The Other McCain

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

The Adults You Seek: The Left’s Masters

Posted on | October 12, 2011 | 29 Comments

by Smitty

Reading Happens

I’m reading two books, in my meandering way, that are of real interest to anyone staring at the entropy that is #OccupyWallStreet and trying to make sense of it.

The work of Hicks and LeBon unite somewhere on the Left side of the political divide. Years from now, I think that this period of time will be viewed as the death of Progressivism, the ideas of which are founded in the intellectual and moral decay elaborated by Hicks. LeBon is more of a proto-Alinsky, informing the playbook of the Left, and especially informed by the French Revolution.

Which brings us to this fabulous disaster known as #OccupyWallStreet. The baseless accusations of the Left directed at Tea Parties suddenly come into clear focus. Many other blogs have done the compare/contrast theme between the two movements, so there isn’t much to add there. Also, for those trying to figure out Twitter, the pickup lines hash tag was a guilty bit of fun. As they usually are.

Adult Supervision?

Common Sense Political Thought asks where the adults are, including a picture of some hipsters nude from the waste up. Now, I won’t pretend to know what’s going on at the DNC or other places such as Berkley and Manhattan, where the planning might or might not be going on. But the grind of Lefty thought for decades has been all about returning Americans to a pre-technological adolescence. In the picture at the CSPT blog, the sign says “A Job Is A Right!” This bit of nonsense is right out of FDR ’44 State of the Union, where His Fireside Chatiness attempted to freebase the Constitution:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the Nation

The best thing that could possible come from #OccupyWallStreet is sober consideration of what is at stake, and realize that being clients of the state is tantamount to feudalism. As you read Hicks and LeBon, the idea forms that the Progressive leadership has for decades be demolishing the capacity for independent thought among the 99%. Hicks characterizes the intellectual wrecking ball that has damaged the tradition of the Enlightenment severely, though the philosophical pieces has been merely one front. LeBon depicts the end state, when people are reduced to a gibbering horde that is as intellectually stiff as silly putty. One hopes that #OccupyWallStreet will demonstrate that the success of the Progressive project has been both limited and unsustainable.

Let’s All Decry The Violence

While the Left excels at pointing fingers and holding the Right accountable for saying ‘boo’, the Tatler brings up some news that won’t get reported by the usual suspects. It seems as though the groundwork for generalized violence may be getting laid as we speak. Sadly, invocations of the French Revolution by #OccupyWallStreet will go unheard amidst accusations that conservatives are raaaaacist, Nazi, suffer halitosis, &c. That comes on the heels of #OccupyNewYork celebrating bestiality or something. I haven’t read any of the posts about that. It’s just not good for the soul.

What is worrisome is that the Left behaves as though incapable of grasping that conservatives see what is going on. Alinsky’s rules are predicated upon an ignorant and/or willing audience. (Aside: I gather Alinsky was steeped in LeBon’s writings, but I’m not much of a scholar of either nitwit.) The fact that conservatives are (a) aware and (b) countering the Alinsky propaganda via the internet either eludes the Left, or they are completely discounting the effectiveness of conservatives, even after the 2010 election. Maybe it’s a variation on Sun Tzu’s misinformation dictum, and the Left actually knows something they are not letting on, and is merely displaying a faux idiocy. But the Left are not a young King David, and we are not Philistines. The evidence seems clear that they are as intellectually bankrupt as the country is financially.

The Question

How much damage does #OccupyWallStreet actually inflict before petering out? These little whiners aren’t going to last much past the first hard freeze. Do the #OWS weenies ever grasp the degree to which they’ve been played? Again, the result, if not the intent, of Progressivism is an infantile population. How will the country react if a large percentage of these protesters are simply unsalvageable?

What is certain is that the adult puppet masters of the Left will just view the dead riff-raff as a cost of doing business.

Via American Power, Ann Coulter summarizes.

Lexington Green went to the Occupy Chicago event, and offers:

My hatred of the Boomers, who have brainwashed and wasted these kids is boundless. There is nothing wrong with them. They have just never been taught anything but bull**t. They have been betrayed by their parents and their teachers. It is very depressing. The country has been shamefully dumbed down.

Very good read. Take in the whole thing.

Update: linked at Daily Pundit.

Update II: linked at Political Byline.

Update III: Da Tech Guy has some Dartmouth video.

