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You are here: Home / Elections / Election 2012 / Thursday Evening Open Thread

Thursday Evening Open Thread

by Anne Laurie|  January 5, 20129:23 pm| 132 Comments

This post is in: Election 2012, Open Threads, Romney of the Uncanny Valley

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(Tom Toles via GoComics.com)

By popular request (okay, at least two commentors found it as amusing as I did), Dana Milbank on “Mitt Romney Out of Control“:

The day after his impossibly thin eight-vote victory, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination flew here for a town hall meeting at Manchester Central High School, where he was to bask in the endorsement of his 2008 arch rival, John McCain.
__
But the senator grimaced when he was introduced, and as Romney delivered his own stump speech, an increasingly impatient McCain pulled up his sleeve and checked his watch. McCain gave his endorsement address without mentioning Romney’s Iowa win until the end. “By the way, we forgot to congratulate him on his landslide victory last night,” he said, laughing. Romney ignored him.
__
Then came the questions: First, one from an Occupy Wall Street infiltrator needling the candidate about his belief that “corporations are people.” A second questioner wanted to know why Romney flip-flopped on universal health care when he was governor of Massachusetts and why he would not increase health-care costs. Later, a Chinese American woman accused Romney of saying “degrading” things about China, and she complained that “after 20 years of Reagan trickle-down economics, it didn’t help me. My tin can is still empty.”
__
Romney sat through most of the ambush with a tight grin and raised eyebrows. At length he attempted to challenge the woman to name a place where income is higher than it is in the United States…
__
When the end mercifully came, the candidate gave a final rallying call to “get the White House back.” All but a few rose and put on their coats without applauding…

Much more schadenfreude at the link. Willard is not a humanoid who improves with familiarity, and if President Obama’s re-election team can’t take advantage of that, they don’t deserve to be called “Chicago-style political thugs”, or whatever the Repub insult-of-the-hour is.

Any other encouraging developments, political or otherwise, this evening?

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Reader Interactions

132Comments

  1. 1.

    Ron

    January 5, 2012 at 9:26 pm

    There is some evidence that Sen. Frothy won Iowa : http://www.kcci.com/news/30144582/detail.html#ixzz1idUftgoh

  2. 2.

    hildebrand

    January 5, 2012 at 9:28 pm

    My guess is that even Mrs. Romney only kinda likes him – in a somewhat vaguely platonic way.

  3. 3.

    Baud

    January 5, 2012 at 9:29 pm

    Latest poll shows Mitt up in South Carolina:

    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/01/could_this_be_over_fast.php?ref=fpblg

  4. 4.

    BGinCHI

    January 5, 2012 at 9:31 pm

    If Santorum gets the nomination, doesn’t that technically make Bob Casey President?

  5. 5.

    handy

    January 5, 2012 at 9:31 pm

    “Help Us Zombie Reagan! You’re Our Only Hope”–a million GOP voices crying out in terror.

    Mittens is a disaster. Every day it’s more clear to me that I think Obama could be caught snorting cocaine in the back of AF1 with a dozen hookers and he still would get elected.

    Oh, and Sorry AL but I’m not one to give Kaplan Daily page, especially for guys like Milkbunk.

  6. 6.

    Raven

    January 5, 2012 at 9:33 pm

    @BGinCHI: Any news?

  7. 7.

    hildebrand

    January 5, 2012 at 9:33 pm

    @Baud: The way this campaign is unfolding, three different candidates could top Romney’s number before we even get to the 21st.

    Less snarkily, I think that Romney will have some trouble in South Carolina – Newt is going be working overtime to drag him under by the time they get to the Confederacy.

  8. 8.

    The Other Chuck

    January 5, 2012 at 9:36 pm

    @Ron:

    Iowa isn’t winner-take-all, so they’d at most be fighting over one delegate. Personally I hope they do go to the mats over it, but that’s not likely.

  9. 9.

    dmsilev

    January 5, 2012 at 9:36 pm

    @Baud: If the Rombot wins South Carolina, it’s pretty much over. The only real argument that the not-Romneys have is that he’s not conservative enough for the GOP’s base. And that’s he’s a replicant, but that’s secondary. A win in South Carolina would answer all the “can he get votes from conservatives” questions.

  10. 10.

    jl

    January 5, 2012 at 9:38 pm

    Countries by per capita income. Send it to Mitt.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per_capita_income

  11. 11.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 5, 2012 at 9:38 pm

    “By the way, we forgot to congratulate him on his landslide victory last night,” he said, laughing. Romney ignored him.

    McCain don’t forgive, resentment is one of the few things he sticks with.

    Also, too, I think the endorsement’s pragmatic and begrudging acceptance of Romney is gonna cause little moments like this quite a bit over this election cycle, if not in this personal and vindictive (and I gotta admit, kinda funny) way.

