Republican Primary Megathread (poll now updated)

[Silex Lariat]

Fools! With their machinations and mudslinging they have played right into the hands of the RON PAUL RELOVEUTION! The more chaos sown among the Republican frontrunners, the more delegates will defect when the time comes, and swarm to the ranks of the reloveutionaries who shall take back America and bring it into a glorious age of glorious glory! And gold! Also ending the Federal Reserve and... that other thing RON PAUL always says.

I'm actually a bit disappointed Santorum won't be the nominee. Mitt will say whatever he needs to say to get elected, which is generally boring and predictable stuff. Newt is a pompous windbag of the type we see plenty of in Congress. Paul has been repeating the same speech for thirty years. Santorum, though... he's a true wildcard. You have no idea what he's going to do next, and when he's going to open his mouth and say something absolutely pants-on-head retarded. For that reason alone I'd support a ticket with Santorum on it. Possibly Santorum/Bachmann but that would be too perfect for real life :<

[The Steel Magnolia]

Fools! With their machinations and mudslinging they have played right into the hands of the RON PAUL RELOVEUTION! The more chaos sown among the Republican frontrunners, the more delegates will defect when the time comes, and swarm to the ranks of the reloveutionaries who shall take back America and bring it into a glorious age of glorious glory! And gold! Also ending the Federal Reserve and... that other thing RON PAUL always says.

I'm actually a bit disappointed Santorum won't be the nominee. Mitt will say whatever he needs to say to get elected, which is generally boring and predictable stuff. Newt is a pompous windbag of the type we see plenty of in Congress. Paul has been repeating the same speech for thirty years. Santorum, though... he's a true wildcard. You have no idea what he's going to do next, and when he's going to open his mouth and say something absolutely pants-on-head retarded. For that reason alone I'd support a ticket with Santorum on it. Possibly Santorum/Bachmann but that would be too perfect for real life :<

I don't know... Santorum/Gingrich... it has possibilities...

[Gauthier]

Fools! With their machinations and mudslinging they have played right into the hands of the RON PAUL RELOVEUTION! The more chaos sown among the Republican frontrunners, the more delegates will defect when the time comes, and swarm to the ranks of the reloveutionaries who shall take back America and bring it into a glorious age of glorious glory! And gold! Also ending the Federal Reserve and... that other thing RON PAUL always says.

I'm actually a bit disappointed Santorum won't be the nominee. Mitt will say whatever he needs to say to get elected, which is generally boring and predictable stuff. Newt is a pompous windbag of the type we see plenty of in Congress. Paul has been repeating the same speech for thirty years. Santorum, though... he's a true wildcard. You have no idea what he's going to do next, and when he's going to open his mouth and say something absolutely pants-on-head retarded. For that reason alone I'd support a ticket with Santorum on it. Possibly Santorum/Bachmann but that would be too perfect for real life :<

I don't know... Santorum/Gingrich... it has possibilities...

We just need to come up an obscene term for "Gingrich".

[Salandriagado]

Fools! With their machinations and mudslinging they have played right into the hands of the RON PAUL RELOVEUTION! The more chaos sown among the Republican frontrunners, the more delegates will defect when the time comes, and swarm to the ranks of the reloveutionaries who shall take back America and bring it into a glorious age of glorious glory! And gold! Also ending the Federal Reserve and... that other thing RON PAUL always says.

I'm actually a bit disappointed Santorum won't be the nominee. Mitt will say whatever he needs to say to get elected, which is generally boring and predictable stuff. Newt is a pompous windbag of the type we see plenty of in Congress. Paul has been repeating the same speech for thirty years. Santorum, though... he's a true wildcard. You have no idea what he's going to do next, and when he's going to open his mouth and say something absolutely pants-on-head retarded. For that reason alone I'd support a ticket with Santorum on it. Possibly Santorum/Bachmann but that would be too perfect for real life :<

I don't know... Santorum/Gingrich... it has possibilities...

Is it bad that I read that as "santorum over Gingrich"?

[Gauthier]

I don't know... Santorum/Gingrich... it has possibilities...

Is it bad that I read that as "santorum over Gingrich"?

"Santorum on Gingrich." Everyone knows Newt's full of shit.

[Jocabia]

Is it bad that I read that as "santorum over Gingrich"?

"Santorum on Gingrich." Everyone knows Newt's full of shit.

I've come to expect better from you. Santorum on Gingrich would mean he was covered in shit.

And, don't look surprised. We all know I'm pedantic.

