So earlier today I saw that little Billy Kristol sent out a breathless post that Mr. 9-11-Word-Salad himself is going to jump into the race to be the 2012 GOP Presidential Nominee. Why? Who knows, and really–who cares. It would be wrong to consider reason, common sense, logic, facts, reality or proven competence as reasons to get in the race. That stuff does not matter to a conservative electorate that only reacts to word salads. And as Kristol the Younger explains, Rudy can toss a pretty impressive word salad:
Rudy’s message: I’m tough enough to put our fiscal house in order and to protect us from enemies abroad. The U.S. in 2012 is in bad shape—like New York in 1993. The budget crisis is as severe—and seemingly intractable—as the crime/welfare crisis was in New York then. Rudy dealt with that when people said it couldn’t be done. He’ll deal with this.
Yep, Rudy is good at the word salad thing even if he does limit himself to “9-11” and a few other word strings–and yet, he doesn’t stand a chance. The GOP clown car is filled with word salad ninjas–and some serious kung fu word salad masters (Bachmann and Palin) seem likely to put on their big shoes, red noses and jump on in. The best Rudy can hope for is a great pratfall out of the car on the first turn around the center ring that increases his earning power on the wingnutopia grifter circuit.
Still, it is quite a show, and the crowd giggles with excitement as more and more of these clowns squeeze into the car. And in the wings are Chris Christie, Rick Perry and possibly Paul Ryan. They each have so much to bring to the spectacle and one can only hope they’ll try to squeeze in.
It is all quite silly until you realize that one on these fools could ride the proven stupidity of American voters to a 50% plus-1 victory. After all, we live in a Nation that actually did elect George W, Bush in 2004–and even the worst of these clowns start a General Election campaign with the blind support of the 27 percenters.
In a recent post about the Quitta from Wassila, Andrew Sullivan predicted how she would run against President Obama:
Pundits speak of her lack of professional organization. What they don’t speak of so often is her willingness to say and do things very few politicians will. She will play the race card powerfully, often and repeatedly. She will run a campaign against Obama as an un-American. She will run on hatred of elites, will turn every sad gaffe, lie or untruth into “truth”, she will deploy religious motifs more effectively than any Republican candidate in modern times. In the last campaign she accused Obama of being a friend of terrorists, and was prevented from using Jeremiah Wright in the last few weeks of the campaign. She will make the Willie Horton ad look like happytalk.
I think Sully is spot on with this observation when it comes to Palin, but the sad fact is that the same could be said about any of the Republican candidates climbing into the clown car. To “win” they will–each and everyone–say and do things that push them into moral twilight. Many have already taken the ferry across the Acheron and are working hard to secure real estate in one of the nine circles. When the clown show is over and the car is emptied–one clown will be the Republican nominee and that clown will live down to Sully’s worst fears of a Palin campaign. Pushing white resentment and fear is the only path the GOP has to defeat President Obama and whichever clown emerges will embrace that Palin path. It will be ugly.
I think the best way to view the emerging 2012 Republican filed is to be amused and yet, terrified by the evolving spectacle. The very real possibility that any of these clown car occupants could actually win control of the White House in 2012 should frighten you enough to be ready to work like hell to defeat these fucksticks in 2012.
And with that, how about an open thread.
Cheers
JS
If I did Intrade, I’d put a few bucks on Paul Ryan for the nomination. His district isn’t all that overwhelmingly Republican (R+5), and with all the backlash in Walkerstan Ryan may be forced to jump into the race.
Even if he doesn’t end up getting the nom, it would be infinitely more lucrative to be the next Newt Gingrich than some schmoe who lost re-election to a House seat.
AT
The worst thing is that if one of the clowns do win the nomination, all the “serious” republicans will fall in line and support them simply because they hate Obama. Even if they know that putting Palin, Sarah or Nutjob no. 3 in the White House would destroy the country.
Fred
That Sullivan quote is utter horseshit. Another attention whore pundit trying to get above the noise.
