Lola Adesioye

Now that RNC Chair Michael Steele has apologized to Rush Limbaugh, in their mini-battle over who is the de-facto leader of the Republican party, does this mean that Republican party members – that is, actual politicians – consider Limbaugh their leader?! From the way it’s going, it looks like it may be Obama v Limbaugh in the run for president in 2012! 

Limbaugh is undeniably very powerful. But the fact that someone with his own agenda and views, someone who is unaccountable to the party, seems to be shaping the party (and public perceptions of it) more than those inside the party can – and away from the agenda that many think Republicans should be taking – should be very worrying to Republicans. Not least because it gives Democrats a perfect opportunity to frame the Republicans as a lost party who are stuck in the past. 

In apologizing and deferring to Limbaugh, Steele missed out on a opportunity of his own to take back the leadership and put it back squarely where it belongs – with those within the party.

He was right to take on Limbaugh. He should have stuck to his line and emphasised the difference between what the Republican party is currently trying to do under Steele’s new (but somewhat flawed) vision and what Limbaugh is doing. He should have pushed Limbaugh to the fringes and not been afraid to continue to assert that Limbaugh’s show is ‘incendiary’ and ‘ugly’.

But by apologizing to him – and he actually said (why oh why?) that he didn’t want to dimish Limbaugh’s “voice or leadership” – he’s instead made Limbaugh look stronger. This is bearing in mind that Limbaugh is just a media guy, not an elected official. There is a leadership void in the GOP and Limbaugh shouldn’t be allowed to be the one to fill it. But now, by not standing up to him not only does Steele look weak, but the entire party looks weak. 

No doubt the battle between Steele and Limbaugh has only just begun… But next time around, Steele needs to stand up to Limbaugh. Isn’t Steele trying to be gangsta these days?! There’s nothing hip hop about the way he’s acting right now.