• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The fight for our country is always worth it. ~Kamala Harris

You passed on an opportunity to be offended? What are you even doing here?

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

Today in our ongoing national embarrassment…

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

We can show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

She burned that motherfucker down, and I am so here for it. Thank you, Caroline Kennedy.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

When someone says they “love freedom”, rest assured they don’t mean yours.

If rights aren’t universal, they are privilege, not rights.

They are not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Fight them, without becoming them!

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

Michigan is a great lesson for Dems everywhere: when you have power…use it!

I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The snowflake in chief appeared visibly frustrated when questioned by a reporter about egg prices.

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

Mobile Menu

  • Seattle Meet-up Post
  • 2025 Activism
  • Targeted Political Fundraising
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • COVID-19
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • 2025 Activism
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • Targeted Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Elections / Election 2012 / O Brave New World…

O Brave New World…

by Tom Levenson|  January 3, 201210:17 pm| 456 Comments

This post is in: Election 2012, Our Failed Political Establishment, Somewhere a Village is Missing its Idiot

FacebookTweetEmail

…That has such people in’t!

Which is my way of wondering who the heck are the 23  47 54 Iowa GOP caucus-goers (as of the 48% 79% 89% reporting mark) who have considered long and hard, and cast their votes for…

…wait for it…

wait…

….wait

None other than Herman Cain!?

Some things passeth all understanding — which is another way of saying that some folks should not be out at night without their keepers.  And that the Iowa caucuses are a pitiful excuse for a small “d” democratic process of selecting the next person to have a finger on the button.

Image:  William Blake, Richard III and the Ghosts, c. 1806

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « The Iowa Shit Show
Next Post: Late Night Open Thread »

Reader Interactions

456Comments

  1. 1.

    4tehlulz

    January 3, 2012 at 10:19 pm

    The real winner, as we all know, is Buddy Roemer, who beat expectations by getting more than 5 votes.

  2. 2.

    slag

    January 3, 2012 at 10:21 pm

    I feel there’s something deeply wrong with using a William Blake image in a post regarding Herman Cain. But something oddly right about it as well. I’m conflicted.

  3. 3.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 3, 2012 at 10:23 pm

    Other’s attack ad blitz seriously damaged Huntsman’s chances.

  4. 4.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 3, 2012 at 10:23 pm

    Blake gave great ghost, didn’t he?

  5. 5.

    mclaren

    January 3, 2012 at 10:23 pm

    46% of the American population believes the 2003 Iraq invasion “was worth it.”

    The only parsimonious explanation?

    The American people have descended into mass insanity. A sort of “inverse Flynn effect.”

  6. 6.

    handy

    January 3, 2012 at 10:25 pm

    Where are the other no doubt lost and never to be accounted for 976 votes? #GOPConspiracy

  7. 7.

    joes527

    January 3, 2012 at 10:27 pm

    @mclaren:

    46% of the American population believes the 2003 Iraq invasion “was worth it.” The only parsimonious explanation?

    46% of the American population holds Halliburton stock?

  8. 8.

    freelancer

    January 3, 2012 at 10:28 pm

    @slag:

    Why? The man preached nonsense like he could have been spewing forth Francis Dollarhyde monologues:

    I am the Dragon. And you call me insane. You are privy to a great becoming, but you recognize nothing. To me, you are a slug in the sun. You are an ant in the afterbirth. It is your nature to do one thing correctly. Before me, you rightly tremble. But, fear is not what you owe me. You owe me awe.

  9. 9.

    Southern Beale

    January 3, 2012 at 10:28 pm

    From a CNN link a friend just sent me:

    Paul showed the strongest support among voters age 17-29, while Romney was the preference of those 65 and older. Strong support for Santorum was expressed among those 45-64.

    That’s some weird demographics.

  10. 10.

    David in NY

    January 3, 2012 at 10:28 pm

    Barney Frank: “I did not think I lived a good enough life to see Newt Gingrich as the Republican nominee.”

    Hope he’s not too disappointed. Wonder if he thinks Rick is an adequate substitute.

    To repeat myself.

  11. 11.

    Richard

    January 3, 2012 at 10:29 pm

    No Preference 2012!

  12. 12.

    Warren Terra

    January 3, 2012 at 10:30 pm

    I would have preferred more votes for Gingrich or Perry, because they could hurt Romney and the party more, but at least these results give me an excuse to report:

    Rick Santorum, come from behind phenomenon

  13. 13.

    Mnemosyne

    January 3, 2012 at 10:31 pm

    @David in NY:

    Barney may be disappointed, but I doubt he’s surprised. He and Gingrich were in Congress at the same time.

  14. 14.

    Brandon

    January 3, 2012 at 10:32 pm

    It is pretty clear now that the sheer number or morons in the field is now favoring Romney. He ain’t gonna improve on his 25% from last time, but with the 7 dwarves splitting the remaining 75%, he gets to keep it close and not look like the massive loser that he is.

  15. 15.

    Richard

    January 3, 2012 at 10:34 pm

    Paul showed the strongest support among voters age 17-29

    The kiddies who haven’t grown out of their Ayn Rand fixation yet.

  16. 16.

    Veritas

    January 3, 2012 at 10:34 pm

    Romney is going to pull this thing out or get a narrow second place finish. But first or second, he’s still essentially won this thing.

    Look at what his negative ads did to Newt–just a preview of coming attractions to what BIG, BIG STACKS of anonymous corporate cash for Super PACs will do to Obambi.

  17. 17.

    jeff

    January 3, 2012 at 10:34 pm

    Ron Paul thought.

    I actually caught myself thinking “I’d vote for that dude, if only he wouldn’t destroy the country.”

    I think a lot of his supporters are thinking “I’ll vote for that dude, so long as he destroys the country.”

  18. 18.

    The Dangerman

    January 3, 2012 at 10:35 pm

    I’d guess that Cain swept the 23 African American Republicans that live in Iowa.

  19. 19.

    David in NY

    January 3, 2012 at 10:35 pm

    @Mnemosyne: Somebody downstairs said Rick just came out for state’s right to ban birth control, so Barney may be fine with it. Too lazy to verify the fact, however.

  20. 20.

    Gin & Tonic

    January 3, 2012 at 10:36 pm

    @Southern Beale: I am mystified by large numbers of people my son’s age supporting Ron Paul. And I mean not just in the Iowa caucuses, but in real life, in many states. Why a 25-year-old educated professional would support a 76-year-old racist lunatic escapes my comprehension.

  21. 21.

    Brandon

    January 3, 2012 at 10:36 pm

    Romney’s been running for Prez for four years, he has UNLIMITED MONEY as Veritas likes to remind everyone, and yet still he cannot convince another single person to vote for him. There’s a problem there and hopefully more people talk about it in the coming days.

  22. 22.

    Warren Terra

    January 3, 2012 at 10:37 pm

    Also note: with 50% reporting, 50,000 Republicans have voted. That’s a number to match 2008, in a year when the Republican energy is supposed to be higher than ever and the fundamentals look good for them. Romney in particular is getting far fewer votes than four years ago. I’m sure the Republicans will work their tails off to beat Obama, eventually, but you really would have predicted higher turnout in their Iowa contest.

  23. 23.

    The Dangerman

    January 3, 2012 at 10:38 pm

    @Veritas:

    Look at what his negative ads did to Newt—just a preview of coming attractions to what BIG, BIG STACKS of anonymous corporate cash for Super PACs will do to Obambi.

    I thought you said the negative ads weren’t his but rather the PAC’s? Also, you DO realize that there are PAC’s that will be for Obama, who will, as opposed to Gingrich, have the resources to fight back? Just curious.

  24. 24.

    DanielX

    January 3, 2012 at 10:38 pm

    @Brandon: Right. Campaigning most of the time since 2006 and he can’t pull more than 25% of Republican primary voters. He’s still going to look like a loser no matter what.

    As for not being let out without keepers, these people shouldn’t be allowed out without nice canvas jackets with sleeves that tie in the back, preferably after a few thousand milligrams of thorazine or something.

  25. 25.

    jo6pac

    January 3, 2012 at 10:39 pm

    Works for me, evrything is on schedule

  26. 26.

    Richard

    January 3, 2012 at 10:39 pm

    Because you demanded it:

    Santorum: States Should Have The Right To Outlaw Birth Control

    Rick Santorum reiterated his belief that states should have the right to outlaw contraception during an interview with ABC News yesterday, saying, “The state has a right to do that, I have never questioned that the state has a right to do that. It is not a constitutional right, the state has the right to pass whatever statues they have.”

    Video at link.

  27. 27.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    January 3, 2012 at 10:40 pm

    According to GOS, it’s now Santorum, Romney, Paul.

  28. 28.

    Citizen Alan

    January 3, 2012 at 10:40 pm

    Wait, so Richard III was an orc in Daedric armor? Shakespeare totally left that out of the play! Also, he should be dual-wielding if he wants to fight that many wraiths at once.

  29. 29.

    Tom Levenson

    January 3, 2012 at 10:41 pm

    @Veritas: You know, not to feed the (uninteresting, repetitive and unimaginative) troll, but Bambi wasn’t exactly a feckless fawn for the whole movie.

    If you actually recalled the work of art, and not just the faint memory of when you moistened your tidey whiteys at the first appearance of humans, you’d know that Bambi kicks some stag ass to claim his bride, fights off hunting dogs and outruns some venison fressers with a bullet in his hide, finally reaching a miraculously protected land to find his family flourishing.

    Which is what I expect the 44th President of the United States to report in his farewell address in early 2017.

  30. 30.

    Veritas

    January 3, 2012 at 10:41 pm

    @The Dangerman:

    I know they’re not technically his, just his supporters, but most swing voters don’t know that.

    The Super PACs will decide the general–Citizens United was a game changer. The money will POUR in from the Koch Brothers and others.

  31. 31.

    Veritas

    January 3, 2012 at 10:43 pm

    @Tom Levenson:

    You must watch Disney cartoons an awful lot.

  32. 32.

    Gin & Tonic

    January 3, 2012 at 10:43 pm

    @Tom Levenson: I just always think of an animated short called “Bambi meets Godzilla”.

  33. 33.

    WereBear (itouch)

    January 3, 2012 at 10:44 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Why a 25-year-old educated professional would support a 76-year-old racist lunatic escapes my comprehension.

    They don’t know.

    All they know is “he’s against war and the drug war.” And that’s all they know.

  34. 34.

    Pavlov's Dog

    January 3, 2012 at 10:44 pm

    America is getting a taste of Santorum tonight, and will wake up tomorrow with the feeling of that hard, powerful surge. Santorum see’s his path, he can sneak through Romney and Paul’s backdoor.

  35. 35.

    The Dangerman

    January 3, 2012 at 10:45 pm

    @Veritas:

    The Super PACs will decide the general—Citizens United was a game changer. The money will POUR in from the Koch Brothers and others.

    No, it won’t, and Iowa proves it; PAC money poured into Iowa and Romney is basically tied with a couple basket cases.

  36. 36.

    Bondirotta

    January 3, 2012 at 10:45 pm

    Santorum just pulled into 25% – 23% lead over Mitt. Next we get the Paul surge from college kids.

    Damn, Romney may slip to third place with 21% or less.

    How humiliating is that?

  37. 37.

    David in NY

    January 3, 2012 at 10:46 pm

    @Tom Levenson: I know it’s tempting, but you’re setting a very bad example.

  38. 38.

    Tom Levenson

    January 3, 2012 at 10:46 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: Which is a classic in its own right, to be sure.

  39. 39.

    David in NY

    January 3, 2012 at 10:46 pm

    @Bondirotta:

    Next we get the Paul surge from college kids.

    That based on any factoid?

  40. 40.

    Veritas

    January 3, 2012 at 10:47 pm

    ROMNEY pulls ahead with 81% in!

    I told you to wait. Just watch, he’s going to pull it out.

  41. 41.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 3, 2012 at 10:49 pm

    This is interesting. I have a colleague who is observing a caucus polling site in Des Moines, and he has just reported on Facebook that, at least at that particular site, the Democratic caucus attendees outnumber the GOP caucus attendees 5-1 according to a guy running registration.

  42. 42.

    Martin

    January 3, 2012 at 10:49 pm

    @Richard:

    The kiddies who haven’t grown out of their Ayn Rand fixation yet.

    Well, Ron Paul does look a bit like an orc, so I think you could go either way on that one.

  43. 43.

    Gin & Tonic

    January 3, 2012 at 10:49 pm

    @Tom Levenson: Indeed. I haven’t seen that thing in mumble-mumble years. Still brings a tear to my eye.

  44. 44.

    JGabriel

    January 3, 2012 at 10:49 pm

    Are we moving up here for the second half of the vote count?

    79% (!) Reporting:

    24,626 24.9% Romney
    24,134 24.4% Santorum
    21,002 21.2% Paul

    .

  45. 45.

    Bondirotta

    January 3, 2012 at 10:49 pm

    And Santorum regales the lead at 88%…..

    Story County has not reported. And Iowa State U is there.

  46. 46.

    Bondirotta

    January 3, 2012 at 10:50 pm

    And Santorum regales the lead at 88%…..

    Story County has not reported. And Iowa State U is there.

  47. 47.

    Bootlegger

    January 3, 2012 at 10:50 pm

    Democracy is messy, we should be impressed that Cain only has 28 votes (latest Silver/NYT), at least we proved to the Founders and Romans that The Mob can only be dragged so far.

    Ricky S. will be, what, the seventh GOP frontrunner. And the second Ricky.

  48. 48.

    Veritas

    January 3, 2012 at 10:50 pm

    Ron Paul will finish third.

    This is a victory for Romney even if he comes in second. Santorum isn’t a national candidate.

  49. 49.

    Bondirotta

    January 3, 2012 at 10:50 pm

    And Santorum retakes the lead at 88%…..

    Story County has not reported. And Iowa State U is there.

  50. 50.

    Cassidy

    January 3, 2012 at 10:50 pm

    @WereBear (itouch): I think it’s more than that. We have become a very selfish and narcissistic society. Libertarianism speaks to the simplicity of hoarding your shit.

  51. 51.

    amk

    January 3, 2012 at 10:51 pm

    @Veritas: with 87.5%, lil rick still ahead, willard boy.

  52. 52.

    Martin

    January 3, 2012 at 10:51 pm

    @Veritas:

    I told you to wait. Just watch, he’s going to pull it out.

    Even if he does, he’s still going to be covered by #2 Santorum.

  53. 53.

    Brandon

    January 3, 2012 at 10:51 pm

    Yawn. The (paid?) Wingnut troll has now become insufferable.

    I see no way that Romney wins now, Santorum seems to have a steady margin on him. Hoped Paul would do better though but it looks like he’s fading and cannot keep up. 3rd place in IA would unfortunately probably doom his campaign in NH. But I cannot see him getting much traction thereafter. SC and VA rely heavily on the defense industry and I cannot see Republican voters there taking kindly to his non-interventionist views. He’d be better served focussing on militia bait like black helicopters.