She’s a stupid twat. The twat will say whatever. Does that scare me? Hell no! Sullivan gets a douche badge for trying to go all booga booga about it.
And besides. The twat is NOT running. The twat has NO intention of running. The twat NEVER had any intention of running. Anyone who thinks otherwise (like Sullivan) is an idiot.
Mike Kay (True Grit)
Of which country?
Mike Kay (True Grit)
Check out Giuliani’s tits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IrE6FMpai8
Citizen Alan
In 2012, I’m going to vote for Obama, because the Republican will be worse. In 2012, I’m going to grit my teeth, ignore every single thing he’s done to piss me off, because the Republican will be worse. In 2012, assuming I’m not in bankruptcy because the economy is still in the shitter, I’m probably even going to donate money to Democratic campaigns, because the Republican will be worse.
But right? Right now, I don’t give a shit about the Republican Freak Parade. Right now, I’m sitting here trying to get drunk because I have just learned that the new Solicitor General, whose job it is to represent the entire nation before the Supreme Court, is Donald Verilli, an RIAA corporate stooge who most recently spearheaded the effort to destroy Youtube – which unquestionably represents the most significant expansion in the ability of Americans to exercise their constitutional rights within my lifetime – because it wasn’t doing a good enough job of protecting the copyright interests of our corporate overlords. Right now, I don’t have any faith in this country and any hope for its future. Right now, I honestly don’t see a single fucking difference between the Democrats and the Republicans other than the fact that the former will take us all to hell a little slower than the latter.
Warren Terra
Pawlenty – supposedly with Romney one of the rare professional, “serious” candidates in the mix – released this week one of the most delusional and flat-out insane economic platforms ever released by anyone not named “Ponzi”. All of the Republican candidates have demonstrated their eager willingness to repeatedly and enthusiastically denounce (not merely renounce) science when it comes to climate change; I’m not as certain, but I suspect none of them will stand up in defense of evolution, either.
Basically, what I’m saying is that it’s possible to hope that Palin is uniquely willing to display an utter lack of principle when it comes to race and religion in ways the other candidates just wouldn’t. But considering their total flexibility and amorality on so many important issues, I’d hardly put money behind such a proposition.
KG
My gut is that whoever the Republican nominee is come August 2012, s/he will have as good a chance of winning the nomination as George McGovern or Walter Mondale… only they may not even win their home state.
I’m not a Democrat, I’m not a progressive or liberal (though on social issues, I’m pretty far out there). But I just don’t see how the GOP can win in 2012 barring a major shitstorm. And if they don’t have an answer for said shitstorm (and they won’t beyond more tax cuts and more bombs), they still aren’t going to be Obama.
Warren Terra
@Citizen Alan:
You write awfully well for a ten-year-old.
@Mike Kay (True Grit):
Of 9/11, of course. Or maybe of Ground Zero.
OzoneR
Also a black man is in charge, like New York in 1993.
Hey maybe progressive hero Anthony Weiner can help him race bit like he did in 1993.
Mark S.
Rudy? Shit, is Fred Thompson next?
Rudy could have been a formidable candidate in 2008. He didn’t have the stink of Bush and his moderate positions on social issues could have attracted independents. But he blew it by running a shitty campaign that paid no attention to any of the early states and had no momentum going into any of the states he actually spent money on.
He wouldn’t have a prayer in 2012. The GOP is going full teatard and nobody’s thinking much about terrorism now. Though it was always pretty stupid that he ever had such cred for that anyway. He just happened to be mayor when 911 happened.
Suffern ACE
Guiliani has married two of his three known mistresses. I think Newt might have married all of his. I don’t know if that makes him a better or worse person, but Newt’s voters are up for grabs. Why not run.
mclaren
I don’t get it. Why the fear of the Republican nominees?
Obama will enact their policies if he wins, and they’ll enact their policies if they win, so the outcome is a foregone conclusion.
