Since this was once a political blog, here’s a couple laffers to help us Democrats start off the weekend in a good mood.
Ed Kilgore, at the New Republic, (rhetorically) wonders “Are Republicans Out of Their Minds?“:
… Democrats (especially those in Congress) have been plotting for months to make Paul Ryan’s budget proposal, and particularly its radical treatment of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, the centerpiece of their 2012 campaign. After all, the proposal drew the support of nearly every Republican in Congress, despite abundant public opinion research (and at least one special election) showing the potential for a strong public backlash against its specific provisions. A Ryan candidacy, in other words, would rigidly align the GOP with its least popular ideas at the very moment that all Democrats, from the president to the lowliest House candidate, are desperate to make this a “comparative” election instead of a temperature reading on life in the Obama era. So why would prominent Republicans be interested in making Democrats so very happy?
__
One explanation is that Paul Ryan may be simply too emblematic of contemporary Republican thinking to be resisted by his own party… Aside from the laurels he has won by putting together a budget proposal that reflects the long-frustrated conservative goal of demolishing the New Deal/Great Society safety net once and for all, Ryan is also beloved of neoconservatives struggling to rebuff resurgent neo-isolationism in the GOP, and he is a faithful ally of social conservatives as well. And what libertarian can’t help but feel good about a congressman who reportedly has made Atlas Shrugged required reading for his staff?…
__
But my hunch is that the main motivation behind the growing Ryan boom in elite circles is that Republicans have more or less decided they cannot lose the presidential race in 2012 unless their candidate has big personal flaws or comes off as legitimately crazy. As a result, they are beginning to assess the field in terms of capacity to serve as president rather than mere electability. And they don’t like what they see.
Which is why Dave Weigel at Slate cheerfully suggests that it’s never too early to hope for a brokered convention!:
Karl Rove says “we are likely to see several other candidates think seriously about getting in” on the GOP primary. His intentions are clear: He’s making life unpleasant for Rick Perry. He’s also telling the truth. Perry just entered the race after weeks and weeks of hype, and he hasn’t settled anything. The din of the draft campaigns—Ryan! Christie! Rudy! Palin! hell, even Pataki!—rings just as loud and fills just as many midday Fox News segments.
__
Democrats, who have so little to be cheery about, are cheery about this. Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Dvorsky sort of likes the idea of a bone-crunching, time-sucking Republican primary.
__
“It’s an internal family discussion that plays out in public,” Dvorsky says. “While they’re doing that, we’re able to take our messaging, take our field organization, and begin it. We’ve had months of a jump on this, and we’re going to get months more. It’s a historical change for them. Gone are the days when it’s ‘Bob Dole’s turn,’ and they have their next guy up.”…
Yutsano
Pataki? PATAKI?? Is Weigel serious? Oh man that’s rich.
Odie Hugh Manatee
I am looking forwards to lots of pie being thrown. Lots. Of. Pie. Tasty Shit Pie.
Watching crazy trying to outcrazy each other while the few remaining sane people (IOW: bought and paid shills/pols for the bankers) on the right try to steer things back on a saner track? It’s going to be a bloodbath.
Popcorn will be a requirement. Lots of buttered popcorn.
Spaghetti Lee
Paul Ryan for Prez? Seriously, that’s their backup secret plan?
Uh, go ahead, guys. We pinky-swear promise we won’t mention how he tried so brazenly to destroy medicare that even his own party ran away from him.
Suffern ACE
What’s Steve Forbes up to these days? Why isn’t Bill Bennett running? Isn’t it Gary Bauer’s turn?
KCinDC
Yeah, that bone-crunching, time-sucking Democratic primary battle in 2008 really killed us, didn’t it? Yes, I know we’re still plagued with PUMAs, but they were completely insignificant in the November election, and the close Obama-Clinton fight throughout the states got Democrats organized and prepared for November.
elisabeth
Shoot, it’s not too late for Trump or Barbour or Daniels to “save the day.”