Category: #Occupy, Progressivism

Michele Bachmann Slams Rick Perry: ‘He’s Not a Fiscal Conservative’

Posted on | October 12, 2011 | 15 Comments

Full text of a press release sent by the Bachmann campaign last night:

Perry and the Texas Strategy for the Economy

Rick Perry’s biggest weakness is on the highest priority issue at stake in 2012: he’s not a fiscal conservative.

Rick Perry is not fiscally conservative on spending and debt.

1. During Rick Perry’s tenure as governor, real spending in the state budget increased nearly 50 percent. In the 2000-01 biennium, real spending in the Texas state budget (adjusted to 2009 dollars) was $122.71 billion. In 2010-11 biennium, real spending in the Texas state budget was $182.02 billion, an increase of 48.33 percent. (Texas State Legislature, 76th Legislative Session, Conference Committee Report on H.B. 1 As Modified by S.B. 4 and Governor’s Veto Proclamation and Contingent Appropriations Included in H.B. 3211, Available at: www.lbb.state.tx.us; Texas State Legislature, 81st Legislative Session, Conference Committee Report on S.B.1, Available at: http://www.lbb.state.tx.us/Bill_81/5_Conference/Bill-81-5_Conference_0509.pdf; Governor Rick Perry, S.B. 1 Veto Proclamation, 6/19/09, Available at: www.governor.state.tx.us; U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Inflation Calculator, Available at: www.bls.gov)

2. During Rick Perry’s tenure as governor, real per capita spending in the state budget increased more than 20 percent. In the 2000-01 biennium, real per capita spending (adjusted to 2009 dollars) in the Texas state budget was $5,800.53. In the 2010-11 biennium, real Per capita spending in the Texas state budget was $7,102.17, an increase of 22.44 percent. (Texas State Legislature, 76th Legislative Session, Conference Committee Report on H.B. 1 As Modified by S.B. 4 and Governor’s Veto Proclamation and Contingent Appropriations Included in H.B. 3211, Available at: www.lbb.state.tx.us; Texas State Legislature, 81st Legislative Session, Conference Committee Report on S.B.1, Available at: http://www.lbb.state.tx.us/Bill_81/5_Conference/Bill-81-5_Conference_0509.pdf; Governor Rick Perry, S.B. 1 Veto Proclamation, 6/19/09, Available at: www.governor.state.tx.us; U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Inflation Calculator, Available at: www.bls.gov; Texas State Comptroller Of Public Accounts, 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the State of Texas, p. 252, Available at: www.window.state.tx.us; Texas Department of State Health Services Website, Projected Texas Population by Area, Available at: www.dshs.state.tx.us)

3. State government employees grew faster under Perry than federal government employees (U.S. Census Bureau website, www.census.gov, accessed 7/09):
From March 2000 to March 2007, the number of Texas state government employees increased 10.07 percent, from 303,795 to 334,378.
According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, from July 2000 to July 2007, the population of Texas increased 13.83%, from 20,946,049 to 23,843,432.
From March 2000 to March 2007, the number of civilian federal government employees decreased 5.83%, from 2,899,000 to 2,730,000.
According to U.S. Census Bureau Estimates, from July 2000 to July 2007, the population of the U.S. increased 6.78%, from 282,171,936 to 301,290,332.
4. During Rick Perry’s tenure as governor, bonded debt has increased 137 percent. In FY 2000, bonded debt in Texas was $13.2 billion. In FY 2008, bonded debt in Texas was $31.3 billion. (“Debt Affordability Study,” Texas Bond Review Board, 2/09, p.4 Available at: www.brb.state.tx.us)

