This image is frightening, and the media fapping is already beginning. Also too, this and this:
I’m seriously beginning to wonder if I am going to survive this next election cycle. I guess the only real questions left for the 2012 Republican primary is whether Perry will give the bobbleheads pet nicknames or choose to feed them BBQ and go tireswinging.
BerkeleyMom
Just wait until Perry stuffs a sock in it and straps on some chaps. Are we really this stupid as a country?
BudP
Dubya & Dubya-er
The Snarxist Formerly Known as Kryptik
@BerkeleyMom:
Yes. Yes we are. Willfully so, it seems.
grandpajohn
@BerkeleyMom: YES. Well at least our media is as they hasten our downward path toward third world mediocrity
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
I was born and raised in Texas and never sounded like that. What needs to happen is for people to mock him for attempting to sound like someone he is not. You’re not mocking him for not being Texan, but for pretending to be living in a part of Texas he is not from. That will actually get people from here in Texas ticked off at him.
Ira-NY
The fourth estate stinks and is f]getting worse.
Here is a groaning false equivalency from yesterday’s “Meet the Press”
Seceding and reforming health care are similar in terms of being extreme?
General Stuck
We shall need Heroin, lots of Heroin.
eric
Obama beat hillary and the tire swing king. Perry may be the ost competitive, but he is gonna need his A game every day. Obama is no easy out notwithstanding the economy and the Planet of The Gays.
Hunter Gathers
Well, according to Dancin’ David Gregory, secession and universal health are equally extreme, and therefore, ‘both sides do it’.
Alex S.
From the Politico article:
This whole article is just ridiculous, also because, suddenly!, we get the kind of negative portrayal of Bachmann that she deserves but hasn’t seen so far. Now that Perry is in, the media doesn’t need Bachmann anymore.
amk
Is his wife as hawt as kucinichs’ ?
The Snarxist Formerly Known as Kryptik
@Hunter Gathers:
BOTH SIDES, SAME THING, SO WHY CAN’T DEMS JUST MEET THE GOP IN THE MIDDLE?!
Same as it ever was. ‘Pox on both houses, but especially on those goddamn hippie Dems who are always to blame’.
amk
This toon nails this asshat. Sorry bachmann. You can go back to curing teh gay.
http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/politicalcartoons/ig/Political-Cartoons/Perry-Throws-His-Hat-in-Ring.htm
Gawd save amurikkka.
mainsailset
I always thought GW was a Ted Bundy lookalike but the image you shared makes me think Perry can top that by looking like a wrinkled Neanthertal.
Ron
You picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.
DonkeyKong
I’m pretty sure Perry could joke about having a “liberal media” hunting license and the bobbleheads would laugh their status anxiety filled heads off , daggummit!
Joe Bauers
I’m not even going to try to grok this. I’m just going to keep my head down, send a few bucks to the Obama campaign, and show up to vote next November.
The scary thing to me is that sooner or later Republicans will hold the White House and Congress again. What are they going to do when that happens? Nuke Portugal? Human sacrifices? Ban all books except the King James Bible? There is literally nothing you can say any more is a bridge too far for them.
Carnacki
@BerkeleyMom: Sadly, yes.
Perry brings all the craziness of a Bachman with the marketability to the gullible and Beltway media (but I repeat myself) of a Romney.
Emma
@BerkeleyMom: We are not stupid, and neither is our media. They are bought and paid for hacks. And I don’t mean that in a paranoid “evil conservative conspiracy” way. These are people whose only interest is to climb the ladder to the place where they can eat the rich folk’s leftovers and make believe they’re part of the inner circle.
Real journalism isn’t practiced by that bunch. It would disturb their circle jerk.
Scott
Are we really this stupid as a country?
Well, the press is.
We’ll see if they ever mention how unpopular Perry is in Texas. He’s not well-liked, he was lucky to win his gubernatorial elections, and he comes off as arrogant and entitled and uncharismatic a whole lot more than he comes across as charming.
cmorenc
The media likes new, shiny stuff in political candidates, and typically has a honeymoon period spotlighting the personality and supposed positives of the newly arrived candidate. However, there inevitably comes the point in the cycle where the newness and shiny-ness wear off and the media rather abruptly changes focus onto the purported negatives and problems with the candidate. If the candidate remains solidly viable in the race after going through this less media-hospitable period, then after a bit there comes a third stage where the media settles on an overall mixed narrative on the candidate, and it is where this equilibrium narrative settles that is most important in the long run. This equilibrium narrative is the base from which all stories about the candidate from then on are flavored, barring some huge game-changing new information or newly emerging old information (such as Jerimiah Wright nearly was for Obama in 2008).
Perry won’t get such fawning attention once the “new” is off in another two to four weeks. The time to get worried is if he’s still receiving predominately positive aw-shucks mavrick-y treatment six months from now.
eric
Joe, the GOP would never nuke a spanish speaking country. :)
srv
When do we all get to have a beer with him?
Joe Bauers
@Eric – I see what you did there. Well played.
Hill Dweller
@Alex S.: Juxtapose this Perry love letter with that anonymously sourced horse shit implying the Obama campaign will attack Romney’s religion last week.
Relative to all the quality info at our finger tips, we really are the stupidest country in recorded human history.
Ocotillo
If Perry receives the nomination, this will be presented as Bush v. Obama election. Those billboards with W. on them saying “Miss me yet?” are coming to life.
Perry will be a third Bush term I think Obama and team will take that framing and run with it.
Tonybrown74
@Carnacki:
Marketability?
He is only marketable in the sense that he is a pretend cowboy. And our MSM (as well as a lot of the country) just loves themselves some daddy! And from those tweets, we are going to be witness to more fellatio than gay porn from now until November 2012.
cleek
what’s with liberals’ apparent fascination with Rick Perry ?
david mizner
Yet another election cycle in which coverage will be shaped by the homoerotic yearnings of self-loathing geeks turned media personalities who get a tingle in their dingle every time a self-consciously “rugged” pol so much as grunts.
jwb
@Scott: The press is not stupid. They do the job they are paid to do extremely well. The only thing is they are not paid to do the job you think they are. They are working for the other side.
GregB
I am pretty sure the new talking point from the media will be that Perry is the kind of guy you’d like to have a beer with after you’ve executed an innocent man and asked Jesus to change to weather.
El Cid
There’s good reason for all of you liberals to resent and fear Rick Perry.
Governor Perry is the triumph of the seemingly average American man. He’s normal. He thinks in a sort of common-sense way. He speaks the language of business and sports and politics. You know him. He’s not exotic.
But if there’s a fire on the block, he’ll run out and help. He’ll help direct the rig to the right house and count the kids coming out and say, “Where’s Sally?” He’s responsible. He’s not an intellectual.
Intellectuals start all the trouble in the world.
And then when the fire comes they say, “I warned Joe about that furnace.” And, “Does Joe have children?” And “I saw a fire once. It spreads like syrup. No, it spreads like explosive syrup. No, it’s formidable and yet fleeting.”
When the fire comes they talk. Perry ain’t that guy. Republicans love the guy who ain’t that guy. Americans love the guy who ain’t that guy.
jwb
@cleek: More wingnutty than Romney, more electable than Bachmann.
Villago Delenda Est
Chuck Toad is a typical little Village shit.
He and all others like him need to DIAF.
Tom Q
@BudP: Outstanding
Strandedvandal
@El Cid: Do you need a tissue? Maybe some alone time?
General Stuck
Perry is fully a Texas creature, that will need to have his message shaped and molded into a candidate that can reach indie voters, or at least not scare the shit out of them, in order to win a potus campaign in a GE.
GWB, was connected to the outside world, even from being mostly raised in Texas, and very familiar with the ways of Washington, and the national pol stage. But he still needed a guiding mentor to tweak the bullshit and smooth some the roughest edges of TX bluster for national consumption in a general election.