  54. 54.

    Veritas

    January 3, 2012 at 10:51 pm

    Wait for the Omaha suburbs in western IA to report. It’s one of the “coasts” of Iowa and is a stronghold for Mitt.

    Santorum doesn’t stand a chance.

  55. 55.

    pseudonymous in nc

    January 3, 2012 at 10:52 pm

    Assuming the 27% crazification factor, and that the majority of the 27% are Republicans and thus magnified in this turnout, it’s actually quite hard to work out who’s getting the Crazy Vote.

  56. 56.

    JGabriel

    January 3, 2012 at 10:52 pm

    @David in NY:

    @Bondirotta:

    Next we get the Paul surge from college kids.

    That based on any factoid?

    Surplus of southern IA college towns that haven’t reported in yet.

    .

  57. 57.

    Bondirotta

    January 3, 2012 at 10:52 pm

    So losing to a freak like Santorum is a victory for Romney??

    As if that won’t re-energize Gingrich and Paul in South Carolina?

  58. 58.

    handy

    January 3, 2012 at 10:53 pm

    @Veritas:

    What’s wrong Troofie? Feeling nervous?

  59. 59.

    ruemara

    January 3, 2012 at 10:53 pm

    I’m feeling a girlish thrill at my prediction of a Romney/Santorum TCC win with a real close 3rd by Paul coming true. That and slightly scared, since it means I may be understanding this electorate better.

  60. 60.

    Quarks

    January 3, 2012 at 10:53 pm

    @Veritas: Dude.

    He’s still at barely 25% after his second campaign in Iowa. Second. He’s been campaigning there since 2006.

    This is not something for him to get excited about.

    …and as I was typing that the numbers switched again throwing Santorum in the lead.

    I don’t think the Iowa caucuses are as important as South Carolina and Florida will be, but this isn’t good news for Romney.

  61. 61.

    Veritas

    January 3, 2012 at 10:54 pm

    @Bondirotta:

    Gingrich is finished, he can’t win in NH and you have to win in either IA *OR* NH to get the GOP nomination historically.

    Next week Romney romps in NH, gets a surge into SC, then kicks some ass in Florida.

    And Obambi is next. Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride…….

  62. 62.

    Valdivia

    January 3, 2012 at 10:55 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I have been wondering about dem attendance! Thanks for this nugget.

  63. 63.

    smith

    January 3, 2012 at 10:55 pm

    Even if Romney somehow pulls this out, he will barely – BARELY – beat a certified religious whackjob in Santorum (a man who wants to put gays in jail and outlaw all birth control), and a racist, paranoid lunatic in Ron Paul who claims to be an “outsider” but has spent his entire career as a government employee.

  64. 64.

    dmsilev

    January 3, 2012 at 10:55 pm

    So, Mitt Romney, with the support of OCEANS OF CORPORATE CASH, has managed to eke out a tie with someone best known for his unfortunate Google problem. In an electorate roughly half the size of the Democratic turnout in 2008.

    Feel the Mittmentum!

  65. 65.

    amk

    January 3, 2012 at 10:55 pm

    @Veritas: 5 years of campaigning, millions of dollars and willard is still struggling behind an unpopular ex-senator who go his ass kicked as recently as 2009 by double digits.

  66. 66.

    The Dangerman

    January 3, 2012 at 10:55 pm

    @Bondirotta:

    As if that won’t re-energize Gingrich and Paul in South Carolina?

    Given New Hampshire will go Romney and South Carolina will go for the non-Romney, perhaps it’s time for a nice nap until Florida?

  67. 67.

    JGabriel

    January 3, 2012 at 10:56 pm

    88% (7/8ths of the way there) of Precincts Reporting:

    26,443 24.6% Santorum
    26,398 24.5% Romney
    22,728 21.1% Paul

    .

  68. 68.

    Veritas

    January 3, 2012 at 10:56 pm

    @Quarks:

    The Omaha suburbs haven’t reported yet, moron. STRONG territory for Romney.

    And yes it’s a victory even if he finishes second–because again Santorum isn’t a national threat. Gingrich and Perry were, and Romney decimated them with his Super PAC ads. He never ran any against Santorum because at the end of the day Santorum is a regional candidate.

    Of course if Santorum does start to get stronger nationally Romeny will simply have the Super PACs turning their big guns on Santorum–and reduce him to shreds as they did to Gingrich and Perry.

    Romney is still in the catbird’s seat. Every time a candidate tries to fly above him, he calmly has one of the Super PACs clip their wings before the get off the ground.

  69. 69.

    pseudonymous in nc

    January 3, 2012 at 10:57 pm

    @Richard:

    The kiddies who haven’t grown out of their Ayn Rand and dope fixation yet.

    FTFY.

  70. 70.

    Martin

    January 3, 2012 at 10:57 pm

    @handy: Indeed. In 2008, Obama won over 37% of 240,000 caucus goers, effectively 89,000 votes. Mittens is at 26,500, and might hit 30,000 tops.

    Not feeling the energy there.

  71. 71.

    Jay C

    January 3, 2012 at 10:57 pm

    Not only has Herman Cain surged up to all of 47 votes as of the 79%-in mark, but it looks like Buddy Roemer is making a move: up all the way to 44 votes!

    Umm, can someone remind me who Buddy Roemer is, again?
    And why he’s polling only slightly worse than “Other”?

  72. 72.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    January 3, 2012 at 10:57 pm

    Semi-OT: What a night for GOS to be having database problems.

  73. 73.

    amk

    January 3, 2012 at 10:58 pm

    @Veritas: and still multiple mitts can’t get past the 25% mark with his own party’s base. Can’t wait for the GE, when willard gets his puny ass kicked, if he makes it that far.

  74. 74.

    Bondirotta

    January 3, 2012 at 10:58 pm

    Gingrich is only 11 points behind Romney. He will launch a wave of attack ads and carry South Carolina. We know dirty and crazy wins SoCa every cycle.

  75. 75.

    Cacti

    January 3, 2012 at 10:58 pm

    Mittens is performing right at the 25% support he’s had the whole campaign.

    Unless he moves that number, he’s in some deep shit when he gets to the bible belt states.

  76. 76.

    The Dangerman

    January 3, 2012 at 10:59 pm

    @Belafon (formerly anonevent):

    Semi-OT: What a night for GOS to be having database problems.

    Wonder if they are getting hit with a DOS attack? Does seem to be odd timing.

  77. 77.

    amk

    January 3, 2012 at 10:59 pm

    rethug base – Tired Up! Ready to blow!

  78. 78.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 3, 2012 at 11:00 pm

    @Valdivia: apparently the guy running the registration desk is a Romney supporter. FWIW. I’ve asked my friend to update as he can, and if there’s anything new I will share on this thread.

  79. 79.

    pete

    January 3, 2012 at 11:00 pm

    Delegates are not strictly based on the voting numbers, am I right? If I understand the process, per Kevin Drum today, voters have to stick around to vote the delegates. I know it sounds weird, and I may have it wrong, but I would expect this kind of convoluted process to benefit Ron Paul, even though he’s already been designated the loser (or one of them). Can anyone explain it, or do I just have it wrong?

  80. 80.

    pseudonymous in nc

    January 3, 2012 at 11:00 pm

    Sticky Ricky is going to have to hire hisself some good ol’ boys in South–by Satan–Carolina to do some dirty tricksing. He can probably drag the Duggar brood down there in their TLC-paid broodbus and preach to the upstate, but whether he gets traction on the coast, or with the state’s military-industrial machine, is another matter.

    I still don’t think Mittens can win SC, even with Haley’s endorsement.

  81. 81.

    handy

    January 3, 2012 at 11:02 pm

    @Cacti:

    The fact that Romney’s going to SC after what is basically a layover in NH should tell you all you need to know about what he’s thinking, Veritroll’s confidence notwithstanding.

  82. 82.

    wrb

    January 3, 2012 at 11:02 pm

    13 votes separate the leaders??

    Yes Virginia, your vote doesn’t count anymore. Don’t bother.

    Or vote Nader.

  83. 83.

    Drum Circles And Weed

    January 3, 2012 at 11:02 pm

    Romney. Failed vulture capitalist. Failed governor. And twice-failed presidential candidate.

    But to not be able to make the sale in Iowa? Famed businessman “Mitt” Romney can’t make the sale, with a year to prepare and a half-billion in the bank of his own cash? Are you shitting me?

  84. 84.

    Anya

    January 3, 2012 at 11:03 pm

    @Tom Levenson: WIN!

  85. 85.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    January 3, 2012 at 11:03 pm

    @The Dangerman: According to the last time I was able to access the site, Kos was reporting that it was technical issues with the database, and not due to anything like the upgrade. He said the volume wasn’t any larger than any other heavy access time. The timing is strange, though.

  86. 86.

    amk

    January 3, 2012 at 11:03 pm

    paultards and glenbots wailing ‘the joos did it’ while their heads explode.

  87. 87.

    The Dangerman

    January 3, 2012 at 11:04 pm

    @pseudonymous in nc:

    I still don’t think Mittens can win SC, even with Haley’s endorsement.

    If Newt is to be believed, he’s going to let loose a torrent of shit on Mitt over some Abortion/Planned Parenthood issue; that will end Mitt’s chance in South Carolina.

    Seems to me as if Florida will be the next competitive one and I want to see Mitt’s endorsement of ending Medicare plays there.

  88. 88.

    Quarks

    January 3, 2012 at 11:04 pm

    @Veritas: At the end of the day Santorum is an awful candidate. By any standard. He lacks the resume, the charisma, the money, the you name it.

    Which is why Romney should be defeating him by at least 10 points anywhere. Hell, 50 points. It’s not happening.

  89. 89.

    handy

    January 3, 2012 at 11:04 pm

    BREAKING: Actual cnn.com headline: “Iowa results show Santorum, Romney in tight …”

  90. 90.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 3, 2012 at 11:04 pm

    More than 500 Dems showed up to caucus for Obama in Iowa City. Just unbelievably impressive for an unopposed incumbent.

  91. 91.

    amk

    January 3, 2012 at 11:05 pm

    @Tom Levenson: FTW.

  92. 92.

    dmsilev

    January 3, 2012 at 11:05 pm

    Can we call for a recount? Please?

  93. 93.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 3, 2012 at 11:05 pm

    Tweety just now: “Gingrich needs to win his manhood back from Romney”

    Rachel Maddow: /visibly bites inside of her cheeks to keep from laughing/

  94. 94.

    Geoduck

    January 3, 2012 at 11:05 pm

    @Brandon:

    SC and VA rely heavily on the defense industry and I cannot see Republican voters there taking kindly to his non-interventionist views. He’d be better served focussing on militia bait like black helicopters.

    That’s just as bad. Who do you think builds those helicopters?

  95. 95.

    Veritas

    January 3, 2012 at 11:06 pm

    The vote will be too split in SC, and Romney will win. That together with his Super PAC blitz will secure a win there.

    The candidate with the money and establishment backing wins SC. Always.

  96. 96.

    dogwood

    January 3, 2012 at 11:06 pm

    @Warren Terra:

    This.
    I don’t make prediction because polling a year before an election is not informative. But I do know that relying on the Citizen’s United decision to free up money for negative ads is not an election strategy. The weak turnout in Iowa should be of great concern to Republicans. Obviously, none of these Republicans is a master at organizing a GOTV effort. There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors in this year’s republican primary season. Not much real organizing and campaigning though.

  97. 97.

    handy

    January 3, 2012 at 11:07 pm

    This goes out to Veritroof.

    From Ashley Parker at the NYT blog:

    In the hot and overstuffed ballroom, the crowd was happy and upbeat, an energetic buzz humming through the room.

    As CNN announced that Mr. Romney was leading with 25 percent of the vote, and 79 percent of the precincts reporting, a cheer went up in the room.

    “Mitt! Mitt! Mitt!” they cheered.

    Minutes later, when Wolf Blitzer came on to announced that Mr. Santorum had pulled ahead with a slight lead, a new cheer rippled through the ballroom.

    “Switch to Fox, switch to Fox,” came the plea. “Fox! Fox! Fox!”

  98. 98.

    pragmatism

    January 3, 2012 at 11:08 pm

    Winner will have the smallest share of electorate in history. Poor bob dole held the distinction until today with 26%. So Romney < bob dole even with the stoopidPACs

  99. 99.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 3, 2012 at 11:08 pm

    I know a lot of people here were probably rooting for a Paul win in Iowa, but honestly, I’m relieved – it means the American brownshirts are still largely the same dumb old Christian Coalition gay-haters, not something frightening and new

  100. 100.

    Valdivia

    January 3, 2012 at 11:08 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Thank you!

  101. 101.

    PK

    January 3, 2012 at 11:08 pm

    @Veritas:

    You really are in love with Romney aren’t you? I’ve yet to meet someone who finds Romney anything more than tolerable. But your passion is something else. I had no idea balloon juice held such attraction for love sick teenage girls(or boys).

  102. 102.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 3, 2012 at 11:09 pm

    @The Dangerman:

    If Newt is to be believed, he’s going to let loose a torrent of shit on Mitt over some Abortion/Planned Parenthood issue; that will end Mitt’s chance in South Carolina.

    Sweeeeeeet, I trust Newt’s trollitude

    I really want to see a second Gingrich resurgence, that first one was probably the best thing that happened to the Democrats so far in this cycle

  103. 103.

    MikeJ

    January 3, 2012 at 11:10 pm

    @AA+ Bonds:

    I know a lot of people here were probably rooting for a Paul win in Iowa,

    Only the morons. Which is probably a lot of people looking at the traffic over the last 24 hours.

  104. 104.

    Veritas

    January 3, 2012 at 11:10 pm

    @PK:

    I want the candidate that can beat Obambi like a drum. And Romney is it.

  105. 105.

    smith

    January 3, 2012 at 11:11 pm

    Veritas has to be one of the Romney sons, no one else outside of family has ever shown that much enthusiasm for him.

  106. 106.

    Veritas

    January 3, 2012 at 11:11 pm

    ROMNEY pulls ahead again, and remember folks, this is before the Omaha suburbs report in.

  107. 107.

    handy

    January 3, 2012 at 11:12 pm

    @AA+ Bonds:

    Paul plays a young person’s game in an old person’s party. That has been his problem all along.

  108. 108.

    JGabriel

    January 3, 2012 at 11:12 pm

    Richard Adams @ The Guardian:

    It has come down to this: Mitt Romney or Rick Santorum. It’s like that spoof soccer World Cup final ad in the Simpsons: “The game that will decide once and for all which is the greatest nation on earth: Mexico or Portugal.”

  109. 109.

    wobblybits

    January 3, 2012 at 11:12 pm

    Anyone care to explain the whole “obambi” thing to me? Is it supposed to be an insult?

  110. 110.

    scav

    January 3, 2012 at 11:12 pm

    Mittens is having trouble finding, let alone fighting, his way out of a wet paper bag from what transpired tonight.

