The Impending Political Season

[Amskeptic]

I find that hard to believe given that I've watched that very phenomenon in four close friends and family members over the past 9 years.

Thoughtful contribution to the discussion though Russell.

You asked how many and I answered your question. Never. Not the answer you wanted? Still doesn't change the answer. I've never seen anyone dying look invigorated or report being invigorated by the experience.

It wasn't "invigorating" but there was a glow around my dad, even though there was terrible pain. We knew this was the big goodbye you could just feel it and although there were little physiological details that made me recoil deeply, there was an inextinguishable joy ripping through the sadness.
Never would I have described the experience as "ugly".
Rather than "invigorating" I would call it life affirming ...

My BIL died last year. It was slow, painful and ugly. He wasn't happier for the experience. My reply seems appropriate enough.

Danforth was quoted this morning as saying this Republican party is not the party he knew. That Newt Gingrich and his altered reality can be a serious contender for the nomination is for me just astounding. But then again altered reality might just be part of the Republican candidate job description.

This has been a well-tread theme in the opinion pages, and it is precisely the most dangerous presumption of the Democrats to declare that their perspective allows them to see the other side's "altered" or flawed "reality". While I personally agree that the candidate who answers all the Republican platform requirements would have to be cruel and ignorant and a liar too, I would like to warn the Democrats against both complacency and arrogance. The electorate is almost like a car crash victim hysterically casting about for blame. One stupid slip-up like Obama's "they cling to guns and religion" could be painfully costly in a tragically unnecessary way.
Colin

[RussellK]

It doesn't take special glasses to see Gingrich referring to himself as a historian as altered reality.

[Amskeptic]

You have to denounce Big Government and high taxes without alienating the older voters who were the key to GOP victories last year — and who, even as they declare their hatred of government, will balk at any hint of cuts to Social Security and Medicare (death panels!).

And you also have to denounce President Barack Obama, who enacted a Republican-designed health reform and killed Osama bin Laden, as a radical socialist who is undermining U.S. security.

So what kind of politician can meet these basic GOP requirements? There are only two ways to make the cut: to be totally cynical or to be totally clueless.

Garbage like this sells papers though I suppose.

He is reflecting or paraphrasing the garbage that has actually been spewed, Belle Plaine. This is not Paul Krugman's own hyperbole.

There are enough examples from the candidates themselves to illustrate "totally cynical" and/or "totally clueless" , to give Paul Krugmana little slack. He is not a partisan shrill hack idiot.

Newt Gringrich “Most of these schools ought to get rid of the unionized janitors, have one master janitor and pay local students to take care of the school. The kids would actually do work, they would have cash, they’d have pride in the schools, they’d begin the process of rising.”
... and when pressed, he said that these urban poor have no adult examples of having to work in their lives. Clueless and cynical, right there.

You want garbage, Belle Plaine? I have more agonizing examples from these clueless cynical candidates to the office of the Presidency of The United States.
Colin

[RussellK]

I find that hard to believe given that I've watched that very phenomenon in four close friends and family members over the past 9 years.

Thoughtful contribution to the discussion though Russell.

You asked how many and I answered your question. Never. Not the answer you wanted? Still doesn't change the answer. I've never seen anyone dying look invigorated or report being invigorated by the experience.

It wasn't "invigorating" but there was a glow around my dad, even though there was terrible pain. We knew this was the big goodbye you could just feel it and although there were little physiological details that made me recoil deeply, there was an inextinguishable joy ripping through the sadness.
Never would I have described the experience as "ugly".
Rather than "invigorating" I would call it life affirming ...

My BIL died last year. It was slow, painful and ugly. He wasn't happier for the experience. My reply seems appropriate enough.

I think the experiences are too unique to make broad declarations. Was my BILs death ugly? Undoubtedly. Your Dads? Apparently not. I witnessed my MIL draw her last breath as she lay paralyzed from the neck down. There was no joy in that experience. Was it life affirming? If you mean as a reminder of how fleeting life is, then yes it was life affirming.