Caz
Only in juicetard nation could you write that many words without any substance whatsoever and have it considered by your followers as a serious, insightful post. Meanwhile, the economy sucks and Obama’s approval rating has tanked back to pre-bin Laden levels. Sounds like maybe you are the clown after all.
JGabriel
Bill Kristol (via Dennis @ Top):
IIRC, Rudy dealt with those problems the same way the rest of the country did: by electing a Democratic president named Bill Clinton. It’s not as if NYC’s crime numbers went down while everyone else’s went up or remained static — crime numbers went down everywhere, especially in cities, likely as a result of Clinton’s economic policies and programs to help workers, the middle-class, small-businesses, etc., in the wake of the early 90’s Reagan/Bush recession.
.
Mike Kay (True Grit)
in 2008 giuliani raised $62 million, more than any other repug, more than even romney, and he won the grand total of zero delegates. In the south carolina primary, he came in last with 2% of the vote.
I guess at age 68 he’s too old to get a 4th wife and a red sports coup, so to deal with his senior-crisis he’ll make a fool out of himself again.
He couldn’t even run for state office in New York in 2010 because he polled so poorly vs Cuomo and Gillibrand.
MikeBoyScout
What this post needs is some circus theme music via Youtube – which unquestionably represents the most significant expansion in the ability of Americans to exercise their constitutional rights within SPandT’s lifetime.
JGabriel
Sully (via Dennis):
Palin will not win with that strategy in a two-way race. My fear is that Palin could get the plurality in a three-way race, if there’s a credible third party candidate — and that the very presence or possibility of Palin in the race could provoke someone credible to mount a third party run.
.
MikeBoyScout
@14 Caz:
Wait. What?
Is it possible this was not a serious, insightful post? Is Caz right that the economy just started to suck and because Obama spent too much time killing UBL and vetoing the totally awesome Republican jobs plan? Thank-you Caz!
OBTW, can you provide me the mailing address to send my Medicare entitlement to? And wipe that Santorum off your chin.
Mike in NC
Where’s Lamar Alexander? Dan Quayle? Condi Rice? Bob Fucking Dole?
Starting to look like the zombie corpse of Reagan really is their last best hope.
Cliff in NH
Comments? Flames? Edits?
My first draft – not accurate rewrite of Harry Trumans speech on the Do-Nothing
80th112th Congress.(found at http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2011/6/6/123621/8441 )
https://balloon-juice.com/2011/06/08/i-have-a-2008-romney-id-like-to-sell-you/#comment-2623881
jrg
@mclaren:
Yes, genius. I’m sure he’ll get right on the Pawlenty economic plan.
Maybe Nader will run. That worked out so well last time.
Spaghetti Lee
@JGabriel:
If it’s a three-way race between Obama and two teatards, I’d think that helps Obama. The idea that Sarah Palin could win on a plurality would mean that, what, 2/3 of the country would have to vote for someone other than Obama? I just don’t see it. When was the last time a major party candidate, let alone incumbent, got that little of the vote?
Chuck Butcher
I don’t know what UE number is fatal for the Pres, but I do know that if this economy goes tits up again all bets are off.
JGabriel
Spaghetti Lee:
1992. Bill Clinton won a plurality of the vote in a three way race: Clinton 43%, Bush 37.5%, Perot 18.9%. A credible third party candidate (not a second teatard) who takes more votes from Obama could end up handing the election to Palin (or Bachmann or some equally insane teahadist).
No, I don’t think that will happen. It’s just my worst nightmare scenario.
.
pattonbt
I know I’d really, really, really enjoy rubbernecking the Republican primary freakshow, but whomever the Republican candidate is will automatically start out with 40% of the vote.
All of those who are so smugly sure about an Obama romp need to heed these prophetic words “it’s the economy stupid”. Bad economy any later than July/August next year and Obama is vulnerable.