  111. 111.

    MikeJ

    January 3, 2012 at 11:13 pm

    @Veritas: I want the candidate that can be mugged via the USPS, and that candidate is Romney.

  112. 112.

    lamh35

    January 3, 2012 at 11:15 pm

    um isn’t it some unspoken rule that wearing your military uniform while campaigning in frowned upon?

  113. 113.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 3, 2012 at 11:15 pm

    @wobblybits: MoDo’s desperate attempt to find a hook in the ’08 primary: Obambi vs the Dominatrix.

    Osama bin Laden thought it hilarious.

    (A uniformed soldier speaking at a political event? I seem to recall from the last round that this is against the rules, no?)

  114. 114.

    Moonbatting Average

    January 3, 2012 at 11:16 pm

    @wobblybits: Apparently, certain persons think that an Obama supporter is an “Obamus”? That’s all I can figure.

  115. 115.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 3, 2012 at 11:16 pm

    FoxNews now giving Romney the same hilarious thirteen-vote lead

  116. 116.

    Anya

    January 3, 2012 at 11:17 pm

    @smith: I think he’s the birther son.

  117. 117.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    January 3, 2012 at 11:17 pm

    Update: Romney is ahead of Santorum by 3 votes. Or is it that Santorum is behind Romney?

    Update 2: Romney’s now up by 21 votes.

  118. 118.

    handy

    January 3, 2012 at 11:18 pm

    @AA+ Bonds:

    See here for details.

  119. 119.

    Mayur

    January 3, 2012 at 11:18 pm

    Just peeking in to laugh at UnrealityCheck:

    Bwahahahaha.

    Romney’s showing in this is utter fail.

    That is all.

  120. 120.

    Veritas

    January 3, 2012 at 11:18 pm

    The Omaha suburbs are begging to report! Hang on for the Romney surge..

  121. 121.

    WaterGirl

    January 3, 2012 at 11:18 pm

    Has anyone else noticed when the troll gets his talking points and, no doubt, uses cut & paste to announce some insider-y information about some particular precinct or part of Iowa? And then shortly thereafter reverts to his usual type of posting? For some reason, I am finding that quite amusing.

  122. 122.

    pragmatism

    January 3, 2012 at 11:18 pm

    @Anya: Tagg? Like the body spray for douches men?

  123. 123.

    PK

    January 3, 2012 at 11:19 pm

    @Veritas:

    Only a love sick mind will say that. You need an ice cold shower miss/lad

  124. 124.

    JGabriel

    January 3, 2012 at 11:20 pm

    @wobblybits:

    Anyone care to explain the whole “obambi” thing to me? Is it supposed to be an insult?

    I think it’s a Limbaughism. At any rate, yeah, it’s a Republican’s idea of an insult to compare the President to a fawn who grow into a kick-ass protector of his family and the forest he presides over.

    Don’t get it myself, but whatever.

    .

  125. 125.

    some guy

    January 3, 2012 at 11:20 pm

    Gnut is in it for the long haul. His shitstorm against the Vulture Capitalist in South Carolina will be a thing to behold.

    let the feces fly.

  126. 126.

    pseudonymous in nc

    January 3, 2012 at 11:20 pm

    gNoot’s showing abortion as his SC play, but he’s going to run big, dirty and under the radar on the whole “Mexican polygamist Mormon cult” thing.

    Just for context: when the SC governor’s race was between a Methodist daughter of Sikhs (Haley) and a Roman Catholic, the Columbia paper ran an “explainer” piece on “what is a Sikh?” and “what is a Roman Catholic?” that felt obliged to spell out that Catholics don’t believe in reincarnation.

    With both gNoot and Santorum being Papists, there’s no obvious co-religionist for the Bob Jones brigade, but there’s plenty of room to send unidentified flyers about magic underpants and Warren Jeffs.

  127. 127.

    pseudonymous in nc

    January 3, 2012 at 11:20 pm

    gNoot’s showing abortion as his SC play, but he’s going to run big, dirty and under the radar on the whole “Mexican polygamist Mormon cult” thing.

    Just for context: when the SC governor’s race was between a Methodist daughter of Sikhs (Haley) and a Roman Catholic, the Columbia paper ran an “explainer” piece on “what is a Sikh?” and “what is a Roman Catholic?” that felt obliged to spell out that Catholics don’t believe in reincarnation.

    With both gNoot and Santorum being Papists, there’s no obvious co-religionist for the Bob Jones brigade, but there’s plenty of room to send unidentified flyers about magic underpants and Warren Jeffs.

  128. 128.

    handy

    January 3, 2012 at 11:20 pm

    @Veritas:

    Drunk trolling again, eh, DougJ?

  129. 129.

    burnspbesq

    January 3, 2012 at 11:21 pm

    @Veritas:

    It’s a landslide for Not Romney!

  130. 130.

    MikeJ

    January 3, 2012 at 11:21 pm

    @lamh35:

    um isn’t it some unspoken rule that wearing your military uniform while campaigning in frowned upon?

    If “unspoken rule” is a euphemism for “federal law”.

  131. 131.

    nancydarling

    January 3, 2012 at 11:21 pm

    @Veritas:

    Just watch, he’s going to pull it out.

    The randy old lady in me wants to connect this with Santorum’s pronouncement regarding the evils of contraception.

  132. 132.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 3, 2012 at 11:21 pm

    Two counties went to Perry, who the fuck are those people

  133. 133.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 3, 2012 at 11:21 pm

    Veritas/RealityCheck.

    Spin Quack.

  134. 134.

    amk

    January 3, 2012 at 11:22 pm

    Even in a very small state and after spending multiple millions, mittens cannot get past his 25% mark. The guy is toast in GE.

  135. 135.

    Drum Circles And Weed

    January 3, 2012 at 11:22 pm

    Jesus, what a fucking failure these clowns are. Can’t believe I stayed up for this shit. Night, all.

  136. 136.

    suzanne

    January 3, 2012 at 11:22 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Why a 25-year-old educated professional would support a 76-year-old racist lunatic escapes my comprehension.

    Because their comprehension of civil liberties begins and ends with “CAN I SMOKE WEED?”. And they’re white dudes.

  137. 137.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    January 3, 2012 at 11:23 pm

    This is fun: CNN now has Santorum up by 45 votes. Feel the surge.

  138. 138.

    Splitting Image

    January 3, 2012 at 11:23 pm

    Back down to 13 votes with 92% reporting.

    I’m going to go with Santorum winning, although it’s academic by this point.

    I think Romney has done well enough that a convincing win in New Hampshire could sew it up for him, but if Santorum is able to overperform there and pick up most of Gingrich’s votes in South Carolina, he could become a strong number two.

  139. 139.

    PK

    January 3, 2012 at 11:23 pm

    @wobblybits:

    Yes. for right wing retards every where. That is the cleverestest thing one of them came up with and is faithfully repeated by the collective.

  140. 140.

    handy

    January 3, 2012 at 11:24 pm

    @AA+ Bonds:

    I’m guessing the ones with much higher-than-state-average liquor sales.

  141. 141.

    Canuckistani Tom

    January 3, 2012 at 11:24 pm

    @lamh35:

    I thought publicly campaigning in uniform was against the UCMJ, or does that only apply to officers? (haven’t seen the clip)

  142. 142.

    Veritas

    January 3, 2012 at 11:24 pm

    Newt just said he will never run negative ads.

    Now he’s REALLY toast. Because those negative ads won’t stop, and if Santorum gets too threatening, the Super PACs will turn their guns on him and blow him to smithereens.

  143. 143.

    JGabriel

    January 3, 2012 at 11:24 pm

    92% Reporting:

    27,830 24.7% Romney
    27,817 24.7% Santorum
    23,737 21.1% Paul

    Dog On Car leading Man On Dog by 13(!) votes. That Dog Is Not The Federal Government’s Responsibility still in third place.

    .

  144. 144.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 3, 2012 at 11:25 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Yeah, it should be against the rules, doesn’t matter if you’re AD or reserve/NG. No uniforms at political events, the color guard is OK though, but definitely not speaking to the crowd.

  145. 145.

    burnspbesq

    January 3, 2012 at 11:26 pm

    Speaking of landslides, Australia 349-4 at tea. Clarke 170 not out.

  146. 146.

    Bootlegger

    January 3, 2012 at 11:26 pm

    Newt 2012, 13.3%

    McCain 2008, 13.1%

  147. 147.

    Veritas

    January 3, 2012 at 11:27 pm

    Shorter Newt: “Waaaah! Waaah! Waaaaaaaaaah!”

    Cry little girl. It will only get worse for you.

  148. 148.

    handy

    January 3, 2012 at 11:27 pm

    CNN.com shows Santorum opening up a 99-vote lead. Feel the Mittens surge!

  149. 149.

    smith

    January 3, 2012 at 11:27 pm

    @JGabriel:

    “Dog on Car leading Man on Dog” is already my quote of the year.

  150. 150.

    Steve

    January 3, 2012 at 11:27 pm

    This is seriously humiliating for Romney. Even if he wins, it is humiliating, which is remarkable. This party is so desperate to nominate a non-Romney that they made Santorum competitive literally out of nowhere.

  151. 151.

    Veritas

    January 3, 2012 at 11:27 pm

    @burnspbesq:

    Nobody gives a fuck.

  152. 152.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 3, 2012 at 11:28 pm

    @Bootlegger:

    Hey, if he’s got the ground game in SC, Newt may yet win this for the Democrats

  153. 153.

    Loneoak

    January 3, 2012 at 11:29 pm

    This is great news for McCain!

  154. 154.

    Calouste

    January 3, 2012 at 11:29 pm

    @burnspbesq:

    Indian attack must be pretty shitty to give Ponting a century. It probably means that he will hang around until the next Ashes, and that those Ashes will be even less of a contest than the last one.

  155. 155.

    hitchhiker

    January 3, 2012 at 11:29 pm

    Whoever wrote the Veritas pie comments is a genius.

    Veritas . . . go for blueberry. Your teeth will look better blue than yellow.

  156. 156.

    Geeno

    January 3, 2012 at 11:29 pm

    I want Santorum to win. I predict a Daily Show classic tomorrow if he does.

  157. 157.

    Anoniminous

    January 3, 2012 at 11:29 pm

    93% reporting and Santorum leaps into the lead:

    Rick Santorum 24.7%
    Mitt Romney 24.6%
    Ron Paul 21.2%
    Newt Gingrich 13.3%
    Rick Perry 10.3%

    (by 101 votes)

  158. 158.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 3, 2012 at 11:30 pm

    @Veritas:

    Newt just said he will never run negative ads.
    __
    Now he’s REALLY toast.

    Newt Gingrich’s campaign as an entity will not run any negative ads in SC, after all, he can’t control what anyone else does………..

  159. 159.

    Donald G

    January 3, 2012 at 11:31 pm

    Now Santorum has a 115 vote lead over Romney.

    VICTORY!!!

    Update, now a 129 vote lead.

  160. 160.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 3, 2012 at 11:31 pm

    @AA+ Bonds:

    That’s the problem.

    Newt’s ground game is centered around Borders and Waldenbooks.

  161. 161.

    Bootlegger

    January 3, 2012 at 11:32 pm

    @AA+ Bonds: Exactly. Clearly these results don’t put Noot out of his misery.

  162. 162.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 3, 2012 at 11:32 pm

    The question is probably where the Koch money goes in SC and if them and Rove have had the makeup fuck yet

  163. 163.

    pseudonymous in nc

    January 3, 2012 at 11:32 pm

    @burnspbesq: Ugh. Cricinfo headline says “listless”, and India’s ever-declining attention span for Test matches really doesn’t help the game.

  164. 164.

    MikeJ

    January 3, 2012 at 11:32 pm

    @Veritas: Cricket has far more impact on my life than which loser loses in Iowa. None of those people could possibly beat Obama, even if Obama declared now.

  165. 165.

    Anoniminous

    January 3, 2012 at 11:32 pm

    @Steve:

    Romney spent millions on attack ads against Gingrich, got NOTHING for the $$$ spent and is seeing the voters move to a complete no-hoper: Santorum, and winning by only a little over 3% to a complete loon: Ron Paul.

  166. 166.

    WaterGirl

    January 3, 2012 at 11:32 pm

    @Canuckistani Tom: Last time this question came up, I seem to recall someone saying that you could leave off some pin or something you were suppose to have, and then technically you wouldn’t be “in uniform”.

    Hopefully someone else can offer a better answer.

  167. 167.

    some guy

    January 3, 2012 at 11:32 pm

    Twinkle Eyes is on.

    Cheerleaders On Crack everywhere celebrate!

  168. 168.

    willard

    January 3, 2012 at 11:33 pm

    I would say the same about the 28,201 Iowa GOP caucus-goers (as of the 93% reporting mark) who have considered long and hard, and cast their votes for…

    Rick Santorum.

    Don’t they realize he’s that Rick Santorum

  169. 169.

    David Koch

    January 3, 2012 at 11:33 pm

    Santorum near CLIMAX with 134 vote lead.

  170. 170.

    Bootlegger

    January 3, 2012 at 11:34 pm

    @AA+ Bonds: Good point, if the anti-Romney PACs are going to take their broadside it has to be soon or they will be out of range.

  171. 171.

    handy

    January 3, 2012 at 11:34 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    Newt’s ground game is centered around Borders and Waldenbooks.

    In other words, defunct and bankrupt.

  172. 172.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 3, 2012 at 11:34 pm

    @Canuckistani Tom:

    Applies to all military personnel.

    Officers are much more circumspect, in my experience, about billboarding any political preference, even those allowed, like bumper stickers or campaign buttons in civilian clothing.

  173. 173.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 3, 2012 at 11:34 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    Yeah, it depends on if someone else with a ton of money and experience pulling Kluxer strings gets behind Gingrich in SC, namely, the Kochs, but I don’t see any evidence of that

    Honestly unless they get behind Santorum or someone upsets poll numbers there, Romney may very well take SC, because I really doubt Santorum is in any way equipped for SC

  174. 174.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 3, 2012 at 11:34 pm

    @Steve: watching him grind it out, bearing every humiliation with barely a crack in that JC Penney mannequin facade, is the most interesting thing about Romney, in a frightening kind of way. Nothing can stop the desperate, (metaphorically) sweaty quest to avenge/trump Daddy.

    The psyche of George W Bush. The soul of Richard M Nixon. What could possibly go wrong?

  175. 175.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 3, 2012 at 11:35 pm

    @Bootlegger:

    It has to be in South Carolina and Florida, they don’t have much choice

  176. 176.

    JGabriel

    January 3, 2012 at 11:35 pm

    @smith: I think of “Man On Dog” and “Dog On Car” as their American Indian names.

    .

  177. 177.

    David Koch

    January 3, 2012 at 11:36 pm

    Willard outspent Senator Man-on-Dog 50 to 1 and he’s losing.

  178. 178.

