Mr. Steele announced his decision in a conference call with supporters and officials of the 168-member RNC on Monday evening.
Mr. Steele ended the 40-minute call by playing what Mr. Bopp described as the "race card."
"Who you elect as our next Chairman will speak volumes about our willingness to truly be the party of Lincoln," Mr. Steele said.
Steele's decision shows not only his ignorance but his hubris.
Many were surprised by Mr. Steele's decision to run again.
"Most members think he doesn't have the votes to win, and it would not be healthy for the RNC either to run or be re-elected," said Tennessee RNC member John Ryder. "While he has done some positive things, the overall consequences of his chairmanship has been to reduce the effectiveness of the RNC."
Mr. Steele was elected to the position in January 2009 after one term as the lieutenant governor of Maryland and an unsuccessful 2006 run for the U.S. Senate.
A number of potential replacements have been emerged as challengers or potential challengers to Mr. Steele, including former Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, Wisconsin GOP Chairman Reince Priebus, former George W. Bush administration official Maria Cino, former Michigan GOP chairman Saul Anuzis, former Missouri GOP chairwoman Ann Wagner and former RNC Political Director Gentry Collins.
Mr. Collins' very public resignation last month, complete with a parting shot at Mr. Steele's management, was one of a number of personnel clashes that occurred under Mr. Steele's watch.
Ms. Cino, the latest candidate to enter the race, took at shot at Mr. Steele's leadership in a letter to RNC members over the weekend, writing, "We need to turn our party around to reach its full potential."
Remember, Steele didn't think we could take back the House. He has led the RNC into situations of dubious nature with some of the expenditures. But, this is typical of the Republican Party. It seems snatching defeat or humiliation from the jaws of victory is something not only the Ohio GOP does.
Michael Steele, in arrogant liberal fashion, calls names:
Well, Mr. Bopp is an idiot. If he took that away from, and I don’t want to be crass and I don’t want to throw stones at him, but I just think that’s an idiotic statement to make. I refer to myself as a Lincoln Republican, that’s who I am. I define myself through the party origins, the party that spoke to and about the freedom and emancipation of all people, not just black folks. ...