I don’t know if there is a Rove like figure in the Perry camp, but if he finds one, and Perry lets himself be guided in this area, like a GWB with his personal Rasputin, Karl Rove, then Perry can give Obama a run for his money.
But I have a feeling that GWB was a saint compared to the skeletons in Perry’s closet. And GWB didn’t have to follow GWB and suffer the comparisons to GWB, and his clusterfuck of the country, especially the economy. That even now, voters lay most of the blame on our current econ straights to Curious George. Big climb for Perry. So we shall see.
matt
@El Cid – I’m so fucking bored with you beer primary single issue voters.
deminoz
I know this is off topic but came across it on CNN (best 100 places to live in US?)and whilst i only got through 30 a whole bunch of them seem to share some similarities — good public transport,good public schools and nice community services (none of which appear to be supported solely by corporations). Gee…..if only the repub/tea partiers win in 2012 and we can do away with any tax base at all so that we can eliminate these burdens on american society…..sigh.
anyway………link….http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2011/snapshots/CS3468790.html
virag
right now it looks like mittens will be effectively out of the running soon, or certainly could be if he’s not careful. this will be interesting: does milquetoast mitt have it in him to kick rick perry right in the nutsack in front of the whole country? if he does, he’ll be elected president, unfortunately.
Strandedvandal
@virag: Really? So Obama should just walk away? I’d love to see where you gained all of this prescience.
El Cid
@Strandedvandal: I take it you don’t recall the original reference. All but the first sentence were Peggy Noonan’s exact words regarding G. W. Bush Jr., in February of 2004.
As to the need for tissue and alone time, I hardly think it’s proper to blow one’s nose in public.
RoonieRoo
I’ve been saying from the beginning that Perry is a real threat. The press is going to cover, smooth over and hide all the things that others seem to think will hurt him. I’ve watched this man for over a decade in Texas politics and too many Dems think that the rest of the country won’t fall for him. They will, like they fell for GWB. Y’all really should take him more seriously. He will win the nomination. I hope I’m wrong but after the last couple of months watching the clown car….I’m pretty sure I’m not wrong.
The Sheriff's A Ni-
@General Stuck: Dubya was set in place for the nom from the get-go, announcing his exploratory committee in March of 1999 and had $36 mil raised by the end of June. Perry spent the spring and summer of 2011 dithering. I think that says quite a bit right there.
General Stuck
The goods would be from a Perry GOP nom and POTUS campaign, as witnessed from Cole’s Bush/Perry morphed image, is that it should light a fire under the asses of dems to come out and vote in larger numbers than normal. So there is that
kindness
Why do the pundits & MSM personalities always remind me of professional fluffers?
And why do these fluffers always seem to pick the most insane & undesirable people to constantly fluff? Haven’t they heard about Craigslist?
Strandedvandal
@El Cid: My apologies, I try my best to forget anything GWB and Nooners. I thought you were going full blown leg-tingly.
bkny
i have had to stop watching tweetyodonnellmaddow and even countdown … the stupidity that has overtaken and become ingrained in the political discourse of this country is embarrassing, disgusting, horrifying, unbelievably debased.
that the supposed elite of the national political media is drooling over perry’s candidacy and making light — if it’s even referred to at all — of the secession talk is criminal.
Villago Delenda Est
@El Cid:
Once again, Poe’s Law is put to the test. Fortunately, I know the game is rigged in this case. :)
bottyguy
Maybe there should be a twitter hash tag for reporters taking Rich Perry facials? #PerryBBQSauceOnLips
General Stuck
@The Sheriff’s A Ni-:
As far as money is concerned, everything I read says Perry is a world class campaign fund raiser, and CU makes that a lot less important these days. And arguably, Perry has a weaker field to go against, and in a period of greatly increased degree of wingnuttery from the GOP base.
Other than a pretty face and lots of money, there are a gazillion holes in Romney’s wingnut cred for a base driven primary. Unless Perry fucks up in a big way, or has things in his past that make him unelectable, I think the Gooper nomination is his. He touches all the bases for the meat eating winger base. All of them, with only a minor infraction here and there. Romney has to, in essence, reinvent himself as a tea tard wingnut, with a lifetime of moderate to even liberal actions in office and stated pol position, to explain away, in Mass, of all places.
NonyNony
@El Cid:
I’m glad you pointed that out because my first thought was that you’d had an aneurysm and that someone should find out your real name to get you some help.
The Ancient Randonneur
Rick Perry won reelection with 39% of the vote. He’s W with a nice tan and good hair. ETA: Rick Perry was once a Democrat until Bush’s Brain persuaded him to switch his political party.
Shorter Me: Rick Perry will be elected President right after I win the Miss America contest.
Derf
Simple solution. Just tune it out Cole. If you are searching twitter for media fapping about Perry so that you can be bothered by it then what do you expect?
ant
a few days ago, somebody posted up a link in the comments here about a poll.
any Texans out there that can explain this to me?
Also, too, the fucker executed an innocent man, and he dont give a fuck about it.
celticdragonchick
@BerkeleyMom:
You really want an answer to that?
Now you know why I tend to be a Hobbesian pessimist.
celticdragonchick
@BerkeleyMom:
You really want an answer to that?
Now you know why I tend to be a Hobbesian pessimist.
bkny
@ant: wanna bet that execution of an innocent man will be seen by the mouthbreathers as ‘whatta tough guy’…
atlliberal
@El Cid: What a load of horse manure! Are you really suggesting that only “conservatives” would help out in an emergency? You’re kidding right? This is satire?
I should have read the whole thread before responding. My apologies.
El Cid
Lower income earners at any level pay a very large portion of their income in taxes, “large” in this case meaning making it difficult to survive. Whereas the super-rich (and this isn’t even near the case of the extremely rich, i.e., Buffett) begin to pay less as a percentage of their income than the very high earners just under them. Above a certain point, you pay less and less.
Ignoring a focus on purely income taxes paid, doing so as to ignore Reagan’s expansion Earned Income Tax Credits (as designed and pushed by the Heritage Foundation) which allowed the poorest income earners to pay no net federal taxes — yeah, remind the whiners that this was Reagan’s policy so to lift the burden of evil taxation off the shoulders of those least able to pay — here is an outline of who pays what.
People whose household income is 12,400 are then paying over $2,000 in various taxes. With $25,000 it’s over $5,000.
Yeah, when you’re usable income goes from $12,000 to $10,000, or from $25,000 down to $20,000, you too might not appreciate as much the urgent necessity to continue to appreciate all that you receive from your government.
But, no, the low income earners are all lucky duckies because their federal income taxes may be low or zero or negative. Because all that other stuff doesn’t count. Because SHUT UP.
Zifnab
Listen, not to sell Perry short or anything – he is the longest serving AND least popular governor my state has ever had – but didn’t Bachmann just win the Ames Straw Poll? Where was Perry in that mess?
The beltway wants to nominate him as the Second Coming of Republican Jesus, but the man’s just dipped his toe in the water. I’m not saying he *can’t* shoot to the top of the polls. I’m just saying, he hasn’t done it yet. Perry is going to have to win over a whole bunch of converts – Romney’s money, Bachmann’s Tea Party, Paultards, Palinites, Gingrich’s 20,000 fake twitter followers – before he is genuinely in contention.
Roger Moore
@deminoz:
Technically the list you’re linking to is the list of the best small towns in America (with a population cutoff of 50,000), not the best places to live. Even given that caveat, I hate lists like that. The authors come up with a rating system that reflects their particular biases, so their list tells you at least as much about their living preferences as it does about which places are really the best. I’m sure I could justify tweaking their parameters in a way that would turn up a list of Libertarian paradises rather than whitebread Middle America, but that wouldn’t prove anything about quality of life. It would just show that I want to live in Galt’s Gulch.
