When Sen. John McCain revealed his improbable choice for vice president, the most immediate sentiment was perplexity. This impression fully cemented as the campaign dragged on, and it became increasingly apparent that the selection was not made because the governor possessed towering wisdom or brilliant political craft. Instead, it was viewed to be a cynical attempt to turn the disaffection of ex-Hillary supporters into GOP electoral bonanza. Just one problem âÄî Gov. Sarah Palin didnâÄôt actually represent the views of these voters, she was just a shill in heels hoping to fill a gap. New style, same substance. It hasnâÄôt taken long for the GOP to try it again. On Friday, the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee was passed to Michael Steele, the ex-Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, and the most visible member of the 36 African-American delegates at the 2008 GOP Convention (total delegates: 2,380). Although Steele has been an admitted critic of the âÄúcountry club GOP,âÄù not long after stepping into the chairmanship, he promptly chastised President Barack ObamaâÄôs plan to âÄúredistribute the wealth of the people of this nation.âÄù This critique bears passing resemblance to the failed campaign trail accusations of socialism and reflects that the change in leadership will not change in GOP politics or its attendant rhetoric. Meet the new boss; same as the old boss. With an increasingly diverse electorate, Republicans should make a concerted effort to court groups they have not historically attracted at the polls. However, their drift toward irrelevance can only stop if they start taking political positions that truly appeal to those groups, and they should expect nothing but disdain if they insist on peddling superficial change as political outreach. DonâÄôt hold your breath.