ATIT Reheated: The GOP/Tea Party March To 2012—an army of pinheads, charlatans, mountebanks, narcissists, and third-rate grifters

By Pablo Fanque, National Affairs Editor

and Jack Brummet, Social Mores Editor

[reprinted from ATIT, December 30, 2010] 

The GOP Presidential candidates are charging out like clowns from a clown-car.  Of course, getting in to The Show early, or even just announcing, is pretty cheap.  And it increases your cash flow, your paid trips, marketability, and even perceived gravitas.  Democrats on the other hand are holding back.  To declare against a sitting President is generally an exercise in futility and, at times, a near-suicidal political act.  However, strong candidates have pulled it off (most notably Bobby Kennedy, whom we did not get to see go the distance) and won roles at the convention, and promises of plum diplomatic jobs or cabinet positions. 

Jeb Bush - who knows what he'll do?

Congressman Pence

Politico reports the House Republican Conference Chairman from Indiana is considering stepping down from his GOP leadership post to prepare for a possible presidential run in 2012. 'Though the 2010 mid-term election is just barely over, the pressure is on Pence and other GOP hopefuls to state their intentions.

Ex-Governor Romney

Mitt Romney has already been running for a couple of years, really ever since the night he conceded to John McCain during the primaries.  He seems to us like one of the more plausible candidates to whom Democrats might defect (maybe his biggest appeal to Dems and most horrifying to GOP/Tea Party members is the pretty excellent health care system that he pushed for in Mass.).   We think his religion is no roadblock.  Yeah, we don't think a Hari Krishna will become president soon, but a Mormon?  Sure, why not?  We are fine with a Jewish or Moslem president, but don't think that happens anytime soon.

Ex-Governor Huckabee

Ex-Governor Mike Huckabee won the Iowa primaries last time around, had a huge buzz...and for a few weeks, he was the "It Guy," appearing on the cover of Newsweek, and was the focus of numerous political talk shows. He may or may not run.  He seems to like his current FOX news gig. [Ed's Note: nearly half of the GOP hopefuls and toe-dippers are on the FOX payroll in some form or another.]

Ex-Speaker (and architect of the Contract On America) Gingrich (painting by Jack Brummet)

Newt Gingrich, another FOX hack. . .who knows? We guess he will indeed run.  Newt is a guy who craves the limelight.

Governor Pawlenty

Tim Pawlenty could be running...he is visiting several key, early primary states.  He has a book out.  He was maybe Number Two on McCain's VP list.  But alas, he has a personality like shirt cardboard.   His Q factor is virtually zero.

John Bolton

John Bolton, the neocon diplomat (and former undersecretary of state) has publicly toyed with the idea.  He may jump in for a primary or two if he can get enough of his fat cat friends to pony up enough cash to make a short, respectable run. 

Guvnah Barbour

Haley Barbour, the (once) well-thought of Governor may have killed his changes recently with racially insensitive--no, inflammatory--remarks on how nice the south was back in "the good old days."

Senator Thune

John Thune, who, a few years ago, stomped Democratic powerhouse Tom Daschle in South Dakota, is textbook politically handsome.  And like Tim Pawlenty. . .about as exciting as yesterday's oatmeal.

Governor Daniels

Mitch Daniels (Governor of Indiana) dismissed a presidential run in June 2009, saying "I've only ever run for or held one office. It's the last one I'm going to hold."   In February 2010 he told a Washington Post reporter that he was open to the idea of running in 2012. 

The Donald

Donald Trump has made some noise about making a Presidential run.  It's hard to see how a national joke could get much traction in Iowa or New Hampshire.

Ex-Governor Palin (painting by Jack Brummet)

Sarah Palin.   She's certainly open to the idea--if not the reality--of running for President.  If she does make a go of it, it will be fascinating watching her in those early primaries.

Ex-Senator Santorum

Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania Senator who was obliterated in the 2006 election, may just be tempted to run.  Another FOX guy.  He is almost in the national joke category, along with Trump.  He is probably best known for his positions on the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Social Security, intelligent design, homosexuality, and the long-forgotten Terri Schiavo case.

Governor Christie (painting by Jack Brummet)

Chris Christie--a guy we think could go all the way.  He's a Republican who is seen by his own party as soft on immigration; is against gay marriage, but in favor of civil unions (just like President Obama!); is not strong with the pro-gun lobby; favors medical marijuana; and while opposed to it, is soft on abortion and doesn't believe it is the state's duty to ram it down the throats of the people.   However, the Tea Party wing of the party does not take a blue dog approach.  You're either with them, or against them.  With all the other neo-con and tea-party alternatives, it's hard to see how Christie could ever garner much support within his own party.