Ocotillo
The things cited by critics of Perry such as terrible education performance in Texas or highest per capita for people without health insurance or carelessness in regards to reviewing cases of people on death row, etc…..
We call these flaws, the GOP base views those as assets.
also too, @El Cid, you got me there.
The Sheriff's A Ni-
@General Stuck:
I just don’t think its that easy. He’s outright said he wants to put a bullet in Social Security and Medicare. Sure the teahadis will eat it up, but that’s instant general election death right there. Add in the godbothering and the doubling-down on Bush’s third term, and anyone in the GOP who’s A#1 priority is winning the general or at least staving off the damage of Obama’s coattails is going to be scared shitless by that talk.
Think John Kerry, John McCain, or even a ‘compassionate conservative’ like Dubya. At the end of the day, its ‘electability’ that matters most. I felt Bachmann was relatively unknown enough and good enough of a campaigner, that if she could pivot away from the crazy eyes when it came down to her and Romney she might take the nom.
Hell, I’m still wondering if we’re misunderestimating Michelle Bachmann.
amk
@El Cid: well-played.
celticdragonchick
@El Cid:
I had something else written, but it seems you were reverse trolling. Never mind.
Martin
@Zifnab:
By conveniently delaying his entry into the race to that day, he wasn’t entered in the poll, so he could presumably claim to have been able to win it.
My mom participated in the poll and will clearly establish that it’s bullshit. She does these things to do new things, but she said that there were dozens and dozens of buses of people brought in for the poll. Candidates can buy as many votes as they want – all it costs is lunch and transportation.
aimai
@El Cid:
Way to go El Cid. Was that Noonan? I seem to recall that that was either Noonan or Katherine Parker.
aimai
sixers
Every other post from Cole is “How am I going to survive this coming blah blah blah”. Stop your fucking crying. Its getting old.
Lee
@ant:
Perry has managed to piss off just about every single group in Texas. He pissed off the religious right awhile back and they have yet to forgive and forget.
He completely lied about our budget problems and few papers had the fortitude to call him on it.
The reason he got re-elected? Texans are a bunch of cousin fucking inbreeds that haven’t the sense to come out of the rain (I’m a born and raised Texan).
Maude
@BudP:
WIN
El Cid
I have no fucking clue how people have concluded that Rachel Maddow is some hyper-active anti-Obamaite / anti-Democrat voice. I read that on liberalish blogs and blog comments all the time.
There’s not a single person I know (at present) who supports Democrats and Obama who do not constantly refer to Rachel Maddow’s show pieces as supporting their views. Especially people who apparently don’t spend much if any of their time reading liberal / leftish blogs, according to what they tell me.
People are god-damned crazy.
celticdragonchick
@aimai:
Parker was the “Bush gets the girl” one.
*retch*
The Sheriff's A Ni-
@Lee:
I thought that was thanks to Kinky Friedman and Bill White.
El Cid
@aimai: It was Noonan. I linked to the original WSJ piece in a follow-up comment.
jwb
@Zifnab: Romney’s money wants Perry in the race to split the wingnut vote with Bachmann. Divided wingnut is Romney’s only route to the nomination. But the danger is that Perry simply replaces Bachmann as the wingnut candidate. That’s what I see happening. That doesn’t make Perry particularly strong as a general election candidate.
Judas Escargot
@jwb:
Yep, this. The refs are bought and paid for. Dems had better not depend on fair calls to save their game.
One silver lining: Most people under 30 already get their news from other sources, and wouldn’t care what David Gregory or Chuck Todd said, even if they knew who they were.
As for the rest? My intuition tells me that this will be the election cycle where all but the True Believers start to notice the asymmetric MSM coverage.
BTW, sort of OT: Noticed on my Roku yesterday that Fox News has added a live stream channel, so every grandma who got a Roku this past xmas will be happy. Once again, the right proves itself more media savvy than the left (or at least more willing to spend money for long-term positioning).
Martin
@Lee:
Well, true Texans are. But Texas is looking more and more like California – a state full of people that aren’t from there.
Derf
@ant: You sound surprised by the fact Perry let an innocent man die. Seems about right. I’m sure he’s capable of doing much worse.
btw. Nothing to explain wrt polls. They don’t mean anything right now.
Hill Dweller
@El Cid: Agreed. Maddow is probably the most competent person on TV. Granted, that isn’t exactly a high bar, but I think her place atop the heap would be secure even if there was a higher standard of political journalism on TV.
General Stuck
@The Sheriff’s A Ni-:
Sometimes it’s easy to not delineate analysis between a primary and GE. I may have not done that so well in my comments on this thread. But most of what I am saying here relates to the primary and those GOP base crazies. I think in a GE, Romney would be the most difficult for Obama to run against, and Perry would have a hell of a time winning a GE with his crazy positions on things like medicare, SS, immigration, and overall unvarnished hard core right wingism.
I think it is possible for him to win, if the economy remains in the shitter, without a trend toward the positive in the next year, and if Perry latches onto a Rove like figure to mentor him for a GE. And even then, he may well be too crazy for a majority of voters to accept. Add the rather large bugaboo that he comes from Texas and easily reminds people of George Bush, which is very bad for Perry in a GE, I would think/
ant
@Lee:
what did he do?
FlipYrWhig
@El Cid: Noonan has had a career of ridiculous free-associative softly-lit-like-Barbara-Walters prose writing. But that has to be her crowning achievement. I mean, seriously, “spreads like syrup”? What the fucking fucktastic fuck on a stick is that?
Mary Jane
@deminoz: The average family income for the 100 Best Places to Live is $100,000. So CNN is basically saying that the top 15% has it pretty good.
Fucking duh. (Not meant personally)
celticdragonchick
@Lee:
Not being a Texan, I cannot say that I have any idea at all how he got re-elected. However, the “It takes balls to execute an innocent man” commment made during an opposition-funded political focus group meeting has become legendary. If true, it shows that political nihilstic rage is something to be reckoned with and feared.
The Founders were terrified of direct, unfettered, Athens style democracy. They were correct to do so.
FlipYrWhig
@ant: Mandate the HPV vaccine for tween girls.
celticdragonchick
@FlipYrWhig:
Miller: I’m telling you it was his voice I heard, he was calling to me. A young bosun named Eddie Corrick. We served on the Goliath together. When the O2 tanks ruptured, four of us made it to the lifeboat but Corrick was still on board the Goliath when the fire broke out.
[to D.J]
Miller: Have you ever seen fire in zero gravity?
[D.J shakes his head]
Miller: It’s beautiful. It’s like liquid it… slides all over everything. Comes up in waves. And they just kept hitting him, wave after wave. He was screaming for me to save him.
D.J.: What did you do?
Miller: I did the only thing I could. I closed the lifeboat hatch, and I left him behind.
Event Horizon
Davis X. Machina
@ant: They seem to have forgiven and forgotten Perry’s stint as Gore’s state campaign chairman in ’88.
Convert fervor… it’s the pits.
Lee
@ant:
FlipYrWhig got it. I’ve got a fellow that attends our BBQ & BS Wednesday lunches that is STILL pissed about that.
Suffern ACE
@Martin: Yep. Romney spent a small fortune last time on this stupid straw poll (whose pockets are lined with this money, anyway?) to win it. Since it didn’t help him in the Caucus, he deemed it unimportant. He could have won this time if he had purchased the voters this time as well. I mean it’s not as if there aren’t plenty of voters for sale in that state.
pete
Reagan takes on Carter: Result, tragedy
Perry takes on Obama: Result, farce
(I hope.) Obama is a better politician than Carter, and I don’t think Perry is as good as Reagan. But I do think he’s good enough to show Romney the door. Heeeeere we go.
