Danet Gets Big Endorsement From RNC Chairman Michael Steele
RNC Chairman Michael Steele, right, endorsed Republican Candidate Vince Danet, left, who is challenging incumbent Democrat Donna M. Christensen and St. Croix Atty. Jeffrey B.C. Moorhead for the US Delegate to Congress seat, shown here with Mrs. Gertrude, whose establishment hosted Saturday's event.
Vince Danet’s campaign for Delegate to Congress got a huge visibility boost on Saturday when Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele came to St. Croix to endorse him.
In an appearance to a group of the party faithful at Gertrude’s restaurant, Steele praised Danet in his quest for the Delegate’s seat saying, “I like your style, I like your message,” and added, “Don’t apologize for not being a politician – it’s a blessing.”
Danet will face Democratic incumbent Donna Christensen and No Party challenger Atty. Jeffrey B.C. Moorhead in the delegate race in November.
Steele characterized the reemergence of the Republican party as a “Renaissance” and assured those in attendance that the Virgin Islands plays an equal role to party members on the mainland in “helping us grow the party, win elections but most importantly, to affirm the values of the Party.”
“Don’t let anyone tell you that we can’t have a presence or we can’t win,” he said. “We can have a presence – we can win in the Virgin Islands.”
Steele was introduced at the meeting by local Republican National Committeeman and radio personality Holland Redfield, who praised him for “doing an outstanding job as the National Chairman of our Party.”
Steele was upbeat in his message, and he asked to group to keep one basic principle in mind.
“I don’t know what the outcome is going to be in November but I know this – we win they lose,” he said.
And the mission of the party should be to “do everything we can to help this man (Danet) represent our goals, our aspirations, in the United State Congress – that’s our struggle, that’s our stragety, that’s our goal.”
Steele emphasized the growing Party diversity, citing the 118 African American candidates representing the party in the upcoming elections, and said that Virgin Islands Republicans are “a representation of what’s going on around the country,” adding that the “new” Republican candidates  “look and sound like everyone in this room.”
He attributed the rebirth of the party to the disillusionment of many with Democratic President Barack Obama’s administration, saying that when Obama took office, “the kool aid was flowing,” but said that after disappointment began to set in with the Administration’s actions “the eyes of the American people were open and they began to speak their mind.”
He said the public began to realize that, “the leadership in front of you couldn’t answer the question – the leadership in front of you essentially blew you off,” and that instead of being part of the solution, they were part of the problem and created “too much government; too much debt.”
He asked the group not to “get caught up in the hype of media and polls – there is real hard work to be done,” and said that this is an historic and exciting time for the party.
“For the first time in history, we are competing in every region, every state, every county and every community – we have a campaign and a candidate,” he said.
He thanked the group for remaining true to the party, “despite the noise, despite the storm,” and reminded them that the mission is greater than simply garnering votes.
“We don’t win just by going to the poll and winning the election,” he said. “We win by carrying a message that people can believe in again.”
And he said that although the party has had some tough times in recent years, the outlook has never been more positive.
“Now here we stand on this precipice where we can win again,” he said. “This is our Renaissance and I am so proud to be a part of it.”
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What does all of these irelevant questions have to do with making the Virgin Islands better? Stop hating people Senator Donastorg. Your nightmare will be over in less than 3 weeks.
Mr. Whitehead (Malik Sekou) had an identity crisis and perhaps thought that by choosing a Islamic name he could also put some distance between him and his Jewish ancestral lineage. The adoption of Arab names was very common with the black power movement of the 60′s. The removal of their “Christian name” in favor of a North African slave trader’s name never made sense but that was the fad during the “Black Power” movement’s zenith and “struggle.”
@ Anon 10:01
Your such an blatant idiot. Malik change his name because as a young child the father who should have nuture & protected him abandon him and his older brother. He end up in foster care which lasted for 12 yrs. He has a right to do what he wanted with his name since his given name didn’t mean anything to him. If you ever felt no connection to your family you cut a new path for your generation hoping not to make the same mistakes. That’s why he an protective nurturing and involved father/grandfather.
Ha! Sick and tired is Malik Sekou! Mapp your campaign gets mor funny by the second. Ha! Ha!
Check Sekou discharge records from the US Navy. There’s a reason why he changed his name. Remember Rodney Miller?
Ayo really pushing it real far, desperation make people talk crap. Look how you attack peoples children. This ain’t helping you to keep those jobs that your so protecting.
I am not Malik, but I know his story well.
If you know Malik well you will also know that he don’t believe in God.
What?!? IF someone does not believe in God then they are of the devil. Period!
Keep attacking every other candidate Senator Donastorg. It’s getting you votes by the second.
I have a question. Is it or is it not a FACT right now that Mapp was paid off by prosser? Exactly, those are official legal documents in which represents this proof. Mapp needs to publicly address this situation. If not, he has lost my support.
Oh, and Vince Danet will not beat Donna or Jeff.
Leave Donastorg alone, ok. He’s the front runner so now all of you are attacking him. Foncie didn’t tell Mapp to take all that bribe money from Prosser and Foncie didn’t tell de Jongh to be the worst Governor in VI history.
If Malik Sekou doesn’t believe in God he is hurting himself and damning soul to an eternity in hell. Foncie didn’t tell Malik Sekou not to believe in the Almighty Heavenly Father and his son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
So just leave Donastorg alone and keep him out of you all mess. Thank you.
At least give Vince and Jeff credit for entering the arena. The best thing in our system of politics is a strong challenge to keep the incumbent honest and respectful of the people’s will. In her case just getting on the radio reading releases of grant money from Executive Branch agencies, initiative she had nothing to do with at all, is deception. DeLugo was a master of taking credit for things he didn’t know about. Donna is right behind him waiting for a courtesy press release from some government grant program so she can make it appear she had something to do with it when she didn’t.
Ditto
She and deJongh claimed credit for a 59$ million grant to lay bandwidth. Newsflash: Obama and the Congress through the AMerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act are to thank, and not your nonvoting self. And they claim the 200 temporary jobs. Lame. You bozos don’t realize that in the words of the Cosby character Cockroach, “We reads.”
Honestly, though – the Delegate to Congress position does little more than remind the US that we exist. We have no vote on the floor. Even if we changed the Delegate every term it wouldn’t make that much difference as to what can be accomplished. But the perks are lovely.
Thats the sad truth about out delegate to congress. A lobbyist for BP has more power than our delegate.