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Ronald Reagan talks about the Democrats (Pre-politics of destruction in U.S.)

By Jack Brummet, Two-party system editor

This video clip of a good natured speech by President Ronald Reagan reminds me of the days before the politics of destruction took over.  It reminds me of Adlai Stevenson's famous quote about Republicans:  "I have been thinking that I would make a proposition to my Republican friends... that if they will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them.”

[Thanks to Guy Brummet for sending this along].

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The Republican March To 2012: a wondrous collection of pinheads, charlatans, mountebanks, narcissists, and third-rate grifters

      By Pablo Fanque, National Affairs Editor

Jack Brummet, Social Mores Editor

 

The GOP Presidential candidates are charging out like clowns from a clown-car.  Of course, getting in to The Show early, or even just announcing, is pretty cheap.  And it increases your cash flow, your paid trips, marketability, and even perceived gravitas.  Democrats on the other hand are holding back.  To declare against a sitting President is generally an exercise in futility and, at times, a near-suicidal political act.  However, strong candidates have pulled it off (most notably Bobby Kennedy, whom we did not get to see go the distance) and won roles at the convention, and promises of plum diplomatic jobs or cabinet positions. 

Congressman Pence

Politico reports the House Republican Conference Chairman from Indiana is considering stepping down from his GOP leadership post to prepare for a possible presidential run in 2012. 'Though the 2010 mid-term election is just barely over, the pressure is on Pence and other GOP hopefuls to state their intentions.

Ex-Governor Romney

Mitt Romney has already been running for a couple of years, really ever since the night he conceded to John McCain during the primaries.  He seems to us like one of the more plausible candidates to whom Democrats might defect (maybe his biggest appeal to Dems and most horrifying to GOP/Tea Party members is the pretty excellent health care system that he pushed for in Mass.).   We think his religion is no roadblock.  Yeah, we don't think a Hari Krishna will become president soon, but a Mormon?  Sure, why not?  We are fine with a Jewish or Moslem president, but don't think that happens anytime soon.

Ex-Governor Huckabee

Ex-Governor Mike Huckabee won the Iowa primaries last time around, had a huge buzz...and for a few weeks, he was the "It Guy," appearing on the cover of Newsweek, and was the focus of numerous political talk shows. He may or may not run.  He seems to like his current FOX news gig. [Ed's Note: nearly half of the GOP hopefuls and toe-dippers are on the FOX payroll in some form or another.]

Ex-Speaker (and architect of the Contract On America) Gingrich

Newt Gingrich, another FOX hack. . .who knows? We guess he will indeed run.  Newt is a guy who craves the limelight.

Governor Pawlenty

Tim Pawlenty could be running...he is visiting several key, early primary states.  He has a book out.  He was maybe Number Two on McCain's VP list.  But alas, he has a personality like shirt cardboard.   His Q factor is virtually zero.

John Bolton

John Bolton, the neocon diplomat (and former undersecretary of state) has publicly toyed with the idea.  He may jump in for a primary or two if he can get enough of his fat cat friends to pony up enough cash to make a short, respectable run. 

Guvnah Barbour

Haley Barbour, the (once) well-thought of Governor may have killed his changes recently with racially insensitive--no, inflammatory--remarks on how nice the south was back in "the good old days."

Senator Thune

John Thune, who, a few years ago, stomped Democratic powerhouse Tom Daschle in South Dakota, is textbook politically handsome.  And like Tim Pawlenty. . .about as exciting as yesterday's oatmeal.

Governor Daniels

Mitch Daniels (Governor of Indiana) dismissed a presidential run in June 2009, saying "I've only ever run for or held one office. It's the last one I'm going to hold."   In February 2010 he told a Washington Post reporter that he was open to the idea of running in 2012. 

The Donald

Donald Trump has made some noise about making a Presidential run.  It's hard to see how a national joke could get much traction in Iowa or New Hampshire.

Ex-Governor Palin (painting by Jack Brummet)

Sarah Palin.   She's certainly open to the idea--if not the reality--of running for President.  If she does make a go of it, it will be fascinating watching her in those early primaries.