MikeJ
@KCinDC: I’ve had the same worry, but there is a difference. Dems were torn between two candidates they really liked but might have disagreed with on a few points. I was happy Obama had come out against the invasion of Iraq, but even though Clinton would never admit how horribly, disastrously wrong she was, I would have still been happy to vote for her.
In the Republican primary, anybody who is acceptable to the teatards is unacceptable to the money guys. A drawn out primary may actually meet the expectations that went unmet during 08’s Dem primary.
Suffern ACE
Isn’t Paul Ryan supposed to be the VP, who is young like Dan Quayle to attract the ladies and New York punditry?
Villago Delenda Est
Oh, please, GOP, by all means, run Paul “let’s drink the lobbyists’ wine”, “you have to pay an entry fee to attend my town hall meetings” Ryan.
Slightly OT, but related, I think these lyrics of Todd Rundgren are pretty interesting (and the music that accompanies them is terrific):
I see the same damn faces in the news
Taking up sides when there ain’t nothing to choose
I think their game is just designed to confuse
They cut the pie up and the rest of us lose
__
Let me be your advisor
Keep the monkeys off your back
Figure your taxes
Stay up all night making sure that everything is right
Thanks to the fine people at kovidio.net for making these lyrics copy and pasteable!
Villago Delenda Est
@elisabeth:
I’m holding out for the star power of Fred Thompson, myself…
Naive and Sentimental
I hope Chris Christie gets involved. Paul Ryan too. Someone should definitely register a website to draft Stephen Baldwin.
toschek
So why did O put social security and medicare on the table in the deficit talks? Not to be a firebagger or anything, but is he trying to lose congress in 2012?
toschek
And I like the Prez for the most part, but Plouffe and Axelrod are looking pretty incompetent at the moment.
MikeJ
@toschek: Since there weren’t any actual cuts, being open to talking about cutting anything when the Republicans weren’t willing to negotiate over anything made Obama look better.
MikeJ
@toschek: Go back to the ’08 campaign when people said, “Obama is Done”
And read comments from 2007 like:
http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2120
So yeah, I’m not really that concerned about what random blog commenters say about Ax’s competency.
Martin
So… Huntsman is taking an interesting tack – the sane Republican. I wonder how long that lasts.
hilts
Paul Ryan won’t run because he knows that he doesn’t have a chance in Hell of winning. Chris Christie can’t run because he’s already said, on camera, that he doesn’t have enough experience to be considered for the job. After Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani ran the most laughable and incompetent presidential campaign in 2008, so he wouldn’t attract enough support among any Republicans still possessing half a brain. Besides that, he’s making too much money as a security consultant. Palin is a coward and a quitter who doesn’t have the stomach to run for President. She’ll just keep popping up, from time to time, at strategic points in the campaign to feed her massive ego and boost her bank account. Pataki doesn’t have the fire in the belly and he’s too fucking boring to attract enough support.
Based on all of the reports about the bad blood at the staff level, or perhaps higher, between Bush and Perry, I’d bet that George W. Bush will persuade Jeb to get into the race.
hilts
@Martin:
Huntsman will be on Piers Morgan Tonight this Monday. Huntsman’s latest revelation – he’s a fan of Captain Beefheart.
Omnes Omnibus
@hilts: Ryan? It is to laugh.
patrick II
From the Christian Science Monitor:
It was interesting the way the gentleman from Bank of America was trying to be covert but got caught on camera anyway.
Viva BrisVegas
@Martin:
2016. Huntsman is running a 6 year campaign.
hilts
@Omnes Omnibus:
If you wish to preserve your sanity, you may want to avoid watching CNN, MSNBC, or Fox News on Sept 3rd. On that date, the MSM’s favorite catnip, Sarah “Mooseburger Helper” Palin will deliver the keynote speech before some idiot tea party group in Iowa. Given their track records, all 3 cable news outlets will probably treat this speech like a fucking State of the Union address.
hilts
@Viva BrisVegas:
If Obama loses in 2012, Huntsman better get himself in the federal witness protection program because he’ll have no future in the Republican party.
