"A black sheriff?!": The Official Topic of Obama and New Era American Politics

[Mandark]

The two interesting aspects for me are how this gets discussed (with racism being treated as a Boolean value, especially by Paul's defenders), and how radical activist types like Paul choose their allies, if they choose them at all.

Oh yeah, there's the third aspect of how hilarious this is in a General Jack Ripper sorta way.

[FoneBone]

He has given that same answer for decades, but nobody paid attention so I see why he gets upset when that's all anyone wants to talk about. I don't entirely buy, as I think I've said here before, the claim he didn't completely know what was being published, but it's been at least since the early 90's that he's been saying they were entirely wrong and he disagrees with them. He used to claim he had been derelict in not watching what was being published in his name, but he dropped that when he started running for President again five years ago.

Er, he didn't distance himself from the letters until 2001.  During his 1996 campaign - when they first surfaced as an issue - he defended their content and implied that he had written them.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

I think Ron Paul is a racist and that he had a lot more to do with those articles than his fans care to admit.

[Phoenix Dark]

but libertarians are genetically incapable of being racist!

[AdmiralViscen]

Can you say newtmentum?

[Phoenix Dark]

[Mandark]

There goes PD, playing the race card again.

[Oblivion]

Can you say newtmentum?

No.  :'(

[drew]

HE LOOKS LIKE A CAR BOMBER, HE LOOKS LIKE A CAR BOMBER, CLARENCE, HE LOOKS. LIKE. A. CAR. BOMBER.

i want to forcefully feed this guy some marijuana so he would realize how much of a cunt he comes off like

[Great Rumbler]

LTTP, but this is AMAZING.

[Phoenix Dark]

I'll give Paul a pass there. The pic was taken at a values voter even or something, and it's likely he didn't know who Don Black was

[Phoenix Dark]

By now you've likely heard that our effort to gain access to the primary ballot in Virginia was not successful. This was not due to a lack of effort by our volunteers, but the cumbersome process in Virginia.

We are exploring alternate methods to compete in Virginia - stay tuned.

Going forward, we will be as in-front of the process as possible and with the help of our grassroots volunteers we will make all other deadlines.

Newt and I have talked three or four times today and he stated that this is not catastrophic - we will continue to learn and grow. Remember that it was only a few months ago that pundits and the press declared us dead after the paid consultants left. They declared that the decision not to compete in the Ames Straw Poll would mean that Iowans would ignore us. Some will again state that this is fatal.

Newt and I agreed that the analogy is December 1941: We have experienced an unexpected set-back, but we will re-group and re-focus with increased determination, commitment and positive action. Throughout the next months there will be ups and downs; there will be successes and failures; there will be easy victories and difficult days - but in the end we will stand victorious.

To help achieve that outcome we each need to spend the next 24 hours enjoying our families and friends as much as possible. Enjoy their company. Be grateful for them. Gather strength from them. The promise of a better future for our family and friends is the reason we are committed to rebuilding the America we love.

May the spirit of the season fill each of you. Merry Christmas.

Michael Krull
National Campaign Director

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/24/newt-gingrich-virginia-gop-primary_n_1168634.html

[Great Rumbler]

Newt Gingrich failed to amass the 10,000 signatures needed in order to secure a place on the ballot in the party's March 6th primary election.

Ouch.

[Oblivion]

Virginia is not deserving of such a brilliant and heroic patriot, as Newton Leroy Gingrich.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

-Newt Gingrich

[close]

[Human Snorenado]

http://www.balloon-juice.com/2011/12/26/im-not-homophobic-i-just-dont-like-being-around-gays-and-their-bathrooms-scare-me/

Of course, none of this should really be disqualifying but the whole "doesn't want to dry hump Israel" stuff is what will kill him.  Poor RON PAUL.

[Phoenix Dark]

I don't see any direct quotes, hyperlinked to direct sources, in that article. Dr. Paul is incapable of being a bigot, as are all libertarians and federalists

[Human Snorenado]

 

[recursivelyenumerable]

Newt and I agreed that the analogy is December 1941: We have experienced an unexpected set-back, but we will re-group and re-focus with increased determination, commitment and positive action.

I like how this sort of makes it sound like a routine thing, like this guy and Newt meet every week or so to decide on the best grandiose historical analogy for the most recent events in the campaign and use it to retheme the staff intranet or whatever.

[Mandark]

Maybe they've worked out a system ahead of time, so they can respond without having to coordinate.


