Dear Republicans: Please stop trying to be cool

Once again, the GOP's efforts to seem hip and in touch end up just being embarrassing.

Published February 27, 2009 3:15PM (EST)

Newsflash: Sometimes, when you make really, really obvious and very ham-handed attempts to be cool, they backfire. No, seriously. Now, if someone could tell the GOP?

Two quotes, both taken from one session at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday, illustrate this point perfectly. First, from Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele:

"Tonight, we tell America: we know the past, we know we did wrong. My bad. But we go forward in appreciation of the values that brought us to this point."

Maybe it's just me, but I think dismissing the GOP's recent faults with a simple "my bad" isn't exactly the way to win voters back.

Still, at least what Steele said was less cringe-worthy than what someone else at the panel said about him. Here's Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann:

"Michael Steele! You be da man! You be da man!"


By Alex Koppelman

Alex Koppelman is a staff writer for Salon.

MORE FROM Alex Koppelman


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Michael Steele Michele Bachmann R-minn.