5. Perry signed the largest state budget into law – $182.3 billion – using his line item veto sparingly:
“With little debate, the Texas House passed its largest budget ever Friday, a day after senators also breezed through the $182.3 billion plan for the next two years.” (Aman Batheja, “Texas House approves $182.3 billion state budget,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5/30/09)
“Gov. Rick Perry, muting his usual criticism, generally praised lawmakers and signed into law a two-year, $182.3 billion budget late Friday after making barely a change. The Republican governor took credit for slashing nearly $290 million of spending, but virtually all of the money wouldn’t have been spent anyway because it was part of bills that died, such as a proposal to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program.” (Robert T. Garrett, “Perry shows restraint — on his own line-item vetoes of budget,” The Dallas Morning News’ “Trail Blazers” Blog, http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com, 6/20/09)
“He used his veto pen to remove from the budget 28 ‘contingency riders’ — 25 of which would have paid for bills that died before the session ended June 1. Three others would have funded bills that Perry vetoed. While he didn’t mention it, there would have been a net savings of some $12 million if all three had become law, the proclamation indicates.” (Robert T. Garrett, “Perry shows restraint — on his own line-item vetoes of budget,” Dallas Morning News’ “Trail Blazers” Blog, http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com, 6/20/09)
6. Despite criticizing President Obama’s stimulus bill (the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) as a “bailout,” Perry’s spokeswoman said he would “fight” for Texas’ “fair share” of stimulus if bill passed and lobbied for funds:
“Democratic Rep. James Oberstar of Minnesota recently asked Texas transportation officials if they intended to reject their share of $30 billion in road and bridge funds. Their answer: nope. ‘The governor has been pretty clear that he thinks it is bad policy and does not support it,’ said Allison Castle, a Perry spokeswoman. ‘But he has said that if Washington is going to be sending out taxpayer dollars, a large portion of which is Texas taxpayer dollars, we’ll fight for our fair share.'” (Dave Michaels, “Perry Blasts ‘Bailout Mentality’ But Will Take Texas’ Share,” Dallas Morning News, 1/30/09)
“For months, Gov. Rick Perry has been an outspoken opponent of emergency spending measures that created a record federal deficit. At the same time, his Transportation Department has lobbied to maximize its haul of federal money from an $819 billion stimulus bill.” (Dave Michaels, “Perry Blasts ‘Bailout Mentality’ But Will Take Texas’ Share,” Dallas Morning News, 1/30/09)
7. According to national conference of state legislatures, Perry’s Texas used stimulus money to plug more of its budget gap than any other state. “[National Conference of State Legislatures] asked states to indicate the major actions they took to close FY 2010 budget gaps and the relative share of the total that each action represented. The information provided by the 35 reporting states is as follows: Twenty-five of the reporting states used federal ARRA funds as part of their solution to close FY 2010 budget gaps. … The states depending most heavily on these funds were Texas (ARRA represented 96.7 percent of the total solution) and Nebraska (88 percent of the total solution).” (“State Budget Update: July 2009,” National Conference of State Legislatures, p. 7, www.ncsl.org)

8. Perry claimed he opposed using stimulus funds for ongoing expenditures, but used the funds for permanent public school teacher pay raises:
In a February 2009 letter to President Obama, Perry said he opposed use of stimulus funds for “ongoing expenditures.” “On behalf of the people of Texas, please allow this letter to certify that we will accept the funds in H.R. 1 and use them to
promote economic growth and create jobs in a fiscally responsible manner that is in the best interest of Texas taxpayers. I remain opposed to using these funds to expand existing government programs, burdening the state with ongoing expenditures long after the funding has dried up.” (Gov. Rick Perry, Letter To President Barack Obama, 2/19/09)
Perry rejected federal some stimulus funds, claiming the strings attached would leave Texas paying the bill after the stimulus ran out, but ultimately used stimulus funds for permanent public school teacher pay raises. “That will become apparent in 2011 when legislators have to fill in the budget hole left when the stimulus dollars go away. The teacher pay raises will be a permanent fixture, as will other spending enabled by the stimulus money. … There are no projections about where to find the money, but it will either come from taxpayers or from school budget cuts.” (Editorial, “Strings Attached To Stimulus Money For Schools,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7/28/09)
Raises are expected to cost state $2.8 billion in 2012-13 budget. “The Legislative Budget Board estimates the cost for the 2012-13 budget at $2.8 billion.” (Editorial, “Strings Attached To Stimulus Money For Schools,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7/28/09)
9. Texas received low marks for stimulus spending transparency in the July 2009 Good Jobs First Report. “Texas doesn’t get high marks for transparency on its official Web sites tracking how federal stimulus money is spent here. The Washington, D.C.-based group Good Jobs First gave Texas a 15 (out of 100) for how transparent its main stimulus tracking Web site was; Texas did better with its site tracking transportation stimulus dollars, earning 40 points out of a possible 100 points. State policymakers maybe can take some comfort that they are not alone in getting dinged for the relative openness with which they disclose how stimulus money is being spent.” (John Reynolds, “Texas Scores Low Marks On Stimulus Spending Transparency,” Quorum Report, 7/29/09)

