The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

He Only Steals From the Best

Posted on | August 11, 2011 | 11 Comments

NEWTON, Iowa
When I showed up at the state capitol Tuesday for the Tim Pawlenty event, T-Paw had already split the scene and I found myself talking to Joe Garofoli of the San Francisco Chronicle, who explained that Pawlenty had avoided reporters’ questions while making his early exit.

Joe and I started talking about the hot Texas coeds “Americans for Rick Perry” activists in attendance, and I shared my “Phantom Menace” view of the long-rumored Perry candidacy. Like all great journalists, Joe shamelessly steals brilliant stuff like that:

We will shamelessly steal from conservative blogger The Other McCain and say that Gov. Rick Perry is the Phantom Menace of the GOP presidential scrum. Dude just announced that he’s GOING to announce that he’s going to run for prez…and everybody’s trying to figure out how to respond. Announce that he’s going to announce…it doesn’t get more meta than that.
Now comes word that Perry will be in Iowa Sunday speaking in Rep. Michele Bachmann’s hometown of Waterloo. Oh, it’s on now…

You’ll notice that Joe linked me twice in that post, which is two more links than I’ve gotten from Allahpundit recently. But don’t get me started on that . . . Here is Joe’s video of T-Paw not answering questions about Rick Perry:

“We’re not doing a scrum,” Pawlenty says. “Scrum” being slang for “answering questions at an impromptu press conference” — which all the other candidates are doing at almost every stop along the way.

Tip for GOP media strategists: If your candidate doesn’t do “scrums,” reporters will get pissed off and start writing trash about your campaign, just for spite. I’m not saying it’s fair for reporters to do that. I’m just saying that’s what they do. It’s a matter of “is,” not “ought.”

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Category: Fear and Loathing in Iowa, Journalism, Rick Perry, Tim Pawlenty

Comments

  • Charlesmartel41

    My fantasy GOP candidate looks and acts just like Romney and has Romney’s business experience.  But, he’s not a RINO or a Mormon.  Sadly, he doesn’t seem to exist.

  • Anonymous

    So because Cain isn’t a white Yankee he won’t make it?

  • http://twitter.com/sdo1 Steve in TN

    Well, Perry is presentable like Romney, but in a manly West Texas sort of way.  He ain’t Mormon. Waiting to see about the RINO part, but a coyote seems to think he ain’t.

  • http://thepagantemple.blogspot.com/ ThePaganTemple

    My ideal candidate is a knock-out in stiletto heels and fishnets.

  • DaveO

    Can’t handle a scrum, can’t handle a 3 am phonecall from the NSA.

  • adolph.stephens

    Pawlenty’s best strategy would be to stay off camera all together, as he comes across as the Potsie Weber of presidential politics.  Republican metrosexual, Not impressed.

  • Charlesmartel41

    Cain lost me when he caved on the mosque issue.

  • http://thepagantemple.blogspot.com/ ThePaganTemple

    He doesn’t strike me as a metrosexual, he just strikes me as a humorless, droll bore.

  • http://thepagantemple.blogspot.com/ ThePaganTemple

    He doesn’t strike me as a metrosexual, he just strikes me as a humorless, droll bore.

  • http://thecampofthesaints.org Bob Belvedere

    He’s such a Potsie.

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