  12. 12.

    beltane

    January 5, 2012 at 9:40 pm

    The image of Grumpy McCain checking his watch adds a poignant human interest angle to this fail train. I can just feel the excitement.

  13. 13.

    Crashman

    January 5, 2012 at 9:41 pm

    @jl: He’ll ignore that. The link’s got to come from Conservapedia, of course.

  14. 14.

    beltane

    January 5, 2012 at 9:43 pm

    @jl: Mitt doesn’t care about per capita income. He measures the success of a country by its willingness to enable a small, parasitic elite to extract wealth from the workers who produced it.

  15. 15.

    WereBear

    January 5, 2012 at 9:45 pm

    @hildebrand: Mrs. Romney demands her own wing in the houses, I’ve heard. They don’t “live” together, and indeed, I have difficulty imagining what it would be like.

    Her illness would preclude campaigning (she has MS.)

  16. 16.

    DCLaw1

    January 5, 2012 at 9:46 pm

    Nearly four years later, I still can’t get over the fact that we have a bleh president.

  17. 17.

    BGinCHI

    January 5, 2012 at 9:47 pm

    @Raven: Still ongoing. Will send news when I have some. Should be later tonight.

  18. 18.

    Raven

    January 5, 2012 at 9:49 pm

    @BGinCHI: Sendin that white light bro.

  19. 19.

    BGinCHI

    January 5, 2012 at 9:50 pm

    @Raven: Thanks my friend.

  20. 20.

    PeakVT

    January 5, 2012 at 9:51 pm

    @Crashman: Liberals have infiltrated Conservapedia, apparently.

    ETA: at the risk of defending Romney, in the PPP comparison lists the US is the richest diverse economy. The ones that are ahead are banker states, petro states, and Singapore.

  21. 21.

    magurakurin

    January 5, 2012 at 9:51 pm

    @handy:

    Every day it’s more clear to me that I think Obama could be caught snorting cocaine in the back of AF1 with a dozen hookers and he still would get elected

    well, I’m pretty sure Glenn Greenwald would agree with that.

    Looks like Santorum is having some troubles of his own in NH. A bit of a dust up over gay marriage. Tough crowd, eh Rih? Not quite Iowa, is it?

  22. 22.

    Linda Featheringill

    January 5, 2012 at 9:53 pm

    @BGinCHI:

    Do send us news when you have it. No matter what time it is. Somebody is always awake.

  23. 23.

    jl

    January 5, 2012 at 9:53 pm

    I wish to be begin a grassroots effort to always always always refer to Rick Santorum, in spoken and written communications of every kind, by all peoples, everywhere from this moment and forever after as ‘Rih’.

    I decree this. Let it be done.

    Edit: Or, is ‘Be it done’ more authoritative?

  24. 24.

    Punchy

    January 5, 2012 at 9:54 pm

    If you know anyone who has Celiacs but likes to dine out, my friend just started this Celiacs blog to share advice and tips…

  25. 25.

    Jay

    January 5, 2012 at 9:54 pm

    Anybody know anything about sending writing to Huffpo?

    How long was it before you heard from someone?

  26. 26.

    Baud

    January 5, 2012 at 9:55 pm

    Not sure what to make of this NYT headline:

    After Santorum Left Senate, Familiar Hands Reached Out

  27. 27.

    Jibeaux

    January 5, 2012 at 9:56 pm

    W/ credit to Paul begala for the paraphrase, the only thing worse than being so unappealing you get 8 votes over Mr. Man-on-Dog, who lost his home state by 18 points, is being DOWN 12 votes to Mr. Man on Dog.

  28. 28.

    magurakurin

    January 5, 2012 at 10:00 pm

    @jl: Make it so, Number 1?

  29. 29.

    magurakurin

    January 5, 2012 at 10:03 pm

    @jl: no wait! I got it

    so let it be written. so let it be done.

  30. 30.

    jl

    January 5, 2012 at 10:06 pm

    @magurakurin: I thought Santorum was mostly #2

    Rih Santorum.

    Note: Look how well that ‘Rih’ fits. How could it ever have been different? The answer is ‘no, it could never have been different. I was always thus.’

  31. 31.

    Cacti

    January 5, 2012 at 10:09 pm

    Just because Norway has a higher per capita income, longer average life expectancy, universal healthcare, and a budget surplus doesn’t mean they’re doing something right that the US isn’t…

    or something like that.