    Anoniminous

    January 3, 2012 at 11:36 pm

    @AA+ Bonds:

    Today, Kenny Bingham, South Carolina’s House Majority Leader, announced he is endorsing former House Speaker Gingrich. this is a Big Deal as with the endorsement Bingham can throw some boots-on-the-ground for Gingrich.

  179. 179.

    amk

    January 3, 2012 at 11:36 pm

    @burnspbesq: yup. India is fucked.

  180. 180.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    January 3, 2012 at 11:36 pm

    @Canuckistani Tom: Nope, it applies to everyone.

  181. 181.

    Donald G

    January 3, 2012 at 11:36 pm

    Romney’s narrowed Santorum’s lead to 54 votes.

    MITTMENTUM!

  182. 182.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 3, 2012 at 11:37 pm

    @Anoniminous:

    Romney spent millions on attack ads against Gingrich, got NOTHING for the $$$ spent and is seeing the voters move to a complete no-hoper

    Or, that’s exactly what he wanted, and exactly what he got

  183. 183.

    MikeJ

    January 3, 2012 at 11:38 pm

    @David Koch: Where your nightmare ends, Willard begins.

  184. 184.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 3, 2012 at 11:38 pm

    @WaterGirl:

    You can take off the rank insignia, the unit identification badges, and your ribbons, and then you’re just wearing a military jacket, not a “uniform”.

    But then those in the know will understand the deal.

    And if you’re on AD pulling that shit, you’re in trouble for appearing in an incomplete uniform.

  185. 185.

    burnspbesq

    January 3, 2012 at 11:38 pm

    @Veritas:

    A billion people care more about Australia – India than about the Iowa Republican clown show. However, most of those billion people are brown and think you speak English with a bizarre accent, so it’s not surprising that you would try to pretend they don’t exist.

  186. 186.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 3, 2012 at 11:39 pm

    @David Koch:

    Arguably, Romney spent to keep down everyone else who spent a lot, allowing the social conservative vote to slide to someone who can’t hope to compete in other states

  187. 187.

    tc

    January 3, 2012 at 11:39 pm

    @Veritas:

    Newt just said he will never run negative ads.

    Which he followed with “but I reserve the right to tell the truth. If those truths sound negative, that says more about him [Romney] than me” (approximate quote)

    Gingrich wants to hurt Romney. He will go negative now.

  188. 188.

    dance around in your bones

    January 3, 2012 at 11:39 pm

    Gawd, watching Michele Bachmann’s closing speech…what a paranoid weirdo she is.

    I just don’t know who the people are who support these doofuses. I keep watching the faces in the background and just…wondering.

  189. 189.

    Veritas

    January 3, 2012 at 11:39 pm

    @burnspbesq:

    Nobody gives a fuck.

  190. 190.

    DCLaw1

    January 3, 2012 at 11:40 pm

    Note that, although Newt said he wouldn’t run negative ads, he was reserving the right to “tell the truth,” and that if the result was negative, that would be the fault of the opponent for which the truth was unflattering.

    This is clearly Newt giving himself permission to go fully negative against Romney. He’s pissed off and humiliated by what Romney did to his surge, and I think he’s petulant and egotistical enough to make a crusade of bringing Romney down, even if Newt can’t win himself.

    New Hampshire and South Carolina are going to be interesting, and I think Romney, even if he becomes the eventual candidate, will emerged quite damaged for the general.

  191. 191.

    DCLaw1

    January 3, 2012 at 11:40 pm

    Note that, although Newt said he wouldn’t run negative ads, he was reserving the right to “tell the truth,” and that if the result was negative, that would be the fault of the opponent for which the truth was unflattering.

    This is clearly Newt giving himself permission to go fully negative against Romney. He’s pissed off and humiliated by what Romney did to his surge, and I think he’s petulant and egotistical enough to make a crusade of bringing Romney down, even if Newt can’t win himself.

    New Hampshire and South Carolina are going to be interesting, and I think Romney, even if he becomes the eventual candidate, will emerge quite damaged for the general.

  192. 192.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 3, 2012 at 11:40 pm

    GO NEWT GO

  193. 193.

    Bootlegger

    January 3, 2012 at 11:40 pm

    @JGabriel: Is Noot Man on Car, or Car on Man?

  194. 194.

    Origuy

    January 3, 2012 at 11:40 pm

    Tom, your title is a quote from The Tempest. Who did you have in mind for Prospero? Romney would be the rightful Duke and Santorum the usurper, I suppose. Bachmann has to be Miranda, so that makes Newt Caliban, leaving Paul to be Ariel.

    Speaking of Romney, this painting by George Romney of the shipwreck would have been appropriate.

  195. 195.

    amk

    January 3, 2012 at 11:41 pm

    twitterdom @lopgop

    Beating Obama so important for GOP turnout is lower than 2008 even with Ron Paul bussing in half of Narnia.

  196. 196.

    MikeJ

    January 3, 2012 at 11:41 pm

    @burnspbesq:

    and think you speak English with a bizarre accent

    I can do RP if I have to, but I don’t find merkinese bizarre.

  197. 197.

    Mike in NC

    January 3, 2012 at 11:42 pm

    Kenny Bingham, South Carolina’s House Majority Leader, announced he is endorsing former House Speaker Gingrich. this is a Big Deal as with the endorsement Bingham can throw some boots-on-the-ground for Gingrich.

    Yep. Nikki Haley’s endorsement of Willard was worth less than a bucket of warm spit. Or warm Santorum.

  198. 198.

    some guy

    January 3, 2012 at 11:42 pm

    Frothy ahead by 79 votes. how cool is that, with Paul at 21% and Mittens LOSING once again?

  199. 199.

    JGabriel

    January 3, 2012 at 11:42 pm

    95%(!) Precincts Reporting:

    28,895 24.6% Santorum
    28,841 24.6% Romney
    25,008 21.3% Paul

    Man On Dog retakes the lead from Dog On Car, folks! This one’s gonna be a pisser. Still in a stolid third place, That Dog Is Not The Federal Government’s Responsibility.

    .

  200. 200.

    Anoniminous

    January 3, 2012 at 11:42 pm

    @AA+ Bonds:

    Well, at some point Willard-the-Magic-Underwear-Man is going to have to convince people to vote FOR him. Something he hasn’t been able to do in five years.

  201. 201.

    Gus

    January 3, 2012 at 11:43 pm

    I know dick about art, but I can pick out a Blake a hundred miles away.

  202. 202.

    Tom Levenson

    January 3, 2012 at 11:44 pm

    @Origuy: Don’t see Romney as Prospero. More the false Duke sailing, unknowing, into the tempest that Prospero/Obama is preparing for him in the general.

    As for the rest of them, there are plenty of comic roles to be filled…

  203. 203.

    Valdivia

    January 3, 2012 at 11:44 pm

    @amk:

    ha ha ha! awesome.

  204. 204.

    hildebrand

    January 3, 2012 at 11:45 pm

    @Veritas: Methinks our resident troll is feeling a wee bit testy due to his hero’s less than stellar showing this evening. Best to give him some space. Wouldn’t want the poor dear to blow a gasket.

    Or his dog – you know, feeling his inner Santorum and whatnot.

  205. 205.

    Anya

    January 3, 2012 at 11:46 pm

    Does anyone know the Dem caucus results? I just want to know how many idiots listened to Cenk Uygur and the rest of the idiots.

    Also, too, why can’t we have Newt’s nastiness directed at Mittens? Why is he wasting time on Paul? Paultards will never vote for him. What gives?

  206. 206.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 3, 2012 at 11:47 pm

    @Anoniminous:

    Hey, he makes the general, yeah, he’ll probably lose, but the racist/xenophobe vote will go to him, uneasily, but it’ll happen

  207. 207.

    The Dangerman

    January 3, 2012 at 11:48 pm

    I agree with whomever above posted about being in Uniform and politicking; I thought that was a no-no (of course, he may not be active duty.

    I wonder if Paul will endorse or go the Nader route and fuck over the Republican nominee?

  208. 208.

    pseudonymous in nc

    January 3, 2012 at 11:48 pm

    @Mike in NC:

    Nikki Haley’s endorsement of Willard was worth less than a bucket of warm spit. Or warm Santorum.

    There’s the assumption from national pundits that Haley’s position in the governor’s mansion gives her any influence over the SC GOP, when the state leg. is very much its own corner of the 1850s. There were GOP state legislators calling her a raghead during the 2010 primary.

  209. 209.

    David Koch

    January 3, 2012 at 11:48 pm

    Can you imagine how the corporate media would dump on a Democratic frontrunner it he or she was humiliated by an impoverished has-been-internet-joke.

  210. 210.

    Lojasmo

    January 3, 2012 at 11:48 pm

    Willard tied for first! Bleargh!

    /deanfan

  211. 211.

    amk

    January 3, 2012 at 11:49 pm

    wonder how many paulbot cokeheads will essplode tonight.

  212. 212.

    some guy

    January 3, 2012 at 11:49 pm

    @Gus:

    an inimitable style and grace informs every print he made

  213. 213.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 3, 2012 at 11:49 pm

    @amk:

    They’re all depressed as fuck and I don’t blame them, the measure for me was that Huckabee sat this one out – he doesn’t think any Republican can win

  214. 214.

    David Koch

    January 3, 2012 at 11:51 pm

    Willard will end up receiving fewer votes tonight than he did in 2008 even after throwing $100 million dollars and 4 years of all out campaigning at the voters.

  215. 215.

    Calouste

    January 3, 2012 at 11:51 pm

    So it looks like Romney is going to be beaten by a candidate who polls at 6% nationally (his highest so far), and who was polling in single digits in Iowa just over two weeks ago. Santorum was really lucky to ride the latest non-Romney wave, but really, what does that kind of volatility say about the GOP, the candidates and the voters?

  216. 216.

    JGabriel

    January 3, 2012 at 11:54 pm

    Anya:

    Also, too, why can’t we have Newt’s nastiness directed at Mittens?

    Look for that to start happening tomorrow in NH and SC.

    .

  217. 217.

    Anya

    January 3, 2012 at 11:55 pm

    I just tuned into MSNBC and Larry O and Ed Schultz were yelling at each other about someone having or not having a manufacturing plan. Anyone know what they were arguing about?

    Oh, look, the dimwitted one is now talking. I wonder if he will drop out tonight?

  218. 218.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 3, 2012 at 11:55 pm

    @AA+ Bonds: I keep hearing Huckabee, Christie and Daniels (and a couple of times Jebbie) mentioned as the big dogs who sat this one out. Myself, I think Daniels was the only viable, national Republican on that list. Chritie’s too Yankee for the South, too obnoxious for the indies; Huckabee too much preacher who wants to outlaw dancing and dungarees. Jebbie… pffffft. Even my cynicism stops short of another Bush winning. Thune might have done something; had Pawlenty played Minnesota-nice instead of tuff-guy-wannabe, I think he’d be running away with it already.

  219. 219.

    TooManyJens

    January 3, 2012 at 11:55 pm

    @Anya: This is the only thing I’ve seen so far about the Dem results: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/updates/3497

  220. 220.

    DCLaw1

    January 3, 2012 at 11:55 pm

    The amused way Rachel Maddow said, “Look, it’s Rick Perry!” as his dizzily grinning face appeared on TV just reminded me, once again, of the sideshow hilarity of this Republican field.

    Best entertainment I could ask for.

    Assuming their nominee loses, of course. Otherwise, the comedy darkens to grim, gnarled tragedy.

  221. 221.

    JGabriel

    January 3, 2012 at 11:56 pm

    @Calouste:

    Santorum was really lucky to ride the latest non-Romney wave, but really, what does that kind of volatility say about the GOP, the candidates and the voters?

    That they are terribly unstable, and unlikely to mount an effective campaign against Obama. Hopefully, they’ll take their primary all the way to a brokered convention.

    .

  222. 222.

    Death Panel Truck

    January 3, 2012 at 11:56 pm

    Ed Schultz has a major man crush on Rick Santorum. Sounds like the guy almost wants to endorse him. It’s fucking nauseating.

  223. 223.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 3, 2012 at 11:57 pm

    @Anya:

    I just tuned into MSNBC and Larry O and Ed Schultz were yelling at each other about someone having or not having a manufacturing plan. Anyone know what they were arguing about?

    “Re-patrioting corporate profits”. Schultz says it would create jobs, O’D says its just another tax dodge for money made overseas.

  224. 224.

    Anya

    January 3, 2012 at 11:57 pm

    @JGabriel: Let’s hope so.

  225. 225.

    Karen

    January 3, 2012 at 11:57 pm

    I just saw Ron Paul’s speech to his groupies and I have never felt more nauseous in my life. Ron Paul may be disavowing his info about his racist newsletter but with everything else, he’s not misleading anyone about his views. He’s saying how liberal Obama is and how he wants the gold standard. Hell, he’s standing beside his son Rand Paul. He’s telling people exactly how he feels and I don’t understand how so called liberals can be behind him.

    I guarantee that if, G-d forbid, Ron Paul becomes the new President, in four years, those same fervent groupies will hate him as much as they hate Obama because RP will disappoint them too. No war but no help for poor people. Let people die who don’t have insurance.

    I care about people overseas but it eludes me how these liberals care nothing about the poor in this country. I won’t go as far to say that they want poor people to die but I don’t get why they’re willing to accept Paul even with the racist and Randian attitude of Darwinism but can’t accept that people who still respect Obama may not accept everything he does but we see him as a better choice.

    I find it reprehensible that there is this double standard. If someone, like El Tiburon for example was to say, “I hate some of what Ron Paul does but he won’t kill brown children (his words not mine) overseas and will spring the non violent criminals out of jails and that’s what’s the most important thing to me so I will admit that Ron Paul isn’t perfect but his pros outweigh his cons.”

    I have ALWAYS said that Obama isn’t perfect and I don’t like everything he does but to me his pros outweigh his cons because he’s better than any GOP that he’s opposing. I am not a blind Obot.

    But Kola Noscopy, El Tiburon and the others have not done anything but call Obama a murderer and NEVER EVER say or admit anything bad that Ron Paul has done or believes.

    That leads me to believe that either they think everyone who has mentioned all the ANTI Liberal views Ron Paul has (anti Civil Rights Act, pro business, anti government/state’s rights, etc.) are lying, or that they don’t see those views as bad. If that’s how they feel then let them say it. Let them say, “Civil Rights Act is an invasion of privacy and states should have the right to prevent who they want from voting, getting a job, being able to be in the same schools.”

    Let them say it because that’s Ron Paul’s view.

  226. 226.

    MikeJ

    January 3, 2012 at 11:57 pm

    @David Koch:
    Romney:
    30,021 2008
    28,938 2012

  227. 227.

    Death Panel Truck

    January 3, 2012 at 11:58 pm

    @Anya: Ed Schultz was saying Santorum has a manufacturing plan; O’Donnell was trying to set him straight.

  228. 228.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 3, 2012 at 11:58 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Yeah but the fact that ALL of them sat it out speaks volumes to me

  229. 229.

