The Other McCain

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

It’s Past Midnight in Louisiana, and We’re Already Knee-Deep in Craziness

Posted on | March 23, 2012 | 38 Comments

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana
While I was driving six hours across Alabama and Mississippi to get here, and then covering Newt Gingrich’s appearance at a Tea Party forum on the LSU campus, it seems that everbody went crazy:

What’s wrong with you people, huh? I turn my back for a few hours, and when I get back online, you have all gone crazy. As for me, I’ve been busy doing Neutral Objective Journalism:

Newt Gingrich was explaining to a Tea Party forum here Thursday night why he is best qualified to be President Obama’s Republican opponent. Citing his involvement in the 1980 and 1988 presidential campaigns and his leadership of the 1994 “Contract With America” campaign that elected a GOP congressional majority, Gingrich said, “I helped design campaigns that won huge elections.”
Unfortunately for Newt, he has failed to design a campaign that can win him the Republican nomination, and he is expected to lose Saturday’s Louisiana primary. The most recent polls (including the latest from Rasmussen Reports) show the former Speaker of the House in third place here, trailing far behind Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney. Another defeat in the Deep South, coming after last week’s losses in Mississippi and Alabama, will likely bring his presidential bid to an effective end. And then the blame game will begin. . . .

Read the rest at The American Spectator. And try to keep your sh*t together long enough for me to get a few hours of sleep. There’s only so much craziness I can handle, and I’ve already hit my weekly quota.

 

 

UPDATE: Via Allahpundit, Santorum’s crazy video:

C’mon, Rick: Get it together. I’ve got an ambassadorship at stake, man.

Update (Smitty): linked at Race 4 2012

Comments

38 Responses to “It’s Past Midnight in Louisiana, and We’re Already Knee-Deep in Craziness”

  1. Santorum Preferring Obama to Romney: You Had to NOT Be There to Get It | Race 4 2012
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 2:04 am

    […] view it. Instead, the blogosphere has gone to a crazy spiral with everyone (including Santo backers Stacy McCain and Michelle Malkin)  condemning Santorum’s statement and blaring headlines that seem to […]

  2. Mike Rogers
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 3:18 am

    That’s what you get for being inside the Newt bubble!
    You know, if the campaign would just recognize its future ambassador to Vanuatu, and giver you a seat on the bus/plane, you’d have coached him to an easy win by now 😉
    Serioously, I can’t believe that Rick would overdo his rhetoric on such an easy gift that keeps on giving as the etch-a-sketch!
    Either he understands that we have an existential crisis where freedom is at risk, and ANY Republican would have us a little further from the brink, or he does not. If the latter, how is he better than Mittens? Just because he normally is much better than Mitt, is no excuse to blow it altogether when you let him off the leash!

  3. Mike
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 3:49 am

    I agree with Professor Reynolds completely.

  4. CPAguy
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 3:55 am

    If only here had been a Conservative Business Man who oozed charisma and was  a quasi Rocket Scientist…..

    Oh wait….we did have that choice…but he may or may not have had sex…so Mittens is the man that the GOP will die behind.

    Whigs!  2012!

  5. robertstacymccain
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 3:57 am

    Alas, poor Herman . . .

  6. Adjoran
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 4:22 am

    When the overwhelming Illinois win gained Romney not only a growing delegate lead but also the Jeb Bush endorsement, the dropping of Freedom Works opposition to Mitt – saying that with a GOP Congress he might be the “most conservative President ever” – and a glowing statement from DeMint praising his “leadership,” Santorum’s chances of even forcing a brokered convention were DONE.

    Instead of accepting reality, the sweater-vested dumbass effectively endorses Obama.  He can forget any place on a national ticket in this party.

    Well, for at least 16 years – the Gingrich supporters prove there is a finite limit on conservatives’ collective memory.

    I suggest revealing to the wife that you are really there to investigate the Jim Garrison files on the JFK assassination.  It will be far more believable than telling her you are covering the death throes of a doomed campaign.

  7. Adjoran
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 6:31 am

     Certainly his transgressions pale in comparison to Newt’s, but he sank himself by lying.  With ten days notice of the story, he still told several versions about his knowledge of the settlements within hours of it breaking.  He destroyed his own credibility.