Ex-Senator Santorum

Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania Senator who was obliterated in the 2006 election, may just be tempted to run.  Another FOX guy.  He is almost in the national joke category, along with Trump.  He is probably best known for his positions on the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Social Security, intelligent design, homosexuality, and the long-forgotten Terri Schiavo case.

Governor Christie

Chris Christie--a guy we think could go all the way.  He's a Republican who is seen by his own party as soft on immigration; is against gay marriage, but in favor of civil unions (just like President Obama!); is not strong with the pro-gun lobby; favors medical marijuana; and while opposed to it, is soft on abortion and doesn't believe it is the state's duty to ram it down the throats of the people.   However, the Tea Party wing of the party does not take a blue dog approach.  You're either with them, or against them.  With all the other neo-con and tea-party alternatives, it's hard to see how Christie could ever garner much support within his own party.

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Candidate Dr. Rand Paul? Pothead? Kidnapper? Mocker of religion?

By Pablo Fanque
National Affairs Editor

As you probably know by now, Kentucky Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul helped *allegedly* kidnap a female student and tried to force her to smoke marijuana in a "prank" during his days at Texas's Baylor University, a GQ article reported.


Paul, with another member of a "secret liberal society" targeted a woman who was a teammate on the swim team.  The kidnappers were members of the NoZe Brotherhood, an organization of liberal-minded students at the Waco, TX Baptist college.

The woman told GQ "He and Randy [Paul] came to my house, they knocked on my door, and then they blindfolded me, tied me up, and put me in their car.  They took me to their apartment and tried to force me to take bong hits. They'd been smoking pot."

Later, they drove her to a creek in the countryside and forced her to worship a bogus God.  "They told me their god was 'Aqua Buddha' and that I needed to bow down and worship him," the woman said.

"The whole thing was kind of sadistic. They were messing with my mind. It was some kind of joke."

Paul campaign manager Jesse Benton told Slate.com it was weighing its options, including legal options. “We will not tolerate drive-by journalism by a writer with a leftist agenda."  Benton never explicitly denied the story.  That is telling in itself.

You have to wonder how Dr. Paul can possibly wiggle out of this one.  This can't play too favorably with his base, whoever they are. . .
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Parallels between Hitler's Bunker and The John McCain War-room

This may sound a little familiar to anyone who has read an American newspaper in the last month:

"Hitler reviewed the war room maps and moved troops [voters] that didn't exist. And his Generals [Robert Mosbacher, Frederic V. Malek, Jill Hazelbaker,Steve Schmidt, Rick Davis, Bill McInturff, et al] knew that the cause was lost but they didn't have the courage to say so.

"German soldiers [that is, Congress and Governors trying to run as Republicans] , including members of the Hitler's youth, were sacrificed to buy just little more time for a regime that controlled a few blocks of Berlin at best. "

"Eva Braun [a/k/a Cindy McCain] was depicted as the lady in waiting as she entertained the inner circle. Beneath the surface of this apparently fun loving woman was a dedicated Nazis who wanted to die with her Fuhrer. She had been the loyal girl friend, sitting in the background and only at the end did she receive her Fuhrer's hand in marriage."

"Propaganda Minister Joel Goebel [a/k/a Senator "Crazy" Joe Lieberman] and his wife, Magda, couldn't imagine a world without Hitler and his National Socialism ideology. They don't even want their own children to be part of just a world, so they kill their own children before ending their own life. There was one surreal scene where Himmler asked an aide whether he should give Eisenhower the Nazis salute or shake his hand as he negotiated Germany surrender. "

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Palin's cronies--Agriculture Head: "I liked cows when I was a kid"

The New York Times has a fascinating article this morning on page 1 in the "print" version. You can read it online here, but you may have to sign up (you may have to be a subscriber...I'm not sure).

"Gov. Sarah Palin lives by the maxim that all politics is local, not to mention personal.

"So when there was a vacancy at the top of the State Division of Agriculture, she appointed a high school classmate, Franci Havemeister, to the $95,000-a-year directorship. A former real estate agent, Ms. Havemeister cited her childhood love of cows as a qualification for running the roughly $2 million agency."

Republican Vice Presidential Gestures: Saran Palin's air kiss and VP Rockefeller's middle finger to protestors

Here are two favorite photos of Vice Presidential/Vice Presidential wannabe gestures. I did like the Sarah Palin air kiss, and my absolute favorite ever was Nelson Rockefeller, grinning broadly and giving the finger to some hecklers

click Nelson to enlarge

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