Tuesday Open Thread [3.24.15]
“I wish Reagan would rise from the dead and come back.” — Pat Robertson, on his television show The 700 Club, while noting President Obama “does not believe in America” and was mentored by “leftists who don’t really love this country.” Ah yes, Pat Robertson, who runs the Christian “700 Club” that of course believes in a wonderous heavenly after life, endorsing the return of Zombie Reagan, which seems somewhat blasphemous to me.
Once again, our real headlines have become the Onion. Here is a segment the Onion did a number of years ago.
Ted Cruz on moderates or the establishment (which really go hand in hand) winning the White House for the GOP:
It is amazing that the wisdom of the chattering class to the Republicans is always, always, always ‘Surrender your principles and agree with the Democrats,’ ” he told me. “That’s been true for my entire lifetime. The chattering classes have consistently said, ‘You crazy Republicans have to give up on what you believe and become more like Democrats.’ And, I would note, every time Republicans do that we lose.” Cruz then offered a short history of recent Presidential politics. Richard Nixon ran as a conservative, twice a winner; Gerald Ford, moderate, loser; Ronald Reagan, also twice a winner. “President George Herbert Walker Bush ran as a strong conservative, ran to continue the third term of Ronald Reagan, continue the Ronald Reagan revolution,” Cruz went on. “Then he raised taxes and in ’92 ran as an establishment moderate—same candidate, two very different campaigns. First one won, second one lost. In 1996, you got Bob Dole; 2000 and 2004, you have George W. Bush; 2008, John McCain; 2012, Mitt Romney. And what does the entire D.C. Republican consulting class say? ‘In 2016, we need another establishment moderate!’ Hasn’t worked in four decades. ‘But next time will be the time!’ ”
Notice how Cruz kinda skips over George W. Bush? Yeah, because George W. Bush ruins his little history lesson. George W. Bush ran as a compassionate conservative and he obfuscated any difference between him and Al Gore. That is hardly standing on conservative principles. That is catering to the moderate center. And Bush won. I know, I know, he didn’t really win, but he won. And Bush was far and away the Establishment candidate. Meanwhile, certainly McCain and Romney were Establishment candidates, but they ran conservative campaigns.
Former Secretary of State James Baker harshly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, echoing White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough’s comments earlier in the day, Haaretz reports.
Baker acknowledged his disappointment with “the lack of progress regarding a lasting peace,” saying that the chances for a two-state solution diminished since Netanyahu’s reelection last week. Baker further slammed Netanyahu’s “diplomatic missteps and political gamesmanship,” saying that the prime minister’s “actions have not matched his rhetoric.”
So I guess John McCain will now say former Republican Secretary of State James Baker should get over his temper tantrum.
CHICAGO MAYOR—Ogden & Fry: Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) 49, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (D) 32.
Your anti-zombie bias is showing. They prefer the term “undead Americans.”
Great clip. It is astonishing to me that the Zombie Reagan vibe is far less creepy than the Ted Cruz vibe.
I just can’t with Ted Cruz. I know what’s coming. The base loves him which means, while he may go the way of Santorum and Herman Cain, he’ll hang on for longer than he deserves. These people get far too close to the Presidency for my comfort.
As far as I’m concerned the presidential campaign is vaudeville. No need to pay attention. Decide early and ride it out… I’ve already decided myself. I’m writing in Shirley Chisholm on my ballot.
I think Ted Cruz is creepy. But then, I thought the living Reagan was creepy too
Quote of the day:
“You know, music is interesting. I grew up listening to classic rock and I’ll tell you sort of an odd story. My music tastes changed on 9/11. And it’s a very strange—I actually, intellectually, find this very curious, but on 9/11, I didn’t like how rock music responded. And country music collectively, the way they responded, it resonated with me and I have to say, it—just as a gut level, I had an emotional reaction that says, ‘These are my people.’ And so ever since 2001 I listen to country music, but I’m an odd country music fan because I didn’t listen to it prior to 2001.” –Ted Cruz
Where does one even begin with this? The phoniness, the pandering, the childish logic… but, hey, it played well in the focus groups of Christian Fundamentalists in the south who masturbate to back issues of Field and Stream. He was right about one thing. It is an odd story.
Oh my. He couldn’t just add country music to his playlist, along with rock music? He had to spurn rock music? Pandering, phoniness and childish logic is a kind, if accurate, description. 🙂 I’m telling ya, I’m not going to make it thru this political season.
He can’t win, and his presence actually helps Jeb Bush more than any of the other candidates. Not only do the wingnuts have to split their votes among more candidates, every whackjob thing he says will make Bush look like the grownup in the room.
@DG – That story is appalling.
@Geezer – he might help Bush win the primary, but Jeb will be required to say some outlandishly wingnut things that he regret in the general.
Ted Cruz’s history lesson also underscores a second point–the GOP has won the popular vote in a presidential contest only one time (2004) since 1988. That’s one time in nearly 30 years.
Ted Cruz is the creepy pastor you don’t let your kids spend a weekend retreat with
Reagan you didn’t let your kids spend time with because he’d forget them on the trail
“Ted Cruz is the creepy pastor you don’t let your kids spend a weekend retreat with.”
Mrs (Not so) Liberal said this exact thing yesterday. Nearly word for word.
Reagan already rose from the dead (brain-dead) midway through his first term and again twice during his second term. Little known fact is that during his last four years he was resurrected as a Henson Muppet and no one was the wiser except Nancy when she noticed the jellybeans were untouched. Another little known factoid is that Pat Robertson has been dead for almost three decades but they keep hosing him down with Formaldehyde to slow the normal process of decomposition. God bless you Pat, you’re the gift that keeps giving to Agnostics.
John Kowalko
Yeah, makes me wonder if their is any tipping point of pandering that even shames those being pandered to.. Country Music, lol. He’s definitely got the angry white rube vote locked up. Sad how much of that there is in this country. Ironically little different than fundamentalist Muslims..
Bush won 5 to 4
Anyone know the easiest Bus to take to NYC? Leave from Rehoboth or Dover?