    It is mystifying how Cain’s inappropriate behaviors amounted to more than Newt’s known conduct, and both faced harsher scrutiny than the horrible, despicable behavior of John Edwards – without even including any perversions shared with Amanda Marcotte  (did she really Fluke her way to the bottom?) and others.

  8. gloogle gloogle
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 8:35 am

     Yes.  He effectively ended his political career, much less any chance at the veep nomination.  I’m trying hard to think if there was ANY ONE of the Republican contenders that you could honestly say was “worse than Obama”, and I ain’t comin’ up with anyone.  I know some people are kinda downplaying this as just “one of those dumb off-the-cuff things that gets said during a campaign”, but to me that was the most serious spoken gaffe of the entire campaign by anyone of the candidates.

  9. SDN
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 9:40 am

    The fact that Rick Santorum was telling the absolute truth has no bearing on the matter, of course.

    Fortunately, the Gods of the Copybook Headings are immune to Mittens’ convenient “truths”.

     Enjoy the craptastic buffet.

  10. Finrod Felagund
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 9:58 am

    Well, I guess Santorum’s most recent screed at RedState will be his last there then, since they have rules against advocating for Democrats or third parties.
     

  11. Pathfinder's wife
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 10:01 am

    I miss Herman.  He was at least positive in his outlook.

  12. Pathfinder's wife
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 10:07 am

    Hmm, yeah, I’m afraid that there is a way in which a Republican could be worse than Obama, here it is:

    If the GOP nominee depresses voter turnout and costs the down ticket races then you have set the stage for either a) Obama wins, with perhaps a slight Dem majority in the Congress — Democrat party wins and wins big with a now completely demoralized GOP which is at each other’s throats and which the average voter would like to throw rotten tomatoes at; b) GOP nom wins, but with a slightly Dem majority in Congress, the W years 2.0 begins — Democrat party wins and wins big in 2016 with a now completely demoralized GOP which is at each other’s throats and which the average voter would like to throw rotten tomatoes at.

    It isn’t enough to just beat Obama — the GOP has to win for conservatism.  Country, not party; the people, not the party.
    If the GOP fails to do this, then yeah, they have stepped into the noose and pulled the lever — and they will have done this themselves.

  13. ThePaganTemple
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 10:25 am

     He was really positive in his outlook, and any woman he looked at needed to positively look out.

  14. ThePaganTemple
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 10:28 am

     That’s why I’ve stopped the Mitt hate from my own end. He’s going to be the nominee, and that’s just the reality. The longer this drags on, the harder its going to be for staunch supporters of other candidates to acclimate themselves to that reality, accept it, and move on.

  15. Nomination Excitations: Over Under Sideways Down « The Camp Of The Saints
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 10:35 am

    […] also published a post over at his place on how ‘everybody went crazy’ while he was on his way there. Indeed […]

  16. Evi L. Bloggerlady
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 10:51 am
  17. Bob Belvedere
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 10:53 am

    Have you read what Mr. Santorum said, Adj?

    Do you know that the statement has been a part of his stump speech for months?

    Matt Lewis get’s it right:

    His argument is (and you can disagree with it) is that voters just might make the calculus that, if you’re going to have to settle for Obama Lite any way, you might as well stick with Obama.

    … If you’re going to have to settle for RomneyCare, why not stick with ObamaCare?

    (Note: I know Santorum said “we,” but I’ve heard the shtick enough times to know what he meant. And what he meant was that “we” — the voters — want a clearer contrast.)

    http://dailycaller.com/2012/03/23/one-problem-rick-santorum-never-said-he-would-rather-have-barack-obama-as-president/#ixzz1pwr0mf6L

  18. Bob Belvedere
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 10:56 am

    Read the Matt Lewis link I listed above.

    The Left [with collusion from Willard’s forces] is trying to create a Narrative here.

    This is the perfect time to: Just Say ‘So?

  19. Finrod Felagund
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 10:57 am

    Erick Erickson is actually standing up for Santorum at RedState, but the posters there aren’t having any of it.  Amusingly, someone else there thought of my observation before I did.

  20. Confutus
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 11:00 am

    Michelle Malkin and Ed Morrisey are in shock.  Maybe Santorum isn’t what he said he was after all.