A setback - Japan attacks Pearl Harbor

An unfavorable ruling in court - Dred Scott

Censured by Congressional ethics committee - Socrates forced to drink hemlock

Disagreement with his support of Israel - the Dreyfuss Affair

Criticism of his extramarital affairs - the Oscar Wilde trial (possibly a gaffe)

Campaign donations (when being outraised by a rival) - the power and temptation of the One True Ring

Winning any state primary - V-E Day, the Battle of Agincourt, the Seige of Yorktown, the sinking of the Armada, and the destruction of the Death Star (both times) rolled into one.

[recursivelyenumerable]

Winning any state primary - V-E Day, the Battle of Agincourt, the Seige of Yorktown, the sinking of the Armada, and the destruction of the Death Star (both times) rolled into one.

  Like a George Lucas intercutting-between-battle-scenes finale, but with added profound historical insight!

[Phoenix Dark]

Winning any state primary - V-E Day, the Battle of Agincourt, the Seige of Yorktown, the sinking of the Armada, and the destruction of the Death Star (both times) rolled into one.

  Like a George Lucas intercutting-between-battle-scenes finale, but with added profound historical insight!

[Oblivion]

What's the Newt-quivalent of 9/11? Losing the primary?

[Great Rumbler]

Newt Gingrich voiced enthusiasm for Mitt Romney's Massachusetts health-care law when it was passed five years ago, the same plan he has been denouncing over the past few months as he campaigned for the Republican presidential nomination.

"The health bill that Governor Romney signed into law this month has tremendous potential to effect major change in the American health system," said an April 2006 newsletter published by Mr. Gingrich's former consulting company, the Center for Health Transformation.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204296804577123043147395330.html

Hahaha

[Mandark]

I think we all know the real lesson now.

If you want to get elected, never start a newsletter.

[Phoenix Dark]

[Howard Alan Treesong]

I think we all know the real lesson now.

If you want to get elected, never start a newsletter.

Newsletters are Twitter for the Boomer generation!

[Human Snorenado]

If Ron Paul wins the Iowa caucuses, do you think we'll be lucky enough to have FoC come back?

[Phoenix Dark]

Nah, he's probably living the high life in Somalia by now

[Oblivion]

“Every barrel of oil that comes out of those sands in Canada is a barrel of oil that we don’t have to buy from a foreign source,” Mr. Perry said in Clarinda, earning a loud round of enthusiastic applause.

[Joe Molotov]

51st State 

[Phoenix Dark]

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/donald-trump-dog-whistles-another-fact-free-racist-conspiracy-about-obama-video.php?ref=fpblg
 

[drew]

wow @ that website

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/ron-paul-hired-anti-gay-activist-to-run-iowa-campaign.php?ref=fpa

"in this article we deliberately mislead you with a sensationalistic title and an equally misleading photo that falsely implies that Ron Paul said in a speech that he wants to kill gays in an effort to gain religious fringe votes, while the person who the article is actually about isn't mentioned until well within the actual body of text"

stay classy pd

[Phoenix Dark]

....

[Mandark]

Yeah PD, stop posting stories from a site where other, unrelated stories are given overwrought headlines!

Uncle drew, tell us about the conspiracies behind vaccination and water fluoridation.

[drew]

so i take it you're a fan of mandatory vaccination programs and bathing your guts in unnecessary chemicals?

if you're implying that i get my "news" from infowars you can stop hissing at me, i hadn't heard of that hilarious piece of internet until this very thread when our very own boogie mentioned it

[TakingBackSunday]

....I'm a supporter of both of those things

[Phoenix Dark]

On a side note, a co-worker's mother recently had what seemed to be a stroke after Christmas. Turns out it was some strain of meningitis; she's a high school teacher. She had never had a shot to protect against it.

anyway back on subject, carry on Drew

[Mandark]

Everyone knows meningitis is caused by drinking pasteurized milk as mandated by the FDA, PD.  Don't be a noob.

so i take it you're a fan of... bathing your guts in unnecessary chemicals?

If you saw what I eat, you'd know there was no need to ask this question.  Also, Cormac might slap me through the internet.

And "bwuh?" to infowars.  I'm just funnin' on Ron Paul fans' tendencies towards alternative epistemologies and almost maternal protectiveness of the good doctor.

[TakingBackSunday]

bububu even babies love ron paul!!!!



:barf

[drew]

....I'm a supporter of both of those things

is that a joke about drinking alcohol? a man as smart as you couldn't possibly want their local government to be tasked with brushing your own god damn teeth.

[Mandark]

Really drew, nobody's stopping your from digging your own well, or desalinating your own saltwater, a la Voyage of the Mimi.