    Shari

    January 3, 2012 at 11:58 pm

    I like to think of them as
    Dog on Car, Man on Dog and Man on 3rd wife

  230. 230.

    jheartney

    January 3, 2012 at 11:59 pm

    GOS has some analysis that suggests remaining votes will end up giving Willard a < 100 lead. Whatever he ends up with, I think it's a decent showing for him given that he was going to write Iowa off up to a few weeks ago.

    Bachmann was supposed to be a favorite daughter candidate given that she was born in the state and hails from next door. Guess that didn't work out.

    I think RP will stick in the race for a while despite losing here. His followers aren't the sort who would easily migrate to some other gooper, so they'll nurse some hope of a deadlocked convention that has to turn to RP. Silly people.

  231. 231.

    hhex65

    January 3, 2012 at 11:59 pm

    cripes, this will be on TV 24/7 and now kids across the country will start asking their parents what Santorum is.

  232. 232.

    DanielX

    January 4, 2012 at 12:00 am

    So…54 votes for the Herminator. This is really causing me to question my faith in the theory of evolution, as there is no possible way those 54 people can be the end results of millions of years of development.

  233. 233.

    lamh35

    January 4, 2012 at 12:00 am

    Yay Rick Perry coming back to Texas…Oh joy!

  234. 234.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 4, 2012 at 12:00 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    “Re-patrioting corporate profits”. Schultz says it would create jobs, O’D says its just another tax dodge for money made overseas.

    Worth noting is that according to Taibbi, the last time this sort of tax holiday happened, it was followed by a huge surge in overseas holdings by the same people who “repatriated” their cash.

    Taibbi argues that now, corporate boards know that they just have to wait around until another “repatriation” holiday comes along and act accordingly – keeping even more money offshore until they’re rewarded for doing so

  235. 235.

    DCLaw1

    January 4, 2012 at 12:01 am

    @Death Panel Truck: I’m sorry, what were they saying Santorum could be manufactured into? A new flavor of that foamy, light yogurt?

  236. 236.

    Kola Noscopy

    January 4, 2012 at 12:01 am

    @suzanne:

    And they’re white dudes.

    racist.

  237. 237.

    Bondirotta

    January 4, 2012 at 12:01 am

    Perry flying to Texas. It is over. His votes will boost Santorum and Gingrich big time in South Carolina!!!

  238. 238.

    handy

    January 4, 2012 at 12:03 am

    Just in from the Twitterverse:

    Rick Perry says he will return to Texas to “determine whether there is a path forward.”

    Texas is a mighty long way from South Carolina, Guv’nuh.

  239. 239.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 4, 2012 at 12:03 am

    @AA+ Bonds: True. I do think a lot of them have one eye on 2016, which could make the long campaign interesting

    @Shari: and Eyebrows-Glued-On

  240. 240.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 4, 2012 at 12:03 am

    @jheartney:

    she was born in the state and hails from next door.

    This never fucking works and I don’t know why people keep claiming this is a factor anymore, even Mitt is up in NH because of the business-conservative opinions of NH Republicans

  241. 241.

    DanielX

    January 4, 2012 at 12:03 am

    @Shari:

    I like to think of them as
    Dog on Car, Man on Dog and Man on 3rd wife

    This.
    Oooh, I may have to have a cigarette. A whole heaping plate of snarkelicious win.

  242. 242.

    Calouste

    January 4, 2012 at 12:03 am

    @jheartney:

    Paul was running until the convention in 2008. Not that anyone paid attention to him, but he never suspended his campaign.

  243. 243.

    Anya

    January 4, 2012 at 12:04 am

    @Death Panel Truck: Thanks!

    @Death Panel Truck: Ed is an idiot. What’s with his man crush on Santorum?

  244. 244.

    scav

    January 4, 2012 at 12:04 am

    NYT

    Santorum and Romney in Dead Heat

    Could be read as either part of a race by zombies or something involving the sex lives of same. Rather works either way. Also conjures to my (cold-medicine-addled) mind all the excitement of heat death as well — a side-effect of approaching the wingularity?

  245. 245.

    amk

    January 4, 2012 at 12:04 am

    so has gg’s head exploded yet ? his pet candidates are flaming out one by one.

    eta – probably cole is bummed out too tonight.

  246. 246.

    Anya

    January 4, 2012 at 12:05 am

    @TooManyJens: Very impressive. I like that our side is organized. Team Obama is very competent.

  247. 247.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 4, 2012 at 12:05 am

    @Karen:

    I care about people overseas but it eludes me how these liberals care nothing about the poor in this country.

    1) no liberals back Ron Paul
    2) you can’t possibly think that the BJ posters you cite actually hold the views they espouse here

  248. 248.

    Calouste

    January 4, 2012 at 12:06 am

    TPM reports “Perry returning to Texas to ‘assess’ campaign.”

    This from the man who earlier today said that he was doing a “50 state campaign” (and than decided to skip the second state of those 50).

    Bad news for Romney, that’s 8-10% of the vote that goes to either Santorum or Gingrich.

  249. 249.

    Splitting Image

    January 4, 2012 at 12:07 am

    Hmmm. The two largest counties with outstanding votes appear to be Story and Dubuque. So far Romney is leading there. Dog on Car may outlast Man on Dog after all.

    Oh well. Regardless of what the last 4% does, the big winner is Bob Dole.

    And I can just imagine Crazy-Eyes’ concession speech.

    Oops. Dubuque just came in. Romney didn’t close as much of the gap as I thought.

  250. 250.

    Martin

    January 4, 2012 at 12:07 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    “Re-patrioting corporate profits”. Schultz says it would create jobs, O’D says its just another tax dodge for money made overseas.

    Yeah. Depends entirely on how it’s done. We did a repatriation deal in 2004. Basically Microsoft pulled all of their money back to the US and issued a dividend to investors to try and boost the stock. No jobs created. Lawrence is correct.

    Now, If they did some kind of offset employer paid payroll taxes for new hires, capital expansion inside the US, etc. then you probably would see jobs. But the GOP would never go for that kind of government telling companies how to run their business or some other bullshit. Ed is right in theory, but not based on any proposal I’ve seen – and certainly not one by Santorum. Done right, it should be a permanent part of the tax policy and replace some of the subsidies we now offer, and also allow states to piggyback off of it for state taxes if they choose. I know CA would do it in a heartbeat.

  251. 251.

    DCLaw1

    January 4, 2012 at 12:08 am

    The Republicans on Anderson Cooper’s panel look downright glum. Ari Fleischer bitched about Gingrich’s “attack concession speech.” Popcorn.

  252. 252.

    Martin

    January 4, 2012 at 12:09 am

    @Calouste:

    This from the man who earlier today said that he was doing a “50 state campaign” (and than decided to skip the second state of those 50).

    Well, Texas counts twice, so he’s still good.

  253. 253.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 4, 2012 at 12:09 am

    @Anya: I’m kinda bewildered by his insistence that Santorum is “good on the stump”.

  254. 254.

    SIA

    January 4, 2012 at 12:09 am

    From TPM

    Arizona Senator John McCain, his party’s 2008 nominee, will endorse Mitt Romney in New Hampshire tomorrow, a well-placed former McCain aide told BuzzFeed Tuesday.
    ___
    McCain and Romney were bitter foes in 2008, but Romney repaired the relationship after his defeat with a season of determined campaigning for his former rival.
    ___
    The endorsement will offer the Romney campaign a huge story after a tight and ambiguous finish in Iowa.

    Who cares what you think, Grampy McCranky Pants.

    Edited to unsuccessfully salvage link. Here ’tis
    http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/updates/3503

  255. 255.

    freelancer

    January 4, 2012 at 12:10 am

    The Des Moines Register has streaming news on their front page.

  256. 256.

    Cliff in NH

    January 4, 2012 at 12:13 am

    @Anya:

    Ed was saying that santorum says his manufacturing plan is X I heard him say it at a event (meanwhile lawrence rudely talks over)

    lawrence talks more, ed says well, whether you agree with it or not, that’s what santorum has called his manufacturing plan.

    and now everyone calls that a man crush

    – whatever.

  257. 257.

    freelancer

    January 4, 2012 at 12:13 am

    96.6%

    Santorum
    24.6%
    29,210
    votes

    Romney
    24.6%
    29,173
    votes

    37 votes.

  258. 258.

    pseudonymous in nc

    January 4, 2012 at 12:14 am

    @Calouste:

    Bad news for Romney, that’s 8-10% of the vote that goes to either Santorum or Gingrich.

    And I’d forgotten about Perry when considering SC, but he probably had about 6% there even mumbling and bumbling his way to the primary. I’ll mention again that Fred Thompson beat Willard in SC back in ’08.

  259. 259.

    David Koch

    January 4, 2012 at 12:14 am

    Future Ron Paul Newsletter: Israeli Mossad rigged Iowa caucus.

  260. 260.

    amk

    January 4, 2012 at 12:15 am

    so the other ricky is calling it quits ?

  261. 261.

    DCLaw1

    January 4, 2012 at 12:15 am

    @SIA: That announcement may be splashy for the “Squirrel!” media, but does nothing to strengthen Romney. An endorsement from the candidate who lost decisively in the last election, and who appealed to the same Republican moderate demo as Romney, is not exactly mana from heaven.

    Big stories from tonight: (1) Gingrich prepares to take the gloves off with Romney; and (2) Perry is out, presumably boosting anti-Romneys. Events are making the GOP money boys’ coronation of Romney a lot more complicated than expected.

  262. 262.

    Cliff in NH

    January 4, 2012 at 12:16 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    well, he convinced a lot of people by personally going out and shaking hands and convincing them in person, it means that.

  263. 263.

    JGabriel

    January 4, 2012 at 12:17 am

    97% Precincts Reporting:

    24.6% 29,210 Rick Santorum
    24.6% 29,173 Mitt Romney
    21.3% 25,307 Ron Paul
    13.3% 15,722 Newt Gingrich
    10.3% 12,194 Rick Perry
    05.0% …5,934 Michele Bachmann
    00.6% …..712 Jon Huntsman
    00.1% …..130 No Preference
    00.1% …..114 Other
    00.1% ……57 Herman Cain
    00.0% ……29 Buddy Roemer

    Man On Dog just barely holding it ahead of Dog On Car, by a mere 37 votes.

    .

  264. 264.

    GregB

    January 4, 2012 at 12:18 am

    @Death Panel Truck:

    Shultz is trying to talk up Santorum because he’s much weaker in the general election than Romney.

    Divide and conquer with a side of Santorum.

  265. 265.

    burnspbesq

    January 4, 2012 at 12:19 am

    Clarke gets his 200.

  266. 266.

    SIA

    January 4, 2012 at 12:20 am

    @DCLaw1: Agreed on all.

  267. 267.

    sfinny

    January 4, 2012 at 12:20 am

    Well I guess that miracle Bachmann spoke about kinda fizzled. Unless you consider the fact that she got 5% a miracle.

  268. 268.

    David Koch

    January 4, 2012 at 12:20 am

    Carlos Lehder really bummed Ron Paul won’t be pardoning him.

  269. 269.

    Anya

    January 4, 2012 at 12:21 am

    @Cliff in NH: I am not basing it on this event since I did not watch the exchange, but Ed has been praising Santorum for a while now.

  270. 270.

    Bondirotta

    January 4, 2012 at 12:21 am

    I am liking Santorum’s speech a lot. The deep devotion for his wife, the sincere love of God, the humility…. This is awesome.

    This whack job is gonna soar. And Romney will be tangling with Newt’s vicious attacks for weeks. So sweet.

  271. 271.

    Veritas

    January 4, 2012 at 12:22 am

    Mitt Romney has pulled ahead again!

    With 98% in.

  272. 272.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 4, 2012 at 12:22 am

    Here’s your 2008 pre-caucus numbers if anyone wants a quick glance for comparison

    Before the caucuses, the Des Moines Register reported the following results from a poll of 800 likely Republican caucus goers from December 27 to December 30, 2007:
    Mike Huckabee – 32%
    Mitt Romney – 26%
    John McCain – 13%
    Fred Thompson – 9%
    Ron Paul – 9%
    Rudy Giuliani – 5%
    Duncan Hunter – 1%
    Alan Keyes – 1%
    Not sure/Uncommitted – 4%

    And the results

    Results of the January 2008 caucuses
    __
    As of 11:05 p.m. EDT, January 4, 2008, with 100% of the votes reported, the results were:
    Candidate Votes[8] Percentage Delegates
    100% of precincts reporting[8]
    Mike Huckabee 40,954 34.36% 17
    Mitt Romney 30,021 25.19% 12
    Fred Thompson 15,960 13.39% 0
    John McCain 15,536 13.03% 3
    Ron Paul 11,841 9.93% 2
    Rudy Giuliani 4,099 3.44% 0
    Duncan Hunter 506 0.42% 0
    Alan Keyes 247 0.21% 0
    John Cox* 10 .01% 0
    Hugh Cort 5 0% 0
    Tom Tancredo* 5 0% 0
    Vern Wuensche 2 0% 0
    Sam Brownback* 1 0% 0
    Cap Fendig 1 0% 0
    Total 119,188 100% 34

  273. 273.

    David Koch

    January 4, 2012 at 12:22 am

    Sen Man-on-Dog opens up gaping 44 vote lead.

    http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2012/by_state/IA_Page_0103.html?SITE=AP&SECTION=POLITICS

  274. 274.

    JGabriel

    January 4, 2012 at 12:23 am

    Remember, people, whenever you talk to a Republican, we’re all TERRIBLY AFRAID of a Rick Santorum candidacy, and how he might be able to BEAT Obama in a Presidential Election! For God’s sake, we hope Santorum isn’t the GOP’s nominee! That would be AWFUL for Democrat’s chances. Just a DISASTER.

    Be sure to tell all your Republican relatives and friends, as LOUDLY and OFTEN as possible how much liberals fear Santorum.

    Heh.

    .

  275. 275.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 4, 2012 at 12:23 am

    @GregB:

    Shultz is trying to talk up Santorum because he’s much weaker in the general election than Romney.

    For sure

  276. 276.

    gene108

    January 4, 2012 at 12:24 am

    Being Santorum probably helped Rick slide past the rough spots that hurt other candidates.

  277. 277.

    Anoniminous

    January 4, 2012 at 12:24 am

    @DCLaw1:

    Big stories from tonight: (1) Gingrich prepares to take the gloves off with Romney; and (2) Perry is out, presumably boosting anti-Romneys. Events are making the GOP money boys’ coronation of Romney a lot more complicated than expected.

    (1) Gingrich won’t go negative. He’ll “speak the Truth” and if the Truth just happens to be negative for Romney, well, one can’t help that, can one?

    (2) Perry and Bachmann were hogging about 15% of the vote. With both of ’em gone Gingrich should get a 10% boost in South Carolina and Florida.

  278. 278.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 4, 2012 at 12:24 am

    @Cliff in NH: I guess I take “on the stump” to refer more to his presence, his speaking abilities, etc. Santorum always strikes me as a snotty-yet-insecure punk who borrowed his father’s suit. But I hate his politics and have felt contempt for him since he first came on my radar some twenty years ago, when he questioned Mark Hatfield’s patriotism for voting against the idiotic balanced budget amendment.

  279. 279.

    SIA

    January 4, 2012 at 12:24 am

    GO SANTORUM!

    Did I actually just type those words?

  280. 280.

    suzanne

    January 4, 2012 at 12:24 am

    Okay, did Michele Bachmann REALLY need to mention that Marcus went out to buy sunglasses for their dog?

    Exqueeze me? A baking powder?

  281. 281.

    amk

    January 4, 2012 at 12:24 am

    @Veritas: nope willard. with 99%, lil ricky leads you by 20 votes. poor, poor you.

  282. 282.

    MBL

    January 4, 2012 at 12:25 am

    Man, I hope the GOP doesn’t throw us in that briar patch.

  283. 283.

    JGabriel

    January 4, 2012 at 12:25 am

    @Veritas:

    Mitt Romney has pulled ahead again! With 98% in.

    Link? I’m not seeing that anywhere yet. Not at the Times, not at TPM.

    ETA: Nate Silver confirms.

    .

  284. 284.

    DCLaw1

    January 4, 2012 at 12:26 am

    Watching Santorum, I have to say, that weird face of his does not pair well with his unresolved inability to make a speech without stumbling over his words repeatedly. He also speaks like a person with a limited vocabulary, often choosing the wrong words and grammatical structure. Just doesn’t seize and hold attention like Gingrich, or even Paul.

    Go Santorum, go!

  285. 285.

    dance around in your bones

    January 4, 2012 at 12:26 am

    Gawd, Santorum is such a tool. He’s in shock that he is having to make this speech.

    Flat tax! Five deductions! Ohhh.. he just invoked the Gawd o Reagan.

    eta: He just said ‘this administration created 150 regulations!’ and the crowd sighed like when Vince Vega shot up in Pulp Fiction. (Well, I saw it in NYC).

  286. 286.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 4, 2012 at 12:29 am

    @dance around in your bones:

    Flat tax! Five deductions! Ohhh.. he just invoked the Gawd o Reagan.

    Pitching for Koch money

  287. 287.

    Veritas

    January 4, 2012 at 12:29 am

    @JGabriel:

    Look at Politico.

  288. 288.

    redshirt

    January 4, 2012 at 12:29 am

    @DCLaw1: No telemprompterz.

    UNLIMITED TRUTH!

  289. 289.

    WaterGirl

    January 4, 2012 at 12:30 am

    Well, this is good for Iowa, right? Since Santorum spent time in all 99 counties, and worked the ground game, I think that helps them maintain their position as an early state.

  290. 290.

    some guy

    January 4, 2012 at 12:30 am

    yeah, but how did you lose in Pennsylvania, Rick?

    shared values with working people did you in?

  291. 291.

    Death Panel Truck

    January 4, 2012 at 12:30 am

    @Cliff in NH: Ed’s been man crushin’ on Santorum for over a week now on his show. His praise does not come across as dividing and conquering. It’s genuine like for the guy. My god, this is Man on Dog we’re talking about. It’s truly nauseating.

  292. 292.

    tavella

    January 4, 2012 at 12:30 am

    Santorum votes still dribbling out, I see!

  293. 293.

    Brandon

    January 4, 2012 at 12:31 am

    99% reporting and Frothy has a 5 vote lead!

  294. 294.

    Warren Terra

    January 4, 2012 at 12:31 am

    Romney is set to beat his 2008 vote totals by about 1%.

    Coincidentally, turnout at the 2012 Republican caucus in Iowa is up by about 1%. This even though 2012 is supposed to be a big year for the Republicans, with their base all fired up by the opportunity to oust Obama, while 2008 was never positioned to be a big Republican year.

  295. 295.

    Death Panel Truck

    January 4, 2012 at 12:31 am

    Five votes between Man on Dog and Dog on Car.

  296. 296.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    January 4, 2012 at 12:32 am

    @handy:

    Drunk trolling again, eh, DougJ?

    I don’t get it. Has DougJ really trolled this blog or is this a long-standing inside joke that I missed?

    If, indeed, he comments or has commented as a troll, then he’s an asshole of the highest order and I’ve lost any respect for him. He can FOADIAF if this is true.

    Why the fuck would any self-respecting blogger or commenter stir up trouble amongst his like-minded compatriots just for fun?

  297. 297.

    David Koch

    January 4, 2012 at 12:32 am

    Nate saying Sen ManOnDog up by 5 votes with 99% in.

  298. 298.

    Cliff in NH

    January 4, 2012 at 12:32 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    well, apparently for voters who vote on religious issues he is convincing.

    he blundered in this speech saying walmart isn’t going to ship jobs to china, walmart Is china!(s trade representative in the us)

  299. 299.

    pseudonymous in nc

    January 4, 2012 at 12:33 am

    Ah, the Mussolini comparison, straight out of the Doughy Pantload opus dopus. Sad.

    @suzanne:

    Okay, did Michele Bachmann REALLY need to mention that Marcus went out to buy sunglasses for their dog?

    Now that she’s heading out the exit door — and possibly not going to have a House district to run in — it’s time for the reality show pitch for “Prayin’ Away The Gay With Marcus And Michele”.

  300. 300.

    Valdivia

    January 4, 2012 at 12:33 am

    @Death Panel Truck:

    this still makes me laugh no end!

  301. 301.

    DCLaw1

    January 4, 2012 at 12:33 am

    @Veritas: Kind of funny how you still seem to think it matters who formally comes in first, with the closeness of the numbers and the other stories coming out of tonight. Maybe you should mention super PACs again, that’s a reliable ditty.

  302. 302.

    Anya

    January 4, 2012 at 12:34 am

    Santorum is not a bad speaker. I think the not-Romney 75% will coalesce around him. He hit all the wingnut notes with little populism thrown in.

  303. 303.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 4, 2012 at 12:34 am

    @pseudonymous in nc:

    If Michele prayed the gay away she’d have another problem: the Republicans despise divorced women

  304. 304.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    January 4, 2012 at 12:34 am

    @JGabriel: Just wanted to say I love the Dogs.

  305. 305.

    MikeJ

    January 4, 2012 at 12:34 am

    @Veritas:

    Man on Dog: 29,662
    Dog on Car: 29,657

  306. 306.

    Cliff in NH

    January 4, 2012 at 12:35 am

    @Death Panel Truck:

    well, then Ed has to be trolling, cause he would be so easy to beat. lol.

  307. 307.

    Roger Moore

    January 4, 2012 at 12:35 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    The psyche of George W Bush. The soul of Richard M Nixon. What could possibly go wrong?

    The charm of Calvin Coolidge?

  308. 308.

    Bondirotta

    January 4, 2012 at 12:35 am

    HA HA HA…. How it must burn Romney to be five votes down at 99%…. his speech has been delayed so much nobody will catch it.

    Damn, he is going to be sniffy and defensive in the next debate….

  309. 309.

    Karen

    January 4, 2012 at 12:35 am

    @AA+ Bonds:

    I’m not sure what you mean. Are you saying that Kola Noscopy and El Tiburon are not liberals?

    2) you can’t possibly think that the BJ posters you cite actually hold the views they espouse here

    I’m definitely confused here. Or maybe I didn’t make myself clear. I’m not saying that Kola Noscopy or El Tiburon said they don’t care about poor people. I’m not saying they’re racists. What I’m saying is that every time someone mentions his attitude about cutting all government aid, cutting all the regulations,etc. they retort that Obama is a murderer because he kills children overseas. Maybe they don’t mean it that way but it implies that they don’t show the same concern for the former as much as the later.

  310. 310.

    Hill Dweller

    January 4, 2012 at 12:36 am

    Despite a boatload of money, the establishment attacking anyone in his way, several high profile endorsements, and the belligerent fat man from Jersey waddling in to help, Willard can’t soundly beat Rick f’n Santorum. Hilarious.

  311. 311.

    JGabriel

    January 4, 2012 at 12:36 am

    @Veritas: Thank you, Veritas.

  312. 312.

    pseudonymous in nc

    January 4, 2012 at 12:37 am

    @Death Panel Truck:

    Ed’s been man crushin’ on Santorum for over a week now on his show. His praise does not come across as dividing and conquering.

    The one bit of ManOnDog’s stump speech that’s interesting in the context of the clown show is the bit about the collapse of social mobility in the US. But it’s incoherent — the countries with greater social mobility have social and economic policies he despises — and surrounded by theocratic crazy like how Hawai’i’s surrounded by ocean.

  313. 313.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 4, 2012 at 12:37 am

    @Karen:

    No, those people pretend to have those opinions for the express purpose of pissing off gullible people on the Internet, there is a term for this, it is a form of recreation

  314. 314.

    some guy

    January 4, 2012 at 12:37 am

    @Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason:

    stop trolling, dougj

  315. 315.

    TooManyJens

    January 4, 2012 at 12:37 am

    @Roger Moore: The economic expertise of Herbert Hoover?

  316. 316.

    pseudonymous in nc

    January 4, 2012 at 12:38 am

    @AA+ Bonds: Christopher Guest must look at the Bachmanns and think that if they don’t do a reality show, there’s a film waiting to be made.

  317. 317.

    suzanne

    January 4, 2012 at 12:39 am

    @pseudonymous in nc: LMAO.

    I hereby dub Michele “Sunglasses On Dog”.

  318. 318.

    The Other Chuck

    January 4, 2012 at 12:39 am

    @suzanne:

    And I bet they’re absolutely FABULOUS doggie sunglasses.

  319. 319.

    Midnight Marauder

    January 4, 2012 at 12:39 am

    @Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason:

    Why the fuck would any self-respecting blogger or commenter stir up trouble amongst his like-minded compatriots just for fun?

    I imagine the fun plays a rather large role.

  320. 320.

    JGabriel

    January 4, 2012 at 12:39 am

    98.6% Reporting:

    29,662 24.6% Rick Santorum
    29,657 24.6% Mitt Romney
    25,926 21.5% Ron Paul

    Man On Dog retakes the lead from Dog On Car, by 5. Frickin. Votes.

    .

  321. 321.

    DCLaw1

    January 4, 2012 at 12:40 am

    @Anya: Sure, I wouldn’t say he’s a bad speaker – few professional politicians are – just an uninspiring and limited one. He sounds the right thematic notes for evangelicals, etc., but that’s substantive button-pushing, not style.

    Oh, here comes Captain Plastic.

  322. 322.

    David Koch

    January 4, 2012 at 12:40 am

    Willard’s family look like they’ve been Santormed.

  323. 323.

    Bondirotta

    January 4, 2012 at 12:41 am

    University kids did not go for Romney…. Linear projection is now for Santorum win of 23 votes….. I am certain Romney thought he was going to pull it off. He has spent three hours waiting for his coronation.

    But he lost again!!

  324. 324.

    SIA

    January 4, 2012 at 12:41 am

    Rachel has done an excellent job moderating the panel tonight.

  325. 325.

    Drum Circles And Weed

    January 4, 2012 at 12:42 am

    The Republicans are going to wake up tomorrow and find out that what they dragged home last night isn’t nearly so pretty as they thought.

  326. 326.

    freelancer

    January 4, 2012 at 12:42 am

    you. guys. have. been. like. family. woo.

    “country ran by a nice guy who is just over his head”.

    The robot candidate is having rhetorical errors.

  327. 327.

    JGabriel

    January 4, 2012 at 12:42 am

    @Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason:

    Has DougJ really trolled this blog or is this a long-standing inside joke that I missed?

    I don’t know if he’s trolled the blog recently, but DougJ has been here long enough that he was a troll back when John Cole was still a Republican.

    .

  328. 328.

    suzanne

    January 4, 2012 at 12:43 am

    @The Other Chuck: I have to admit that I wondered whether or not it was wise to discuss buying sunglasses for your dog if you were trying to convince people of your heterosexuality.

  329. 329.

    Veritas

    January 4, 2012 at 12:43 am

    Romney ignoring other candidates, going in for the kill on Obambi in his speech.

    Meanwhile, New Hampshire is looming..

  330. 330.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 4, 2012 at 12:43 am

    @Death Panel Truck:

    There is no fuckin way on Earth that Ed Shultz is pro-Santorum, I’m sorry, but he’s playing a long game and you got caught in the mix

  331. 331.

    Cliff in NH

    January 4, 2012 at 12:44 am

    Mitt lies about Obama saying 8% not the 10% he Did say Live on bloomberg (I saw it live)

    http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a4CiAWTRWxMs

    Obama Says Unemployment Will Reach 10% This Year (Transcript)

    June 16 (Bloomberg) — President Barack Obama said in an interview today with Bloomberg News’s Al Hunt that the U.S. unemployment rate will reach 10 percent this year even as the economy begins to emerge from the recession, and “sensible” new rules are needed to tighten oversight of U.S. markets. He also didn’t rule out a proposal in Congress to tax employer-provided health-insurance benefits as a way to pay for his plan to overhaul health care.

    – snip –

  332. 332.

    some guy

    January 4, 2012 at 12:44 am

    Willard determined to run against The Threat of Socialism, no matter how badly Sweater Vest Fascist just put a deep gash in his right flank.

    how many times will Willard have to lose Iowa?

  333. 333.

    Brandon

    January 4, 2012 at 12:44 am

    25 precincts left to report and I have it on good authority that Santorum and Romney will fight man on man on dog on car for the titular win till the very end.

  334. 334.

    smith

    January 4, 2012 at 12:44 am

    The robot needs oil – anyone else listening to this speech? Can’t speak a full sentence without pausing and sputtering.

  335. 335.

    JGabriel

    January 4, 2012 at 12:44 am

    @freelancer:

    The robot candidate is having rhetorical errors.

    Turing Test Fail.

    .

  336. 336.

    Hill Dweller

    January 4, 2012 at 12:44 am

    @Drum Circles And Weed: Coyote ugly.

  337. 337.

    hhex65

    January 4, 2012 at 12:44 am

    @Drum Circles And Weed: bible says: “if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out”

    /not meant to be directed at thee, but at they

  338. 338.

    David Koch

    January 4, 2012 at 12:44 am

    Willard’s wife is a piece of ass.

  339. 339.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 4, 2012 at 12:45 am

    @JGabriel:

    I don’t know if he’s trolled the blog recently

    THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE

  340. 340.

    Anya

    January 4, 2012 at 12:45 am

    God. Romney is so freaking fake. One of these days, someone might mistake him for a mannequin. I really don’t know how can anyone stand his fakeness.

  341. 341.

    DCLaw1

    January 4, 2012 at 12:45 am

    Romney needs to keep his weird, grown-in-a-vat animatronic sons off stage when he speaks. Looks like a mannequin display.

  342. 342.

    Anne Laurie

    January 4, 2012 at 12:46 am

    @DanielX:

    So…54 votes for the Herminator. This is really causing me to question my faith in the theory of evolution, as there is no possible way those 54 people can be the end results of millions of years of development.

    Think of it as the “None, and I mean NONE, of the Above” vote. Seems like there would be social pressure, in some Iowa communities, for all known registered Republican voters to show up at the caucus in their neighbor’s living room and publicly cast their ballot. But since it’s a secret ballot, it’s easier to check off the name of the guy who’s no longer competing than to get caught writing in Donald Duck or Wonder Wart Hog.

  343. 343.

    handy

    January 4, 2012 at 12:47 am

    @AA+ Bonds:

    Well Big Ed does get confused from time to time, so I don’t think that totally can be ruled out.

  344. 344.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 4, 2012 at 12:47 am

    @DCLaw1:

    Romney needs to keep his weird, grown-in-a-vat animatronic sons off stage when he speaks. Looks like a mannequin display.

    But . . . but that’s where Republicans want to live

  345. 345.

    MikeJ

    January 4, 2012 at 12:48 am

    @Anya:

    someone might mistake him for a mannequin.

    Kim Cattrall 2016!

  346. 346.

    SIA

    January 4, 2012 at 12:48 am

    @Anya: He’s very jittery too. I don’t sense any kind of center in him.

  347. 347.

    Bondirotta

    January 4, 2012 at 12:48 am

    Is Romney crying? His eyes are all puffy and weepy.

  348. 348.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 4, 2012 at 12:48 am

    @handy:

    I just have a verrry hard time believing that Shultz has gone right to left and then back again in what, nine years

  349. 349.

    JGabriel

    January 4, 2012 at 12:48 am

    @Cliff in NH: It looks like that transcript is from 2009 or 2010.

    .

  350. 350.

    pete

    January 4, 2012 at 12:49 am

    @JGabriel: You’re on fire tonight.

  351. 351.

    Hill Dweller

    January 4, 2012 at 12:49 am

    @Veritas: Nobody gives a fuck.

  352. 352.

    Anya

    January 4, 2012 at 12:49 am

    @SIA: I really like her. She did a great job.

  353. 353.

    freelancer

    January 4, 2012 at 12:50 am

    “Corn counts, right? As an ‘amber wave of grain’. Doesn’t it?”
    “…”

    I won Iowa, I can afford to shit on the intelligence of farmers now, right?

  354. 354.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    January 4, 2012 at 12:50 am

    @Midnight Marauder:

    I imagine the fun plays a rather large role.

    Sick fun, as far as I’m concerned.

  355. 355.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 4, 2012 at 12:50 am

    I mean, I guarantee you that your average married Republican looks at the Romney family and thinks YEAH! I’M JUST LIKE THAT GUY, MY FAMILY IS JUST LIKE HIS FAMILY, Republicans have very weird relationships with the images they see in the media IMO, because they’re running out of Real America

  356. 356.

    Bondirotta

    January 4, 2012 at 12:51 am

    Thank you, Christ – Santorum lead explodes to 34 votes at 99%!!!!!

  357. 357.

    BlueDWarrior

    January 4, 2012 at 12:52 am

    So if Romney is the Ferengi Candidate, what Fictional Allegory do we have for Santorum?

  358. 358.

    BlueDWarrior

    January 4, 2012 at 12:52 am

    So if Romney is the Ferengi Candidate, what Fictional Allegory do we have for Santorum?

  359. 359.

    dance around in your bones

    January 4, 2012 at 12:53 am

    Rachel’s a pistol. Just stellar smart.

    Everybody looks puffy-eyed and tired.

    Shut up about Santorum, Ed.

  360. 360.

    amk

    January 4, 2012 at 12:53 am

    Looks lil ricky is gonna kick the plastic ass of mittens.

  361. 361.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 4, 2012 at 12:54 am

    I’m DougJ, btw

  362. 362.

    pseudonymous in nc

    January 4, 2012 at 12:54 am

    @David Koch:

    Willard’s wife is a piece of ass.

    I prefer her role in American Dad.

  363. 363.

    DCLaw1

    January 4, 2012 at 12:54 am

    That may indeed be Romney’s biggest flaw as a candidate, besides the constant, self-serving reversals: when he talks, it’s actually hard to pay attention to what he’s saying, because he is so transparently pretending in his mannerisms and cadence. That, of course, only amplifies his substantive hypocrisy on this issues.

    Bad as the economy may be, I can’t see him winning. Americans always seem to elect the more “authentic” candidate. George W. Bush and even the actor Ronald Reagan exuded five times the authenticity (even if faked authenticity) as Romney. And Obama has always seems comfortable in his own identity and presence.

  364. 364.

    Cliff in NH

    January 4, 2012 at 12:55 am

    @JGabriel:

    http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2009/06/president-obama-predicts-unemployment-will-hit-10-this-year/

    Jun 16, 2009 4:39pm
    President Obama Predicts Unemployment Will Hit 10% This Year
    Email 199 Smaller Font Text Larger Text | Print

    Jake Tapper and Karen Travers report: In an interview with Bloomberg News’ Al Hunt today, President Obama says he thinks unemployment will hit 10% this year.

    Will unemployment reach 10%? asks Hunt.

    “Yes,” says the president.

    Before the end of this year? asks Hunt.

    “Yes,” says the president.

    “I think that what you’ve seen is that the pace of job loss has slowed,” Mr. Obama says, “and I think that the economy is going to turn around. But as you know, jobs are a lagging indicator. And we’ve got to produce 150,000 jobs every month just to keep pace.”

    But, he said, “we will end up seeing recovery shortly.”

    In January, the incoming administration predicted in a white paper study that without a huge stimulus package, unemployment would reach just over 8%, and would be contained at under 8% with a stimulus package.

    (When asked about this discrepancy, one of the authors of the study – Jared Bernstein, the top economic adviser to Vice President Biden – recently said that “when we made our initial estimates, that was before we had fourth-quarter results on GDP, which we later found out was contracting at an annual rate of 6 percent, far worse than we expected at that time.” The bottom line, Bernstein said, is that without the stimulus the unemployment rate “would have been between 1.5 and 2 points higher than it otherwise will be.”)

  365. 365.

    TooManyJens

    January 4, 2012 at 12:55 am

    @BlueDWarrior:

    what Fictional Allegory do we have for Santorum?

    Santorum feels unreal enough as he is.

  366. 366.

    David Koch

    January 4, 2012 at 12:55 am

    8 precincts left to report. ManONDog lead grows to 34 votes.

  367. 367.

    Roger Moore

    January 4, 2012 at 12:55 am

    @TooManyJens:

    The economic expertise of Herbert Hoover?

    The memory of Ronald Reagan and the ethics of Warren Harding. Fortunately, he avoids the body of Howard Taft.

  368. 368.

    MBL

    January 4, 2012 at 12:56 am

    34 goddamn votes.

    Can I go to sleep now?

  369. 369.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 4, 2012 at 12:56 am

    How can anyone stand to watch MSNBC anyway, they’re all a bunch of bratty ignorant propagandists, you might as well sink that time into understanding the opposition and watch Fox News instead

    I mean fuck, Rachel Maddow was on there freaking out about the Glock 7 for Christ’s sakes, all the MSNBC people apparently Google their shows up half an hour before they air

  370. 370.

    DCLaw1

    January 4, 2012 at 12:56 am

    @pseudonymous in nc: Oh my god, perfect.

  371. 371.

    Anoniminous

    January 4, 2012 at 12:56 am

    Looking at the result another way:

    Romney: 24.6%
    Paul: 21.5%
    Not-Romney: 53.1%

    After five years of campaigning and tens of millions o’ bucks Romney gets fewer votes than he did in 2008: 27% versus 24.6%.

    Way to go, Willard!

  372. 372.

    Roger Moore

    January 4, 2012 at 12:57 am

    @suzanne:

    Okay, did Michele Bachmann REALLY need to mention that Marcus went out to buy sunglasses for their dog?

    Better than admitting he bought a squeegie for the shower.

  373. 373.

    MikeJ

    January 4, 2012 at 12:57 am

    @Anoniminous: Five years? He’s been running for decades.

  374. 374.

    shortstop

    January 4, 2012 at 12:57 am

    @suzanne: And even if he’d have gotten away with that, the pertly sheepish little “I’m busted!” face sealed the deal.

  375. 375.

    Anya

    January 4, 2012 at 12:57 am

    @MikeJ: Ha!

    @SIA: He has weird mannerisms and when he’s talking, he moves in the most peculiar manner.

  376. 376.

    David Koch

    January 4, 2012 at 12:58 am

    BREAKING NEWS

    GOOGLE CALLS IT FOR MAN-ON-DOG

    100% IN – MAN-ON-DOG WINS BY 13 VOTES

    29,924 to 29,911

  377. 377.

    WaterGirl

    January 4, 2012 at 12:58 am

    I am not watching TV. So they are both giving speeches before the final results are in? Is this so neither one has to give a concession speech?

    Edit: This from Steve Benen:

    Midnight: In the immortal words of the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, “All right, we’ll call it a draw.” Whichever one of these two manage to come out on top, the results are effectively the same: Romney spent well over $4 million in Iowa, only to discover (a) three-quarters of Republicans still don’t like him; and (b) he tied a guy who spent about one-eighth the amount of money and was polling in single digits as recently as a few weeks ago.
    __
    Tonight’s big winner is obvious: his name is Barack Obama.

  378. 378.

    amk

    January 4, 2012 at 12:59 am

    @Veritas: lik rick kicked your nutz and butt, willard. You can worry about ‘obambi’ later on. Now get some liniment for the butthurt you got today.

  379. 379.

    TenguPhule

    January 4, 2012 at 12:59 am

    Santorum tied with Mittens.

    The FSM gives a bad bad day a happy ending.

    Let the GOP murder suicide commence!

  380. 380.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    January 4, 2012 at 12:59 am

    @AA+ Bonds:

    watch Fox News instead

    I’m not interested in getting brain damage, thanks.

  381. 381.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 4, 2012 at 12:59 am

    @MikeJ: I couldn’t believe how long it took somebody to point out that the only reason Romney isn’t a “career politician” is he’s been losing elections for almost twenty years.

  382. 382.

    handy

    January 4, 2012 at 1:00 am

    @Anoniminous:

    And he’s far from a lock in SC.

  383. 383.

    TenguPhule

    January 4, 2012 at 1:00 am

    So if Romney is the Ferengi Candidate, what Fictional Allegory do we have for Santorum?

    The Tribble.

  384. 384.

    Bondirotta

    January 4, 2012 at 1:01 am

    What are the odds that Mitt just unravels during the next debate? That his advisors keep telling him to losen up until he completely seizes up in a grinning rigor mortis of frustrated ambition?

  385. 385.

    pseudonymous in nc

    January 4, 2012 at 1:01 am

    @DCLaw1:

    it’s actually hard to pay attention to what he’s saying, because he is so transparently pretending in his mannerisms and cadence.

    It’s a depressing non-alcoholic cocktail that’s one part career pol, one part Mormon door-knocker, one part management consultant and a good few dashes of bitters.

  386. 386.

    JGabriel

    January 4, 2012 at 1:01 am

    @Bootlegger:

    Is Noot Man on Car, or Car on Man?

    Newt is Wants A Dog, because he did an interview a little while back where he he tried to humanize himself by talking about how much he wants a dog. Haven’t a had chance to use it yet, though.

    I guess Bachmann is now Sexually Ambiguous Husband’s Sunglasses On Dog.

    .

  387. 387.

    TooManyJens

    January 4, 2012 at 1:02 am

    @Bondirotta:

    until he completely seizes up in a grinning rigor mortis of frustrated ambition?

    Well, you can just rock me to sleep tonight.

  388. 388.

    MikeJ

    January 4, 2012 at 1:02 am

    The Des Moines register have changed their banner and skyscrapers from Obama to Makers Mark.

    Please Republicans: call a cab.

  389. 389.

    Anoniminous

    January 4, 2012 at 1:02 am

    @MikeJ:

    Been running for the GOP presidential nomination for 5 years.

  390. 390.

    amk

    January 4, 2012 at 1:02 am

    @David Koch: ricky still leading 935 to 916. The fat lady hasn’t sung yet.

    http://www.wnyc.org/articles/its-free-country/2012/jan/03/patchwork-vote-iowa/

  391. 391.

    DCLaw1

    January 4, 2012 at 1:04 am

    @pseudonymous in nc:

    It’s a depressing non-alcoholic cocktail that’s one part career pol, one part Mormon door-knocker, one part management consultant and a good few dashes of bitters.

    Served at a hotel bar.

  392. 392.

    JGabriel

    January 4, 2012 at 1:05 am

    @David Koch:

    100% IN – MAN-ON-DOG WINS BY 13 VOTES
    __
    29,924 to 29,911

    Damn, that’s close. So now we know the answer to that age old question, “Who would win a race between Man On Dog and Dog On Car?”

    .

  393. 393.

    burnspbesq

    January 4, 2012 at 1:05 am

    @BlueDWarrior:

    Foghorn Leghorn? No, that’s Gingrich.

    Ah, I have it: Vir Cotto. Squirrelly, sweaty, and destined to always say the wrong thing.

  394. 394.

    MikeJ

    January 4, 2012 at 1:06 am

    @Anoniminous: When he ran for gov, when he ran for senate, he was running for president.

    He’s a loooooser, and he’s not what he appears to be. I can’t wait for Obama to stomp on him.

  395. 395.

    fasteddie9318

    January 4, 2012 at 1:07 am

    Why the fuck does MSNBC think that anyone wants to hear anything from the piece of shit that wrote The Party of Death?

  396. 396.

    pseudonymous in nc

    January 4, 2012 at 1:08 am

    And I think Josh Marshall’s right: Gingrich can go back to peddling his stupid fucking books to the rubes later this year, but before he does that, he really wants to spread Santorum over Willard’s political career.

    And Charlie Pierce just tweeted: “Roemer and Cain combined to get 105 votes. Those 105 poor souls just decided the winner of the Iowa caucuses.”

  397. 397.

    PeakVT

    January 4, 2012 at 1:08 am

    Man-on-Dog over Dog-on-Car isn’t the best outcome for the Dems, but it’s decent. There’s still 8 precincts out, but only 1 in a Romney-leaning county.

  398. 398.

    shortstop

    January 4, 2012 at 1:08 am

    @JGabriel: Brilliant.

  399. 399.

    Yutsano

    January 4, 2012 at 1:08 am

    @MikeJ: Soy un perdidor…

    (I can haz new thread naow? Kthxbai!)

  400. 400.

    Hill Dweller

    January 4, 2012 at 1:09 am

    @fasteddie9318: If it means getting Perry, Maddow and Hayes on the same panel, I can deal with it.

  401. 401.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 4, 2012 at 1:09 am

    @pseudonymous in nc:

    he really wants to spread Santorum over Willard’s political career.