Sure, my money right now is on Obama easily, but you never know. I can’t believe it has actually come to this for me, but I truly believe the Republicans are capable of intentionally cratering the economy just to damage Obama. And I truly believe even with solid evidence the Republicans did so, Obama would take the hit.
As always, my prognosticating abilities are shit, so, whatever.
tomvox1
Here’s what I think (and I am an accused Obot, for Chrissakes): If the state of the economy adds up the exact wrong way circa 2012, any fucktard the GOP puts forth could be this country’s Damien:
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/165299-white-house-says-senate-dem-jobs-bill-too-expensive
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/geithner-finds-his-footing/2011/05/24/AGY0CSLH_print.html
http://thinkprogress.org/yglesias/2011/06/08/239551/origins-of-the-mistaken-pivot-to-deficits/
http://www.americablog.com/2011/06/geithner-is-driving-economic-agenda.html
And yes, I haz a big sad over the economic competence of the administration right now. I admit it. I have been stout in my conviction that a Regan/Mondale-like massacre was in the offing but it just seems Obama is willfully taking the worst, most contrarian advice in the face of economic stagnation. In my darkest hours, I really do think he prefers Reagan to FDR. Where is that goddamned bottle of Pappy Van Winkle?
Anne Laurie
@pattonbt:
Hell, most of the Media Village Idiots are betting on this particular nightmare, and the dumbest of them are actually cheering for the possibility. Horse race! Better for their ratings over the next five quarters, and if the country goes down in flames at the same time, well, that’s why there’s a helipad on the top of Murdoch’s skyscraper, amirite?
mclaren
@JGabriel:
If we get a double dip recession and unemployment rises to 12% circa election day 2012, Palin will win with that strategy. A dead cat would win if unemployment goes up to 12% 17 months from now.
And the economy is definitely tanking. It’s now a limbo game — “how low can it go?”
So you people are deluding yourselves if you think “[republican candidate X] can never win [with strategy Y].” No president has ever won re-election with unemployment above 9%. And neither Obama or the Democrats in congress or the Republicans seem to have any interest in reducing unemployment below its current 9.1% level.
Do the math. Observe the data. Reach your own conclusions.
jimbob
@Citizen Alan: Whew. That was inspiring. (I’ve got my glass in hand.)
Spaghetti Lee
@Citizen Alan:
@tomvox1:
@jimbob:
Sometimes I wonder how this whole blog hasn’t died of alcohol poisoning yet.
pattonbt
@Anne Laurie: I just hate the fact that I actually agree with all you have said. I really do not want to believe we are there, but I do. I really do think they (the media) want the Republicans to go full metal jacket. The story would be epic (in about as awful a way as possible, but still epic) and they are egging the Republicans on.
It’s like the media is the evil older brother who gets the dumb, attention starved younger brother (the Republicans) to get in trouble because “it would be cool” in the older brothers eyes. I see the media guys going “I dare you, c’mon, it’ll be fine, go ahead. What, are you scared? Are you a sissy? C’mon, I double dare you. It’d be so cool if you did.”. And then the Republicans jump with us all tied together.
ppcli
@tomvox1:
Reagan? I’m starting to think his presidential model is Herbert Hoover.
Linkmeister
What this thread needs is pizza.
socraticsilence
Mclaren, hi does our modern world fighten and confuse you? I’d try and help explain how life has changed since 2000, but to do i’d use “links” and i’m not sure AOL and your 28 kbps modem could interpet them. Try asking Jeeves things like “Where are the WMDs?” or “What happened to New Orleans?” and the reason your little “Gush vs Bore” equivalency crap is vehemently rejected might start to become clear. Oh and the Red Sox won the World Series twice in the mid-00s if thats of any interest.
The Dangerman
Of course the economy is tanking right now; gas is $4 a gallon on the way to perhaps $5 this summer…
…not to mention the Republicans are lighting matches in room filled with gasoline over the debt limit ceiling.
