2008 redux to begin again in earnest — with 2010 but a nightmare that “sane” Republicans have thankfully vanquished.
And it’s for the best. Because as far as ruling class pols are concerned, the only thing better than offering the American people a choice between a candidate who supports socialized medicine, TARP, federal minimum wage increases tied to inflation, cap-and-trade, green energy boondoggles, bureaucratic precedence over religious conscience, federal government “stimulus” programs, rising gas prices as a matter of necessity, the wisdom of an individual mandate, and the anti-Reagan sentiment embodied by all big government types who consider a collaboration with Ted Kennedy a great social and political achievement, and one who doesn’t, is offering them no choice at all while insisting that they actually have one.
And that’s the kind of proper delineation between the political smart set and the flyover freaks he’s since been able to tame that makes Karl Rove jizz all over his white board.
That last sentence needs some clean-up. And I’m not talking about Rove’s white board.
Not to worry—I’m sure Bob Dole will win by a landslide in November. Now it’s time to figure out whose turn it will be in 2016 so we can all jump on the next Electable Inevitableness™ bandwagon that much sooner. My money’s on Lamar Alexander.
Guessing: “he’s” would do the trick, I think, in place of “his”.
So. How long before Newt calls a press conference and declares he’s all that stands between you and nominee Romney, and you’d better get on board right quick?
freaks is plural
that makes Karl Rove jizz all over his white board.
So: racist.
Anyway, I’m reaching for eyebleach.
Time to organize a tea party write in campaign. Not to win, but just to know big the undervote is going to be.
So? He has freaks who he has works
[…] Jeff’s commentary is a must-read. […]
political smart set and the flyover freaks who THEY have since been able to tame
I knew this day was coming; yet still, it burns.
How about a bit of good news, Jeff?
You, me, Dan Riehl, and Stacy McCain have been denounced by The Village Voice.
and the anti-Reagan sentiment embodied by all big government types who consider a collaboration with Ted Kennedy a great social and political achievement,
Anyone wonder what Bush 43 and the late unlamented Swimmer of Chappaquiddick discussed as they enjoyed movie night chez White House to celebrate the big gubmint monstrosity of No Child Left Behind?
I wonder who will be Romney’s favorite Democrat collaborator. Reid? Schumer? How about Boxer? Nah, too much of a theater background. Perhaps Feinstein.
Star Trek did an episode that reminds me of this year’s race. Problem is, I don’t know whether Mittens is Bele or Lokai.
Could be Ernst, though I had assumed it was Karl there doing the taming.
I can’t believe we are at the point where I can’t even cast a symbolic vote (since I live in communist Maryland) to vote Obama out of office.
Forgive my for repeating myself, but did we collectively hallucinate that whole tea party thing?
W/o even clicking, I’m guessing its Edroso?
In which case, I’d forgotten he existed. Happy to know he still monitors me — though if he were smart, he’d take his cue from both the right and the left and learn to ignore me. It’s the easiest way to avoid losing the argument.
No. It really happened.
Which is why it became imperative for the Establishment that Romney win the nomination by any means necessary.
Looks like you were right sdferr.
Star Trek did an episode that reminds me of this year’s race. Problem is, I don’t know whether Mittens is Bele or Lokai.
Perhaps the Frank Gorshin character. After all, Mitt is a bit of a Riddler.
“Riddle me this, Visigoth wingnuts… when is socialized medicine not socialized medicine?”
Oh dear. On Ustream Ed Morrissey and Andrew Malcolm are wringing their hands that Santorum wasn’t sufficiently supportive and laudatory of Romney in his campaign suspension remarks.
Get in line, wingnuts!
Bingoso.
(looks up in mild surprise)
So, the ship is still headed for the falls, only now there is an off chance we may get a new captain who’ll throttle back from flank speed to all ahead full?
Alrighty, then.
(goes back to stockpiling food, booze, and ammo)
“…when is socialized medicine not socialized medicine?”
“When your Republican Massa-choose-its!“
Let us reiterate that a second term of Obama will be much, much more perilous than four years of Romney. However, at least we have this blog to take note of the fact that Mitt will be no more conservative or dedicated to classical liberalism than Bush 43, and it’s insulting to hear otherwise from conservative outlets that certainly know better.