[Kaeshar]

I expect vote-rigging and delegate-stealing; of course, that cuts both ways. Remember that while Democrats habitually vote for the candidate they dislike the least, Republicans simply refuse to compromise and end up not voting for any candidate they can't support. If Romney cheats his way to a win, there's a good chance that the far right will simply stay home, believing that electing Mitt Romney is no better then re-electing Barack Obama. This was a factor for the GOP in 1996 and in 2008; it will be a factor in 2012, even if the race ends today.

Second, there's a good chance that Newt will fade from the equation from here on out. I expect him to try and fight for Louisiana and I expect him to try and fight for Texas, but past that point his relevance to the race will fade. He won't drop out, because he wants to keep his delegates as a bargaining chip in Tampa; but he isn't likely to bite as hard into Santorum's side from here on out.

I also think Mitt has committed a strategic blunder in saying publicly that he can't accept Santorum as his VP because Frothy isn't conservative enough on birth control and abortion. You have to wonder if there's some sort of gene in the Romney family tree that makes him say stupid things that can kill his campaign. But with that quote, not only has Mitt bought Rick Santorum's position on reproductive rights, he's actually committed himself to exceeding it.

Santorum will naturally air ads showing Romney saying that and then showing 90's Mitt speaking of how he supports a woman's right to choose, of how he supports Planned Parenthood, of how he and his wife raised money for Planned Parenthood, and essentially call him out as a flip-flopping liar. Indeed, Santorum has to do that if he wants to be viable in 2016 (and following the standard GOP succession rules, Frothy has essentially established himself as the heir apparent for 2016); he has to defend his core brand.

So where does that leave Mitt? He has no choice but to double down and move to Santorum's right on reproductive issues. He has to come out and say that 90's Mitt was before he saw the light, and that now he's hard-core pro-life and anti-contraception. He has to endorse a complete elimination of Title X money (because he's been attacking Santorum for supporting Title X); he has to say he's going to throw poor women under the bus when it comes to mammograms, etc. He has to endorse fetal personhood. He has to endorse mandatory waiting periods, "informed consent" ultrasounds, the works. All of this is going to alienate the GOP's "silent majority minority" of moderates and Republican-leaning independents - and it may just infuriate true conservatives (from the sheer flaming chutzpah of it all) enough to bring them out in droves for Santorum.

It was more than a stupid thing to say. It was a fucking bloody stupid thing to say.

I'm not at all discounting the possibility that Mitt will get 1144 before Tampa, or even the 1000 or so he needs to get to within striking distance for a deal. But given his weakness in the red States - which have a louder voice at the convention than the blue States (because that's how the delegate allocation system works; the Democratic system works the same way, but in reverse) - my point is that there's no reason why the Fab Four shouldn't all stay in the race and ride this thing all the way through to the convention.

And indeed, the longer this goes on, the greater the rewards for staying in, in so far as everybody's delegate count rises, and those delegates become ever more important as leverage the closer and closer we get to the Convention.

It would have been better to say 'I am not considering Santorum as a VP choice at this time." Neutral and leaves room for maneuvering.

Still, even if he is forced to change his message, he is a serial flip flopper, so will people believe him? Also his opponents will just call him out on flip flopping. So, he is stuck in a catch-22 here.

[Gauthier]

I expect vote-rigging and delegate-stealing; of course, that cuts both ways. Remember that while Democrats habitually vote for the candidate they dislike the least, Republicans simply refuse to compromise and end up not voting for any candidate they can't support. If Romney cheats his way to a win, there's a good chance that the far right will simply stay home, believing that electing Mitt Romney is no better then re-electing Barack Obama. This was a factor for the GOP in 1996 and in 2008; it will be a factor in 2012, even if the race ends today.

Second, there's a good chance that Newt will fade from the equation from here on out. I expect him to try and fight for Louisiana and I expect him to try and fight for Texas, but past that point his relevance to the race will fade. He won't drop out, because he wants to keep his delegates as a bargaining chip in Tampa; but he isn't likely to bite as hard into Santorum's side from here on out.

I also think Mitt has committed a strategic blunder in saying publicly that he can't accept Santorum as his VP because Frothy isn't conservative enough on birth control and abortion. You have to wonder if there's some sort of gene in the Romney family tree that makes him say stupid things that can kill his campaign. But with that quote, not only has Mitt bought Rick Santorum's position on reproductive rights, he's actually committed himself to exceeding it.

Santorum will naturally air ads showing Romney saying that and then showing 90's Mitt speaking of how he supports a woman's right to choose, of how he supports Planned Parenthood, of how he and his wife raised money for Planned Parenthood, and essentially call him out as a flip-flopping liar. Indeed, Santorum has to do that if he wants to be viable in 2016 (and following the standard GOP succession rules, Frothy has essentially established himself as the heir apparent for 2016); he has to defend his core brand.

So where does that leave Mitt? He has no choice but to double down and move to Santorum's right on reproductive issues. He has to come out and say that 90's Mitt was before he saw the light, and that now he's hard-core pro-life and anti-contraception. He has to endorse a complete elimination of Title X money (because he's been attacking Santorum for supporting Title X); he has to say he's going to throw poor women under the bus when it comes to mammograms, etc. He has to endorse fetal personhood. He has to endorse mandatory waiting periods, "informed consent" ultrasounds, the works. All of this is going to alienate the GOP's "silent majority minority" of moderates and Republican-leaning independents - and it may just infuriate true conservatives (from the sheer flaming chutzpah of it all) enough to bring them out in droves for Santorum.

It was more than a stupid thing to say. It was a fucking bloody stupid thing to say.

I'm not at all discounting the possibility that Mitt will get 1144 before Tampa, or even the 1000 or so he needs to get to within striking distance for a deal. But given his weakness in the red States - which have a louder voice at the convention than the blue States (because that's how the delegate allocation system works; the Democratic system works the same way, but in reverse) - my point is that there's no reason why the Fab Four shouldn't all stay in the race and ride this thing all the way through to the convention.

And indeed, the longer this goes on, the greater the rewards for staying in, in so far as everybody's delegate count rises, and those delegates become ever more important as leverage the closer and closer we get to the Convention.

It would have been better to say 'I am not considering Santorum as a VP choice at this time." Neutral and leaves room for maneuvering.

Still, even if he is forced to change his message, he is a serial flip flopper, so will people believe him? Also his opponents will just call him out on flip flopping. So, he is stuck in a catch-22 here.

Maybe he can borrow a page from Daddy's playbook and claim he was brainwashed.

[Grave_n_idle]

Is it bad that I read that as "santorum over Gingrich"?

"Santorum on Gingrich." Everyone knows Newt's full of shit.

I can see at least three different ways to interpret that, and all of them provide me with a weird combination of revulsion, perverse desire to see it realised, and revulsion.

[Alien Space Bats]

Just in time for summer!

[New England and The Maritimes]

I expect vote-rigging and delegate-stealing; of course, that cuts both ways. Remember that while Democrats habitually vote for the candidate they dislike the least, Republicans simply refuse to compromise and end up not voting for any candidate they can't support. If Romney cheats his way to a win, there's a good chance that the far right will simply stay home, believing that electing Mitt Romney is no better then re-electing Barack Obama. This was a factor for the GOP in 1996 and in 2008; it will be a factor in 2012, even if the race ends today.

Second, there's a good chance that Newt will fade from the equation from here on out. I expect him to try and fight for Louisiana and I expect him to try and fight for Texas, but past that point his relevance to the race will fade. He won't drop out, because he wants to keep his delegates as a bargaining chip in Tampa; but he isn't likely to bite as hard into Santorum's side from here on out.

I also think Mitt has committed a strategic blunder in saying publicly that he can't accept Santorum as his VP because Frothy isn't conservative enough on birth control and abortion. You have to wonder if there's some sort of gene in the Romney family tree that makes him say stupid things that can kill his campaign. But with that quote, not only has Mitt bought Rick Santorum's position on reproductive rights, he's actually committed himself to exceeding it.

Santorum will naturally air ads showing Romney saying that and then showing 90's Mitt speaking of how he supports a woman's right to choose, of how he supports Planned Parenthood, of how he and his wife raised money for Planned Parenthood, and essentially call him out as a flip-flopping liar. Indeed, Santorum has to do that if he wants to be viable in 2016 (and following the standard GOP succession rules, Frothy has essentially established himself as the heir apparent for 2016); he has to defend his core brand.

So where does that leave Mitt? He has no choice but to double down and move to Santorum's right on reproductive issues. He has to come out and say that 90's Mitt was before he saw the light, and that now he's hard-core pro-life and anti-contraception. He has to endorse a complete elimination of Title X money (because he's been attacking Santorum for supporting Title X); he has to say he's going to throw poor women under the bus when it comes to mammograms, etc. He has to endorse fetal personhood. He has to endorse mandatory waiting periods, "informed consent" ultrasounds, the works. All of this is going to alienate the GOP's "silent majority minority" of moderates and Republican-leaning independents - and it may just infuriate true conservatives (from the sheer flaming chutzpah of it all) enough to bring them out in droves for Santorum.

It was more than a stupid thing to say. It was a fucking bloody stupid thing to say.

I'm not at all discounting the possibility that Mitt will get 1144 before Tampa, or even the 1000 or so he needs to get to within striking distance for a deal. But given his weakness in the red States - which have a louder voice at the convention than the blue States (because that's how the delegate allocation system works; the Democratic system works the same way, but in reverse) - my point is that there's no reason why the Fab Four shouldn't all stay in the race and ride this thing all the way through to the convention.

And indeed, the longer this goes on, the greater the rewards for staying in, in so far as everybody's delegate count rises, and those delegates become ever more important as leverage the closer and closer we get to the Convention.

Mitt Romney is the most incompetent politician I have ever seen in action. He starts with the potential to bring "moderates"(read: right-wing people who aren't insane,) to the polls, and then tries to completely redesign himself as a backwoods psychotic cultural fascist mid-campaign because he saw that his largest opponent managed to exploit the niche market for that brand of crazy. What the fuck is wrong with this idiot?

[Gauthier]

Mitt Romney is the most incompetent politician I have ever seen in action. He starts with the potential to bring "moderates"(read: right-wing people who aren't insane,) to the polls, and then tries to completely redesign himself as a backwoods psychotic cultural fascist mid-campaign because he saw that his largest opponent managed to exploit the niche market for that brand of crazy. What the fuck is wrong with this idiot?

I said it before. Willard Mitt Romney is a Political Munchkin. He's so desperate to win he's doing anything and everything he can think of to try and give himself the most plusses.

[Ashmoria]

I love Nerdland!



EDIT: I tried to explain why "Nerdland" was such a cute term to my Illinois-born wife (Louisiana = Southland, Perry being a professor in PoliSci at Tulane). Then I just gave up...

i love that she calls it nerdland. the pretty litlle professor lady is a freaking NERD.

as we all are.

[Grave_n_idle]

I love Nerdland!



EDIT: I tried to explain why "Nerdland" was such a cute term to my Illinois-born wife (Louisiana = Southland, Perry being a professor in PoliSci at Tulane). Then I just gave up...

i love that she calls it nerdland. the pretty litlle professor lady is a freaking NERD.

as we all are.

"So say we all", surely?

[Alien Space Bats]

What the fuck is wrong with this idiot?

Ponder the last word in that sentence, and you might see the light.

[The Steel Magnolia]

What the fuck is wrong with this idiot?

Ponder the last word in that sentence, and you might see the light.

Hilariously, there was a Tea Party ad at the bottom of the page when I read that.

[Jari Head]

I don't know... Santorum/Gingrich... it has possibilities...

Is it bad that I read that as "santorum over Gingrich"?

One of Newt's gang floated that idea, Frothy as Pres and Newt as veep

[Wikkiwallana]

I don't know... Santorum/Gingrich... it has possibilities...

We just need to come up an obscene term for "Gingrich".

It's going to be pretty hard to find something roughly as vile as he is.

[Farnhamia]

We just need to come up an obscene term for "Gingrich".

It's going to be pretty hard to find something roughly as vile as he is.

I've always liked "serial adulterer."

[Jocabia]

It's going to be pretty hard to find something roughly as vile as he is.

I've always liked "serial adulterer."

I'm good with that as long as you figure out a way to make it a verb.

Dude, seriously, you didn't gingrich, did you?

[Farnhamia]

I've always liked "serial adulterer."

I'm good with that as long as you figure out a way to make it a verb.

Dude, seriously, you didn't gingrich, did you?

"Santorum" isn't a verb, though.

[Jocabia]

I'm good with that as long as you figure out a way to make it a verb.

Dude, seriously, you didn't gingrich, did you?

"Santorum" isn't a verb, though.

Yes, but Santorum is more passive. Gingrich is a cock on purpose.

[New England and The Maritimes]

I've always liked "serial adulterer."

I'm good with that as long as you figure out a way to make it a verb.

Dude, seriously, you didn't gingrich, did you?

Better yet "Dude, she got diagnosed with cancer!" "So?" "So I gingriched her, that's what!"

[The UK in Exile]

gingrinch: a moral vaccum so dense the truth can never escape it.

[Farnhamia]

gingrinch: a moral vaccum so dense the truth can never escape it.

I like it but it doesn't quite ring true. Vacuums are empty, not dense.