I hate doing that.. :D

'nuff said... :D

Mea culpa....

Let me amend my statement to read...

"This is why I hate political fanatics so much"... :D

Michale...

The text under the ad in question:

This full-page ad, purchased by a Ron Paul supporter, will run in the Austin Chronicle next week. ((Image via Salon.com))

What were you saying again?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/post/have-you-ever-had-sex-with-rick-perry--the-wishful-ad-ad-hominem/2011/08/18/gIQA8emzNJ_blog.html

This is why I say with complete and utter certainty that there really is no difference between political fanatics, whether they are from the Right or from the Left...

Michale.....

I'd check some polls in Alaska after she quit. Her home state doesn't feel the same way about Palin now as it used to.

Of course not...

If you kept hearing rumors that your best friend was a child molester, the friendship would cool, wouldn't it?

Here's one for you: whatever we all think of her, do you think Palin's going to run, or not?

I think it's as you say.. If Perry or Bachmann make a huge campaign-effecting gaffe in the next 4-5 weeks, Palin will jump in..

Barring that, I see Palin fading away.. The worst part of THAT scenario is I will have to admit that Bashi was right.

I hate doing that.. :D

Michale.....

I think the most interesting difference between SP and MB is the fact that Bachmann seems capable of learning. She is getting a lot more polished in interviews and debates. SP is the same as she ever was.

Michale [30] -

I'd check some polls in Alaska after she quit. Her home state doesn't feel the same way about Palin now as it used to.

DerFarm [31] -

Technical note: just post the link's text in (complete with the http at the front of it) on its own line, in your comments. The software will automatically turn it into an active link for you.

Michale [32] -

To see the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle at work, you'd need something like a cyclotron, and not a microscope, you are correct.

Michale [33] -

I think the funniest thing about the "treason" uproar is the fact that George W. Bush appointed Bernanke. But maybe that's just me, I dunno...

Here's one for you: whatever we all think of her, do you think Palin's going to run, or not?

-CW

When was the last time you had to solve X for 8+x=10 in your daily life????

But, once again, you prove my point for me..

Would any of those questions you stated had been a problem if Palin wasn't picked for VP???

Apparently, she was doing fine as AK Guv without knowing all those all-important facts that you deem so vital to know...

I consider myself very knowledgeable in my field..

Yet, I don't know where the 2nd Revolutionary War battle was fought..

I don't know how old J Q Adams was when he became a founding father...

I don't know who moved IN GOD WE TRUST around on the money...

And, ya know what's funny??

A} I don't really care...

and

2} It's absolutely and totally NOT relevant to my line of work... (I am a computer geek who can disassemble a laptop blindfolded and reassemble it and have it work perfectly)

Palin may not have all the intelligence of, say Barack Obama....

But, as we have seen in Obama, simply being intelligence is no guarantee of good leadership..

I (and most every day Americans) would prefer a person who has actually RUN something (a state, a business) as opposed to someone who knows where the 2nd Revolutionary War battle was fought or who was on First or What was on Second....

Michale.....

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/plan-b-for-obama-family-vacation/1186156

Who knew that Obama would actually NEED Rahm, eh?? :D

Michale.....

I'm not really worried about "hysterical, frantic" ravings about a woman who states:

the 2nd battle of the Revolutionary war was in New Hampshire

The founding fathers worked tirelessly to outlaw the slavery they enshrined in the Constitution and earlier in the articles of Confederation.

John Q. Adams was a founding father of the US ... at the age of 9

The Founding Fathers said the pledge of Allegience which was written in 1892 .. including the phrase "under God" which was added in 1954

Democrats moved the words "In God we trust" around on the money (it was Bush I)

Most VPs have never met a foreign head of state prior to election (only Spiro Agnew fit that particular bill)

and on, and on, and on.

I have no idea of her intelligence, but she sure doesn't seem to learn much before she starts talking.

Ya'all take Perry to task for accusing Bernanke of "treason"...

But isn't that what Obama, Reid et al are doing when they claim that the GOP is putting Party before Country???

Michale.....

Ok, the trailer park comment was out of bounds, and I'll not repeat that type of garbage again without some kind of verifiable proof

Sadly, it's the kind of rhetoric that has come to be expected from the Left regarding Palin.

I am heartened to see you recognize that...

As to the rest, consider this...

It is likely that, had Palin NOT been tapped for VP and NOT become the target of vitriolic hatred and hysterical attacks from the Left, it is likely she would still be the Governor of Alaska who holds the highest popularity of any governor in the nation...

It is only AFTER she gained the attention of the violent and hysterical Left, that her ratings started going down..

Now, call me silly, but it's not a HUGE stretch to think that the unfair and vicious attacks had SOMETHING to do with that...

In other words, it's the perception, not the reality...