10. Perry’s “political machine” received an infusion of stimulus money:
“And those grants have become an integral part of Perry’s political machine….While Perry’s office is the conduit for the federal money [for local law enforcement agencies], the governor chooses which agencies receive the money and how it is spent. The political payoff has been great.” (R.G. Ratcliffe, “Perry Making Use of Stimulus Boost,” Houston Chronicle, 9/8/09)
“Every time Perry doles out the federal Byrne grants, he sounds like the money is his. ‘Texas is tough on crime and remains dedicated to equipping our law enforcement with the resources necessary to protect our citizens and ensure the safety of our communities,’ the governor said while handing out $2 million of the federal money to East Texas communities last year.” (R.G. Ratcliffe, “Perry Making Use Of Stimulus Boost,” Houston Chronicle, 9/8/09)
Byrne Grants helped Perry win the endorsement of the Border Sheriff’s Coalition in 2006. “Perry in 2005 gave $6 million in funds to the counties participating in the Texas Border Sheriff’s Coalition ‘to deter illegal immigration and prevent border-related crime.’ Days before Perry’s 2006 re-election victory, the sheriffs made a high-profile trip to Washington with the governor to discuss border crime, and most endorsed Perry. ‘I don’t think it was a coincidence that the grants roughly correlated with those endorsements,’ said Democratic political consultant Jason Stanford, who managed the gubernatorial campaign of party nominee Chris Bell.” (R.G. Ratcliffe, “Perry Making Use Of Stimulus Boost,” Houston Chronicle, 9/8/09)
11. Perry was played both sides in the fall 2008 debate over the TARP bailout:
Perry wrote a letter to Congress urging support of “An Economic Recovery Package” in the middle of the TARP debate. “[The Letter] Was Widely Interpreted Wednesday To Mean That Perry And His Democratic Counterpart Supported The Revised Bailout Plan The Senate Passed.” “Perry, who chairs the Republican Governors Association, wrote a letter with West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association , urging members of Congress to ‘leave partisanship at the door and pass an economic recovery package.’ That was widely interpreted Wednesday to mean that Perry and his Democratic counterpart supported the revised bailout plan the Senate passed.” (Jason Embry, “Perry’s Stand On Bailout Could Figure In 2010 Governor’s Race,” Austin American-Statesman, 10/3/2008)
The same day he released the letter with Manchin, Perry sent out a statement condemning the bailout. “In October, Mr. Perry, as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, and his Democratic counterpart, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, issued an urgent appeal for Congress to ‘pass an economic recovery package.’ Congress did. But when Ms. Hutchison said she’d be voting for it, the Texas governor issued another statement: ‘Government should not be in the business of using taxpayer dollars to bail out corporate America.'” (Wayne Slater, “Quick Take: Governor’s Jab At Washington Pokes His Potential Political Rival,” Dallas Morning News, 11/21/08)

Category: Economics, Election 2012, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry

LIVE AT FIVE – 10.12.11

Posted on | October 12, 2011 | 4 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Guardian: Romney Leaves Republican Rivals On Sidelines

Governor Mitt Romney runs the table

Strategists scathing about Perry’s lack of fire; Cain shows well

US Ties Assassination Plot To Iran
Plot to kill Saudi Ambassador exposed by DEA; Qods Force officer implicated

Infrastructure Minister Landau Blasts Prisoner Swap Deal
Gilad Shalit to be exchanged for 1000 Hamas prisoners; deal blasted as “huge victory for terror”



POLITICS
Obama Pitches “Jobs Plan” In Pittsburgh

President Obama tours IBEW training center

President talks to union electricians, job creation council

Protesters March Past Millionaires’ NYC Homes

Governor Asterisk Mocks Cain’s 9-9-9 Plan

Newt Swings Hard: “Throw Barney Frank In Prison”

Topeka Repeals Domestic Violence Law In Wake Of Budget Cuts

Self-Styled Seattle Superhero Back On Patrol After Arrest

L.A. Sheriff’s Alternative Ways Tested By Abuse Claims

Panetta Warns Defense Cuts Will Slow Weapons Upgrades



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Stock Index Futures Signal Weaker Open
Slovakia Rejects European Bailout Plan, Government Falls
Wall Street Sees “No Exit” From Financial Woes
As Greece Avoids Default, Recapitalization Plans Emerge For European Banks
Unemployed Californians Face Benefit Losses
Nikkei Snaps Three-Day Rally; Thai Flooding Hurts Automakers
99 Cents Only Stores To be Sold For $1.6 Billion
Apple Using iCloud To Lock In Users After Online Misfires
Zynga Unveils New Titles, Web Service
Australian Court To Deliver Tablet Ruling Tomorrow



SPORTS
Tigers Come Home, Bats Wake Up For 5-2 Win

Tigers’ Fister holds Rangers at bay after rough first inning; Rangers still up 2-1 in pennant series

SI’s Amick Pessimistic About NBA Players’ Chances In Showdown With Owners

Writing On Wall For Red Sox To Sack Chicago-Bound Epstein

Jets Trade WR Mason To Texans

Penguins Off To Flying Start Even Without Crosby

Tebow Takes Over As Broncos QB; Women, Minorities Hardest Hit

Arizona Beats Out Tampa For 2015 Super Bowl

Rollins, Phillies At Crossroads

Stoudemire: NBA Players To Form A League Of Their Own?