[BellePlaine]

True enough, but he says being cynical or cluessless is a prerequisite to becoming a viable GOP candidate but he clearly either has blinders on or is conveniently dismissing RP as a viable candidate. The dude is in second place in Iowa with 18% and is a head of Romney. I would call that viable.

[Amskeptic]

True enough, but he says being cynical or cluessless is a prerequisite to becoming a viable GOP candidate but he clearly either has blinders on or is conveniently dismissing RP as a viable candidate. The dude is in second place in Iowa with 18% and is a head of Romney. I would call that viable.

I agree that it is mystifying to the extreme that Ron Paul is dismissed as a viable candidate, and I do think that Krugman is just plain ol' not referring to Ron Paul as one of the mental midgets and therefore kept him out of this particular article.
Colin

[dtrumbo]

I got the same vibe from the article. It seems to me that even the Republicans don't consider RP viable so perhaps Krugman didn't include him in that group either. For whatever reason, as much as they hate him, all the mainstream Republican party has done so far is take giant steps in re-electing Obama. Didn't they learn their lesson in '92? All they have to do is put up a reasonable candidate wearing a t-shirt printed with "It's the economy, stupid!" and they're in. Instead we have this cavalcade of stars with their NRA-bought-and-paid-for guns pointed directly at their feet and on a hair-trigger. Fascinating.

[zabo]

and here we go - in the words of FZ "Jesus thinks your a Jerk"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAJNnto ... e=youtu.be

"I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a Christian, but you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.
As President, I'll end Obama's war on religion. And I'll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage.
Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again.
I'm Rick Perry and I approve this message."

[ruckman101]

Scary Perry.


neal

[BellePlaine]

What do you guys think of Huntsman? Seems to be pretty reasonable. What are the skeletons in his closet?

[Spezialist]

and here we go - in the words of FZ "Jesus thinks your a Jerk"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAJNnto ... e=youtu.be

"I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a Christian, but you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.
As President, I'll end Obama's war on religion. And I'll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage.
Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again.
I'm Rick Perry and I approve this message."

Rick Perry illustrates the modern GOP.

You have to understand the thinking that goes on.
The evangelical base honestly sees the secular world at war with god, who's name is Jesus.

[tvargs]

What do you guys think of Huntsman? Seems to be pretty reasonable. What are the skeletons in his closet?

Huntsman's main drawbacks appear to be:
-He's Mormon
-He just finished being Obama's ambassador to China
-Quote from his Twitter: "To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy."

Now, to my eye, none of those things should disqualify anyone from being president, or at least from trying to be president. In fact, all of those things seem pretty alright to me! He's even fluent in Mandarin! Neat! But I am not a Republican primary voter, and that seems to be what is holding Huntsman back: Republican primary voters.

The difference between Romney and Huntsman is that the former will pander to the base, and the latter hasn't enough name recognition (although he is also starting to do a bit of pandering due to a bit of space in the field with the escape of the Hermanator - recently walked back his climate change beliefs a bit). And Huntsman seems significantly more principled. It'll be interesting to see if Republican voters wake up to the disaster that is Newt and then realize, given the only other reasonable choice (Romney) that there is an even more reasonable choice (Huntsman) waiting right there.

[ruckman101]

Is it just me? Somehow Newt brings to mind Jaba the Hut.



Or maybe I'm confusing Huts. Jaba the, Pizza the, ....



Why do conservatives crave the heavy hand of big daddy enforced conformity? Because they think the boot heel is for those naughty progressives who dare to think and won't be coming down on their own necks? First they came for....


neal

[Amskeptic]

Why do conservatives crave the heavy hand of big daddy enforced conformity? Because they think the boot heel is for those naughty progressives who dare to think and won't be coming down on their own necks? First they came for....

neal

They crave it only for their opposition, Neal.
Neo-Cons have grouped All Of US into two groups > Us and them.

Us - needs an unfettered uncontrolled non-regulated non-taxed capitalist hegemony and the freedom to defend it with bullets, and will scream at government overreach if any attempt is made to define it much less regulate it.

them - gets their private bedroom/relationship/personal decisions outlawed by conservative social control agenda

[RSorak 71Westy]

But the laws that get passed to apply to them apply to EVERYONE, including them. Whoops.