I understand why many are saying our seemingly endless presidential election season is way too long and boring.
It is.
But this long and winding road gives us a chance to see who the jerks really are. [What if they're all jerks?-ed. Well, that's a risk.] The latest to reveal himself is Romney the Hunter. How pathetic that the Governor even would have bothered to trumpet his (evidently almost non-existent) hunting experience. Did he think he was running for leader of the pack in the Neanderthal era?
What Romney should have known – with the experience he does have – is that the video camera is a lethal weapon ( more dangerous than anything heretofore invented) because it reveals to the world exactly who we are. Lying on camera, as Bill Clinton can tell you, never really works. We’ve all seen too many liars in our time. All those investment bankers who keep slamming campaign money in their old buddy’s pocket must be feeling a bit edgy now. I know I would.
But speaking of honesty, some points to Giuliani for not trying to hedge (so far) on his social positions. Of course, I agree with those positions, but those who don’t should be somewhat impressed with his candor… as opposed to just about every other candidate out there at this point.
PJM Home
Pajamas Media appreciates your comments that abide by the following guidelines:
1. Avoid profanities or foul language unless it is contained in a necessary quote or is relevant to the comment.
2. Stay on topic.
3. Disagree, but avoid ad hominem attacks.
4. Threats are treated seriously and reported to law enforcement.
5. Spam and advertising are not permitted in the comments area.
The clause regarding "hate speech" has been deleted because readers criticized it as being too loosely defined. We agreed.
These guidelines are very general and cannot cover every possible situation. Please don't assume that Pajamas Media management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment. We reserve the right to filter or delete comments or to deny posting privileges entirely at our discretion. If you feel your comment was filtered inappropriately, please email us at story@pajamasmedia.com.
16 Comments
1. dclydew:[What if they're all jerks?-ed.
We’ll have the same sort of election that we’ve had for the past 200 years?
I mean, after all, we’re electing humans and humans do seem to have a high “Jerk” ratio.
Apr 6, 2007 - 2:18 pm 2. Barry Dauphin:If it is as it seems in the story, it is a very dumb move for someone who comes across as squeaky clean. Although Clinton might understand about not lying on camera, he was “slick Willie” long before his finger pounding “Ms. Lewinski” denial. This sort of thing hurts Romney more because it is far more incongruent with his image. Some politicians can get away with lying more than others. “I did not inhale” didn’t cost Clinton much love in the Democratic Party, despite the jokes by late night TV. In fact many of his supporters probably loved his skirting the truth on those kinds of issues.
I think those concerned about 2nd Ammendment rights will be more interested in the candidates’ position on “guns” and his/her campaign rhetoric than whether the person hunts regularly. It was completely unnecessary for Romney to exaggerate this. He could just say it like it was, and it wouldn’t have hurt him. Now he really hurts himself. Maybe he could have said, I smoked a rabbit but didn’t inhale.
Apr 6, 2007 - 6:12 pm 3. Buddy Larsen:sometimes you smoke the rabbit, sometimes the rabbit smokes you
Apr 6, 2007 - 8:29 pm 4. ic:Does that remind you the duck hunter “I want to buy me a permit” Kerry in 2004? Romney actually identifies himself with Kerry, that isn’t very smart.
I don’t care if a woman decides to kill her unborn, but I care that I’m forced to pay for it. A strike against Rudy. Two more strikes and he’ll be out.
Right now I am keeping my fingers crossed that Fred Thompson does not have too many skeletons in his closet.
Apr 6, 2007 - 8:36 pm 5. Terrye:Buddy:
You are killing me.
I did not have sex with that rabbit. Now that sounds familiar.
Apr 7, 2007 - 2:34 am 6. Terrye:Back at the topic on hand….I do think the long campaigns are bad because it gets to the place where no one is paying attention out here. For instance most of the people I know do not even know who Romney is, much less are they familiar with the whole rabbit scandal. So, if they just tune the whole thing out the people are not really learning anything anyway.
And…I think it increases rancor and partisanship at a time when we really don’t need more.
Nothing gets done, some people would argue that is a good thing…but the people did not elect these pols to office just so they could spend all their time and energy trying to get reelected to something.
Apr 7, 2007 - 2:40 am 7. Terrye:ic:
Gulliani also said it should be left up to states, that is what conservatives say all the time.
