President’s inauguration it stretched credibility, certainly credulity to think that in 11 days the administration of this President had done anything to warrant such an honorable and notable distinction of service and I think that the bottom-line for a lot of Americans, and this is not about conservatives or about Republicans having anything to say. This is America across the political spectrum, kind of went and shook their head, and went wait a minute, this doesn’t sound right, it doesn’t feel right because the administration is just in its 9th month, 10th month of service to the nation. We’ve yet to see the full measure of what the President’s efforts are going to bare in term of the fruit of peace that would award that type of distinction.
Jorge Ramos – I want to get your opinion on this comment. As you know a few days ago, a few weeks ago, President Carter said that, according to him, that the opposition to President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man. Do you agree?
Michael Steele – no, no.
Jorge Ramos – For instance, when you hear commentators like Glenn Beck saying that for him President Barack Obama is a racist, with a deep seeded hatred for white people, how do you react?
Michael Steele – That’s one man’s opinion.
Jorge Ramos – Yes, but…
Michael Steele – That’s one man’s opinion.
Jorge Ramos – but should you defend Barack Obama against these types of comments? I don’t know, it’s just a question.
Michael Steele – No, no, look the reality of it is when I ran for the United States’ Senate and I was called an Uncle Tom by leading Democrats in the country, when I was called a slave by Steny Hoyer who is now the majority leader in the House no one came running to my defense and no one seemed to think that that was racists at the time. I don’t play the race card, I don’t play the race game, the way some tend to want to do. When people have legitimate and I think clear policy differences with the President of the United States, that’s not a racist issue, that is a policy based discrepancy or difference of opinion that we can have the debate about in the public square everyday, but, you know, I am sure you and I know I do, know real racism when it rears its ugly head. I rather fight that than to play the game that Jimmy Carter was playing.