El Cid
@Hill Dweller: I don’t know of anyone who could commit to only the most carefully parsed and modest of comments and to utter 100% support of any current Democratic or White House view (which seems to be the standard divide to determine who’s a hyperactive emo liberal TV personalities) whom anyone I know would ever watch.
J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford
Ooops
ant
@Derf:
no, surprised isn’t the right word.
I remember one of the debates of bush v gore. When bush was asked about the death penalty, he smirked. You could see that he got off on it by the look on his face.
I knew I didn’t like him right then and there.
Funny I never could find that clip on youtube.
Suffern ACE
@Suffern ACE: If Chicago held a political stink bomb like this, we’d hear endless talk about thugs and prostitutes. But the hayseeds are just salt of the earth good honest folk I suppose.
El Cid
A propos of nothing in particular, and given that my blogtertubez time is up, here’s this, special for John Cole:
Carnacki
@Tonybrown74: What you blockquoted is not from my comment.
Rhoda
2012 is only going to be won by making the Republican candidate objectively unacceptable; that’s it. It’s going to be a negative campaign and Rick Perry actually provides more ammunition than Romney; but people just hate Romney more so he would have a larger base problem.
Whomever the candidate; Obama wins by tearing them down as Bush tore Kerry down in ’04. It’ll be harder because of the cover the Republicans have with Crossroads & Co.; but hopefully Priorities USA will provide some firepower.
I’m not sweating Perry or anyone else; I’m just looking towards next year when the negative campaign begins. In between times; the left needs to keep making the case that these folks are all clowns.
Felinious Wench
He’s hit his term limit and needs a new hobby, so why not run for president? Sounds like fun! He might even be able to get a new dog if he wins!
Look, the man is a joke. That vacant start of his is because there’s nothing running on the hamster wheel. If you think Bush was a moron, Perry is the apex of moronitude.
If Palin endorses him and campaigns with him…that would make my election. He is in no way a threat, besides the fact if you listen to him at all, you can feel the IQ points sucking out of your brain, causing your eyes to bleed behind your eyeballs.
I’ve lived with his stupidity in Texas for far too long.
NonyNony
@Martin:
Something reporters gloss over when they’re talking about the importance of the Ames Straw Poll –
It’s a fucking Iowa GOP fundraiser. They charge people admission so they can cast a ballot. Rounding up busloads of people from out-of-state to come in and vote isn’t a bug – it’s a fucking feature as far as the process is concerned. The more people who vote, the more money the Iowa GOP makes.
What Ames shows is two things – who is taking Iowa seriously next year, and, among those who are taking Iowa seriously, who has the ground game to win it. That’s it. Bachmann is taking Iowa seriously next year and she’s got a ground game. Romney is not taking it seriously. Pawlenty was taking it seriously and had no serious ground game so he gave up. (And Ron Paul’s supporters turn out the way they turn out to freep internet polls – which is how he took second place this year).
By this standard, Perry’s apparent success at the write-in campaign is actually something to think about. He (apparently) wasn’t busing people in and still got enough write-ins to beat Romney (who again wasn’t trying but WAS on the ballot). Of course one of his supporters in Iowa might have drummed up some astroturf for him, but it’s still something to think about.
Lee
Has any candidate at any level won with expressly calling for the elimination of SS and Medicare?
I cannot think of any.
Suffern ACE
@Rhoda: Yep. What’s the difference between Perry, Bachman and Romney anyway? Some kind of poise? I doubt that there is one photon’s difference between the three that will matter to more than a small group of people.
dedc79
I’m waiting for when the Perry/Bachmann campaigns go after the media for applying a religious test to their candidacies.
It’s only a matter of time, actually it’s probably started already. Americans need to be reminded that we are perfectly entitled to vote against a candidate because that candidate wants to make their religious beliefs the law of the land.
Davis X. Machina
@Lee: : Everything a politician does in this country can be walked back.
This is Altzheimer’s Nation.
Lee
@Suffern ACE:
The only difference I can tell is:
I know Perry has called for the elimination of SS and Medicare. I would guess Bachman has as well.
Romney has not.
Tonybrown74
@Carnacki:
Oops … I had responded to a post in another thread and I must have not copied what I wanted from your quote.
My mistake …
Zifnab
@jwb:
I’m not going to think about the general election for another six months, at least. I’m still talking about the primary. And I don’t see what makes Perry a significantly stronger candidate than Bachmann or Romney.
Is Rick Perry going to win California, New York, or Florida? Say what you will of Romney’s flip-floppery, but these are his states. Is Perry going to win New Hampshire or South Carolina? I don’t know. McCain was running slightly ahead of no-one when he took New Hampshire in a firestorm in ’08. And South Carolina pretty much decides the entire GOP primary, so you know there’s going to be a huge fight over that gem. Who is going to come out of South Carolina sporting a secret black love child? Who is going to pull the “Rick Perry likes dudes, wink, wink, nudge, nudge, if you know what I mean?” rip cord?
Again, I’m not willing to bet against him all at once, but Perry is in no way a sure thing.
Lee
@Davis X. Machina:
Meh, a lot of politicians in Texas made the switch from Dem to Repub back then. Texas was a pretty solid Dem state for a long time prior to ’92.
tokyokie
@El Cid:
Perry would know a lot more about how fire spreads if he’d bothered to read the report in the Cameron Todd Willingham case. I’m pretty sure none of the Average Joes in my neighborhood ever signed off on an execution to advance their political careers.
Davis X. Machina
@Lee: I know that, and you know that, but the latecomers to the anthrax-and-tire-rims tea party don’t know that.
Why other GOP nominee suspects don’t hammer away on this mystifies me.
MikeJ
@NonyNony:
It’s not *just* a fundraiser though. Being able to round up busloads of of people to drive to Iowa shows that the candidate’s organization is working well, both in fundraising and community organizing.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@Davis X. Machina: Because a lot of Republicans did that. You would be dredging up the history of the party on that one.
MazeDancer
“Both sides” do not suggest that wives are responsible for the ironing.
Please may that remark be on video. To be used as often as necessary.
Even submissive wives actually experience a little sisterly solidarity thrill about both Palin and Bachmann. They like that a woman is leading.
Anita Perry often looks very tired in her pictures. Can understand why.
Among the many other turn-offs, Rick Perry has cheater written all over him. But if you have to iron his shirts, some of his fans may think twice.
Kd bart
Americans love good hair. They’re mesmerized by it.
Mike in NC
@Lee:
“Multiple Choice Mitt” is sure to see the light!
Lee
@Davis X. Machina:
Perry has had very little real Republican competition in Texas. It is going to be interesting to see how well he does now that he is in the big leagues.
There are a couple of guys here that think he will walk through the nomination process for the win. I have a lunch bet that he WONT win the nomination. I think Romney is going to bring up all those inconvenient facts about Perry. Will it be enough for Romney to win? I have no idea. It might be enough to damage Perry enough for someone like Bachman to sneak the win.
Paul in KY
@The Ancient Randonneur: I hope you’re right. He looks like the kind of fakey BS peddler the GOP dumbasses really swoon over.
Keith G
@NonyNony:
Just for the record, the Ames GOP changed the rules a few cycles ago. Voters must be an Iowa resident with ID.
cckids
Slightly OT, but WTF is up with that Chuck Todd twitter page? He looks like a Hogwarts wannabe casting a spell.
celticdragonchick
@tokyokie:
It may matter in the general election, but the teahadis don’t give a shit that Perry blatantly rigged the judicial process in the investigation of whether Cameron Todd Willingham was innocent.
The fact he did so is a feature to them. It means he is decisive and a man of action who doesn’t eat arugula and dijon mustard. Dontchaknow.