And if a poor pregnant woman is faced with a medical problem and she is receiving health care from the government, well then it follows that there might be times when the government will have to pay for something like that…or let them both die.
I have a client, a man, who will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair, with a catheder and in some degree of pain. He also poor and is in the shape he is in because he was driving drunk and rolled his truck. One could argue his injuries are self inflected…but then again he is a veteran. The point here being that things are often a tad more complicated than we might think.
I like Fred Thompson just fine, but I have no doubt that sooner or later he will do something to piss off the hardliners and they will turn on him. One thing I have noticed about the conservatives is that often as not, they eat their own.
Right now Fred is their golden boy. Once upon a time George Bush was too.
Apr 7, 2007 - 2:48 am 8. Buddy Larsen:I’m trying to imagine the presidential debates. They’ll probably swing the election, so, which opponent will be able to stand on a stage with Hillary and best show her for what she is.
Wow–some criterion. How fallen am I.
Apr 7, 2007 - 4:45 am 9. ricpic:Why can’t those #*!X#*! intransigent conservatives get behind my guy Rudy?!
They can’t because they are intransigent; that is to say: princpled. They really believe abortion is a sin. So when Rudy says, “Personally I’m opposed to it, but”….well, they just can’t manage to climb aboard his bandwagon. Tough, isn’t it?
Apr 7, 2007 - 5:47 am 10. promoguy:Once again Buddy speaks the truth.
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1084125&lastnode_id=0
Apr 7, 2007 - 8:22 am 11. Buddy Larsen:Seriously, promoguy, that “killer rabbit” may’ve cost Carter the election–may’ve been the pivot point that swung the election, and ushered in the saving grace of the Reagan Era.
One swimming rabbit in recorded history, one rabbit-on-human attack in recorded history, and both happen simultaneously to the President of the United States of America, while he happens to be alone, floating in a canoe in the middle of a pond.
Being that his presidency–and hence the country and the world–had become such a mess, and given that a man of such faith was probably out there asking for answers, out there bobbing on troubled waters as it were, and seeking a sign from Providence, one can only imagine what the sudden attack of a swimming, hissing, teeth-baring rabbit signified to the president. What it meant to history is beyond the limit of a sane imagination.
Apr 7, 2007 - 11:00 am 12. Terrye:ricpic:
So, you are saying that anyone who does not see things your way is unprincipled?
I made a point of saying that I liked Thompson. Even if he is more conservative than me I will vote for him because he beats the hell out of the opposition. I am not going to attack him for disagreeing with me. I am not going to try to sabotage him for disagreeing with me and I am not going to threaten to stay home and let the likes of Hillary Clinton win the presidential election because Fred Thompson has the temerity to not look at things exactly the way I do. I would not think myself principled if I were to do a thing like that, I would think myself stupid.
In fact moderates make these decisions all the time. They vote for the big picture. We leave the tantrums to the self styped “principled” people on either end of the political spectrum.
Apr 7, 2007 - 1:21 pm 13. Terrye:BTW ricpic, are you saying Roger is unprincipled?
Apr 7, 2007 - 1:23 pm 14. Buddy Larsen:It’s the abortion issue. There’s just no wiggle room in it at all. It’s crazy-making.
The one thing that the Iranians do that I agree with is, they define human life as beginning at the end of the first trimester, and that’s that.
It’s a bad solution, but they’re all bad to one side or the other, and at least it’s a solution.
Apr 7, 2007 - 5:43 pm 15. ricpic:Terrye,
I don’t presume to get inside Roger’s head.
I will say, that for a great many people, winning – in the struggle for power – trumps principles.
To be specific: to religious conservatives abortion is murder. Should they vote for the “conservative” candidate who indicates that even though he personally opposes it he “understands” those who commit murder? That would be the practical thing to do if they valued power over principle. But many don’t and won’t. Thank G*d.
Apr 7, 2007 - 8:13 pm 16. Buddy Larsen:At least with a Rudy you’ll get a considerate hearing, and likely some progress in the courts, ricpic.
That’s better than the alternative, isn’t it? Being shut out, being demonized, hounded? Well, that’s what’s in store for you, you know, if the hard left consolidates power.
You got to think, baby steps, baby steps (to use an unfortunate but apt phrase).
Apr 7, 2007 - 8:37 pm