Michael Steele

At the CBN interview he gives a quick account of his reason for joining the RLC. He had made friends with Christie Todd Whitman through another event, and she invited him to become a board member.

The RLC calls for diversity on a variety of issues not just abortion, for example environmental issues. My suspicion is Steele joined as a way to highlight the need for racial diverity in the GOP.

As he tells it, they both thought it would send a good signal if a pro life Republican were a member (as I believe a few others besides Steele have been).

What is making confusion on the right (and particularly in this forum) is the equation of the word moderate as a synonym for "pro choice".

Moderate, of course, as a generic descriptor is no such thing. (Proof of which is the attitude toward Mike Huckabee, a pro life moderate, liberal, socialist to many movement conservatives).

Rather, moderate can refer to temperment. I.E., one is neither boisterous nor lethargic, or they are neither fully for or against one side or the other, but they are patiently and respectfully engaged: they are moderate, they are a moderating influence. Moderates recognize political realities and tend to be brokers, like Bob Dole.

IOW, another way to describe a moderate is as realists, whereas strong conservatives and strong liberals are idealists. Thus, where we get our term ideologue.

Ideologues are principled, but not very practical, and they view moderate practicality as unprincipled. Moderates view ideologues as long on pontificating, but short on dispute resolution.

As Southern Doc has noted Abraham Lincoln is a classic example of a quintessential moderate.

He was neither an abolitionist, nor a promoter of chattel slavery. He thought slavery repugnant, but he saw no federal role in addressing it, save stopping its expansion into new territories. Likely Lincoln would leave abortion up to the states.

My point about Michael Steele is a different one. That is, he is no different than Mr. Big Tent Lee Atwater, or Haley Barbour. All RNC chairman accept the will of local Republicans to nominate whom they wish, and all RNC chairman "support" such nominees, even if such nominees disagree with half the party platform (with rare notable exception, like David Duke).

What is a curious thing in this thread is folks nervousness about Steele's inclusivist comments, yet few seemed appalled that President Bush supported one of the most noterious RINO moderates and dissing a conservative with impeccable credentials, as discussed here: Tue Dec 02, 2008 2:06 am.

Next post I will disagree with Michael Steele.