Well, I guess I can now officially weep for my country. Although it was ‘inevitable’.
On election night , when ‘the won’ is mopping the floor with mittens as he smiles politely and tells us how we should now all get behind Obama for the good of the nation- and because he’s really a great guy- I’ll be out in town laughing in the face of every ‘inevitable ‘ republican I can find.
Because that too is inevitable.
Speaking of GWB, Mr. Orwell, there have been at least two sightings of him in the past four or five days. One with Brett Baier and another of him speechifying. About what, I can’t tell you, since I had the teevee muted.
George, you can keep trying, but I don’t think you’re going to convince many to vote for Mittens.
I’m not saying I cannot change my mind, I’m saying right now it’s highly unlikely.
Which reminds me, I need to get a lot more .45 ACP.
Bookmark this comment, people.
It has the whiff of prescience to it.
Watching Mitt Romney become the nominee of the “opposition party” after three years of Obama (I take the relatively novel view that Obama gave us an opportunity to actually get a conservative into the White House) is sadder and more ominous even than watching Obama become president.
It’s not a slam dunk for Obama, even with Bush Lite as his opponent. Many things can happen in the next six months as well. Now we get to see just how adept this “brilliant” and “organized” Romney machine is in the general… and how the “unmatched campaign skills” of The Greatest Orator Ever, B. Hussein Obama, actually serve him. Obama still has not settled on an official campaign motto this year, as they used “Hope and Change” in 2008.
I’ll be out in town laughing in the face of every ‘inevitable ‘ republican I can find.
All I could add if Mitt blows it will be “I did my part, I voted for Mitt. He’s so electable… just not this year.”
Romney isn’t Bush Lite, he’s Obama Lite.
“When In The Course Of Human Events” v4.0b
version history
1.0 Constitution
2.0 Civil War; corrected some definitions, established Fed supremacy
3.0 Progressivism; expanded some definitions; added powers to government, reduced freedoms
4.0 Strong Federalism edit (pending)
Well, I guess I can now officially weep for my country.
I’ve been weeping for the Republic for decades. No reason the country shouldn’t keep it company.
Yup. And worse still, it came on the heels of McCain and the Tea Party 2010 elections.
I don’t care what people try to tell me: “we” don’t have a side.
Which is why in 2008 I went OUTLAW. And why in 2012 I’m OSTRACIZED.
Romney isn’t Bush Lite, he’s Obama Lite.
Well, he’s certainly more pale.
[…] in August. The general theme will be, “How screwed are we?”UPDATE 3:55 p.m. ET: I hope Jeff Goldstein can make it to Tampa, too.EXPECT FURTHER UPDATES . . .UPDATE 3:40 p.m. ET: Chris Moody, my young friend who was covering […]
So, the ship is still headed for the falls, only now there is an off chance we may get a new captain who’ll throttle back from flank speed to all ahead full?
Call him the frog whisperer.
faint echo in the distance: “Ostracized”
Absolutely. A bowl of warm bean dip could beat Obama in this election. Which is why the GOP pushing Mitt Freakin’ Romney of all people on the electorate tells us exactly what the GOP stands for. With a guaranteed win, the GOP would rather put in a big-government type than a small-government type.
But the GOP doesn’t ask my opinion anymore, I quit giving them money a long time ago.
SMOD/Palin? Palin/SMOD?
ostracized: better than ostrachized. that said, good riddance to santorum.
I think either way SMOD dominates the ticket.
I agree. His upsetting the coronation has been unseemly.
Obama Lite indeed
http://www.box.com/s/beec72b0c39f8d78462a
Can I get that with a mayo on Wonder bread sammich, George?
Romney isn’t Bush lite. He’s Obama-lite.
To repeat what cranky said. When he stole my thought from me.
45 minutes before I thought it.
baracky reacts to santorum’s departure
link
Yeah. Because at least the other big government nanny-statist Republican KNOWS BETTER than to track his icky icky weird religious beliefs all over the carpet.
Can I get that with a mayo on Wonder bread sammich, George?