Seriously…Willingham was portrayed as a Satan worshipper heavy metal rock type (this is Texas, after all, where an Anthrax poster can be admitted as evidence against you it seems) and many Texans do like the “shoot ’em up an’ hang the sonsabitches” image they have. Everything comes back to the thrice damned culture war, and this is another facet of it.
Suffern ACE
@MazeDancer: Most of us are fine with the idea that Perry, as a governor of a large state, would actually have staff who took care of the ironing. I know it’s strange, but the idea that he is so persnickety that he makes his wife iron his shirts is just strange. Its not “folksy”, it’s just unusual. Like eating pig feed for breakfast to save money when one can actually afford oatmeal.
jibeaux
@cmorenc: I think that’s a very good point. Remember soon after McCain named Palin? There was a brief flurry of “oh, man, Democrats had better panic” before we found out she couldn’t tie her own shoes, and then the narrative shifted.
Samara Morgan
@Zifnab: hes strong because hes all they got.
Perry just took half Bachman’s support, and she’s a gay-hatah n/e ways, Romney is a MORMON and Chris Christie is F.A.T….Ron Paul is certifiable.
Perry’s “strength” is that he’s not a gaybasher, not fat, and nor a MORMON…nor an OBVIOUS lunatic like Paul. who btw got nearly as many votes as Bachman in that straw poll.
mormons are 2% of the electorate.
Perry is a WEC. WECS are ~20% of the electorate but make up 40–60% of the republican base.
he’s a lock.
Yutsano
I’ve seen video of Anita Perry. Trust me that woman has never ironed a shirt in her life. Plus I’m not sure the country is ready for Peggy Hill to be the First Lady.
Paul in KY
@Lee: I’d say it was only solidly Democratic at the national level from 1968 on back.
GregB
@Davis X. Machina:
Or as Gore Vidal calls it:
The United States of Amnesia.
taylormattd
If you want to know or understand why democratic politicians act as they do, you need look no further than the tweets you just sent out.
The right spent 40+ years demonizing the government as evil while simultaneously browbeating the entire media; creating their own radio, print, and television outlets; and replacing television and newspaper reporters and opinion writers with wingnuts.
They control completely all of the nation’s political discourse, and have for a very long time. Because of this, all we hear are ideas ranging from psychotically wingnut to right-centrist, and we are also treated to non-stop democrat bashing and republican fellating.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Zifnab:
From some of the stuff mentioned it sounds like Perry has issues with the Republicans in his own state. That’s the kind of thing that can come around bite him on the behind during a primary.
jibeaux
@El Cid:
Man, I have never read that. Is that woman continuously drunk?
Samara Morgan
i should give Cole props. he is right this time.
Perry is the GOP nom.
Keith G
@The Ancient Randonneur: Dude, Perry won 54.97% of the vote.
As far as being Ms. America goes, anyone who wins the GOP nomination has a shot. Economic realities combined with Obama decision making might give the GOP a really good shot at a win.
Don’t put away that tiara.
FlipYrWhig
@Lee:
Kay Bailey Hutchison was supposed to kick his smirky ass in the gubernatorial primaries, and somehow had a Coakley-esque performance despite her many advantages. That has to have been Perry’s biggest test.
Samara Morgan
@Keith G: that simply is not true.
“generic” republican beats Obama handily.
Any specific candidate fails.
Don’t you read Nate Silver?
Martin
@NonyNony:
Actually, they check ID, so they have to be from the state now, and they can only vote once. Those are changes from 2000 give or take an election. Prior to that, anyone could vote and anyone could get back in line after voting.
I’d say that they made these changes in order to make the voting less suspect, but it’s clear that they made these changes to keep the money in-state and to raise even more of it as you need to bribe more people now. The Iowa Caucus is very nearly the state’s largest industry in years divisible by 4.
My mom is going to try fried butter today. I’ll let you know if she survives it.
Samara Morgan
MY prediction?
Perry/Palin 2012
FlipYrWhig
@jibeaux: She’s way weirder than a drunk would be. More like she takes Momma’s Little Helpers. There’s no way you can think Elian Gonzalez was saved by a magic dolphin if your vice is that you have a few too many spiritous liquors.
quannlace
I am SO stealing that!
Samara Morgan
@Martin: yes.
Americans eat fried butter while somalians starve.
the “freed” market in action.
The Worst Person In the World
John MEMEMEMEMEMEMEME Cole, the Queen of Emo.
JohnR
@cmorenc:
Well, seeing as how that’s pretty much a given, you can start getting worried now.
If Bachmann wasn’t such a horrible human being, I’d almost feel sorry for her; it will be interesting to watch her reactions to the coming onslaught – will she begin to increasingly flail away at the press and her former supporters as they alternate between ignoring and denigrating her? Will she come to terms with her loss and try to cut a deal with Luke Perry to be his VP? Romney will reluctantly fade away, of course; it’s what he does – class will tell, after all. Personally, I figure Perry isn’t quite stupid enough to go with VP Bachmann. I bet he picks Ron Paul.
As for the Willingham murder, it won’t matter. Republicans who say it’s wrong to ‘kill an innocent man’ know perfectly well that (a) Willingham was clearly guilty (who needs evidence?), and (b) that New Yorker story was clearly a pack of liberal lies (you didn’t hear about it on Fox, right?). The press won’t want to talk about it, just like they don’t want to talk about anything that gets them called nasty names like “liberal-lover”.
Samara Morgan
@The Worst Person In the World: oh fuck off.
at least he tries.
jibeaux
@FlipYrWhig: Good point. I have Maker’s Mark Ambassador business cards in my wallet (I do not work for Maker’s Mark) and I have never written anything so asinine in my life. I am including third grade, when I wrote a very sappy story about my mom. I think Peggy Noonan loves Dubya even more than that.
Samara Morgan
@Paul in KY:
why 1968?
this happened in 1964.
jwb
@Samara Morgan: Palin would be a dumb choice for Perry’s VP. If it’s Perry he’ll pick someone like Rubio.
Samara Morgan
@jwb: you are implying he has a choice.
if he don’t pick La Palin, she will run too.
leverage, its all about the leverage.
quannlace
Oh, fuck. Another ‘Who would you rather have a beer with?” moron.
tokyokie
@celticdragonchick: I have no doubt that Perry will enthrall the teahadists, but because of this and other campaign anvils, I can’t see him winning the general.
The Worst Person In the World
@sixers:
Thank you for pointing this out. I thought I was the only who noticed. Don’t forget the frequent “just kill me now I can’t take it anymore…” posts.
All part of the evidentiary basis for my ongoing, developing theory that Cole is an Alcoholic Emo Queen Closet Case. One of these many drunken nights, very soon, while sloppily posting on BJ, Cole will come shrieking out from the dark place where Michelle Bachman’s husband and George Clooney huddle, trembling…we must be ready to embrace and support.
Samara Morgan
@tokyokie: he cant win the general.
but he’s a cinch for the nom.
he’s a WEC. WEC’s are like–60% of the GOP base.
Romney is a MORMON. mormons are 2% of the electorate.
just like muslims or jews.
NonyNony
@Martin:
You know, at one time I knew that they’d changed the rules on out-of-state people voting, but somehow I’d forgotten. Thanks for the reminder.
Actually, I wonder if they made the changes to keep the press convinced that the straw poll was relevant for the election narrative in the drive towards the Caucus. If the straw poll is obviously irrelevant, the press might lose interest in it and the Iowa GOP loses an effective fundraiser. As long as the press continues to make a big deal out of it, the candidates make a big deal out of it and they bring money to the Iowa GOP (and to Iowa as a whole).
Samara Morgan
@The Worst Person In the World: are you certifiable?
are you implying Clooney is gay? or that Marcus Bachman is gay?
No alternative universe exists were Clooney and Marcus Bachman are cuddle buddies.