    Heh. Interesting point from NY Mag’s web site
    Many Americans Will Google Santorum for the First Time This Week
    By Dan Amira

  402. 402.

    TooManyJens

    January 4, 2012 at 1:09 am

    @burnspbesq: Two problems with that comparison. a) Hey, I liked Vir. b) Vir actually became Emperor.

  403. 403.

    David Koch

    January 4, 2012 at 1:10 am

    NYTimes says 2 precincts out, with ManONDong still up by 18 votes.

  404. 404.

    nastybrutishntall

    January 4, 2012 at 1:10 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: ewwwwww.

  405. 405.

    sfinny

    January 4, 2012 at 1:10 am

    Love the Dog names, although I feel bad for dogs in general. They don’t deserve this.

  406. 406.

    Mike in NC

    January 4, 2012 at 1:11 am

    Thank FUCK you, Veritas.

    Fixed. But I’ve been enjoying all that delicious pie for a while now.

  407. 407.

    Anoniminous

    January 4, 2012 at 1:11 am

    @handy:
    Iowa was neutral territory and he got less votes in ’12 than he did in ’08.

    New Hampshire is friendly territory and he’s polling 43%. Although he has to be there and Gingrich can be done campaigning in South Carolina and Florida – hogging all the local news.

    South Carolina and Florida are both hostile territory and to win Romney has to do something he’s never done: convince people to vote for him. Plus, considering he came in 4th in SC in 08 after campaigning his ass off, and the fact both Perry and Bachmann are out I think his chances in both states run the gamut from slim to none.

  408. 408.

    srv

    January 4, 2012 at 1:12 am

    @fasteddie9318: After careful consideration, I think this Republican field should be sent to a Death Panel, forthwith.

  409. 409.

    handy

    January 4, 2012 at 1:12 am

    Somebody check on Veritroof. I think he just hurled himself over a bridge.

  410. 410.

    fasteddie9318

    January 4, 2012 at 1:13 am

    @Hill Dweller: Better just the three of them, or surely a big network like NBC could find a con who isn’t also a thoroughly discredited hack?

  411. 411.

    David Koch

    January 4, 2012 at 1:13 am

    Willard steps in it.

    Willard to unveil McCain endorsement tomorrow and the base hates McCain, which will only reinforce their hatred of Willard.

  412. 412.

    Brandon

    January 4, 2012 at 1:14 am

    Forget the resurrection as a historic event, what more proof does one need for the existence of god than Rick Santorum getting more caucus votes than Mitt Romney. Why, this is almost like the ending to Miracle on 34th St and so close to Christmas too. I bet I know what little preyed to Baby Jesus to give him for Christmas this year. How can we now deny the existence of God? Or is it Dog?

  413. 413.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 4, 2012 at 1:14 am

    @burnspbesq:

    I must protest.

    Vir Cotto was one of the GOOD guys in B5. He’s the guy who arranged for the smuggling of Narns off their conquered homeworld. He’s the one with arranged marriage with a babe who liked to torture Narns for entertainment, and said, “no thanks.”

    He’s the guy who gave Mr. Morden the little wave, like this!

  414. 414.

    MikeJ

    January 4, 2012 at 1:14 am

    @Yutsano: I’ve been watching Annie get yer gun. No Business Like Show Business. Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better.

    Betty Hutton should have won tonight, except she’s dead and still not bugfuck crazy enough for the GOP.

  415. 415.

    cthulhu

    January 4, 2012 at 1:15 am

    @Veritas: Hey, did those Omaha suburbs ever report in?

  416. 416.

    fasteddie9318

    January 4, 2012 at 1:15 am

    @handy: So you mean “check on him” as in, make sure he weighted himself down properly before jumping?

  417. 417.

    David Koch

    January 4, 2012 at 1:16 am

    Associated Press confirms: ManONDog up by 18 with 2 precincts left to report.

  418. 418.

    Veritas

    January 4, 2012 at 1:17 am

    @cthulhu:

    This race hasn’t been called by any media organization yet.

  419. 419.

    JGabriel

    January 4, 2012 at 1:17 am

    @Mike in NC: I asked Veritas a straightforward question, and Veritas gave a straightforward answer. It merited a thanks.

    .

  420. 420.

    freelancer

    January 4, 2012 at 1:17 am

    @handy:

    Nu-uh, BJ’s own Baghdad Bob is rocking somewhere thinking No, it was the other way around. Huge evidence of Obambi’s weakness.

  421. 421.

    burnspbesq

    January 4, 2012 at 1:17 am

    Not sure who had a worse day, Romney or the Indian bowlers.

  422. 422.

    DCLaw1

    January 4, 2012 at 1:18 am

    I’m wondering now whether Romney’s consistent strength in NH may work against him now in the following ways: (1) it will set expectations for him to not only come in first, but by a large margin, so anything less than that will seem like a failure; and (2) the longstanding assumption he will win will shift even more attention and significance on SC, where he is at a disadvantage, with the NH results almost ignored, functionally, as more or less irrelevant (unless the unexpected occurs).

    Add to that the likelihood that Gingrich will be snapping at his heels the entire way, and Santorum will be winning increasing portions of the evangelical vote that has been looking for a reason to jettison Romney and will now need to jump ship from Perry and possibly Bachman.

  423. 423.

    Veritas

    January 4, 2012 at 1:19 am

    Don’t call anything until the two precincts left report in.

  424. 424.

    JGabriel

    January 4, 2012 at 1:19 am

    @Yutsano:

    Soy un perdidor…

    Get busy with the cheese whiz.

    Love that song.

    .

  425. 425.

    DCLaw1

    January 4, 2012 at 1:21 am

    By the way, apropos of nothing, god is Melissa Harris-Perry pretty.

  426. 426.

    Bondirotta

    January 4, 2012 at 1:22 am

    Keep hoping, Veritas… It makes this just a tad sweeter…

  427. 427.

    Anoniminous

    January 4, 2012 at 1:25 am

    @MikeJ:

    OK, I’ll take your word for it.

    Romney was below my radar before 2007.

  428. 428.

    pseudonymous in nc

    January 4, 2012 at 1:26 am

    Romney’s already running TV ads in primo spots in SC — 60 Minutes, NFL games, evening news, etc. Nothing from other candidates. I expect that’s going to change this week.

  429. 429.

    Anya

    January 4, 2012 at 1:26 am

    WTF Chris Hayes? Ramish Ponnuru on the “Liberal MSNBC”?

  430. 430.

    MikeJ

    January 4, 2012 at 1:27 am

    @Anoniminous: Ask the local Massholes. It was obvious he was going for more long, long ago.

  431. 431.

    cthulhu

    January 4, 2012 at 1:27 am

    @Veritas: Okay, but it looks like all the Omaha suburb counties are at 100% and even the two counties that Romney took in that region, his margin was less than 2%. Not sure why this would be labeled as good for Romney.

  432. 432.

    Anoniminous

    January 4, 2012 at 1:27 am

    @cthulhu:

    They did but now we are waiting for Kansas City suburbs to report.

    If Nebraskans can vote in the Iowa caucuses why not Missourians?

  433. 433.

    Roger Moore

    January 4, 2012 at 1:29 am

    @burnspbesq:

    Not sure who had a worse day, Romney or the Indian bowlers.

    The Indian bowlers. Because they’re going to have to come back tomorrow and face Australia again on the same pitch. Willard gets to go back to somewhere closer to his home turf for the next round. Also, too, it looks as if Romney managed to dismiss two today (Perry and Bachmann) while India only managed to dismiss one (Ponting).

  434. 434.

    Bondirotta

    January 4, 2012 at 1:29 am

    Twitter is flooded with tweets comparing how much Romney spent per vote versus how much Santa spent. That is one humiliating theme for tomorrow…

  435. 435.

    amk

    January 4, 2012 at 1:30 am

    @Veritas: willard didn’t even cross his 2008 total. pathetic campaign don’t you think ?

  436. 436.

    elaine benes

    January 4, 2012 at 1:31 am

    Flipping channels: Megyn at Fox just awkwardly babbling that there are lost/missing votes from one of the last precincts.

    Hmmmm. I smell Rove.

  437. 437.

    WaterGirl

    January 4, 2012 at 1:31 am

    @Anya: What does that mean?

  438. 438.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 4, 2012 at 1:32 am

    I think we should just go to bed; the “Iowans Abroad” caucus in Kiev won’t get their results sent in for at least four hours.

  439. 439.

    Bondirotta

    January 4, 2012 at 1:35 am

    Mitt did not attack Santorum at all. He spent all that money hammering Newt even after Gingrich had already collapsed. And allowed Santorum to glide into victory without any resistance. This is so freaking amusing.

  440. 440.

    FlipYrWhig

    January 4, 2012 at 1:36 am

    @Death Panel Truck: I’m not _endorsing_ Rick Santorum, mind you, but it’s unquestionably true that anyone who denies that Santorum’s manufacturing policy is better than Obama’s would also defend his raping a child with a drone. Update to follow.

  441. 441.

    SixStringFanatic

    January 4, 2012 at 1:39 am

    @Veritas: VICTORY MOTHERFUCKERS!!

  442. 442.

    TooManyJens

    January 4, 2012 at 1:40 am

    @Bondirotta:

    He spent all that money hammering Newt even after Gingrich had already collapsed. And allowed Santorum to glide into victory without any resistance.

    This is exactly how Carol Moseley Braun got elected to the Senate. And look how well that turned out …

  443. 443.

    Joseph Nobles

    January 4, 2012 at 2:02 am

    Karl Rove on Fox: RNC source is saying count in some counties has been undercounted for Romney.

    You don’t say.

  444. 444.

    Hill Dweller

    January 4, 2012 at 2:11 am

    @Joseph Nobles: This is the cherry on top. Romney is already humiliated, even if he wins by a few votes. A disputed vote total just makes more amusing.

    Oh, and Newt is going to be out for blood. With the entire party abandoning him, he has nothing to lose at this point. Newt has already forced the Romney campaign to abandon their original plan of staying away from Iowa. That certainly didn’t end well. Let’s see how Willard’s glass jaw holds up with Newt getting nasty.

  445. 445.

    JGabriel

    January 4, 2012 at 2:15 am

    Jeepers, I don’t believe this. 99.5% reporting:

    Man On Dog 29,968
    Dog On Car 29,964

    Four votes separating them. Four.

    .

  446. 446.

    Brandon

    January 4, 2012 at 2:25 am

    @JGabriel: I think Veritas is going to have a heart attack. The final tally matters little anyway, because the narrative will be set by media stories that are printed tomorrow and deadlines were likely to be hours ago. From the looks of it, it will not be good news for Mittens. The only worse scenario for Romney is if he came in third behind Paul. At this point, it looks like Florida will be his Alamo.

  447. 447.

    cthulhu

    January 4, 2012 at 2:38 am

    @Brandon: Well, in Veritas’ defense, it still seems mighty likely that, whatever happens, Mitt will sew things up by Super Tuesday. In fact, one wonders if Veritas is some super-secret double-probation Romney concern-troll. Romney need not win in SC or even FL or use his “Super-PAC death blow” ASAP. Talk about badly managing expectations.

  448. 448.

    Death Panel Truck

    January 4, 2012 at 2:55 am

    @FlipYrWhig: Oh, Jeebus. So glad I missed the GG/ABL/JC dust-up over the weekend.

  449. 449.

    dead existentialist

    January 4, 2012 at 3:05 am

    @Veritas: See link. This is a map of your western Iowa/suburban districts of Omaha showing Romney’s support. Mouse over the county for final results. (Warning: it has santorum all over it.)

    Then check your powers of prognostication.

  450. 450.

    Death Panel Truck

    January 4, 2012 at 3:14 am

    @AA+ Bonds: I said there was genuine like for the guy. I never said Ed would vote for him. He will, however, contribute to the phony Villager narrative that Santorum is a likable guy who is misunderstood. Ed’s not exactly an Obama fanboi, although he’s been coming around in recent weeks.

  451. 451.

    AA+ Bonds

    January 4, 2012 at 3:28 am

    @Death Panel Truck:

    He will, however, contribute to the phony Villager narrative that Santorum is a likable guy who is misunderstood.

    But that’s an awesome narrative because Santorum’s rise kneecaps Rove/Romney and, if it goes all the way, it is pretty much a Jiminy Cricket star wish for the Democrats for Santorum to be the nominee

  452. 452.

    JGabriel

    January 4, 2012 at 3:33 am

    Final Score, Dog On Car beats Man On Dog by 8 votes:

    Mitt Romney — 30,015 24.6%

    Rick Santorum — 30,007 24.5%

    Ron Paul — 26,219 21.4%

    Newt Gingrich — 16,251 13.3%

    Rick Perry — 12,604 10.3%

    Michele Bachmann — 6,073 5.0%

    Jon Huntsman — 745 0.6%

    No Preference — 135 0.1%

    Other — 117 0.1%

    Herman Cain — 58 0.1%

    Buddy Roemer — 31 0.0%

    .

  453. 453.

    Ian

    January 4, 2012 at 4:38 am

    @Southern Beale:
    Perfect sense- college students who like pot=Paul. Middle aged parents afraid to teach sex ed to their kids-Santorum. Old people who want a Republican to wishy-washy afraid to touch their medical benis- Romney

  454. 454.

    Ian

    January 4, 2012 at 4:44 am

    @Veritas:
    Wasn’t Pauls victory proof of the Romney win?
    Changing goalposts, how do they work?

  455. 455.

    DanielX

    January 4, 2012 at 4:57 am

    @JGabriel: No, Newt IS a dog. Just ask his ex-wives.

  456. 456.

    chopper

    January 4, 2012 at 10:41 am

    8 votes! of VICTORY! over santorum.

    wow, with momentum like that he’s sure to take SC, a state full of people who hate his guts.

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

On The Road - BarcaChicago  - Off the Gunflint Trail/Boundary Waters 6
Image by BarcaChicago (7/7/25)

World Central Kitchen

Donate

Recent Comments

  • Belafon on Open Thread: BRICS-A-Bracket (Jul 7, 2025 @ 2:39pm)
  • lowtechcyclist on Open Thread: BRICS-A-Bracket (Jul 7, 2025 @ 2:39pm)
  • lowtechcyclist on Open Thread: BRICS-A-Bracket (Jul 7, 2025 @ 2:37pm)
  • Kirk on Open Thread: BRICS-A-Bracket (Jul 7, 2025 @ 2:34pm)
  • Chetan Murthy on Open Thread: BRICS-A-Bracket (Jul 7, 2025 @ 2:31pm)

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
No Kings Protests June 14 2025

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)
Fix Nyms with Apostrophes

Social Media

Balloon Juice
WaterGirl
TaMara
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
DougJ NYT Pitchbot
mistermix

Keeping Track

Legal Challenges (Lawfare)
Republicans Fleeing Town Halls (TPM)
21 Letters (to Borrow or Steal)
Search Donations from a Brand

Feeling Defeated?  If We Give Up, It's Game Over

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!