Michael Steele: GOP now a hat, not a big tent
Image by Getty Images via Daylife
Here’s a riddle for you: When does your political party go from being a big tent to being a hat?
Answer: When the tent collapses and lands on your head.
Michael Steele, the chairman of the RNC, has put forth another new re-branding idea. As his first one—giving the GOP a hip-hop makeover—wasn’t received all that well, Steele headed back to the drawing board in search of a concept so simple and intuitive that it could not be misread by the American public. What he has come up with, however, doesn’t seem likely to go down in the annals of marketing history as much of a winner.
For years, you see, people have referred to the Republican party as “a big tent”, but times change, and so too must nicknames. So, from now on Steele would have you refer to the GOP simply as “a hat”. Undercover video (watch it here) captures Steele laying out the rationale for the image update:
“Now you hear a lot of talk about the party being a ‘big tent’, right? We’ve all heard that, but nobody really knows what the hell that means. Really, really, I mean, you know, your view of what the big tent is could be 180 degrees from where his is. Because you’ve got this whole little list of things in your head, yeah, this makes it a big tent, and you kind of look at it and go, yeah, well, I guess it’s a tent, but I don’t know how big it is.”
As metaphors go, Steele argues, the “big tent” is simply too vague. Really, other than implying that the Republican party is large and inviting to people of diverse backgrounds and ideological interests, what the hell do the words “big tent” even mean?
Enter the hat, a metaphor so fool-proof, it is guaranteed to impart its meaning to all who hear it. So, close your eyes, and picture a hat. A baseball hat, on the front of which can be read the letters G-O-P. Take it away Mr. Steele:
“In the Midwest, you guys like to wear it a little bit to the right. In the South you guys wear the brim straight ahead. Now in the Northeast, I wear my hat backwards, you know, ’cause that’s how we roll in the Northeast.”
It could be worse, I suppose. I mean, Steele could have gone with a visor instead of a baseball hat, forever cementing the Republican party and the game of golf once and for all. But, seriously, baseball hats are better than a big tent? I guess if you’re trying to attract younger voters (and, to be fair, Steele was addressing a gathering of College Republicans, many of whom, no doubt, do wear baseball hats in a variety of ways) then that particular style of hat makes some sense. But then why not just go the whole hog and liken the GOP to a Wii console? Wii is super cool, after all, and it can play all kinds of games.
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Considering the way the party is shrinking I think a yarmulke would probably be about the right size for the “new GOP”.
If the GOP is a hat, it is probably one of those tin foil ones, designed to keep out the alien brain scanning. The GOP has become the party that sees conspiracy around every corner, and in every move the Democrats make, or even talk about making.
If the GOP is a hat, it is probably one of those old-style one. Bowler, pork pie, fedora, something along those lines. Mostly worn by old, white, men. Everyone else who wears it isn’t exactly happy, but they don’t have much of a choice.
If the GOP is a hat, it is probably a propeller beanie. It is very hard to take it seriously, but they are so earnest, and keep trying so hard.
[...] Then he added, “The comment was hers, not mine,” claiming that Michelle Obama made a recent remark about humans descending from apes. The Daily News could find no such comment. One wonders if DePass feels the same way about RNC chairman Michael Steele. [...]
[...] One wonders if DePass feels the same way about RNC chairman Michael Steele. [...]
iskid,
Maybe I should change the title of the piece to “The GOP is a Propeller-Beanie Hat.”
David,
This is why I have argued that the Republican Party needs 12 years to rebuild its base and platform from scratch. They seem a little out of touch. When the most recognizable Republicans are Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh; you’re in big trouble if, say…you’re Michael Steele. I recommend they embrace the Fez. Sure, it’s not cool, but neither are they.
Even if President Obama continues his trend of alienating his own supporters, such as gays, a Republican being elected isn’t going to happen anytime soon. All President Obama has to do now is alienate the young, the Hispanics and slash Medi-Care for the elderly. Then a new star will rise in the Democratic Party that might keep a promise or two. I haven’t heard an excuse yet why he has totally screwed the gay community, but he has. Man, I’d have to look, but I am sure an Incumbent President has lost to someone from his own party at some point.
I know I should be talking about the Republican Party, but they just are not in touch with themselves, let alone anyone else. I feel even if Obama blows big time and winds up a one-term President, he will be replaced by a Democrat.
Sandy