Clooney starred in Syriana, and im pretty sure he votes a STRAIGHT (heh) dem ticket.
The Worst Person In the World
@Samara Morgan:
What is it exactly, samara, that “he tries?”
eemom
@The Worst Person In the World:
waaaaaaiiit a minute. This is all starting to sound eerily familiar — and there has been someone MISSING around here lately.
Timmeh? That you?
Caz
We can only hope you don’t survive it. That would be one less juicetard in the world! You certainly are quite a drama queen though. “Oh, woe is me, I may not survive this election cycle, it’s soooo much worse than all the other election cycles, because the GOP is soooo evil and wants to destroy the country. Ooohh, I may not survive it all!” Grow up already.
Samara Morgan
@The Worst Person In the World: Cole tries to Do The Right Thing in Bizarro World.
what do you try to do?
bob h
Ross Douchebag has a column practically begging Christie to get into the race. I’m with him.
Paul in KY
@JohnR: No orthodox Republican is going to pick Ron Paul as their running mate. It might be a good decision to pick him, but they won’t.
If one does, that would mean that they think they have a hard slog (much as McLame picking Sarah!).
Paul in KY
@Samara Morgan: I thought Texas went for VP Humphrey in 1968. Probably didn’t though. So you could drop it back to 1964 then.
Samara Morgan
I agree with Cole about a lotta things……we both just think its time for Murrica to start giving up the gun.
ramadan mubarak, juicers!
Cervantes
To Suffern ACE: Is that 10901 and what is “ACE”?
AxelFoley
@Davis X. Machina:
FTFY
NonyNony
@Paul in KY:
There is no good reason to pick Ron Paul. He appeals to a devoted and dedicated faction of the GOP, but that’s it. It’s like a Dem picking Dennis Kucinich as his running mate – there’s no purpose in picking him. Either you’re already going to get those folks to vote for you just by being the Democrat OR those folks will go emo, declare that Kucinich has “sold out” and transfer their affection to a different politician. The number of folks who would be unwilling to vote for the Democrat but change their mind because Kucinich is the running mate is so small as to be unimportant. So too with Ron Paul. (And with Perry specifically we get into the whole “President and Vice President should be from different states – especially when the state in question has as many Electoral College votes as Texas does”).
Bruce S
Perry-Bachmann is the ticket. Covers all the bases from X to Y.
Kane
It seems like only yesterday that these same clowns were tripping over themselves to get to Trump and Palin.
Redshift
The most hilarious thing in that Noonan BJ (in a graveyard-laugh sort of way) is that Shrub is the least likely person in the world to do anything to help someone else. His defining characteristic is that he never gave a damn about anyone but himself, not even other Republicans, not even members of his inner circle. Absolute loyalty was demanded, but it only went one way.
“But if there’s a fire on the block, he’ll run out and help.” It’s too bad it took losing an entire city (which was cheerfully blamed on everyone but himself) for the country to catch on.
Paul in KY
@NonyNony: That’s sorta what I think too.
Davis X. Machina
@bob h: It’s probably too late to get in for anyone without a turnkey operation in mothballs. Christie might have trouble getting to the nomination, but he’d be dangerous in the general. I expect he’d do rather well — a pissed-off guy for a pissed-off nation, “The fightin’ general America needs in its newest war — the war on public employees!”)
Crab-bucket syndrome (If I don’t have a job, then you don’t get to have one either; if my job sucks, yours must too; I lost my pension, you can never retire) is:
• bi-partisan — you can find all kinds of attacks on bloated public-sector pensions at supposedly liberal sites.
• ostensibly race-neutral — but you know who those employees all are, wink, wink, and they’re all unionized affirmative action hires anyways.
• not closely identified with any particular area of the country.
• not obviously part of the religious wars, either.
Ressentisment light — all the rage, without all the baggage.
He’s probably toast in his own state, his re-elect numbers are so low — he should have gone for it.
trollhattan
re. Perry and Bachmann’s “Dominionism” beliefs, Michelle (two “l”s) Goldberg is shrill.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/08/14/dominionism-michele-bachmann-and-rick-perry-s-dangerous-religious-bond.html
Why didn’t the Lutherans teach me about all this cool, crusadie stuff? Had no idea we could conquer the world using hot dishes and Jello salads.
AxelFoley
@Keith G:
Yeah, right. Keep wishing.
Kane
Above all else, the lazy media wants a horse race in 2012, a long-drawn-out contentious battle with lots of conflict and sensationalism that provides high cable ratings, website visits, and tons of tweets.
Paul in KY
@trollhattan: Read the article. The quoted ‘Christian Dominionists’ with all their prophet talk remind me of Mr. Jeffs (a soon-to-be lifelong resident of Texas). He cloaked his personal beliefs in a whole lot of godly talk (lots of thous & thys & smiting).
I’d say both have intense desires & aren’t shy about claiming Jeebus wants it this way & trying to either turn scripture on its head or (especially in Jeff’s case) just making shit up that sounds old-testamenty.
EconWatcher
@AxelFoley:
I don’t wish this result at all, but I agree with Keith G.: If we double dip, all bets are off. I don’t think Obama could have done much about the economy other than what’s he’s done, but it could sink him.
gnomedad
@JohnR:
A) Bigotry against Christians (Jesus warned her she’d be persecuted).
B) Violation of her First Amendment right to make shit up and not be called on it (aka “They’re trying to silence me!”).
NonyNony
@Kane:
DING!
If our politics won’t make the presidential race into “American Idol” naturally, then dammit the media will turn it into “American Idol” by force if it has to.
There’s no way that a presidential race can be “boring” in this kind of economy. The media needs those political ads and the eyeballs that political reporting brings every 4 years to boost their bottom line.
Fearguth
Talk about scary images: take a look at this variation:
http://bildungblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/recently-declassified-photograph-uspss.html
trollhattan
@Paul in KY:
Interesting parallel with Jeffs. Seems he suffered from the megalomaniac’s dilemma of wanting to remain secretive and still document his every uttering and vile act. And that’s why he’s going “up river” in the last state I’d want to take that journey.
Paul in KY
@trollhattan: If you haven’t, go to the Salt Lake Tribune & read some of Jeff’s ‘revelations’. They are supposed to come from God, yet the person transcribing these missives is Mr. Jeffs.
How convenient (said in that Dana Carvy voice). It’s the same with these Dominionists. They want power & they will twist the bible every which way to make their sheeple agree. I’m sure they are/were envious of Mr. Jeffs & his ability to just invent new ‘biblically’ sounding shit. They have to use very selected parts of the bible & can’t just write new books, etc.
Keith G
@EconWatcher:
The problem with Axel and the folks here that are like him is that they seem not to be able to understand that attempts at objective analysis are not the same as advocacy. That is really unfortunate as it makes it less possible for sane conversation here.
@AxelFoley:
Axel pup, It is likely that I have been a Democrat since before you were born. I want Obama to win, in fact my life may well depend on it as I deal with life threatening disease mandating care that receives some federal subsidy. This is especially the case since my state of Texas has announced cuts in prescription support that currently help keep me alive.
In short, you do not know what the fuck it is I do wish for, though I am wishing that you would not act as if your head is firmly up your rear.
edited
Josie
I just listened to Halperin being interviewed on MSNBC and got a hint of the knives that will be coming out for Michele. I think the Republican establishment is starting its attempt to take her down. The irony is that in doing so they may saddle themselves with Perry.
Elie
@Keith G:
Keith:
I think you are excessively negative and angry in your language.
I have to watch that myself and it doesn’t help in presenting your arguments in a way that those who you seek to inform or influence will indeed be informed or influenced by you.
