Obama understands responsibility of being 1st African America president, Steele doesn’t understand his

Today on Good Morning America, GOP Chairman Michael Steele, fended off the criticism surrounding his stewardship of the Republican party by implying that it could be racially motivated.

From the Huffington Post:

Appearing on "Good Morning America" Monday, Steele was asked whether he was being criticized unfairly over expenditures on items such as private jet travel, high-end hotels, and bondage-themed nightclubs, because of his race.

"The honest answer is, 'Yes,'" he said. "Barack Obama has a slimmer margin. A lot of folks do. It's a different role for me to play and others to play and that's just the reality of it. But you just take that as a part of the nature of it."

Now that Steele has his back up against the wall because of his spending, especially the spending associated with the lesbian bondage club incident, he is playing the race card.

This is just ridiculous, when Steele compares his struggles to that of President Obama he ignores that simple fact that whenever Obama’s race is relevant he conducts himself in a manner that many of us in the African American community can take pride in. As for Steele, when his race is relevant he often plays the role of the mistrel.

Writing in the Grio last week Dr. Boyce Watkins noted:

“One problem for Michael Steele, however, is that even if this story is not true, the public is going to believe that it is. The tale of the financially irresponsible black man is an easy sell to the American people, particularly among conservatives. Notice that the language used to describe Michael Steele as arrogant, out of touch and economically irresponsible is similar to the dialogue aimed at President Barack Obama.”

While Obama is comfortable in his skin and not afraid to speak in his Blackcent on occasion or engage in what some might consider behavior associated with being Black (playing basketball being my favorite), he carries himself in a manner that pushes back and challenges some of the most negative stereotypes associated with Black men.

Steele on the other hand seems to think his role at times is to play a character. Let’s not forget when he said the GOP needed a “hip-hop makeover” and that it was going to launch a public relations offensive that was going to be “off the hook.”

One of the funniest moments in Steele’s tenure as head of the GOP was when Obama mocked Steele to his face during the 2009 White House Correspondents’ Dinner saying:

"Michael Steele is in the house tonight. Or as he would say, 'In the heezy.' Wassup?"

Steele stood up to call attention to himself as if Obama was talking to him man-to-man, however he didn't realize the President was leading the world in laughing at him.

I believe that the GOP selected Steele to be their “cool Black guy” in response to the Democrats’ “cool Black guy.” The only problem is that Barack Obama is a thoughtful, competent, inspiring individual who wants to be a transformational leader and happens to be both cool and Black, whereas Steele is just a simple fool.