Michael Steele to base

Ah, the incredible, shrinking GOP. Perhaps you heard GOP Chairman Michael Steele's assessment of the Romney campaign the other night. Steele said:

"Remember, it was the base that rejected Mitt because of his switch on pro-life, from pro-choice to pro-life. It was the base that rejected Mitt because it had issues with Mormonism.

"I mean, I hear what you’re saying, but before we even got to a primary vote, the base had made very clear they had issues with Mitt because if they didn’t, he would have defeated John McCain in those primaries in which he lost."

Romney mouthpiece Eric Fehrnstrom responded to Steele’s comment: "Sometimes when you shoot from the hip you miss the target. This is one of those times.”

Then Gail Gitcho shot back for Steele, saying: "Chairman Steele regrets the way his comments have been interpreted. Chairman Steele believes Mitt Romney is a respected and influential voice in the Republican Party and looks to his leadership and ideas to help move our party and our nation in the right direction."

Exactly what is the Republican base? Does anyone know? The “base” Steele refers to is the old Christian Coalition that is certain Mormons aren’t Christians and therefore neither is Mitt Romney.

Karl Rove’s “base” was anyone you could buy with a promise of entitlement. He saw the conservatives dwindling and tried to throw out the baby with the bath water. Well, no one recognizes the baby any more.

So, Steele is critical of just about everyone at this point. Does he have a particular person in mind for the 2012 candidate? From his point-of-view it isn’t Palin. It isn’t Limbaugh. It isn’t Romney.

Does Steele have a GOP philosophy in mind? Specter said that the GOP was moving too far to the right. That’s odd. When did that happen? Was McCain an example of that shift to the right? I don’t think so.

Where does Steele see the GOP right now? Today? Is it too conservative? Too liberal? What is his take on the current fiscal and social positions?

These are tough questions and it will take great leadership to answer them.

But alienating the most visible party members as he has a talent of doing does not bode well for the GOP.

He would do better making hay with the constant folly of the Democrats in control right now rather than destroying what little unity is left.