To put it into scientific terms, it's The Observer Effect (sometimes mislabeld as the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle).

Whatever you put under a microscope, you invariably change.

Michale.....

Ok, the trailer park comment was out of bounds, and I'll not repeat that type of garbage again without some kind of verifiable proof.

As far as why Palin's negatives are so high, who cares? Favorability scores are temporary and seldom stay steady until the politician is dead (re: Reagan, Johnson, Nixon).

Alternatively, unfavorabillity scores tend to only go up, especially when the figure in question is well known. I can't think of anyone other than Obama that is more well known that SP.

Palin's current unfavorability is 53-57% (huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/19/sarah-palin-unfavorability-rating-poll_n_810842.html).

As far as having the highest rating of any governor, once again: Who Cares? Her current approval rating in Alaska is in the pits: 36%

dittmanresearch.com/pdfs/Political%20Approval%20Ratings%20Statewide%20March%202011.pdf

Note that Begich, Murkowski, and Young have approval ratings of 57,71, and 65.

Except for the fact that SP had THE highest rating of any governor...

The ONLY reason that Palin's negatives are so high is because of the shrill, hysterical and unfounded attacks from the Left on Palin and her family...

Michale.....

I just read your comment on Sister Sarah entering the Pres race on the HuffPo crossposting. I think you are missing a very important point:

Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin are the same person as far as politics goes. However MB seems to be more intelligent, has a better organization, more access to varied money pots, and is simply more vicious than SP. This is not to say that SP won't THINK about jumping in, but that thought will quickly be shot down by supporters who have already jumped on MB's bandwagon.

Not only do I think that SP won't jump in, but I think that MB will be cutting her knees off at the hips very soon. It will not have been missed that Sarah Palin has the highest negatives of any politician currently living including Jerry Brown. No way MB's campaign leadership is going to passively allow SP to screw up by opening her mouth at the wrong time without at least trying to control her.

It would be easy to see SP living in a trailor park in OK. Not so with MB.

You cannot as a US citizen sell certain technology to anyone (at one time, it was illegal to sell the Commodore 64 in Sweden, certain cryptography cannot be sold anywhere, ...). In fact, you can be charged with violating US law for simply doing unpaid research into cyptography. Been there, done that.

True... But the examples you give have National Security/Public Safety implications and, as such, a whole new rulebook comes into play at that point...

Regardless, you prove my point for me..

If you wanted to sell a C-64 in Sweden, you would be attempting commerce.. Once you enter into commerce, Congress has the authority to regulate how you do that commerce up to, AND including, telling you that you can't..

To tweak your example to be more reflective of the here and now, it would be as if Congress FORCED you to buy a C-64 because, if you didn't, you might not get smart and that could adversely effect the welfare of the country...

I know, it sounds silly.. But no more silly than Congress forcing an American to buy health insurance simply because they MIGHT need health care in the future...

Michale....

The forced trade/non-trade thing? It's already there.

You cannot, as a US citizen trade with several countries of the world.

You cannot as a US citizen sell certain technology to anyone (at one time, it was illegal to sell the Commodore 64 in Sweden, certain cryptography cannot be sold anywhere, ...). In fact, you can be charged with violating US law for simply doing unpaid research into cyptography. Been there, done that.

Since corporations are now "people" then extending the laws controlling the interstate corporations to protoplasmic people is a very short step.

By declaring that the law intrudes upon areas constitutionally not under the commerce clause, it would seem to invalidate the mandate and, by extension, the whole package.

I would think it would be more than "seem"... The Commerce Clause gives Congress the ability to "regulate" Commerce...

There is no commerce if an American decides not to purchase Health Insurance...

What Democrats and President Obama took upon themselves is the ability to FORCE commerce rather than regulate it..

If this mandate passes constitutional muster, it will set a VERY dangerous precedent...

Just imagine what a future administration could force Americans to buy, using the "welfare of the country" as it's excuse...

We won't always have a Dem President or a Dem controlled Congress. Are ya'all SURE you want this kind of power in the hands of a GOP Administration???

Michale.....

Why would the Supremes not deal with a "badly written, too open for interpretation" law? By declaring that the law intrudes upon areas constitutionally not under the commerce clause, it would seem to invalidate the mandate and, by extension, the whole package. This court is certainly activist enough to break new constitutional ground in support of the corporate agenda.

With the 5-4 support for R candidates, it would appear to be ready made to give a boost to whoever wins the nomination on the right. Invalidating an achievement that the President will probably be running on would appear to be the most help the Court could give the R's this year ... assuming they don't have the chance to do another Florida.

Uh, LB... You DO realize that we already have Predator drones on the border, right??

DN! Predator Drones to Begin Patrolling Texas-Mexico Border
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k07QnmNbTD4

At last count, I think there are about 4....