The economy will recover when some of the uncertainty in the oil market resolves itself (read: Gaddafy is either dead or gone) and the Republicans listen to their corporate overlords not to tank the economy while simultaneously proposing economic ideas in the face of a double dip that would have made Hoover blush with embarrassment.
It will be an ugly election; if Palin runs (and I think she will), I think it will be her and Perry. Election night 2012 will cause a LOT of drinking.
Also, w.r.t. 3rd Party, I wonder if Bloomberg jumps in if Palin is the GOP nominee?
Spaghetti Lee
@pattonbt:
In that analogy, I think the big money would be the stern, angry father, who might give his kids the strap occasionally but he ain’t gonna let them kill themselves, cause who’d slop the hogs and feed the chickens if they did? I know there’s talk about how the rich don’t care because they can just flee elsewhere, but where? Europe? China? I’m not sure if there’s a place out there that isn’t too soshulist for their delicate Galtian needs.
pattonbt
@Spaghetti Lee: I guess if that were the case (Big Money being the father ready with a beating) why haven’t they stepped in already to scold the older brother? The Reps have pushed pretty boldly on the debt ceiling game of chicken and the money boys haven’t blinked or really given any indication of “enough is enough”.
Truth is, Big Money is conflicted. They know Dems are good for long term economic stability. But long term economic stability is not sexy nor good for short term plundering. And, as always, cash in hand rules so the Big Money boys are currently betting on the Reps to come through enough to protect them when the chips fall. Big Money believes the Reps will protect them if the economy tanks so they will come through scathed mush less than anyone else and in prime position to buy everything up low.
Right now, whomever the father is in my weird scenario, he’s off drunk in the barn having sex with the livestock.
Spaghetti Lee
@pattonbt:
So it’s Mickey Kaus, then? Dammit.
pattonbt
@Spaghetti Lee: Hence my defeatist attitude.
socraticsilence
Wait UE was under 9% in 1936 and 1940?
Allan
Its vital for Obama to come up with a serious economic plan – and it should have been yesterday. The GOP field will level itself, and Palin will probably end up as the nominee. Then she’ll turn to the center, and she could win. Probably not, but she could. The danger here, is not Palin, but a republican congress, senate and Palin. Now there is a scary thought. US would then be defacto bankrupt.
DPirate
…even the people the democrats purport to stand against want Obama to win.
cat48
@tomvox1:
I had to think about this article for a while b/c I had the same reaction as everyone else. Then the article doesn’t really fit the facts I remember from last year. He wanted an Infrastructure Bank for all types of Construction; Energy, during the Campaign etc. He requested it in his first budget. I can’t remember exactly what date he first had a group of Mayors/Gov at the WH for the announcement afterwards. He requested a bill from Congress. When you google “Infrastructure Bank Obama”, he campaigned for it during the midterms,again. The Senate has been working on a Bill still, Senator DeLauro was on Dylan Ratigan today talking about how they’re finally doing the Bill they started this Spring. Is it him or the Senate? From ABC in 09/2010:
debbie
The best part of the primaries will be seeing how candidates work to differentiate themselves from hated liberals even though they’ve done the very same thing: Newt and his “situational ethics”; Rudi and his wife-cheating ways; Mitt and his soshy health care.
bob h
“Still, it is quite a show, and the crowd giggles with excitement as more and more of these clowns squeeze into the car.”
Each of the candidates is a sinkhole for Koch Brothers/Chamber of Commerce/Karl Rove/Citizens United hot money, and the more of them the better.
bjacques
@Spaghetti Lee:
This.
There really aren’t too many places in the world where anyone substantially richer than average or their family can live without fearing fellow citizens or the government very much.
I wish the western governments had called the bluff of bankers whining that accountability and lack of sky-hugh bonuses would “drive away talent.” Said talent would be welcome to peddle their expertise to the monarchs, mafiosi and military dictators who rule most of the rest of the world and are likely less forgiving of some quant fiddling away their fortunes^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hnational treasuries.