  32. 32.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 5, 2012 at 10:10 pm

    If I may put my tin-foil hat on: I was just reading at TPM that there is scant polling in So Carolina, but Santorum would probably be closing in on Romney if Gingrich or Perry dropped out. PEople are saying, to coin a phrase, that Perry was sounding a lot like an ex-candidate and suddenly changed his mind to head to Charleston. I wonder if Perry was given to understand that a remunerative sinecure commensurate with his intellectual gifts depended on staying to keep Santorum in second place.

  33. 33.

    Anya

    January 5, 2012 at 10:10 pm

    Megan McCain was on Lawrence O’donnell’s show last night. She was claiming that her dad loooooooves Mitt Romney. She also claimed that New Hampshire adores her father and that they will elect him (Walnuts) governor if he ran. Did she forget that her dad lost New Hampshire to the Kenyan? Does anyone find Megan McCain’s commentary useful? Also, too, you gotta watch Stephen Colbert making fun of Mitt Romney speechifying lyrics to ‘America, the Beautiful.”

  34. 34.

    amk

    January 5, 2012 at 10:10 pm

    @BGinCHI: Are you nails down to the bone now ? :)

  35. 35.

    Calouste

    January 5, 2012 at 10:12 pm

    @Ron:

    The evidence is brown stains on the ballots?

  36. 36.

    amk

    January 5, 2012 at 10:12 pm

    @Anya: Isn’t megan more famous for her rack than her ‘intellect’ ?

  37. 37.

    gbear

    January 5, 2012 at 10:15 pm

    @Baud: Oh Jebus, that headline brings up horrible images. Ick.

  38. 38.

    magurakurin

    January 5, 2012 at 10:15 pm

    @amk: don’t you mean her “rah?”

  39. 39.

    Mnemosyne

    January 5, 2012 at 10:15 pm

    I got my Snug Sack in the mail today, so I can be all Liz Lemon while G is in Chicago next week.

  40. 40.

    Yevgraf

    January 5, 2012 at 10:17 pm

    @amk:

    I always was fond of the slightly heavy cute chicks…

  41. 41.

    jl

    January 5, 2012 at 10:17 pm

    @Cacti: But, what about the Luxembourgian menace? And we are gutting our defenses!

    And the Swiss, who have an army!

  42. 42.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 5, 2012 at 10:18 pm

    @jl:

    I don’t know who I hate more, Rih Santorum or Dih “Dih” Cheney.

  43. 43.

    gbear

    January 5, 2012 at 10:19 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: They’re both prihs.

  44. 44.

    magurakurin

    January 5, 2012 at 10:19 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Dih Cheney for sure.

  45. 45.

    JGabriel

    January 5, 2012 at 10:20 pm

    My favorite line, for its Freudian slip quality:

    Not long after that, he vowed that he would help to promote “businesses big and large.”

    “What? Small Businesses? Never heard of ’em. What are they?”

    .

  46. 46.

    amk

    January 5, 2012 at 10:20 pm

    @Yevgraf: Heh, who doesn’t ? Just don’t sell me her ‘body of works’. Stop with the body.

  47. 47.

    dogwood

    January 5, 2012 at 10:20 pm

    I don’t watch cable news, but I think I read somewhere (probably here) that Megan Mac said the Obama’s were just pretending to be happily married.

  48. 48.

    WereBear (itouch)

    January 5, 2012 at 10:21 pm

    Gah. If I hear “Santorum bubble” one more time…

  49. 49.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 5, 2012 at 10:21 pm

    @gbear:

    Oh Jebus, that headline brings up horrible images. Ick Ih.

    Apparently you haven’t totally internalized the new rule. I fixed it for you. This time.

  50. 50.

    BGinCHI

    January 5, 2012 at 10:23 pm

    @amk: All is well, but it’s been a really long day. About to start pushing. Will post a late-night update if I’m able, or tomorrow for sure.

    If Mrs. BG gives birth to a kitten, I’m sure the front pagers will be begging me to post it.

  51. 51.

    Cacti

    January 5, 2012 at 10:25 pm

    @dogwood:

    I don’t watch cable news, but I think I read somewhere (probably here) that Megan Mac said the Obama’s were just pretending to be happily married.

    Megan knows that marital bliss is truly measured by how often Dad calls Mom a trollop.

  52. 52.

    Canuckistani Tom

    January 5, 2012 at 10:26 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    I wonder if Perry was given to understand that a remunerative sinecure commensurate with his intellectual gifts depended on staying to keep Santorum in second place five bucks.

  53. 53.

    amk

    January 5, 2012 at 10:27 pm

    @BGinCHI: LOL. Good luck man. Plenty of coffee.

    (what do you mean, ‘for whom’ ?)

  54. 54.

    Roger Moore

    January 5, 2012 at 10:27 pm

    @jl:

    And the Swiss, who have an army!

    One equipped with ferocious knives!