Mayo? MAYO? As in the Gallic hamlet of Mahon? You uncouth extremist Francophile foreigner. Plain butter is moderate enough for you.
I’m not sure how to spell a dejected sigh.
I’m not sure how to spell a dejected sigh.
*h-u-g-h*
As in Hewitt.
Lovely. Now we can get on with the Serious Business of re-electing Barack Obama, without any further distractions from those darned voters. I mean, really! It’s like trying to herd cats to get those idiots to vote the Right Way, what with their Free Will and Rational Self-Interest, and all that. The less input from them, the better.
It’s times like these when I wonder why I waste my time following politics. It’s fairly clear that Politics doesn’t want my input, and isn’t at all keen on being followed by the likes of me in the first place.
Being Obeyed – different matter entirely.
[Hugh]
–…I’m guessing its Edroso? Yup.
–I don’t care what people try to tell me: “we” don’t have a side. Then we’ve got to make our own.
-BTW: Regarding the term ‘OUTLAW’, from Wikipedia:
The word “Tory” derives from the Middle Irish word tóraidhe; modern Irish tóraí: outlaw, robber or brigand, from the Irish word tóir, meaning “pursuit”, since outlaws were “pursued men”. It was originally used to refer to an Irish outlaw and later applied to Confederates or Royalists in arms.
link
Is Santorum dropping out because he gives up? Is he out of money? Has he reached some insane deal with Newt? Is his daughter too sick for him to continue his campaign? What’s the deal?
Republiscism.
Republischism.
He’s not going to comment on it publicly, but I believe his daughter is not long for this world.
palaeo, probably a little of everything.
leigh, you may very well be right.
Looks like I get to vote for Sarah Palin in the general.
It’s not the icky religion that bothers me. I bid good riddance to big government, compassionate conservative, sanctimonious scold Santorum–you know, the guy he is, not the one we’d all like him to be. As the last non-Romney he’s been built into something he is not. I am not happy with Romney, have not been happy with him at any point, yet I don’t see the value of pretending that Santorum presents a good alternative from the classically liberal perspective. At least that charade is over, and the business of outflanking Romney and trying to wag that dog can begin.
Experiment: go back to, say, the last time Santorum was in the Senate, and do a Lexis search for Santorum and “far right” or “extreme” or “arch,” etc.
Having listened to him out of power on Levin’s show before he was running for President, I don’t think he is who you believe he is. And good riddance to him means hello to Romney, who won’t even pretend to light his hair on fire for you.
Of course they would. Even back in the fall of 2010 with the TEA Parties in full bay the Republican establishment showed their true colors by Pledging to “put common-sense limits on the growth of government.” They have no interest in shrinking Leviathan, they just want to be the ones to control it.
The political establishment are not our friends.
Santorum was a way to stymie the idiot who tried to sell us Romney.
sorry, idiots…plural.
[…] I decided to support Rick Santorum for President in January of this year. One component of that decision was my belief that Mitt Romney would lose to Barack Obama. I think the reasons for that still stand. Unless? No. It is too close to home. […]
I feel about like I did when Fred Thompson dropped out.
Worse, because Fred was gone even before I could vote for him in the primary.
If he lost PA, which he looked likely to, he’s done forever. Surely, Bella played a role in the decision, but the driving factor was probably the realization that he can’t win.
unity dance!
yeah put your paws up for unity cause whether you love him Mittolomew Q. Romneykins or capital HIM, we’re on the right track now baby
RedOne? RedOne!
cherrycherry
boomboom
Maybe. Maybe he is an opportunistic politician who, despite his antipathy to many things I hold dear, appropriated some of the language of the stuff I hold dear, enough of it at least, to rally some persuasive iconoclasts to his cause. He’s no fool. But he gave the game away, at least as far as I’m concerned, when he revealed his contempt for methodological individualism (in fact, your post on the subject helped crystallize exactly why Santorum could never carry my banner). He was never an ally, but he was an opponent–an effective opponent at times, no doubt–of the phenomenon of Mitt fucking Romney, and Santorum effectively articulated some of what is wrong with Mitt.
oops, didn’t mean to blockquote myself.
I don’t dance.