Over there, a haircut might be from the national razor.
lacp
Is it true that ANTHONY WEINER is resigning from the House to run for President as a Republican? He obviously has the chops.
Chris
@JGabriel:
There’ll be no third party candidate – of that, I’m close to certain. Not unless the Republican candidate is pro-choice, supportive of health care reform, or something else egregious like that. The base is too unified in its paranoid hatred of Obama to split like that.
Own-ry
Oh, Sully said something. Thank you for the very important information.
Chris
@Spaghetti Lee:
The rich are kind of their own nation, methinks. Take Rupert Murdoch. Born Australian, spends most of his money financing British, American and Asian news and politics, naturalized U.S. citizen. If, hypothetically, people like him really did want to flee, I’m sure they’d have no trouble at all setting themselves up at the top of the social ladder in another country. (And then spending their millions to remake it in Murdoch-friendly image).
Not that fleeing is in the cards, of course. Like you said, their sensitivities are too delicate for any real Galtianism, and it’s not like they’ve ever, even at the highest tax rates of post-New Deal America, not had it better than anyone else in this country.
philowitz
You might find my posts on the clowns on the bus, including Huntsman, Perry and Palin, amusing.
http://possibleexperience.blogspot.com/search/label/clowns%20on%20the%20bus
jwb
@tomvox1: Obama was deferential to Larry fucking Summers because he was the former fucking president of Harvard. That goes a long way to explaining how and why Obama ended up with piss poor economic policies and team that he did.
John Puma
“It is all quite silly until you realize that one on these fools could ride the proven stupidity of American voters to a 50% plus-1 victory.”
In eleven years we’ve forgotten that GW Bush was installed by the SCOTUS in 2000 by having >500,000 FEWER votes than his opponent?
There are three things leading to our demise 1) yes, the stupid voters 2) the media that makes intrinsically stupid voters more stupid AND creates stupidity de novo where non previously existed and 3) a voting infrastructure increasingly controlled by corporations and their proprietary software.
jazzgurl
Why the arse do you good bloggers pay any attention to these
so-called pundits like Bill kristol and all the beltway ‘over the hill’ boys club! The problem is that you give them too much credit. Bill and co have had their time. Progression means moving into and with new thinkers, not the same ole same ole storytellers from long ago who rehash the relics, the dinosurs and the indigestible! Do us a favour please, and somehow let’s look to you lot for all the new era punting!
rikryah
you do have it nailed.
Bulworth
That’s some pretty awesome there.
mds
@Warren Terra:
Well, Huntsman hasn’t yet walked back his acknowledgement of anthropogenic climate change, since his advisors apparently haven’t explained to him that he has to win the GOP nomination first. Perhaps he really is playing for sufficient name recognition to get serious in 2016, in the hopes that the deranged extremist dumbshit contingent of the Republican Party has finally burned itself out by then. Given 2010, the likelihood of gaining the Senate in 2012, and the almost inevitable losses for the President’s party in 2014, I’m not as optimistic.
@JGabriel:
Actually, he dealt with it by taking credit for the improvement that had already begun under his predecessor, the unqualified Negro. He even kept on Dinkins’ police commissioner. In other words, he dealt with it the same way as his other “accomplishments”: by aggressively getting in front of the cameras and stealing credit from other people.
bobbo
What utter horseshit. You have to wonder with Sully – does the need for florid language cause him to make ridiculous arguments, or is it vice versa?
Ghanima Atreides
@Dennis G.
I would like to hear your opinion of this post at the LoOG libertarian vomitorium.
I thought it was offensive, and doubly so since some commenters endorse Foote’s position, and would have fought alongside him with the Confederates…
m
@OzoneR: Thanks for jogging my memory of that incident, discussed further here.
serena1313
@jwb:
Jim
That is what I had thought until I read this today:
From the WaPo:
serena1313
I’ll try again:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/geithner-finds-his-footing/2011/05/24/AGY0CSLH_print.html