Its up to you. You can keep doing what you are doing (cause maybe you like to stick it to us who constantly seem to point out your negative tone and pessimism). Eventually people just ignore you or want to fight. Alternately, you can think about how you say what you say and modify it slightly — not to change the basic content, but just how its delivered.
Your choice — As I said, I have to watch my own statements and own the effect they may have as well.
Samara Morgan
@Keith G: the problem is that the emoprogs and neoliberal armchair quarterbacks want to endlessly rehash Where Obama Went Wrong.
He never went wrong…..he did what he to do to get shit done every time.
what good does it do? the past is dust.
i mean REALLY, the past is dust.
time travel to the past is impossible, because of closed form time curves.
eemom
@Keith G:
I understand this, but I still have a problem with “if double dip, then we’re fucked” type prognistications, even though they are not meant as advocacy. That attitude as I understand it is based on historical election results during weak economies. In none of those previous times, however, was the opposition party in thrall to utterly batshit crazy burn-the-country-down maniacs as it is now; nor was the opposition candidate an absolute joke, as it seems inevitable it will be this time. So I don’t think history is as drop dead reliable a prognosticator as you all seem to.
Keith G
@Elie: Elie love, you called folks ass holes the other day. I use a non-directed “fuck” and a “head up your rear” and you reach out to me with you own brand of Lucy 5 cent psychology ? That is precious, just so precious and disturbingly funny.
cckids
@Redshift:
Isn’t that the truth? I cannot bring to mind ONE thing he did that was empathetic (I know, nasty word), kind or helpful. He never even attempted to fake it.
Elie
@Redshift:
I just saw a documentary about Katrina last night on HBO, which brought back so much pain about that whole nightmare. How humiliated I still felt for our country and how mortified that this was allowed to happen to our people. The outrage welled up in me all over again…
Another interesting documentary this morning on the Triangle Fire in the garment district in New York in 1911 — a century ago. One of the persons providing commentary was the New York fire commissioner who said very meaningfully ” if people want to see what no regulations for work place safety looks like, think of the 147 people who died”… He further said, when companies get to decide for themselves, they always cut corners…”
Elie
@Keith G:
Keith — I said that I had to watch my own language in the comment that I addressed to you.
You are right. I also said you are free to take it however you want to and ignore me as well.
You are very angry and that comes across loud and clear…I get it.
Samara Morgan
@Elie: yup. Fukushima, the BP oil spill, Exxon-Valdez, all the “freed” market in action.
and now the full frontal export of american manufacturing jobs to third world countries.
Its capitalism, bro. quitcher whining.
the system is WAI.
Keith G
@eemom: Gosh I hope you are right. I have been around a good number of years and have seen many warm and fuzzy Democratic hopes die horrible screeching deaths. Many of my Democratic friends solely invest in rationality over ruthlessness and then are shocked when their ass (sorry Elie) gets handed to them.
This will be toned down come next spring and by summer, I fear the narrative will include, “Oh man, isn’t it amazing how the GOP pulled together and got behind this sensible candidate X?” Off to the races.
And again, I hope you are right. Maybe you are more optimistic in what the process has become than I am.
Elie
@Samara Morgan:
The past IS dust but people confuse learning from it with just banging it over and over without processing what we could do differently.
We are all so anxious these days and we look for places to put that anxiety I guess. We really have no idea what to do and that is not unusual during periods of profound change.
Its such a temptation to be negative…after all, we all feel that way and hate the uncertainty. Problem is if its all negative all the time, you take away the positive energy necessary to come up with solutions. Coming up with better ideas requires at least some basic optimism or we might as well just hit the bottle and pack it in.
I am trying this mostly for myself… I just can’t stay in the place I am and plan forward …
Keith G
@Elie: Actually, I am not. Possibly it is the sample of comments that you focus on or maybe is how you decide if a particular comment seems angry to you. I donno.
Either way, the breadth of the evidence will not support your conclusion.
Samara Morgan
@Elie: well…i put my faith (LOL) in the founders and framers. and in Holy Evolution.
The system is actually WAI, although it doesnt seem to be,
Its self correcting……but its very, very slow.
you should read this.
it made me feel a lot better.
:)
Samara Morgan
@Keith G:
wallah…you present as a classic firebagging emoprog on empirical observation.
Could you please LINK some comments that dispute my observation?
Elie
@Keith G:
Ok — I am not trying to offend you or make you feel that you need to defend yourself, Keith.
Sometimes written words do not always give the impression that we want. I have had the ocassion to be surprised about how things I write are interpreted, so I was just sharing with you what I (just me) felt sometimes when I read your comments. I did not mean that as a judgement about who YOU are — after all, how could I know — I am just reading and forming conclusions from that. Those conclusions may be wrong, but I just took a chance and let you know what I sometimes felt.
I have to watch my emotions when I write because what seems to me to be just fine can come across abrupt or judgemental. Email is notorious — esp when busy or distracted. People are amazingly sensitive and in some situations, you don’t have the latitude that you have posting comments on a blog.
Peace. Really. Not trying to label you or be a bitch.
Keith G
@Samara Morgan:
Wow. As much as I like Obama and am proud to have voted for him, he his not perfect. He is an elected official, and by definition a human (tho that does not always hold), who is imperfect and who needs to hear both the good and the bad about his decision making.
Again, I am mystified by the need you have for broad-brush name calling.
Emphasis in the block quote is mine.
Samara Morgan
@Keith G: you know how i lurve data.
give me an instance where Obama did the WRONG thing.
Keith G
@Samara Morgan: Laughing. Out. Loud.
Elie
@Samara Morgan:
Thank you SO MUCH!!!!
I really really appreciated this ….
Samara Morgan
Please note, all juicers, the difference between Elie and me.
i simply Do. Not. Care. if i hurrt your fee fees.
in a way, its a compliment, of a backhanded sort. i think you should be able to “get” the truth without me wetnursing you.
Samara Morgan
@Keith G: c’mon, cowboy up.
give a link, dude.
show me where O did the WRONG thing.
Samara Morgan
@Elie: its really good. :)
do you have a blog?
i think every one should put that on their blog.
Original Lee
IMHO, the Republican nomination is like a coronation. All you have to do is figure out who the real heir to the throne is. If McCain were younger, it would be McCain. Romney came in second to McCain, so the heir apparent is Romney. It’s his turn, and that’s why the media are swooning over Perry and Bachman – they know they would slit their wrists if they had to write about Romney all day every day for the next 18 months, even though they all know he will be the eventual nominee. The VP pick, though – that’s where all the excitement is, but nobody’s interested in that, really, until there is a nominee.
Samara Morgan
@Original Lee: except…..Romney cannot win the general because he’s a MORMON.
that throws a monkey wrench into your neat little scenario.
and….Perry is going to be the nominee.
the GOP base is at least 60% WEC.
and only 1% mormon.
Elie
@Samara Morgan:
I don’t have a blog but I do have a facebook page — and that is perfect for it…
thanks for the suggestion…
Keith G
@Keith G: Diane Rehm Show (about 2-3 mos ago). Guest: Anita Dunn, former WH Communications Director.
Ms Dunn spoke about how the White House messaging for HRC was bungled in the spring/summer of 09. This led to unnecessary problems.
Goggle and listen.
And since you are a data expert, should you be sincere and interested, there are gobbs of quick ways to come across many relational discussions and evaluations the the choices made by President Obama.
But you know that already.
Kane
@Original Lee:
Huckabee actually received slightly more delgates than Romney. And Romney bowed out of the campaign a month earlier than Huckabee.
Samara Morgan
@Keith G: but i disagree. HCR was not “bungled”. O does what he can, when he can.
The conservatives were going to fight this tooth and nail, and you can’t “message” conservatives….because of red/blue genetics and backfire effect.
MY president passed HCR, which is equivalent to the Doom of Sarnath for republicans.
What did the other side get?