    In other important news, India continues to fold in Sidney. Tendulkar has been denied his century of centuries once again, and with him out of the way the wickets have started to fall in a hurry. They’ll be lucky to lose by less than an innings and 100 runs.

  55. 55.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 5, 2012 at 10:28 pm

    @Anya:

    Did anybody see that clip of Walnuts introducing Mittens ( I think it was today) and he started waxing eloquent about how awesome “President Obama” would be. Both Romneys just kind of stood there numbly for a couple of seconds and then simultaneously lurched at McGramps to correct him. It was pretty comical.

  56. 56.

    Jay in Oregon

    January 5, 2012 at 10:28 pm

    You missed the money part of that article:

    Romney sat through most of the ambush with a tight grin and raised eyebrows. At length he attempted to challenge the woman to name a place where income is higher than it is in the United States.
    __
    The Occupy Wall Street guy began heckling. “The U.S. has the highest income inequality in the entire developed world!”
    __
    Romney tried to regain control. “Excuse me,” he said. “You’ve had your chance.”
    __
    McCain walked toward the Occupy guy. “Be quiet,” he said, menacingly.

    That’s right: be nice to poor, picked-on Mitt Romney or McCain will give you a whuppin’.

    What an out-of-control asshole. I will throw a party the day that prick prih is retired from public life.

  57. 57.

    JGabriel

    January 5, 2012 at 10:28 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Apparently you haven’t totally internalized the new rule.

    Given that the “g” sound is merely a voiced “k”, do we have to call Santorum “Man On Doh” from now on?

    .

  58. 58.

    JGabriel

    January 5, 2012 at 10:30 pm

    @BGinCHI:

    If Mrs. BG gives birth to a kitten, I’m sure the front pagers will be begging me to post it.

    Probably a lot of newspapers too.

    .

  59. 59.

    Roger Moore

    January 5, 2012 at 10:31 pm

    @BGinCHI:

    If Mrs. BG gives birth to a kitten, I’m sure the front pagers will be begging me to post it.

    ISTR that people around here were pretty damn excited about other little hoomans, too, especially ones who were immediately given cute blog nicknames.

  60. 60.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 5, 2012 at 10:32 pm

    @JGabriel:

    Doh!

  61. 61.

    Jay in Oregon

    January 5, 2012 at 10:32 pm

    @Cacti:

    Megan knows that marital bliss is truly measured by how often Dad calls Mom a trollop.

    I’m pretty sure the money part of that quote isn’t the word “trollop”:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/07/report-mccains-profane-ti_n_95429.html

    In his 1992 Senate bid, McCain was joined on the campaign trail by his wife, Cindy, as well as campaign aide Doug Cole and consultant Wes Gullett. At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain’s hair and said, “You’re getting a little thin up there.” McCain’s face reddened, and he responded, “At least I don’t plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt.”

  62. 62.

    Hill Dweller

    January 5, 2012 at 10:35 pm

    @Anya: Megan McCain is a half-wit, who got a media job thanks to her daddy. McGramps is just doing for her what his daddy did for him. Our meritocracy at work…

    Colbert mocking Willard for randomly reciting verses of America, the Beautiful was hilarious.

  63. 63.

    Anya

    January 5, 2012 at 10:41 pm

    @amk: I thought she was famous for her jittery interviews and talking fast.

    @SiubhanDuinne: I gotta find that clip.

  64. 64.

    DCLaw1

    January 5, 2012 at 10:42 pm

    In the spirit of Open Thread, and in case anyone hasn’t heard it already, genius:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DyiEBXhiJw

  65. 65.

    WereBear (itouch)

    January 5, 2012 at 10:42 pm

    Just heard on The Last Word that Republicans, after embedding the meme that President Obama is so stupid he has to use a TelePrompTer, they are now afraid to use one.

    This explains so much.

  66. 66.

    PK

    January 5, 2012 at 10:43 pm

    I don’t get why “Chicago style” is used as an insult. Is everyone supposed to be familiar with Chicago politics? I have heard it so many times used against Obama, yet it means nothing to me. A better insult would be to compare Obama’s tactics to the Mafia. At least most people would get that. Or am I the only one who doesn’t know “Chicago style Politics”?

  67. 67.

    magurakurin

    January 5, 2012 at 10:43 pm

    in other news it looks like the long knives are already out for Rih Santorum.

    In 2006, Mr. Santorum led all federal candidates in contributions from lobbyists and their family members, taking in roughly $500,000, nearly 40 percent more than the next closest candidate, Senator George Allen, a Virginia Republican, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. That tightknit relationship could make it difficult for him to appeal to Tea Party members and other voters yearning for a candidate free of inside-the-Beltway taint.

    Is it really possible for santorum to ever be truly free of taint?

  68. 68.

