Fun with Kaplan
After all of last week’s sturm und drang about weighty subjects like bombing Iran and the fate of a Manhattan branch of the Burlington Coat Factory, I’m going to take a break and send some stupid question to Washington Post reporters during their chats. Not too much luck with the answers so far:
Q. On “Meet the Press” this weekend, your colleague David Broder was talking a potential Greene-Marceaux Unity 12 ticket? Any chance we’ll see that? How would they do in a general election? Given the possibility of an unpopular president and a divisive Republican nominee (think Palin), I would have think they’ve got a reasonable shot.
– August 16, 2010 11:17
A. CHRIS CILLIZZA WRITES:
Riiight.Nice BasilMarceauxdotcom reference though.
[.....]
SERIOUS, PRINCIPLED CONSERVATIVES
Q. Do the last few months signal a return to power for serious, principled conservatives? I have been very impressed with brainac wonks Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor. Are they the future of conservatism?– August 16, 2010 11:12 AM Permalink
A. CHRIS CILLIZZA WRITES:
If you are looking for the next generation of GOP leaders, I would look to governors races actually.Nikki Haley (S.C.), Susana Martinez (N.M.), Briand Sandoval (Nev.) and Meg Whitman (Calif.) all have a legit chance of winning and, if they do, would immediately be players on the national stage.
August 16, 2010 11:47 am
Posted in: Bring on the Brawndo!
34 Comments
34 Responses
GambitRF - August 16, 2010 | 11:52 am · Link
What, no love for the guy in Colorado who exposed the secret United Nations bike-share program conspiracy in Denver?
beltane - August 16, 2010 | 11:54 am · Link
The Village is really hustling this “Brown Republican” thing. Anything to avoid discussing the white supremacist base of the Republican party.
Daddy-O - August 16, 2010 | 11:54 am · Link
Who says blogging ain’t hard work?
;-)
DougJ - August 16, 2010 | 11:58 am · Link
@GambitRF:
I’ll do that tomorrow.
sacman701 - August 16, 2010 | 12:02 pm · Link
Cantor is not a wonk. He’s a hack like Boehner and Pence, maybe 5% smarter than they are. I’ve never seen him say anything even approaching a good point about any policy issue.
Indie Tarheel - August 16, 2010 | 12:06 pm · Link
Being smarter than either Pence or Agent Orange is a low bar, but Cantor still manages to trip over it on a regular basis.
ChrisS - August 16, 2010 | 12:07 pm · Link
@sacman701:
You almost picked up on the sarcasm. Good luck next time.
Linda Featheringill - August 16, 2010 | 12:09 pm · Link
Cantor is such a disappointment.
He looks intelligent [please don’t ask me to explain that].
I’ve always thought he was cute. But he spouts such nonsense every time he opens his mouth.
Maybe he is a male version of the Hasselbach syndrome [people that Linda find sexy except that they are total idiots].
Pangloss - August 16, 2010 | 12:09 pm · Link
Is Meg Whitman going to be a player on the national stage like Pete Wilson?
What’s all this I hear about this Jindal guy down in Louisiana?
ChrisS - August 16, 2010 | 12:13 pm · Link
@beltane:
I still can’t believe that the GOP, seeing that Hillary Clinton could have won the nomination, decided that their best bet was to run a woman, any woman, too. And seeing the Barack Obama did win the nomination, they decided that what the kids really wanted was a black man. Any black man. Enter Michael Steele.
Continuing with no change in direction from heading so far right they’re left, the future of the GOP apparently isn’t with the 95% white male caucus, but the half-dozen minorities.
Davis X. Machina - August 16, 2010 | 12:18 pm · Link
Anybody who was, or is, or is going to be a governor is going to have a hard time getting into the White House. Being a governor during a recession means pissing a lot of people off, so you have a hard time staffing and scaffolding a campaign with people from your last gubernatorial campaign—they’re all radioactive.
Caribou Barbie had the right idea. One-termer. Get elected. Hand out checks. Quit.
beltane - August 16, 2010 | 12:19 pm · Link
@ChrisS: If you are a member of a minority group, joining the GOP may not be a bad option. No matter who you are, you will be pretty much guaranteed a leadership position.
soonergrunt - August 16, 2010 | 12:21 pm · Link
@sacman701: His hair is nice, though.
@DougJ: If you can get them to answer a question about Newt and moral leadership, I’ll try to find someone to lick your balls.
Brief shot of potentially good news:
The mass (doc won’t call it a ‘tumor’ for some reason) does not appear to have invaded (his term) the ventricular chamber. It appears to be on the outside of the heart. “This seems to indicate a benign growth.”
I had a 12-lead EKG done in walking, sitting, and lying down positions. No “gross abnormalities,” which I take to mean that there’s nothing obviously wrong, but the cardiologist has to look at it first.
potentially bad news:
I met with a cardiovascular surgeon right after meeting with the oncologist. His concern is that the mass is sitting right on top of an artery and may be crushing it or diverting the blood from where it’s supposed to go. That the mass has appropriated a blood supply seems to be rather ominous, but maybe I misunderstood him. He wants to take this thing out as soon as practical. I’m going to meet with an anesthesiologist this afternoon before I go see the lawyer.
It occurs to me that I might not have been very clear the other day. I’m going to see the lawyer to get my will and power of attorney updated. There was some speculation that I might be looking to sue somebody. That is not the case.