Tony Plush Finds Stardom, Acceptance In Milwaukee

Wally Backman To Join Nats’ Coaching Staff?



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Beyonce’s Baby Bump Blooper

Belly collapse on Aussie talk show?

Rumors flying about surrogate mom, prosthetic baby bump

Sara Leal: How Ashton Kutcher Seduced Me

Tori Spelling: It’s A Girl!



More Than 10 Million Viewers Watched Kardashian Wedding

Esquire Deems Rihanna “Sexiest Woman Alive”

Lifetime To Remake “Steel Magnolias” With All-Black Cast

“Lone Ranger” Saddling Up With Johnny Depp And A Tighter Budget



FOREIGNERS
Ukraine’s Former PM Tymoshenko Gets Seven Years In Prison For Gas Deal
Europe, US Concerned By Coptic Oppression In Egypt
Australian Dollar Drops Late As PRC/US Tensions Flare
Putin Slams US, Cuts Deals With PRC
Sirte “Close To Falling”
Australian PM Gillard Says House Has Moved From Words To Deeds On Carbon Tax
ROK’s Park Geun-Hye Turns Moderate In Pursuit Of Blue House



BLOGS & STUFF
Da Tech Guy: Dartmouth Debate Blog
Michelle Malkin: Perry Is Running Out Of Gas
Vodkapundit: Drunkblogging The Dartmouth Debate
Hit & Run: What Does Obama’s Jobs Bill Tell Us About The Deficit?
Weasel Zippers: Obama After Defeat Of Jobs Bill – “Americans Won’t Take No For An Answer”
Jawa Report: Iranian Terror Plot Against Saudi Ambassador Could Have Killed Senators As Collateral Damage
Israel Matzav: More Details On Shalit Deal
James Taranto: The Left’s Nervous Breakdown
Ron Radosh: Occupy Wall Street And The Delusions Of The Left
Allahpundit: Christie Shills For Romney On MassCare
PJ Tatler: Occupy LA Leader Says Violence Will Be Necessary
Lonely Conservative: Steny Hoyer Blames Voters For Washington Gridlock
Conservatives4Palin: Giuliani Out
Walter Russell Mead: Racist Republicans Flocking To Cain
The Macho Response: I’m A Pirate, Occupy My Pants


SOTD: Doctor Jeep

Category: Live at Five

‘Can’t Never Could’

Posted on | October 12, 2011 | 6 Comments

“In a David-vs.-Goliath situation, you don’t start by trying to calculate the odds of success, because the odds are liable to be so daunting as to inspire helpless despair.
“But let me ask you this: What were Herman Cain’s odds in 2006, when the doctors diagnosed him with Stage 4 cancer? Think about that before you say Cain can’t win.
“As my father used to tell me, ‘Can’t never could.’ ”
— December 28, 2010

Category: Herman Cain

DNC’s Debbie Wasserman-Schultz Does Post-Debate Spin for … Newt Gingrich?

Posted on | October 12, 2011 | 14 Comments

Republican consultant Brad Marston was in the “spin room” after the GOP presidential debate at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., when he caught this unusual image: Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz giving her spin on the debate while standing under the Newt Gingrich sign.

Maybe this is Newt’s reward for supporting Dede Scozzafava?

Category: Debates, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, New Hampshire, Newt Gingrich

We Don’t Get Bloomberg TV …

Posted on | October 11, 2011 | 42 Comments

. . . but we do get Da Tech Guy who’s in New Hampshire live-blogging the debate at Dartmouth College, where the moderators have been up to the typical “liberals-asking-Republicans-gotcha-questions” tricks.

Does anyone remember when they had that Democratic debate in 2008 with George Will, Rush Limbaugh, Bill Kristol and Byron York as moderators?

No? Me neither, because it didn’t happen.

And yet we get Karen Tumulty questioning Republicans.

Because that’s “fair.”