  21. ThePaganTemple
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 11:08 am
  22. paulzummo
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 11:16 am


    He can forget any place on a national ticket in this party.

    Why would he commit career suicide by attaching his name to this stinker of a candidate?  

  23. paulzummo
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 11:18 am

    RedState (and Hot Air commenters) have made Free Republic look like a bastion of rational discourse.

  24. rosalie
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 11:34 am

    Do you really think that Jeb Bush’s endorsement means anything?  It might even hurt.  And DeMint is just proving that he’s a typical politician.  The longer Santorum stays in, the more Romney has to prove himself for his chosen position by the Establishment.

  25. richard mcenroe
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 11:50 am

     I agree with you.  The degree to which people are clinging to the notion that Romney won’t do what he’s already done and is promising to do again is just alarming.

    And Stacy, a virtual editor just virtually threw a virtual  stapler at you again. NOWHERE does Santorum mention Romney by name.  If Romney fits the description of a candidate Rick gave, that’s his problem.

    I swear to god it’s like watching a lemming surge where they elect a new leader every ten feet.

  26. richard mcenroe
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 11:55 am

    So Rick Santorum is in trouble because WE all think Mitt Romney fits the description of an anonymous candidate Rick described in a speech….

  27. richard mcenroe
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 11:57 am

    It’s not OUR fault we think so; it’s not MITT’s fault he fits the description.  It’s all on Rick.  Got it.

  28. Pathfinder's wife
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 12:07 pm

    Stopping the “Mitt hate” isn’t going to make any difference one way or the other (not that a criticism is hate anyway). Neither is being all “yay team, let’s go”.

    What will matter is if the canidate can gain the support of the base and peel off the undecideds (an admittedly hard row to hoe right now, as polarized as the country is, but it can be done — and the nominee has to show that he, or she , is willing and able to do this).

    The politicians represent us; we don’t act like serfs to the politicians…down on bended knee worshipping our god-kings.

  29. Pathfinder's wife
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 12:11 pm

    LOL!  That was beautiful summation of what is really going on (imhao of course).

    Maybe Mitt should thank Rick for pointing out what Mitt’s biggest problem is going forward, and taking the heat off of the etch-a-sketch debacle — did ya a solid there Mitt.

  30. Finrod Felagund
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 12:22 pm

    I disagree, the only thing that can make Free Republic look like a bastion of rational discourse is a lefty site.

  31. Finrod Felagund
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 12:23 pm

    When even Gingrich is defending Romney, you know Santorum stepped in it.
     

  32. SDN
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 12:28 pm

    Or that Newt’s hoping to get his debts paid….

  33. What Santorum Said, What He Meant, and What Romneybots Want You to Think : The Other McCain
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 12:48 pm

    […] (typeof(addthis_share) == "undefined"){ addthis_share = [];}BATON ROUGE, Louisiana I posted the video last night, but considering the reaction, let’s once more let everybody see for themselves what Rick […]

  34. ThePaganTemple
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 1:39 pm

    That and also Newt knows he’ll never catch Mitt, so his last slim hope is to overtake Santorum in delegates and try to parlay that into influence at the convention, hopefully a brokered one.

  35. CPAguy
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 3:33 pm

    LOL…

  36. CPAguy
    March 23rd, 2012 @ 4:01 pm

    Redstate = used toilet paper

    Total sell outs to the cause.

  37. LOUISIANA PRIMARY RESULTS HQ: Santorum Declared Winner : The Other McCain
    March 24th, 2012 @ 9:12 pm

    […] PrimaryMarch 23: What Santorum Said, What He Meant, and What Romneybots Want You to ThinkMarch 23: It’s Past Midnight in Louisiana, and We’re Already Knee-Deep in CrazinessMarch 22: Santorum Leads Latest Louisiana Polls; Newt Gingrich at LSU Tonight — MaybeMarch 21: […]

  38. Since You Asked, Mr. Quick. . . : The Other McCain
    March 25th, 2012 @ 10:15 pm

    […] two days ago about the hypothetical corporate ‘we’ choosing Romney in November:“Rick Santorum went crazy on Mitt “Etch-a-Sketch” Romney, saying Mitt might be worse than Obama.“So, while in the tank, I think that shows RSM’s not necessarily a blinded fool. Stacy […]