September 8, 2011--The GOP
With the exception of Rick Santorum, who squinted his way through last night's Republican debate--looking as if he himself was confused about what he was doing on stage with the likes of heavyweights Perry and Romney--the Democrat in me felt the other seven did well. For them.
Yes, Michele Bachmann, the former front runner, was fortunate that no one asked her about the role of science in the modern world, but she did at least seem to acknowledge we have a climate problem that we are in some ways contributing to. And she did appear to know where Libya is on the map and stood by her view that Obama made a mistake supporting anti-Ghadafi rebels, rebels that even supporters of NATO have to agree we know very little about.
Even Newt looked a little slimmed down and was the one to take on the GOP's favorite target, the Liberal news media when he looked right at the Devil himself, Brian Williams, and, wagging his considerable finger at him (he's not that slimmed down) and said you guys are not tricking us Republicans into fighting with each other. I should add he already tried that and it has him mired just above Herman Cain in the polls.
Godfather's Pizza's Herman Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan, though incomprehensible, was at least a good take out. Sorry, take-away. You may not know what any of the 9s stand for but it does sound simple (which is sadly a good thing when it comes to GOP right-wing activists) and, who knows, might gain more traction than the newest Obama tax proposals that he will unveil tonight. And it might earn Cain a place on the eventual ticket as Perry's vice president. That would add a kind of je ne sais quoi quality to the ticket
Speaking of the vice presidency, former Utah governor, former Obama ambassador to China, Harley-biker Jon Huntsman clearly has that in his sights. If he were a foot taller, had broader shoulders and more of a jaw line--and not a Mormon--he would have something resembling a chance in the Republican race. Actually, more of a chance in the general election where his seeming reasonableness would play better. But Mr. Excitement he isn't.
Since I brought up the Mormon issue, that is Mitt Romney's biggest problem. Even more of a problem than the fact that he's flip-flopped on every issue that is essential to even mainstream Republicans. So he raised taxes when he was governor of Massachusetts, so he used to be in favor of a woman's right to choose, so he used to be proud of the Bay State's health care plan which is remarkably similar to Obama's with its individual mandate. These things are potentially all fungible. But being an active member of a religious cult--which is the way the GOP Christian evangelical base views Mormonism--will be his killer political virus. It was not brought up last night but it was and will remain the 800-pound gorilla that will squash Romney's candidacy. That's too bad for the Obama haters since he probably has the best chance to deny him a second term.
Which brings me to Rick Perry. The current darling of the GOP base and, in my view, the future nominee.
Who cares that he lied about his record in Texas on numerous key issues. So Texas is last among the 50 states in its citizens who do not have any health care coverage at all--he blamed the federal government and Obama for this, though he was not asked to connect those preposterous dots.
Who cares that Texas is last among states in the percentage of its students graduating from high school--he blatantly lied (again unchallenged), claiming that the state has an 87 percent graduation rate. Yes, if you define that rate as the number of students who enter the 12th grade who graduate. If you look at the number who drop out before getting to their senior year, yes, Texas does in fact have the worst education record in the country.
Who cares that he "blames" God for the climate change that has led to Texas' worst drought in recorded history and the state burning up in what looks to me like hellfire. If he doesn't see this as God's work why then did he slash the state's firefighting budget by more than half and have his parishioners, sorry, his fellow Texans praying the other day for rain?
He did have a few words about how the science is not "settled" on human's contributions to global warming though, trying to have it both ways, he touted his record on reducing carbon emissions in Texas and he did even make reference to Galileo who, he said, "got outvoted for a spell." I suppose he rehearsed that line to demonstrate that he isn't, well, as dumb as some claim. It's good, though, that no one asked him about Darwin since he too continues to be outvoted by Perry and his followers.
None of this will ultimately matter since after last night he is the odds-on favorite to win the nomination. The Obama people must feel they are living under a lucky star. If they can't run against Sarah Palin at least there will be Social-Security-is-a-Ponzi-scheme Perry to kick around.
He's odds-on because, first, he is an evangelical Christian; second, he stood by his views even if they are out of the main stream and untrue (no Romney-like flipping and flopping with Perry); and third, in less than two weeks he changed his accent so that he no longer sounds like George Bush and has the Reagan head-nod and smile down and has adopted his swagger and jauntiness. He's even dying and pomading his hair Ronald-Reagan style.