    Gin & Tonic

    January 5, 2012 at 10:46 pm

    @BGinCHI: My wife went through a very long labor with our first — although it was way pre-Internet, it was during NBA playoffs. And recalling her reaction to my attempts to watch the game, I can just imagine that writing comments to a blog (if such existed) would have rendered me incapable of fathering any more children. Yours must be very understanding indeed.

  69. 69.

    gbear

    January 5, 2012 at 10:46 pm

    OK, this is pretty funny:

    The 9 Voters Who Lost Iowa For Santorum

  70. 70.

    magurakurin

    January 5, 2012 at 10:47 pm

    @Anya: H-e-e-res Johnny!

    A Mhain hassih

  71. 71.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 5, 2012 at 10:49 pm

    @Anya:

    Sorry it’s a Huffnpuff link, but here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/05/john-mccain-obama-slip-up_n_1187504.html

    Also, I was wrong, the woman wasn’t Mrs. Romney, it was SC Gov Nikki Haley who tried to shut McStupid up.

  72. 72.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 5, 2012 at 10:50 pm

    @WereBear (itouch):

    Just saw that. I rawred.

  73. 73.

    magurakurin

    January 5, 2012 at 10:52 pm

    @gbear: @gbear: LOL. awesome. You roh, dude.

  74. 74.

    chopper

    January 5, 2012 at 10:55 pm

    @PK:

    every time i hear ‘chicago-style’ i think of massive pizza.

  75. 75.

    Suffern ACE

    January 5, 2012 at 10:55 pm

    @PK: It used to mean totally corrupt machine ballot stuffing dead men voting expensive bribe giving mafia ward heelers paying police to beat hippies…

    then there was a snowstorm in the 1970s and they elected Jane Byrne and then Harold Washington and the machine pretty much broke down.

    When I was growing up, beating someone up “Chicago style” meant one kid held another kid’s arms while a third punched and kicked him. It meant not fighting fairly. But honestly, if that’s what they are trying to evoke I think that’s obscure. For most people, I think it just means a deep dish pizza with the sauce on the top.

  76. 76.

    01010101

    January 5, 2012 at 10:55 pm

    MR: Thks, Johnny McNapalm. JM: No problem, my neo-Nixon in shining armor. And not a word about Moroni-Co. MR: we’re in this thing to win, yada yada Or somethin like that.

  77. 77.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 5, 2012 at 10:58 pm

    @chopper:

    It’s just late enough, and the day has been just long enough, and I have had just enough wine, that “massive pizza” sounds kind of dirty.

  78. 78.

    Anya

    January 5, 2012 at 10:58 pm

    @dogwood: The only time she talked about President Obama’s marriage is when talked about how the marriage of the thrice-married Gingrich’s will compare unfavorably to the happily married Obama. She also attacked Callista Gingrich

    “I think the fact that she was a third wife and a mistress and is coming off somewhat icy and [her] reputation of being somewhat controversial within their campaign is doing damage.”

    Apparently Megan is not aware of her mom’s reputation.

    @Hill Dweller: I am not a fan of this new fad of hiring children of politicians as pundits or “reporters”. I think Chris Cuomo started this whole thing.

  79. 79.

    PurpleGirl

    January 5, 2012 at 10:59 pm

    @jl: I think the phrase you want is “So let it be written, so let it be done”.

    (Yul Brynner as Pharoah Ramsey in “The Ten Commandments”.)

  80. 80.

    suzanne

    January 5, 2012 at 11:01 pm

    @BGinCHI: I am thinking happy thoughts for you, dude! Best of luck to you and especially the Mrs.

    Send pictures.

  81. 81.

    johnsmith1882

    January 5, 2012 at 11:01 pm

    @PK: rightwingers who throw around ‘chicago style politics’ don’t know what it means, either, just that it’s baad. like socialism, alinsky, fill in the blank with whatever slur. they get the talking points and stick with them. after a while, it becomes a shorthand, and the original meaning is unimportant, really.

    chicago style hot dogs, on the other hand, are 100% delicious.

  82. 82.

    Ruckus

    January 5, 2012 at 11:03 pm

    Yeah, new development. Having to close my business. Just not enough to pay the bills. Lease is at it’s end and it just is not worth renewing. I’ve spent the last 6 years trying to build a business, something that pays the bills until retirement. But no, can’t have any kind of responsible government to control big money/banks/corps, and keep the economy from tanking, we have to have austerity for most of us, huge fucking prosperity for a selected few. Cause that works so fucking well.
    And no I’m not bitter. Not at fucking all. You may notice a theme here so I’ll come right out and say it. Fuck all conservatives. Their policies are vile, evil, stupid and just plain wrong. I’m starting to get behind the idea that if they want religious law we should just crucify them. You know, nail all the fuckers to crosses. May not do anything for the economy or human rights but I think it would sure make me feel better. Maybe I’ll get over it. Maybe not.

