Here is something for Matt Yglesias to think about when he complains about having to sit through “a lot of nonsense from [a] pizza salesmen and Newt Gingrich” to get to the real meat, which is the choice between Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. These debates tend to be overcrowded, but the performance of the also-rans is still important. In 2004, John Edwards did well enough to force himself onto the ticket. And Howard Dean became the head of the Democratic National Committee. In 2008, Obama picked one debating partner to be his vice-presidential candidate, and then another to be his Secretary of State. It’s true that Rick Santorum will not be the next president of the United States, but he might be the next Secretary of Health & Human Services. Herman Cain could be the next U.S. Trade Representative. And, don’t forget that whoever comes in second place in Republican primaries tends to be the nominee the next time around (Reagan in 1980, Dole in 1996, McCain in 2008, and possibly Romney in 2012).
That said, I haven’t watched the last two Republican debates because I just don’t need the aggravation.
ahem typo. Democratic
My fault. That’s what I get for not abbreviating.
Ugh. I had enough trouble watching the Chris Christie/Mitt Romney endorsement yesterday. The debates would have been far too much for me.
There’s a zero percent chance of being true in 2016 and you know it.
We’ll never hear from any of these people ever again, except for Bachmann’s lunatic mutterings in the House perhaps.
We’ll never hear from any of these people ever again, except for Bachmann’s lunatic mutterings in the House perhaps.
Oh if only that were true.
At the very least I’ll bet Herman Cain gets a tv show out of his run for office.
Ugh, BooMan. I can’t even begin to stomach the ideas you’re tossing around right now. I have to believe that were going to survive 2012 and Obama will get a 2nd term. The idea that any of these nightmare people could gain more power and influence than they already have is just too awful to contemplate.
Rick Santorum as Secretary of HHS? Jesus f’ing Christ.
I am right there with you–terrified and sick about the nightmare that these Republicans would be.
Last night’s debates were particularly bad. I wound up drinking more than I should have. The whole 9-9-9 = Jobs Jobs Jobs thing was talked about something like 23 times and every time I got so pissed that everyone just smirked and was completely un-curious about what it would do to the country to lock us into a disastrous tax system like that. Kinda like “Drill Baby Drill” last time around. Great slogan! That would make a good bumper sticker! Therefore let’s just make it our platform and base our entire economy on it! Yeah!
It’s certainly worked for North Dakota.
Apologies, but the announcement (via Laffy@PC) that Jennifer Granholm will anchor a new show War Room following Countdown in January will be a whole lot better to watch.
I flipped to the debate on TV as I was looking for something else, watched only a second of 9-9-9, and quickly flipped elsewhere.
I can’t make myself watch those self-infatuated liars. I used to watch the evening network news and even the Sunday political talk shows, but I cannot stand them anymore. Our TV is kind of new and big and I’m likely going to throw something like a pillow or a cat through it if I watch. Whatever’s handy.
I feel heartsick anymore about the way things have gone for the Democrats. But I’m not giving up. I live in Ohio, where redistricting, anti-Union, privatizing assholes are trying to kill off every last Democrat, and I will not be ignored. I vote, and I’m pissed.
You left our Bush Pater in ’88. He was the runner up in ’80.
Republicans don’t generally have primaries, they have successions. But now that they have abandoned the winner take all primaries, you shouldn’t have the same 30% establishment choke hold on the nomination, like the one that McCain benefitted from. Or Dole.
This is turning out to be surprisingly captivating, since primary elections don’t generally allow “None of the above” as an option, I’m fascinated for this winter to get going.