Steele as McCain’s running mate?

- According to Marc Ambinder at The Atlantic, former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele will accompany Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain to the NAACP convention in Cincinnati. Steele became the first African-American to chair a state Republican party when he was elected chair of the Maryland Republican Party in 2000.

Steele has been mentioned in some Republican circles as a potential VP pick for McCain. Hip Hop Republican launched a petition to convince Sen. McCain to select Steele as his running mate back in February.

Is Steele really a possible VP pick? With the recent buzz from some black Republicans potentially supporting Sen. Barack Obama, adding Steele to the ticket could potentially bring back those voters (and as we saw in 2000 – small numbers can make a significant difference.) For those black Republicans who feel conflicted between backing someone who more closely aligns with their views and the historical nature of the Obama candidacy, would an African-American in the VP slot suffice?

As far as reasons beyond race go, as chair of GOPAC (an organization dedicated to getting Republicans elected to state and local office), it would stand to reason that he has built up some goodwill at the grassroots level in local communities throughout the country. As a commentator on FOX News, Steele has built up some degree of name recognition.

While the knock on McCain is that he is so old, his Secret Service name is probably Methuselah – Steele is young, not quite 50 and I’m willing to bet he knows how to use a computer.

With all of the excitement Obama has generated, the GOP needs to do something to generate some excitement on their side. In a perfect world, all elections would be based on issues and the ability to lead – but the fact that Flavor of Love lasted 3 seasons lets you know the world is far from perfect. Let’s be real here – another white man on the Republican side is not gonna cut it. The pick will likely be a women or a person of color. You can’t beat making history with repeating it. And there are several potential picks (Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin also come to mind) who are qualified in their own respects, but bring diversity to the ticket as an added plus.

For those who think the idea of Steele on the ticket is outlandish – how many folks thought we’d have a McCain-Obama matchup this time last summer?

Felicia R. Harvey is the Editor of BlackPoliticsontheWeb.com