Oh yeah.
would you liek to play again?
Samara Morgan
/taps foot impatiently
i am so making myself that cape.
Keith G
@Samara Morgan:
1. Reread what I typed
2. Your opinion v Obama’s Communications Director, really?
edit
Elie
@Keith G:
Keith:
Even if Samara, or i or anyone “admitted” that Obama was WRONG.. what if we give in an admitt, he might have done x or y a little better…
Ok, then what?
Especially about something in the PAST?
What is your positive, affirmative synthesis of then how we go forward?
You spend 2000% of your time judging what was WRONG or what is WRONG…how do you build from there? How do you expand win from WRONG?
I dunno — supposed you would never read this but what the hey:
http://weeseeyou.com/2011/08/12/progressive-angst-and-president-obama-its-not-him-its-you/
I am sure that you will conclude that everything is still FAIL and still be talking about how much better it will be?, was? when what happened or will happen?
Samara Morgan
@Keith G: yup.
she can say what she likes. its a free country. what she said might be kabuki-foil, like a lot of Hillary says.
n/e ways. read Elie’s link.
O does what he can.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Boner and Cantor and Parry and Palin are organically incapable of shame.
but you should be ashamed.
The Worst Person In the World
@eemom:
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeemom, you noticed me! :D
Hell yes, it’s me. I never said otherwise. After some Obot psycho, in all seriousness, called me “the worst person in the world” a few weeks back, I simply took it as my new moniker. So over the top that I instantly loved it.
Interesting in that Kay is convinced I am McLaren. :D
Samara Morgan
its game over for the GOP.
but the tiny lil second brains in their dinosaur hips dint get the message yet.
The Worst Person In the World
@Samara Morgan:
I strive for at least four orgasms per week.
Samara Morgan
@The Worst Person In the World: you must be practicing the sin of Onan then.
:)
she can see your IP if she cares to look.
The Worst Person In the World
hmmm…maybe…sometimes…
Jeffro
@Zifnab:
Zing!
Keith G
@Elie: First, I have this thing about observable truth. I like it. Being able to say, “This is what happened” and “This is how things can/need to be improved” is really cool and usually very helpful.
My goodness. There you go again.
For me it is not about fail and I cannot recall ever using that (or such) words in that context on this blog.
Ah…I just did a search and up there was the first time in 3 years I have typed the word ‘fail’ here. (observable truth) Funny, that.
Even the White House is talking about changing tactics (observable truth) which implies a perceives need to do better which implies….
Again, for me it is about recognizing what needs to be improved so that the important things that need to get done in this society do indeed get successfully addressed.
Ironically, when words like ‘failure’ are thrown about it is not by me.
eemom
@The Worst Person In the World:
it was the Cole is gay thing that tipped me off — AFAIK you are the only one to propound that theory. He’s like really into baking now if that helps.
nope, I knew you weren’t mcLaren — your posts lacked her signature aura of Thorazine.
Glad you’re back. You are sorta unique, in your own trollish way. :)
Keith G
@eemom:
Or her lack of needed Thorazine, as the case may be.
FlipYrWhig
@Keith G: mclaren came back recently in a new incarnation… nym includes something about “documented facts.”
James E. Powell
@Judas Escargot:
The dark cloud: People under 30 do not vote at the same rates as right-wing religious fanatics, bigots, and suburban tax-haters.
The Worst Person In the World
@eemom:
Why thank you. I think. :P
Week before last I spent at a really wonderful retreat center in eastern New York State, attending workshops, meetings, etc. It was a great and beneficial experience. The center has full WIFI access, televesion, you name it, but I chose to engage BJ hardly at all. The eight days of nonengagement here taught me that spending much time on BJ or any other discussion site isn’t really very good for me. All Internet interaction is fantasy-based, in that we have no idea who the people we are engaging really are, or what their true intent is. We have to create the entire experience almost completely in our own heads. Seeing as I am a crazy creative type to begin with…well, you see where that goes.
So I’m going to try engaging on BJ as a very light diversion which I do not take at all seriously, and see how that goes.
But yeah, I do kind of think Cole is gay. Too many of my Gaydar alert bells and lights go off on certain posts. I don’t KNOW that he is, but it believe it to be highly likely. As a former closet case myself, I’d like to help him out of that confining space and into the light. And if I can annoy him in the process, all the better… :D
TuiMel
@El Cid:
Nooners, we hardly knew ye.
HyperIon
@FlipYrWhig:
No!
I vote for the magic dolphins column (which I can’t find a link to).
HyperIon
@cckids:
PEPFAR
slightly-peeved
David Gregory may be minimizing it, but I can’t imagine Bachmann or Romney just letting Perry’s hatred of the US slide. In previous US elections I’ve watched, the candidates spend an inordinate amount of time talking about how awesome their country is. I can’t believe that the other candidates, or the counry as a whole, is going to brush off a recorded interest in secession. That kind of talk is political suicide in countries that are much less flamboyant in their displays of patriotism than the US is.
Montysano
@ John Cole
I’m taking the Hunter Thompson approach: alcohol and chemicals.
FlipYrWhig
@slightly-peeved: I have to think that Romney is going to bring out the big guns. There’s no way he’s letting Perry strut around with a shit-eatin’ grin and jump to the head of the contenders’ line. That’s Mitt’s due.
Samara Morgan
@The Worst Person In the World: Cole does not set off my gaydar.
so since you masturbate that much, you’re a gay guy?
@Keith G:
or it could be radar chaff or kabuki. you simply do not have a clue about what Obama is doing, and you just froth helplessly about how YOU would have done sooooo much better.
i think all we can rely on is empirical data….ACA, FinReg, the Trigger that Sneakily Turned Defense Cuts into Revenues, etc, etc.
i myself do not think Obama is a liberal in action, only in inclination.
in action he is a machiavellian pragmatist.
i do not have any patience for the emoprogs wailing about BUT HE PROMISED.
so i take it you think Obama should share all his planning WITH YOU so the teabaggers can lather up the rubes in advance? that is what happened with HCR. half the country is still bubbas.
parsimon
@slightly-peeved:
It’s not political suicide in this case: it’s easily spun as an exercise in states’ rights, which is what Perry is all about. He stands for minimizing the federal government in favor of state sovereignty, up to and including Social Security and Medicare. Now, those are things he’s said in the past: I’m somehow doubtful he’ll take quite the same line as a national candidate, but I suspect he’ll push it, and I haven’t as yet seen an effective counter-argument from Dems.
Original Lee
@Samara Morgan: It’s true that Romney is a Mormon and Perry is a WEC. Several other candidates last time around were also WEC, and McCain, as we all know, isn’t particularly publicly religious.
If you look backwards a bit, you’ll see:
1980 was Reagan’s turn
1984 was still Reagan’s turn
1988 was Bush’s turn
1992 was Bush’s turn again
1996 was Dole’s turn
2000 was Shrub’s turn
2004 was Shrub’s turn again
2008 was McCain’s turn
I predict 2012 will be Romney’s turn. Governor Goodhair will probably be the VP pick, though.
Original Lee
@Kane: You’re right. I should correct what I said to “of the current candidates,” since Huckabee isn’t running. Of the candidates from 2008 in the race again, Romney came out highest after McCain.
Samara Morgan
@Original Lee: but he still can’t be elected in the general. Rove knows this.
And a significant portion of the base loathes him.
look at this medved article.
Any WECs that refuse to vote MORMON and there will be some…reduces the percent of white vote that the GOP needs to win the white house.
if WECs stay home or vote for Ron Paul, in ANY percentage, the GOP loses.
Samara Morgan
@Original Lee:
he took John Hagees endorsement to pander to the WECs. and so was takin’ Palin as VP….pandering to the WECs.
Samara Morgan
Hayyy, VDE.
this ones for you.