  83. 83.

    Suffern ACE

    January 5, 2012 at 11:04 pm

    @Anya: Maria Shriver and Ron Reagan Jr.?

  84. 84.

    Anya

    January 5, 2012 at 11:08 pm

    @magurakurin: @SiubhanDuinne: That was so funny. Romney looked even more uncomfortable than usual. I loved it!

    @@gbear: Colbert said all 9 were the African American Republicans in Iowa.

  85. 85.

    Anya

    January 5, 2012 at 11:11 pm

    @Suffern ACE: I think they both started from the bottom, no?

  86. 86.

    01010101

    January 5, 2012 at 11:12 pm

    AZ baptick sorts are often deferential to mormonics. In many areas of the west, the LDS has more cops, business owners, and judges than the hicks, and the white supremacist-polygamy angle as well. Willard also some rich cronies on wall street (ie, G-man sachs has kicked down tens of thousands to MR campaign).

  87. 87.

    jl

    January 5, 2012 at 11:15 pm

    @efgoldman: No, no. We need that name too. There will be a time and a place for many appellations for enhahor hanhorumh in the great fight that lies before us.

    Edit: we probably need a BJ usage manual for different names for each candidate. When to use The Dog Roofer, when to use Multiple Mitt? When to use Rih, and when to use Senator Savonarola?

    Decisions decisions, and they must be made correctly.

    And anyway, no one went for my idea of Perrydoodle. Probably because people thought it was insulting to the IQ of your average mutt.

  88. 88.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 5, 2012 at 11:23 pm

    @Ruckus:

    Oh gods, I’m really sorry. That just sucks. And of course you will get over it and when the time is right use that anger and energy and creativity to build another business if that’s what you want, or do something completely different. But in the meantime, it’s just sucky. Hugs from here.

  89. 89.

    Valdivia

    January 5, 2012 at 11:24 pm

    @BGinCHI:

    yes let us know! we have you and your wife and the incoming little one in our thoughts!

  90. 90.

    Anya

    January 5, 2012 at 11:27 pm

    @Ruckus: I am so sorry for your lose. I have nothing to compare your experience with, but I know how hard it is to lose something you worked so hard for because of things outside of your hands. Yes, fuck the republicans and fuck the ignorant fucks who consistently vote against their own interests and the rest of the apathetic assholes who do not vote. They deserve what they get, but I wish they didn’t drag the rest of us with them.

  91. 91.

    Linda Featheringill

    January 5, 2012 at 11:34 pm

    @Ruckus:

    [[hug]]

  92. 92.

    Valdivia

    January 5, 2012 at 11:44 pm

    @Ruckus:

    Like @Linda Featheringill: I send hugs.

  93. 93.

    gelfling545

    January 6, 2012 at 12:10 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    remunerative sinecure commensurate with his intellectual gifts

    I’m trying to picture what that might be but I guess my imagination just isn’t good enough. Still, they found something for Palin so maybe there is another position open for a word salad chef chez Fox.

  94. 94.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 6, 2012 at 12:11 am

    @BGinCHI: I hope that your first child will be a masculine child.

    Post news when you have it. Best to all the inCHIs, born and aborning.

  95. 95.

    KS in MA

    January 6, 2012 at 12:11 am

    @jl: How about “So let it be written. So let it be done” ?

    Edit: I see I didn’t type fast enough (or get here early enough either).

  96. 96.

    shortstop

    January 6, 2012 at 12:15 am

    Except for Ruckus’s sad news, which I’m really sorry to hear, this thread is beyond hilarious.

  97. 97.

    Omnes Omnibus

    January 6, 2012 at 12:19 am

    @Ruckus: Sorry, truly sorry, to hear that.

  98. 98.

    Ruckus

    January 6, 2012 at 12:25 am

    Thanks everyone.

    I am trying to figure out what to move on to. I’ve been here before, when one gets older some the experiences seem to repeat themselves. For me it seems to be the not so good ones any more but what the hell, even though my cup no longer runneth over, in fact it is at best 1/8 full, but my breathing permit hasn’t been repealed yet.

  99. 99.

    Jeffraham Prestonian

    January 6, 2012 at 12:39 am

    @jl: I prefer to call him “Brown Eye Gravy.”
    .

  100. 100.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)

    January 6, 2012 at 12:40 am

    @Roger Moore: 329 not out for Clarke? Ponting and Hussey with centuries? Did Khan’s arm fall off after taking the first three wickets? Is there a new rule: three wickets in the first ten overs and then you have to bowl with your other arm?