Omnes Omnibus
@hilts: Me sanity be long gone, but thank you for the warning.
boss bitch
Huntsman is clearly sending a signal to Obama that he is not really batshit crazy and would like another position in the administration once he drops out of the race.
magurakurin
@MikeJ:
especially since, given the nature of the Internet, there is always the outside chance that the random blog commenter bagging on Axlerod could actually, in fact, be Mark Penn. What a brilliant campaign he ran…
OzoneR
@KCinDC:
I do think it’s a major reason why Obama is having a hard time governing.
John Puma
And the Democrats “message”: “Give us Obama and ninety per cent majorities in both house of congress. Then we’ll only have Obama to fight with and MAY be able get something done.”
Omnes Omnibus
@John Puma: I have a great idea. Why don’t you just go fuck yourself? You could save some money.
Yutsano
@John Puma: Not enuff “HILLERY WUZ ROBBED!! ONE 1!!”
Odie Hugh Manatee
@patrick II:
What I find interesting about the exchange is that you would think that he would clandestinely mention this to Perry in private rather than out in the open with the cameras and microphones everywhere.
It’s like he couldn’t wait because he was so excited by Perry’s message (wtf ever that is).
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
WTF-K?
harlana
I cannot express how much I am enjoying the show, may it continue on throughout the primaries and reward me with endless entertainment and amusement. Play on, play on! Bravo!
WereBear
Precisely. It was right out of Bad Movie Tropes.
But then, they are that arrogant.
harlana
@Odie Hugh Manatee: Well, you know, everybody gets a little “excited” around Perry.
Anybody notice his body language during his speech in Iowa, thrusting his junk out at the audience? As Stephanie Miller said, he looked like he was about to [email protected]#k that haystack.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@harlana:
I guess clearing brush turned the Shrub on and Perry likes to ‘make hay’ while the sun shines.
Texas men are weird.
harlana
@Odie Hugh Manatee: oh, yeah and the codpiece, how could I forget?
debbie
Crazy or chutzpah?: John Kasich giving the weekly Republican address and saying that everyone needs to compromise.
harlana
What is up with the big-ass college ring? Did he start wearing that after he made the remark about Texas A&M vs. Yale or has he always worn it? Seems pretty silly and juvenile for a man his age.
I know, I know . . .
Joe Bauers
@John Puma:
The Democrats don’t need 90% in the Senate. They only need about 70% so they can safely lose the votes of 10 assholes like Ben Nelson and still overcome the now-routine Republican filibusters.
That they can’t win 70 seats in a Senate where giant uninhabited red states like Wyoming get as much representation as California is all Obama’s fault somehow.
Mark S.
Paul Ryan could be formidable in a general election, in that he would do slightly better than Bachmann, Cain, or Paul. He might only lose by 18 points instead of 20.
Seriously, how out of touch do you have to be to think that the man who proposed VoucherCare would be electoral gold?
Bob
Nice try, but none of this makes me feel any better about Dems prospects in ’12. I think I’d need some of blow and alcohol Sarah P&T enjoyed yesterday to feel good.
Grumpy Code Monkey
@harlana:
All Aggies wear those damned rocks. It’s part of being an Aggie.
kay
@toschek:
Obama is an incumbent. His campaign is going to be fundamentally different than 1. 2008 or 2., any challengers campaign (particularly now, as these people are in a primary campaign, not a general election).
One thing that is and will be interesting to me is that he doesn’t have to do the ordinary Democratic candidate defensive chest-beating on national defense. He polls very well on defense/terrorism (whether you agree with his approach or not, that’s a fact). Whatever “2 AM phone calls” concerns people had seem to be gone. The politics of that might be something to watch.