[…] & STUFF Bryan Preston: Gawker Hires “Fox Mole”, Who Misses Point Of His Own Tale Protein Wisdom: BREAKING – Santorum To Drop Out Tim Blair: We Are Tremendous NRO Corner: Obamacare And The Deficit Rush Limbaugh: Is Anyone Really […]
[…] Maybe we were always going to get Romney and we were just too stupid to get it through our thick skulls. 2008 redux to begin again in earnest – with 2010 but a nightmare that “sane” Republicans […]
“Romney isn’t Bush Lite, he’s Obama Lite.”
I disagree.
Romney is way too much of a collectivist, but at least he believes in the Constitution. Obama is on record against it.
Romney knows what a foreign policy is and why it’s important. Obama obviously does not.
Romney has decent foreign policy advisers and knows how the world works; he believes in peace through strength. Obama believes peace comes via appeasement, and is apparently hellbent on taking that doomed experiment further than anyone has yet.
As disappointed as I am that we don’t have a better candidate, and as angry as I am that Palin could not get the support of the party (I think that’s probably the main story there; I wish someone would tell it; I guess that will take a few years), Romney is clearly far less dangerous overall than President Obama.
He believes in a “Living” Constitution that says whatever the Nine Diviners tell us.
And it’s not going to be foreing policy that kills us, but domestic policy.
Shedding 50 tons off the 800 ton leviathan still leaves it 500 tons overweight (so to speak).
I’m not so sure Ernst, while Obama is yelling “fore” at the tenth tee, Iran is building nukes.
Seriously though, I think either can kill us.
Lord, oh Lord, I don’t want to spend the next half year listening to to what happens next. You thought the primary was negative, just wait…
That’s a fair point lee.
I also think it somewhat of a moot point since, a decade hence, we’re going to have a hell of a time projecting force —what with the having to sell our aircraft carriers at fireside rates in order to bail out some nonexistent trustfund or other and all that.
His website says this:
Mitt Romney’s view of the Constitution is straightforward: its words have meaning. The founding generation adopted a written constitution for a reason. They intended to limit the powers of government according to enduring principles. The job of the judge is to enforce the Constitution’s restraints on government and, where the Constitution does not speak, to leave the governance of the nation to elected representatives.
At times over the past hundred years, some justices of the Supreme Court did not carry out that duty. There were occasions when the Supreme Court declined to enforce the restrictions on power the Framers had so carefully enumerated. At other points, the Court created entirely new constitutional rights out of “penumbras” and “emanations” of the Constitution, abandoning serious analysis of the Constitution’s text, structure, and history.
Mitt believes in the rule of law, and he understands that the next president will make nominations that will shape the Supreme Court and the whole of the judiciary for decades to come. He will therefore appoint wise, experienced, and restrained judges who will take seriously their oath to discharge their duties impartially in accordance with the Constitution and laws — not their own personal policy preferences.
As president, Mitt will nominate judges in the mold of Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Scalia, Thomas, and Alito. These justices hold dear what the great Chief Justice John Marshall called “the basis on which the whole American fabric has been erected”: a written Constitution, with real and determinate meaning. The judges that Mitt nominates will exhibit a genuine appreciation for the text, structure, and history of our Constitution and interpret the Constitution and the laws as they are written. And his nominees will possess a demonstrated record of adherence to these core principles.
http://www.mittromney.com/issues/courts-constitution
I’ve heard that if you squeeze ’em tighter little stars can be seen to dance a jig.
Romney’s site probably also says he’s a conservative. And yet his political people keep signaling that he’s in fact an Etch-a-Sketch.
So.
Mitt believes in expediance.
I’m pretty sure Mitt believes in Mitt.
Which makes him not unlike Obama.
I think we’re saying the same thing, Ernst.
Yeah, Sarah, I tend to follow more what someone does than what someone says or claims. I also tend to believe that off the cuff remarks are the most telling of a person’s ideology.
Mittens is Obama Lite, by his deeds and by his unscripted remarks.
[…] Smitty brings the sarcasm, Jeff Goldstein brings a mega-dose of justified snark. A highlight: 2008 redux to begin again in earnest – with 2010 but a nightmare that “sane” […]