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You are here: Home / Past Elections / Election 2012 / “Everybody’s Second Choice”

“Everybody’s Second Choice”

by Anne Laurie|  January 20, 20123:54 am| 32 Comments

This post is in: Election 2012, Excellent Links, Republican Stupidity, Romney of the Uncanny Valley

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Much excellent reportage at Esquire‘s Politics Blog today, including John Richardson taking a well-deserved victory lap concerning the second Mrs. Gingrich and Newton’s “character issues”. And Tom Junod on the GOP Establishment’s choice:

… Her name was Cindy Costa — “that’s the old-fashioned spelling of Cindy, not the New Age one.” She was here this morning because she had given her official endorsement to Mitt, and because she thought that his coronation was as inevitable as he did. She was celebratory, but also tense, because even as Mitt was talking up establishment Republicans, Rick Perry was dropping out of the race, and endorsing Newt Gingrich. “It doesn’t matter what happens here,” she said. “I still think he’s going to win South Carolina, but even if he doesn’t, he’s going to win the nomination. He’ll pick up as many Perry votes as Gingrich does, or Santorum. That’s because Mitt is everybody’s second choice.”
__
And with that, the handsomely turned-out establishment Republican Cindy Costa had captured the strange appeal of Mitt Romney and at the same time explained the air of tense inevitability that surrounds his campaign. He is a blatantly inauthentic candidate for president — a guy whose fake laugh carries like a siren every time someone tries a joke; a guy who looks like he goes through life expecting a compliment, if not a crown; a guy who speaks of his father “becoming head of a car company” the way another candidate might speak of his father opening a hardware store; a guy whose supporters worry, as one of the establishment Republicans in the crowd worried aloud here this morning, that “he better sew up the nomination before people find out that he’s paying 15 percent because he’s making his money on carry trades”: that is, a form of currency manipulation. And yet if he is going to win the nomination because “he’s everybody’s second choice,” his very inauthenticity becomes his calling card, because it makes him less threatening than first-choice candidates like Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum.
__
I mean, the Romney event wasn’t particularly inspiring; but at least it wasn’t weird. The Rick Santorum event three hours later? That was weird…

Much more at the link. Esquire‘s become my second-of-the-morning go-to political blog, right after this site… their coverage isn’t exhaustive, but it’s always informative and usually entertaining, too.

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Reader Interactions

32Comments

  1. 1.

    Linda Featheringill

    January 20, 2012 at 4:16 am

    Interesting article.

    And he might be correct in saying that Mitt Romney is fated to be the R nominee.

    Newt Gingrich is very entertaining. Can’t you just imagine him as a character played by Benny Hill? Except that a good deal of Newt’s slapstick is verbal. Ah, Benny. Where are you now that we need you?

    ETA:
    First! The rewards of insomnia.

  2. 2.

    Robert waldmann

    January 20, 2012 at 5:07 am

    Heh. Indeed. I just surfed over to pass the time while I jumped the jump in Richardson’s article. The case shows that our republic has reached “photos or it didn’t happen” in its descent into its second adolescense.

    I imagine
    Richardson: but every reading man already knows all that
    Romney: That’s not enough, I need a majority.

  3. 3.

    Linda Featheringill

    January 20, 2012 at 5:52 am

    FWIW and just to show how crazy I am:

    I think that the main result of Rick Perry’s run was knocking Michele Bachmann out of the race. She just shut down in his presence during the debates and became quite passive.

    I don’t know if she was intimidated [possible] or if she was turned on [possible, especially if this stirred up conflicts within her]. At any rate, she certainly faded into the background when he was around and never regained her assertiveness /aggressiveness. She got Rick-rolled.

    Maybe the FSM really does love us, praise to his/her noodly appendages.

  4. 4.

    amk

    January 20, 2012 at 6:17 am

    @Linda Featheringill: you’re comparing corrupt-to-the-racist core, ugly noot to Benny Hill ?

  5. 5.

    Schlemizel

    January 20, 2012 at 6:39 am

    One of the great things about not being a Republican, Willard is not even in the second group of 200 let alone the second choice. Let just hope he is used to being everyones second choice.

  6. 6.

    JGabriel

    January 20, 2012 at 6:41 am

    Cindy Costa via Esquire:

    … Mitt is everybody’s second choice.

    A quality we all expect Dog On Car to carry with him into the general election as well.

    .

  7. 7.

    Linda Featheringill

    January 20, 2012 at 6:51 am

    @amk:

    you’re comparing corrupt-to-the-racist core, ugly noot to Benny Hill ?

    No, no. Not to Benny Hill. As a corrupt-to-the-racist core, ugly character as devised and played by Benny Hill. He created several characters that were unattractive for a number of reasons, despicable even. I think he would have liked the Newt character. He could have played him way over the top and everyone would say, “Oh, how realistic.”

  8. 8.

    harlana

    January 20, 2012 at 6:54 am

    after last nite’s debate, there can no longer be any question:

    Newt Gingrich is Rosa Parks.

  9. 9.

    ned

    January 20, 2012 at 7:08 am

    Much more at the link. Esquire’s become my second-of-the-morning go-to political blog, right after this site…

    Really? One might never have guessed from the daily link to Charlie.

  10. 10.

    Elizabelle

    January 20, 2012 at 7:25 am

    There are some other elephants on parade down in the Asylum of South Carolina.

    http://www.thestate.com/2012/01/19/2119102/at-home-elephants-are-like-people.html

  11. 11.

    Elizabelle

    January 20, 2012 at 7:27 am

    And one of those elephants is a prognosticator.

    Asia the elephant chose ….. by a nose.

    http://www.thestate.com/2012/01/20/2121072/the-nose-knows.html

  12. 12.