On a lighter note, Michale, I still haven't had time to read that 11th decision on the mandate, although I scanned a bit over lunch today. It looks like the court is saying, in effect, it's badly written law, which doesn't sufficiently define the activities and applications it covers to keep it within constitutionally acceptable exercise of the commerce powers. If that impression is right, then this one is not the one which will go to the S.C

OK, sounds good.

But what's your thoughts on the mandate itself??

NYpoet,

All right, look, there's only one "Return," okay, and it ain't "of the King," it's "of the Jedi."
~Clerks 2

"That right thar was funny as hell, I tell yooo waat!"
-Larry The Cable Guy

:D

Michale......

All right, look, there's only one "Return," okay, and it ain't "of the King," it's "of the Jedi."
~Clerks 2

But he does have a high degree of likability. President Clinton insightfully recognized him in a speech last night as a good looking "rascal." He's 61, and could be a poster gov for the "60 is the New 40" movement which is personally important to me (as it is, I'm sure, to W.J. Clinton as well).

He's also a man of internal contradictions. I have a photo of him in downtown Austin, holding a revolver high in the air, arm outstretched, his uniformed state bodyguard walking somewhat sheepishly aside him. Now, I swear, judging from the barrel and handle sweep, the gun is a Ruger .22 magnum Hunter. If I'm right, I'm puzzled: why would he pack anything smaller than a .308?

On a lighter note, Michale, I still haven't had time to read that 11th decision on the mandate, although I scanned a bit over lunch today. It looks like the court is saying, in effect, it's badly written law, which doesn't sufficiently define the activities and applications it covers to keep it within constitutionally acceptable exercise of the commerce powers. If that impression is right, then this one is not the one which will go to the S.C.

The two Wisconsin recall elections (against sitting Dem's) were won both in walks. Turnout, turnout, turnout.

On the republican side I'm rooting for Ron Paul. I don't think he would be good the country over all but he would be by far the most entertaining president. I especially like his ideas for Letter Of Marque And Reprisal, though I'm not sure if he is running on it this time around.

I have also heard it referred to as a "Police Mortuary Bus"... :D

By the by....

"Welcome to the party, pal!!!"
-John McClane, DIE HARD

:D

Don't worry. You get used to it... :D

Michale.....

copied from RadioPatriot:

UPDATE: Rush Limbaugh calling it a “Hearse”. LOL…. Let’s hope it’s a harbinger of things to come with Obammy’s presidency…DOA.

But then, that's probably evidence of a mis-spent youth I suppose.

This user said that Obama's bus "looks like a Battle Transport bus from Mordor..." :D

I had to share that... :D

Michale.....

I have to admit.. "Treasonous" is much to harsh a term to describe the printing of money as a solution to the crappy economy...

"Utterly and completely moronic" is a much more apt term.....

Michale.....

The nice thing about having a GOP defeating President Obama is that the practice of throwing our allies under the bus will stop...

Michale.....

Do you have control over that setting, CW??

Maybe up it to allow 2 or 3 links??

Michale.....

My comment on Perry not playing well was addressing the entire electorate, not just the R primary voters. However, even among them, you can talk yourself out of public office.

I would refer you to Anne Richards vs. Clayton Williams for the Texas Governorship. 3 months prior to the election, Claytie was 26 points ahead in the polls (and the polls were right). She won by 3 points. I'll grant you that the comments that lost Williams the election were not at all about policy, but then Perry is feeling pretty empowered right about now, has a history of glad handing and loose lips, and he hasn't really been exposed to the kind of scrutiny he's going to get. He'll run his mouth at the wrong time.

Even among Republicans, calling someone a traitor is rather extreme ... and Perry is not the kind of person who can lawyer his way out of stuff like this.

As far as 3rd party goes, I believe (tho I can't swear to it) that all states have a right wing party on the ballot. AIP throughout the South, Conservative Party in the NE, anti-Tax Party in most of the Mountain West, and some others. I agree with what you are saying, there will probably not be a significant 3rd party THIS time, but the political vehicles are there.

It can't happen, on any meaningful scale. Sure, some of them may collect signatures for some unknown to get on the ballot, but not the movement as a whole.

Firing some Extremist member of Congress for being only 99% lunatic instead of the required 100%, that's different. It gains them power. It proves that they can, and keeps the rest in line. Same way for primary challenges in Congress. Failing to show up for one presidential election in four gains them power: it proves they're a high-maintenance but necessary part of the Party.

But having an outright schism would lose them power. They will never do it.

"Treasonous" plays well in the Texas right, the Deep South and Idaho. Elswhere? Not so much.

Even among Republican primary voters?

Not as much as the black guy in the White House

I can't believe that Romney would accept anyone currently running as VP, except possibly Herman Cain.

1. Palin has already shown her VP colors with McCain. No way control freaks like Romney's campaign people will put up with that.