This is pretty impressive and should get the job done.
Yes, Michele Bachmann, the former front runner, was fortunate that no one asked her about the role of science in the modern world, but she did at least seem to acknowledge we have a climate problem that we are in some ways contributing to. And she did appear to know where Libya is on the map and stood by her view that Obama made a mistake supporting anti-Ghadafi rebels, rebels that even supporters of NATO have to agree we know very little about.
Even Newt looked a little slimmed down and was the one to take on the GOP's favorite target, the Liberal news media when he looked right at the Devil himself, Brian Williams, and, wagging his considerable finger at him (he's not that slimmed down) and said you guys are not tricking us Republicans into fighting with each other. I should add he already tried that and it has him mired just above Herman Cain in the polls.
Godfather's Pizza's Herman Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan, though incomprehensible, was at least a good take out. Sorry, take-away. You may not know what any of the 9s stand for but it does sound simple (which is sadly a good thing when it comes to GOP right-wing activists) and, who knows, might gain more traction than the newest Obama tax proposals that he will unveil tonight. And it might earn Cain a place on the eventual ticket as Perry's vice president. That would add a kind of je ne sais quoi quality to the ticket
Speaking of the vice presidency, former Utah governor, former Obama ambassador to China, Harley-biker Jon Huntsman clearly has that in his sights. If he were a foot taller, had broader shoulders and more of a jaw line--and not a Mormon--he would have something resembling a chance in the Republican race. Actually, more of a chance in the general election where his seeming reasonableness would play better. But Mr. Excitement he isn't.
Since I brought up the Mormon issue, that is Mitt Romney's biggest problem. Even more of a problem than the fact that he's flip-flopped on every issue that is essential to even mainstream Republicans. So he raised taxes when he was governor of Massachusetts, so he used to be in favor of a woman's right to choose, so he used to be proud of the Bay State's health care plan which is remarkably similar to Obama's with its individual mandate. These things are potentially all fungible. But being an active member of a religious cult--which is the way the GOP Christian evangelical base views Mormonism--will be his killer political virus. It was not brought up last night but it was and will remain the 800-pound gorilla that will squash Romney's candidacy. That's too bad for the Obama haters since he probably has the best chance to deny him a second term.
Which brings me to Rick Perry. The current darling of the GOP base and, in my view, the future nominee.
Who cares that he lied about his record in Texas on numerous key issues. So Texas is last among the 50 states in its citizens who do not have any health care coverage at all--he blamed the federal government and Obama for this, though he was not asked to connect those preposterous dots.
Who cares that Texas is last among states in the percentage of its students graduating from high school--he blatantly lied (again unchallenged), claiming that the state has an 87 percent graduation rate. Yes, if you define that rate as the number of students who enter the 12th grade who graduate. If you look at the number who drop out before getting to their senior year, yes, Texas does in fact have the worst education record in the country.
Who cares that he "blames" God for the climate change that has led to Texas' worst drought in recorded history and the state burning up in what looks to me like hellfire. If he doesn't see this as God's work why then did he slash the state's firefighting budget by more than half and have his parishioners, sorry, his fellow Texans praying the other day for rain?
He did have a few words about how the science is not "settled" on human's contributions to global warming though, trying to have it both ways, he touted his record on reducing carbon emissions in Texas and he did even make reference to Galileo who, he said, "got outvoted for a spell." I suppose he rehearsed that line to demonstrate that he isn't, well, as dumb as some claim. It's good, though, that no one asked him about Darwin since he too continues to be outvoted by Perry and his followers.
None of this will ultimately matter since after last night he is the odds-on favorite to win the nomination. The Obama people must feel they are living under a lucky star. If they can't run against Sarah Palin at least there will be Social-Security-is-a-Ponzi-scheme Perry to kick around.
He's odds-on because, first, he is an evangelical Christian; second, he stood by his views even if they are out of the main stream and untrue (no Romney-like flipping and flopping with Perry); and third, in less than two weeks he changed his accent so that he no longer sounds like George Bush and has the Reagan head-nod and smile down and has adopted his swagger and jauntiness. He's even dying and pomading his hair Ronald-Reagan style.
This is pretty impressive and should get the job done.
posted by Steven Zwerling at
5:21 AM
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