Steve - August 16, 2010 | 12:22 pm · Link
To be fair, Eric Cantor does wear glasses.
soonergrunt - August 16, 2010 | 12:23 pm · Link
@ChrisS: Look for Marco Rubio to replace Steele as chairman after he looses the Senate race to Crist.
Rubio is the right kind of hispanic for them after all.
martha - August 16, 2010 | 12:25 pm · Link
@soonergrunt: Ah, the good news/sort-of-good news/maybe not-so-good news scenario. My best thoughts are with you and yours. And smart about the lawyer—it’s good to have stuff in order, even when you won’t need it for decades…
gogol's wife - August 16, 2010 | 12:31 pm · Link
@soonergrunt:
My best wishes to you. I always enjoy your comments.
scav - August 16, 2010 | 12:40 pm · Link
@soonergrunt: Dr.s do sorta excel at that let’s not go overboard with the good news and let’s explore all the possible outcomes conceivable vibe. On the whole, sounds solid and something concrete to work through which tends toward good. Best wishes.
Amanda in the South Bay - August 16, 2010 | 12:46 pm · Link
In all seriousness, (though snark can be added) you shouldve asked if Hayley would have ever had a chance in the GOP if she hadn’t converted to fundygelical Protestantism.
ChrisS - August 16, 2010 | 12:57 pm · Link
@beltane:
No shit. Unfortunately, I’m not a minority.
That’s why my personal plan for wealth generation depends on another heavily subsidized wing of the GOP: Climate Skepticism.
I’m a trained scientist (BS Environmental Science) and unlike
mostall of the prominent skeptics, I’ve taken a climate course and an energy & environment course. So I think I should be able to charge a premium tolie through my teethfight back against the conspiracy perpetuated by ivory tower academics with no real world experience who are trying to ruin America (Fuck Yeah!) by having everybody live in yurts. Al Gore is a hefty man, as well. Too.Phyllis - August 16, 2010 | 1:01 pm · Link
Nikki Haley on a national stage. That’ll be lotsa fun to watch. She’s one humorless chick, but she makes up for it by being rather dim.
Scuffletuffle - August 16, 2010 | 1:17 pm · Link
Best wishes for the bestest of all outcomes, Soonergrunt. I expect to be reading your pithy comments for years to come.
WayneL - August 16, 2010 | 1:33 pm · Link
“Brainiac Republicans”? Does such a thing exist any longer? I thought natural selection had produced a species doomed to extinction.
Seriously. If Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor are stars, and bush league candidates in rigged elections are the future, then I can’t wait for twenty-somethings to grow up and take over from us idiot geezers.
Karen in GA - August 16, 2010 | 1:38 pm · Link
Soonergrunt: adding my voice to the choir. I wish you all the best.
Bret - August 16, 2010 | 2:12 pm · Link
I’m Basil Marceaux dot com.
trollhattan - August 16, 2010 | 2:22 pm · Link
@DougJ I just luvz it when you mess up the WaPo sandbox. More, please.
trollhattan - August 16, 2010 | 2:26 pm · Link
@soonergrunt:
Holleeshit, that’s some first-rate medical misadventure you’ve embarked upon. Here’s wishing for a straightforward and completely positive outcome!
Ash Can - August 16, 2010 | 2:38 pm · Link
@soonergrunt: Adding my best wishes. Very glad to hear that there’s good news, even if it’s qualified. Here’s looking forward to getting it all resolved quickly and smoothly.
thalarctos - August 16, 2010 | 5:00 pm · Link
@Ash Can: I’ll drink to that. Cheers, soonergrunt! Hope this is all behind you very soon.
growingdaisies - August 16, 2010 | 5:23 pm · Link
Something about these always bothers me. I’ve been trying to pinpoint it. I think it’s threefold.
1.) It’s pointless. Have you read the comments section on pretty much any Washington Post article? There is no way you can match the true wingnut crazy. It is … what’s the technical term … “batshit insane.” You don’t even come close.
2.) It’s self-indulgent. You get a chuckle, and maybe the readers of this blog get a chuckle, but the person answering your questions has no idea he’s been punked. See point 1.
3.) It’s potentially harmful. Because the reporter has no idea you aren’t serious, you actually end up reinforcing the wingnut perspective. The reporter thinks these questions are real, which means they think few active, engaged readers who are concerned enough to participate in these online discussions think Eric Cantor is a genius. Because these reporters are easily led idiots, that helps Eric Cantor get more serious coverage. And the even less-informed people reading the exchange get the same idea.
asiangrrlMN - August 16, 2010 | 7:17 pm · Link
@beltane: Which is why I am seriously considering making a conversion. Think of the monies I could make, which I would then donate to Amnesty International or something like that to make all the conservatives’ heads collectively explode (in more than one way). I could be the Left’s very own Mata Hari!
@soonergrunt: Glad you checked in. I have been thinking of you. Keep us updated, please. Still sending a protective white light in your direction.
TuiMel - August 16, 2010 | 8:58 pm · Link
@soonergrunt:
Hoping for the best. Keep your spirits up.
birthmarker - August 16, 2010 | 9:12 pm · Link
@soonergrunt: Best wishes, love and prayers.
frosty - August 17, 2010 | 1:50 am · Link
@soonergrunt: Good luck, hang in there, etc etc from another GOS refugee who’s found a home at BJ.
PS Will and POA is a good idea. Gotta get mine updated now that the kids are old enough not to be shipped off to a relative.