I get a kick out of it because it’s something none of the professional pundits predicted, or, actually, will even acknowledge. The assumption always is Democrats will be on defense on that issue. I love how they ignore facts that get in the way of their preconceived notions.
kay
@toschek:
You have to admit, this is sort of interesting, politically, for a Democrat. Again, just broad political context, any Democrat. Did anyone predict that? I don’t think they did.
kay
@toschek:
And, good for Chris Cillizza for raising the Obama/defense polling. He seems to have an open mind and some attachment to facts. I have to take back my broad indictment of pundits now that I found an exception to the rule :)
nominus
@harlana – It’s an Aggie ring, usually always worn. I’ve noticed it several times in the past when I’ve seen him on campus. Even if he’s trying to score political points with someone, we’re a little bit crazy about the ring.
http://aggietraditions.tamu.edu/symbols/aggiering.html
Odie Hugh Manatee
@harlana:
lol! That bale of hay has nothing to worry about, my neighbor’s dog is more virile than Perry.
Now if Perry lifts his leg to mark his territory…
rikryah
totally want Ryan to run
WereBear
Well, Republicans are always going to love the Macho; possibly because of their chronic deficiency of character, compassion, and sense.
cleek
it’s almost as if Dvorsky doesn’t read liberal blogs.
cleek
@Mark S.:
my estimate is that it would take two weeks before the punditry had all agreed that Ryan’s plan would be just a minor reworking of Medicare, and that the Dems had just made all that noise for cynical partisan reasons.
i’d be willing to go as high as three weeks.
Valdivia
Don’t know if this is the WS just promoting their neocon favored guy but are we really this lucky?
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2011/08/20/ryan_consults_christie_on_possible_bid.html
Though I have seen comments that he would get a pass from the Village because he is so serious. Isn’t that the case with all of them though?
Valdivia
@cleek:
They already agreed it was a needed important discussion. So if he runs that would start all over again. Fortunately that train already left the station with the public.
Villago Delenda Est
@John Puma:
Yes, and Hillary with mere 85% majorities could have accomplished so much more!
PanAmerican
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
Or dear Mr. Rove was rat fucking him.
Judas Escargot
@PanAmerican:
I saw the clip and got that same ‘ratfuck’ vibe (though I wouldn’t automatically assume it was Rove).
The PR guy from BoA doesn’t know where every camera in the room is? That wasn’t a handicam.
Someone else kept getting in front of him in-frame, and he keeps moving forwards until his mouth is in clear view of the camera. He even stretches out his sentence a little (“…great job… fabulous…”) until he can get into position to deliver the payload.
The pat on the back is a nice touch, too.
Ratfucked. But by/from whom?
dww44
@toschek: don’t know about Plouffe, but Axelrod doesn’t show me much. Behind the scenes he may be perfectly competent, but in front of the camera he’s a bunch of mealy-mouthed wishywashiness and he’s been that way from the get-go. There’s no real conviction behind any of his pronouncements.
The Sheriff's A Ni-
Well someone’s legitimately crazy and I don’t think its just the GOP’s candidates. They cannot lose in 2012? Seriously? Talk about buying your own bullshit. One would’ve thought they would’ve learned by now not to misunderestimate the sheriff.
WaterGirl
@The Sheriff’s A Ni-:
Now I finally get your screen name, and I can’t figure out how I missed it all this time!
Zak44
According to the TNR article, Repubs feel Obama is especially vulnerable because he has the lowest approvals since Carter. I could be wrong, but I seem to remember that Carter was ahead–or at least neck and neck–until the debates, which allowed Reagan, with his “there you go again” riposte, to appear reasonable and not the crazy rightwinger many took him to be. Unless the GOP can come up with a candidate with that kind of charm (and I don’t see one), Obama may not be all that beatable.
He might be even stronger if he ran as a Democrat.
Bob L
@The Sheriff’s A Ni-:
The Republicans didnt’ seem to learn from Annapolis were they thought they could out debate a constitutional scholar. Just recall the Bush years when every disaster was good news for conservatives.
TK421
Why don’t Republicans think Democrats will try to make them pay for threatening Medicare? Here is one clue:
Link