2. Perry could easily upstage Romney. He is much more charismatic and frankly, he is not needed. Perry's strength is TX and the Deep South. If anyone truly believes that Obama has a chance at anything from TX to the Atlantic, south of the Ohio, I've got land in SE Louisiana I'd like to talk to them about (Except possibly FL or NC).

4. Bachmann would be an intriguing call. But I'd be surprised if she would accept. Remember, 2016 is not that far away, and a MN senate seat is coming up in 2014 (a LIBERAL seat, no less). It would be a conflict between her desire for the immediate illusion of power ("VP is not worth a bucket of warm spit") vs her willningness to wait for real power (Fewer Senators than Congresspeople). "'Tis a puzzlement".

5. Herman Cain would would be asset. While he has no actual power base, he is not negatively associated in the minds of most people. The R's have for decades struggled to maintain a facade of racial equality but the musing of actual governors and senators and congress people keep putting false to the idea (I attended Ole Miss in '69 and '74. Haley Barbour no more believes what he said than the man in the moon).

The only way the baggers would revolt and run a serious 3rd party campaign is as a deliberate spoiler to Romney. Running deliberate spoiler candidates is an excellent way to get castrated. Romney might not be liked, indeed, might be actively hated in some circles. But not as much as the black guy.

"Treasonous" plays well in the Texas right, the Deep South and Idaho. Elswhere? Not so much.

First off, welcome to the site. Your first comment was held for moderation, but now that it has been approved, you should be able to post comments instantly. Unless (see the other comments to this article) you post more than one link per comment. The way to avoid this is to only post one link per comment, as dsws said.

That's an interesting take on Bachmann v. Perry -- I always think of Midwesterners as incredibly polite and likeable people (full disclosure: I was born in the Midwest, actually), and my trip last summer to Minneapolis reinforced this belief. But, as you say, there's a darker strain to this as well. As well as a feisty strain -- before we had Arnie Schwartzenegger out here as a politician, there was Jesse Ventura.

How do you think Perry's going to play out on the campaign trail? Texas swagger may not go over well everywhere, but I can see him doing well in the South, and possibly the West as well. I've heard (secondhand) two things about Perry that seem to be contradictory -- that's he's a great campaigner, and that he's dumb as a bag of hammers. Maybe it's the "street smart/book smart" thing you were talking about, I'm not sure.

Anyway, I have a question for you: if Romney does win it, and if he doesn't pick Bachmann or Perry (or Palin), what do you think the chances are that the Tea Party will revolt and run their own third-party candidate?

Just curious, and as I said, welcome to the site.

-CW

TPaw was an extension of his upbringing: thoughtful, cautious, and willing to believe the best of most people. That is what made his hard right tack to the looney bin so painful. It was false.

Bachmann, on the other hand, is practically the reverse. Her brand of self-righteous aggrandizement can be found throughout the upper mid-west. Joe McCarthy is a direct, political forbear. She has applied the squeaky wheel theorem to the max. By intimidation and isolation she has become the direct lineal descendant of Joe McCarthy. Her results will be approximately the same.

Perry, is not at all the same as Bachman, even though they may appear to have the much the same base. Perry, is a Bubba. He isn't too intelligent, but he is smart ... street smart. And that will be his downfall. Perry truly believes that the majority of Americans believe in pretty much everything he believes. He's right about that in Texas (to a certain degree), but it isn't true in the rest of America, and he's not intelligent enough to mask that in a public forum. Bachmann and Romney will crucify him.

Romney is casting himself as the adult in the room. And he's right. Unfortunately, the support for adults is limited to what he has now.

My money is Romney to end up the nominee.

The baggers will pretty much sit this one out as far as enthusiastic support goes. Which will put paid to the Republican hopes for the White House.

I hope.

Another way is just to drop the 'http://www' from the link and italicize it...

Reader can't click on it, but it's not too much trouble to cut n paste.

Michale...

Aha! It's the multiple links that the software is catching. If you post two or more links in a single comment, it automatically gets held for moderation...

Your comment is approved now, and ready to go.

-CW

You send me a trackback or something? Let me go check...

-CW

A while back I wrote,

Are we heading toward a vanity nominee? The top tier doesn't sound very top-tier so far.
http://www.chrisweigant.com/2011/05/11/the-full-2012-republican-field/#comment-14419

and

I still have trouble believing in the front-runner status of either of the front-runners.

My picks at this point are Huntsman, Pawlenty, Perry.
http://www.chrisweigant.com/2011/06/13/the-2012-republican-presidential-field/#comment-14734

Romney is pretty clearly "the front-runner", but with the "corporations are people" gaffe and the lack of enthusiasm for a Massachusetts flip-flopper, it's still hard to see him getting the nod when they think they can get a winner farther to the right.