[Human Snorenado]

As Iowa nears, Santorum froths up the polls

Yesssss!  Spread, Santorum, spread!

[drew]

i actually have both of those things, a well up in Michigan at the lake house and an under the sink filter for my parents house here in Ohio.  i just want to yell at people about how they live their lives from a desk chair like every other god fearing American on this here internet :'(

[Mandark]

Santorum, with all his frothiness and unlikability, would probably be the trickiest opponent for Romney, in that he's never done anything obviously "wrong" by conservative standards and seems to have no personal scandals.

I still think Romney's a lock (and wish I could have bet money on him at 5-1), but it would be a lot easier to train his fire on Gingrich or Paul.

[TakingBackSunday]

....I'm a supporter of both of those things

is that a joke about drinking alcohol? a man as smart as you couldn't possibly want their local government to be tasked with brushing your own god damn teeth.

A man as stupid as you would say that

[drew]

slick rebuttal brah

[Mandark]

This is why the flattery-as-argument gambit is so risky.  What can you do now, say "I always secretly thought you were dumb"?

[Phoenix Dark]

Santorum, with all his frothiness and unlikability, would probably be the trickiest opponent for Romney, in that he's never done anything obviously "wrong" by conservative standards and seems to have no personal scandals.

I still think Romney's a lock (and wish I could have bet money on him at 5-1), but it would be a lot easier to train his fire on Gingrich or Paul.

He voted for Medicare part D!

[Mandark]

I would actually love to see Romney decide to seize on that and wind up running against Medicare.

[AdmiralViscen]

i actually have both of those things, a well up in Michigan at the lake house and an under the sink filter for my parents house here in Ohio.  i just want to yell at people about how they live their lives from a desk chair like every other god fearing American on this here internet :'(

You live with your parents?

[Dickie Dee]

Self-sufficiency!

[Mupepe]

the free market has guided drew there. 

[benjipwns]

Fox News seems to be in full pro-Santorum mode (he's a policy wonk, with experience!), but they don't realize it's already over:

Just days before the critical Iowa caucus, Ron Paul has secured a major endorsement – from Kelly Clarkson.

The “American Idol” winner expressed her support for the Republican presidential candidate on Twitter.

“I love Ron Paul,” Clarkson wrote on Thursday. “I liked him a lot during the last republican nomination and no one gave him a chance. If he wins the nomination for the Republican party in 2012 he’s got my vote. Too bad he probably won’t.”

She explained, “Ron Paul is about letting people decide, not the government. I am for this.”

http://www.gossipcop.com/kelly-clarkson-ron-paul-endorsement-support-president-2012-republican-twitter/

[MrAngryFace]

This should be in the dictionary under "confidence"

[Human Snorenado]

When Ron Paul says he's about letting "people" decide, obviously he's referring to corporations, because they're people too!

[Mupepe]

He's all for letting people decide and obviously those with the most money get the biggest voice.  Obviously.  I mean, they've earned it through the free market and hard work.

[Great Rumbler]

This should be in the dictionary under "confidence"

(Image removed from quote.)

Geez.

[Phoenix Dark]

I saw an article on Red State (by Erickson) slamming Santorum for his sins against conservative principles - for medicare part d, against NAFTA, voting for the minimum wage, etc.

The obvious question becomes: what do republicans want? Erickson is clearly against Romney, yet he has trashed every anti-Romney. Now he's arguing Santorum has no money and therefore a media led surge for him will only hurt the candidates that have a shot at beating Romney - Perry, Bachman, and Gingrich. You know, the three candidates he and other conservatives trashed at one point.

Romney will probably cruise to the nomination, outside of losing South Carolina. Not that him winning was ever in doubt, but conservatives could have held him off if they consolidated behind one candidate. Right now Bachman, Perry, and Santorum all have around 10% in Iowa - together that's 30% that's against Romney; hell include Gingrich's support and you're at like 43%.

[Human Snorenado]

Republicans want a candidate who doesn't exist- some sort of absolutely pure representation of movement Conservatism.  It ain't out there, because the essence of actually governing is compromising, which the GOP electorate want nothing to do with, as evidenced with the spread of Teahadism, etc etc etc, ad infinitum, blah blah blah. 

[Howard Alan Treesong]

Republicans want a candidate who doesn't exist- some sort of absolutely pure representation of movement Conservatism.  It ain't out there, because the essence of actually governing is compromising, which the GOP electorate want nothing to do with, as evidenced with the spread of Teahadism, etc etc etc, ad infinitum, blah blah blah.

To wit: