Over at the Spectator, I think Philip Klein has come up with the definitive cinematic reference for RNC Chairman Michael Steele:
In 1983, Woody Allen made the mockumentary film Zelig about a man who longs for approval so badly that he changes to fit the people who are surrounding him. The movie may as well have been written about Michael Steele, who continues to tie himself in knots as part of his effort to reach out to moderates.
If I recall, Zelig didn't really talk though. He simply adopted the physical characteristics of everyone around him like a chameleon on a leaf. It was a kind of evolutionary survival instinct, and metaphorically, a commentary on Jews and cultural assimilation. Steele's attempts to impress the people around him are rather more active and personal, as well as self-destructive.
In the meantime, Steele seems to have backed off his abortion remarks. But I actually think the ones on gays may be harder to explain away in the long run.
-- A. Serwer