    WereBear (itouch)

    January 20, 2012 at 7:28 am

    @Linda Featheringill: Yes I have the mental picture now, and it’s hilarious.

  13. 13.

    Linda Featheringill

    January 20, 2012 at 7:35 am

    @WereBear (itouch):

    :-)

  14. 14.

    Waldo

    January 20, 2012 at 7:36 am

    Hate to admit I’m rooting for Newt here. Just want to see Romney break a sweat on the way to his coronation. Sadly, it means I’m hoping the good people of SC, in response to Newt’s persistent dog whistles (hog calls?), will once more tap their bottomless well of racial animosity and hand Mittens a defeat.

    If so, this great nation will owe those crackers a debt of gratitude. God help us.

  15. 15.

    JGabriel

    January 20, 2012 at 7:41 am

    John Richardson @ Esquire:

    “You know what he hated most?” Marianne [Gingrich] says. “When they talked about him being fat. That weight thing was personal.”

    As a man who is somewhat overweight himself, I sympathize.

    But as a Democrat who has learned that we should treat Republicans in general, and Newt Gingrich especially, with the same respect Newt shows us, I am going to do my level best to work the word “FAT” into every nickname and description of Newt I compose.

    So, a question. Should Newt’s nickname be Fatso Wants A Dog or Fat Fuck Wants A Dog?

    Or maybe we should just call him Fat Bitch?

    Please feel free to chime in with your own Newt insults, now that we know what hurts him.

    .

  16. 16.

    amk

    January 20, 2012 at 7:44 am

    occupy romney

  17. 17.

    JGabriel

    January 20, 2012 at 7:44 am

    The more I think about it, the more I like Fat Bitch as a nickname for Newt.

    For instance, here’s a usage example:

    The Republican race for the GOP Presidential Nomination is now reduced to four candidates: Dog On Car, Man On Dog, That Dog Is NOT The Federal Government’s Responsibility, and Fat Bitch.

    .

  18. 18.

    amk

    January 20, 2012 at 7:47 am

    gopolitico’s unbelievable 24 point headlines today

    Newt walks tall in S.C. debate

    No wonder amurika is so fucked up.

  19. 19.

    JGabriel

    January 20, 2012 at 7:51 am

    Or maybe Fat Dog would be a good nickname for Newt?

    Kind of like Clinton’s Big Dog, but mockingly dismissive instead of respectful.

    .

  20. 20.

    Linda Featheringill

    January 20, 2012 at 7:51 am

    @JGabriel:

    The Republican race for the GOP Presidential Nomination is now reduced to four candidates: Dog On Car, Man On Dog, That Dog Is NOT The Federal Government’s Responsibility, and Fat Bitch.

    LOL!

  21. 21.

    amk

    January 20, 2012 at 7:51 am

    If john king had had any journalistic balls, he would have not been cowed by noot’s bluster and taken him to task for avoiding his question and noot’s marital responsibility, especially given this punk’s role in clinton saga.

    Of course, king being a corporate media whore, took all the abuse
    meekly.

    Fucking fourth estate, fifth columnists.

  22. 22.

    Elizabelle

    January 20, 2012 at 8:00 am

    Fat Dog.

    For its comparison to Big Dog.

    Fat Bitch — forgive me, but a bitch is female and Sunglasses on Dog has left the building. Do not like it.

    ETA: If you want to go crude, I’d be fine with Fat Fuck Dog. Even Fat Double-Fucking Dog.

  23. 23.

    JGabriel

    January 20, 2012 at 8:02 am

    @amk:

    Of course, king being a corporate media whore, took all the abuse
    meekly.

    I don’t even know why King is on CNN. King is so ridiculously partisan and biased, you’d think he would have a position at Fox News, maybe as Steve Doocy’s understudy.

    .

  24. 24.

    JGabriel

    January 20, 2012 at 8:18 am

    @Elizabelle:

    Fat Bitch—forgive me, but a bitch is female …

    On the plus side, you know that’ll piss off Newt too.

    .

  25. 25.

    amk

    January 20, 2012 at 8:25 am

    Anyone remember when Obama called out the pox news for their lies about everything and all the msm bastids sucked up to pox news ?

    If anyone had any genuine grouse about the american media fuckers, it is Obama, not the noot fucktard.

  26. 26.

    Elizabelle

    January 20, 2012 at 9:20 am

    @amk:

    Oh yeah.

  27. 27.

    RossInDetroit

    January 20, 2012 at 10:08 am

    Mitt is apple pie. The consensus choice because it’s everyone’s second favorite. Few people like apple pie best. They may prefer mince or cherry or peach or pecan. But you’d never get a consensus on those types because someone will hate it and refuse to participate. When you buy a whole pie for a number of people it has to be something that nobody will hate. So everyone gets apple and nobody gets what they want.

  28. 28.

    RossInDetroit

    January 20, 2012 at 10:29 am

    @RossInDetroit:

    I’m so wrong on this. According to Boing Boing you can now bake two half-pies in one pan. Curse you, Internets.

  29. 29.

    H.E. Pennypacker, Wealthy Industrialist

    January 20, 2012 at 11:12 am

    For a fat Newt reference, how about Big Fig (like the plump mascot, Big Fig Newton).

  30. 30.

    Yutsano

    January 20, 2012 at 11:17 am

    @RossInDetroit: I really really REALLY need to stop seeing this stuff that makes me want to violate my kitchen stuff moratorium. :)

  31. 31.

    Gretchen

    January 20, 2012 at 3:33 pm

    I’m for Fat Dog vs. Dog on Car.

  32. 32.

    Julie

    January 20, 2012 at 4:30 pm

    @RossInDetroit: That is brilliant. (Though now I’m wondering what would go into a ‘Santorum Creamcup’ Pie. Oh, ick…)

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