    This tour is turning into a train wreck for India.

  101. 101.

    Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal

    January 6, 2012 at 12:43 am

    @DCLaw1:

    and this weekend hasa diga teebowai

  102. 102.

    FlipYrWhig

    January 6, 2012 at 12:57 am

    @Ruckus: Damnit, man. Hang in.

  103. 103.

    kdaug

    January 6, 2012 at 1:00 am

    @jl: So say we all.

  104. 104.

    ...now I try to be amused

    January 6, 2012 at 1:04 am

    McCain’s “endorsement” of Romney is one big passive-aggressive fuh-you. Hee!

  105. 105.

    Dee Loralei

    January 6, 2012 at 1:20 am

    Best of luck to BGinChi, MrsBG and BabyBoyBG,sounds like it has been a long labor of love! Can’t wait to celebrate our newest Balloon Juicer Baby!

    Ruckus, dude, I am so sorry this economy killed your business. I hope you land on your feet.

  106. 106.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    January 6, 2012 at 1:23 am

    So let it be written
    So let it be done
    I’m sent here by Rih Santorum
    I’m creeping death

  107. 107.

    4jkb4ia

    January 6, 2012 at 1:28 am

    “The Lonely Goatherd” translated into Hebrew on Reshet Gimmel, on what I think is the showtunes show. Impossibly cute.

    Dave Weigel appeared to know on Twitter what we were going to be in for with Milbank on the scene. Weigel is having an incredible amount of fun in the land of #fitn.

    (They’ve moved on to “Sixteen Going On Seventeen”)

  108. 108.

    Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal

    January 6, 2012 at 1:30 am

    you can laugh if you want to, but santorum has just ruined the sound of music for millions of children like his.

    fah, a long long way to run?

    what does that even mean, and what sort of lifestyle are they promoting?

    they need to re-rate that a strong R for language and slap a parental advisory sticker on the soundtrack.

    this is serious.

  109. 109.

    Nutella

    January 6, 2012 at 1:37 am

    @Ruckus:

    Darrell Issa would like to know what’s holding back your business. Maybe telling him would help a little bit.

    And best of luck to you.

  110. 110.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    January 6, 2012 at 1:39 am

    Oh, my, god, watching Maddow, and she showed that anti-Huntsman ad from New Hampshire. That may be the most bizarrely racist political ad I’ve seen.

  111. 111.

    Dr. Loveless

    January 6, 2012 at 2:06 am

    @The prophet Nostradumbass:

    You mean this one? Holy shit.

  112. 112.

    Yutsano

    January 6, 2012 at 2:06 am

    @4jkb4ia: This version ain’t bad either.

  113. 113.

    Suffern ACE

    January 6, 2012 at 2:18 am

    @Dr. Loveless:How is it racist to call attention to Huntsman’s Hinduism?

  114. 114.

    Calouste

    January 6, 2012 at 2:46 am

    @Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN):

    It would be hard to beat the trainwreck that was India’s tour of England last year. For starters, India have already passed 300, something they couldn’t manage in England in the whole series.

  115. 115.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    January 6, 2012 at 2:48 am

    @Dr. Loveless: The comments on that Youtube post are hilarious. “It’s actually a plant by liberals/Romney/Huntsman/etc to discredit Ron Paul!” Uh huh, sure, and I am Elmer J. Fudd, millionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht.

  116. 116.

    ruemara

    January 6, 2012 at 3:09 am

    @PK: I’m all for “Chicago Style”. Deep dish is damned tasty, if a little hard on the waistline. I like my Pizza’s Uno’s with the butter and seafood, but the regular supreme is the bomb too.

  117. 117.

    Ian

    January 6, 2012 at 3:09 am

    @PK:
    They are known for dirtiness. Coincidentally, Mississippi politics are known for the extreme racism and racial polarization. Can we start to say the GOP is participating in Mississippi style politics?

  118. 118.

    Ian

    January 6, 2012 at 3:18 am

    @The prophet Nostradumbass:
    Anti-Chinese, anti-foreigner, anti-anyone who speaks anything but JUST ENGLISH!!, anti-Mormon, anti-Hindu, anti-atheist (not that Huntsman is, but the ad implies he has no faith)…
    Yeah, kind of sickening. Poor Jon, he should of just stayed ambassador to China.

  119. 119.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    January 6, 2012 at 3:30 am

    I had said that the comments on that anti-Huntsman ad, on the Youtube post, were hilarious. Since I had looked at it before, they’ve become far more disgusting and ugly. A sample:

    “Huntsman must be a mentally defective insane queer to adopt disgusting lower order racial offspring. Yes, he’s definitely a kooky anti-white queerboy.”

  120. 120.

    Suffern ACE

    January 6, 2012 at 3:50 am

    @The prophet Nostradumbass: Well, at least the ad has reached the intended audience. Goodness, I’d hate that well thought out campaign to miss its marks.

    Could probably have run something like that against Romney, but then Mitt has campaign dough and will push back. Negative, ineffective, paranoid, and misdirected, and in the end rather cowardly.

  121. 121.

    Down and Out of Sài Gòn

    January 6, 2012 at 5:24 am

    @<a href="https://balloon-juice.com/2012/01/05/thursday-evening-open-thread-6/#comment-2972779"The prophet Nostradumbass: to paraphrase Blackadder, I reckon the ad’s as fake as a very fake thing indeed. Where’s the “I’m Ron Paul and I approve this message”? None that I can see.

  122. 122.

    Ruckus

    January 6, 2012 at 5:33 am

    @Nutella:
    Do you think I should cool off a few days before I tell him it’s him and all the other conservative assholes like him, or should I let him have the full measure right now?
    Do you think he is at all capable of fully appreciating how much I hate conservatives and their asinine “ideals”? Or do you think he would just think it’s funny? Cause that would really be the icing.
    BTW, just in case no one figured this out, I’m really enjoying being just another example of what happens when conservatives have any fucking power whatsoever. People talk about the 99%, try being part of the 20% on the bottom of the barrel. Try being that part of the experiment that gets thrown in the trash because the entire experiment is a failure. The bitch is not that my business failed, more small businesses fail than succeed, it is that my business failed mostly because of the economy, and not my mistakes. It is because had I succeeded I had planned to hire at least 2 people 3 years ago. So that’s 3 taxpayers who now are not. It’s because 3 years ago I resigned my lease because I didn’t think government would allow the recession to last 4 years, with unemployment at 9% or more. I was naive because my impression was that as craven as conservatives are they would not put, not just the entire country but most of the world in jeopardy, just to prove how big of assholes they are. Another in the line of boy was I wrong revelations.

    You know this writing thing can be rather cathartic.

  123. 123.

    Raven

    January 6, 2012 at 5:34 am

    @Ruckus: I’m sorry to hear this. My wife’s family construction business in Virginia went belly up after 80 years. They survived the depression but couldn’t make it through this period. The only saving grace is that her dad didn’t live to see it.

  124. 124.

    Ruckus

    January 6, 2012 at 6:15 am

    @Raven:
    I know a number of small businesses that have gone belly up in the last 4 years. Some of them would have gone anyway, that’s the way it goes. Some times our business plans are just bupkis, some times they are ahead of the times, and often we don’t keep up with the times. Some times we just don’t have the desire to keep fighting to make our own little way in the world. And some times outside events totally out of one’s very small sphere of influence just run you right over. I’ve had two of the last type happen but one really doesn’t get used to it.

    If I had any money left so that I didn’t have to figure out meal issues, I would see what I could do to help elect better democrats besides voting. It’s not like I don’t have free time now. Whatever it takes. Knock on doors, stand on street corners, even wear funny hats. I have some energy left, certainly some motivation. I’m not altogether inarticulate, I can speak without swearing(when I absolutely fucking have to) I lean on the left side, OK I’m pretty far left in our political spectrum, and I’m fed up with conservatives.

    And on to better things. Congrats to all the new humans and their guides in this life thing.

  125. 125.

    WereBear (itouch)

    January 6, 2012 at 7:09 am

    @Ruckus: That sucks, you’re right, and I’m sorry.

  126. 126.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    January 6, 2012 at 7:22 am

    @Ruckus: I’m sorry for you with this big loss. Your last sentence is great — and on to better things.

  127. 127.

    chopper

    January 6, 2012 at 8:58 am

    @Ian:

    and was that SOD’s ‘speak english or die’ in the background?

  128. 128.

    Dr. Squid

    January 6, 2012 at 9:11 am

    How is Glenn Greenwald wrong? Let me count the ways.

  129. 129.

    bjacques

    January 6, 2012 at 9:41 am

    Ruckus, here’s hoping your year ends better than it started. You’re the kind of businessman we need, who actually does want to create jobs.

    Re Glenn Greenwald, Keith Olbermann, etc.: This year I expect a lot of public figures to completely lose their shit, for various reasons, like the ones who went PUMA in 2008 or “liberals” who started talking tuff on Iraq and torture after 9/11. It’ll be that kind of year.

  130. 130.

    Paul in KY

    January 6, 2012 at 10:15 am

    @amk: It is a fine rack.

  131. 131.

    Paul in KY

    January 6, 2012 at 10:22 am

    @Ruckus: Very sorry to hear this. Hope you can make some lemonade out of these lemons & that the ‘conservatives’ you wrote about all die horrible deaths.

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