UPDATE: The post-debate wrapup on Bloomberg, which I found online, seems to indicate Cain got a lot of heat over his 9-9-9 tax plan, but defended it pretty well. Perry did nothing to reverse his slide.

Maggie’s Notebook did some excellent live-blogging and comments: “Sheesh! The moderators were terrible.”

Linked by The Lonely Conservative — thanks!

UPDATE II: Da Tech Guy now has his own Memeorandum thread, which is kinda cool because he didn’t have credentials. He’d told me that the credentialing process seemed to require jumping through too many hoops. So he got there four hours early, set up in the “spin room,” acted as if he belonged there, and nobody bothered to ask for his credentials. As Roxeanne DeLuca said: “You’ve created a monster.”

The Wall Street Journal live-blogged the debate and VodkaPundit drunk-blogged it. Given the weak penetration of Bloomberg TV — what percentage of homes get that channel? — this will almost certainly be the least-viewed of all the GOP debates this year. And considering how lousy the moderators were, that’s a good thing.

UPDATE III: Richard Dunham of the Houston Chronicle:

After being the central figure in his first three Republican presidential debates and a self-described “pinata” for the rest of the field, Texas Gov. Rick Perry was largely a bystander Tuesday night as GOP presidential hopefuls focused their attacks on the new surging conservative, Herman Cain.
While most of the two-hour discussion at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., focused on the former Godfather’s Pizza CEO’s “9-9-9? economic plan and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s 59-point economic plan, Perry told moderator Charlie Rose of Bloomberg News that he wasn’t ready to present a detailed plan just yet.
“I’m not going to lay it out all for you tonight,” he said. “Mitt has had six years to be working on a plan. I have been in this for about eight weeks.”
During the debate co-sponsored by Bloomberg News, the Washington Post and WBIN-TV, candidates focused most of their fire on Cain, whose recent rise in the polls earned him a center seat alongside Romney, relegating Perry to the second ring with Texas Rep. Ron Paul.

UPDATE IV: From Michelle Malkin’s debate recap:

Rick Perry once again failed to deliver. He was languid. Passive. Half-hearted. Listless. . . .
I’m really, really trying to be nice. . . .
Fail. Texas-sized fail.

Malkin quotes Philip Klein on Twitter: “Perry makes Pawlenty look like a world champion debater.” T-Paw’s a good comparison, although I could think of a better one, but Malkin and Klein are both too young to remember Ed Muskie, the biggest front-runner flop in American political history.

I don’t know if I’ve said this before, but everything you ever need to know about presidential campaigns, you can learn by reading one book: Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail ‘72.

And it’s funny as hell, too.

UPDATE V: John Hinderaker at Powerline:

Rick Perry, during the half of the debate that I saw, bordered on invisible.  I don’t know whether the pundits who say this was make or break for Perry are right, but it certainly was not a strong night for him. One thing that strikes me as odd is how little mileage Perry gets out of his job creation record in Texas.  He mentioned it a time or two, but, as in prior debates, he didn’t use it effectively as the foundation of his claim to be the strongest candidate.

Perry came into the race on Aug. 13 and had a double-digit lead on Romney by Labor Day — without ever having debated. Perry’s support started to soften after his OK-but-not-great performance in the Sept. 7 Reagan Library debate. Perry clearly lost the Sept. 12 Tampa debate, and his performance at the Sept. 22 Orlando debate was a Hindenburg-at-Lakehurst catastrophe.

It’s simple: Perry is lousy at debating, and these televised debates are the major events of the campaign. Notice by comparison that Cain, while perhaps not an Oxford Union debate champ, has nonetheless learned the trick of deflecting an opponent’s attack, not “getting into the tall grass” of a detailed defense, but rather using it as an opportunity to repeat his own message.

We’ll see if Cain’s rivals, anxious to stop his surging momentum, will be able to land more solid blows next Tuesday in the Las Vegas debate. And we’ll be there in Vegas.

Category: Da Tech Guy, Election 2012, New Hampshire

Would The Golfer In Chief Pose For Such A Shot?

Posted on | October 11, 2011 | 11 Comments

by Smitty (via Gerard)

It says a great deal that Bush himself condescends to hang out with the enlisted guys who were permanently harmed on his watch.

It says far more that the guys harmed on Bush’s watch really want to hang out with him.

It’s not on Intrade, but I doubt the question posed in the title would get into double digits.

Category: Uncategorized

Smitty’s School Of Parenting

Posted on | October 11, 2011 | 27 Comments

by Smitty

Or, the tangential benefits of heterosexuality
Category: Family
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