Another marvelous day in Tampa, Fantasy Land*.
The doomed project of "humanizing" GOP candidate "I, RomnBot" continues with an incredible cast of losers:
- Mitch McConnell, a poster child for the GOP's obstructiveness in DC, criticizing the Democrats for being divisive
- Rand Paul, undeterred by the video eulogy for his not-dead-yet dad (persona non grata in the fakely harmonious reunion), delivered a more or less edulcorated version of the familial mantra, punctuated by one or two mentions of the official candidate
- John McCain, who wished he came "under other circumstances", completed the consistent "support" of an utterly divided party to an utterly flip-flop candidate: Rand Paul asked for less defense? John McCain asked for more defense, simple as that. Republicans, when Romney adresses RNC 2016, you'll feel as relieved he wasn't elected as you are now listening to this guy.
- Bobby Jindal didn't show up thanks to Hurricane Isaac, the perfect alibi to skip the embarrassing display of hypocrisy and denial.
- Rob Portman said something true: "blaming others doesn't qualify as a plan". Right. That's why the GOP doesn't qualify as a ruling party. He went on to tell a "classic American story", using his dad's entrepreneur aura for political purposes just like Mitt. Who built it? Not you guys.
- Tim Pawlenty brought tears to my face. This man is so funnily pathetic. No one laughed when he criticized Obama for being the POTUS who spends most time on holidays and golf: all other Republicans have an elephant memory long enough to remember George W. Bush. Actually, Dubya and 41 showed up on the screen. They didn't want to be associated with this comedy and just chatted by the green, remembering the good old days when they roamed the Oval Office.
- A Mike Huckabee look-alike hijacked the stage, and for one moment, I almost believed it was the same guy who kept bashing Mitt Romney on FoxNews.
- Then came Condescending Rice. The woman who contributed to the worst foreign affair messes in US history dared give a few lessons to a man who received a Nobel Peace Prize for restoring America's credibility worldwide, and got rid of Bin Laden and Gaddafi without losing one soldier. Condi Rice also dared bring up 9/11 and the way true leaders should react to crisis: by reading "My Pet Goat"? She went on and dared speak about how we should stand up against tyrants, she who sat while playing the piano for Vladimir Putin... Shameless, and proud of it.
- I'm glad Susana Martinez wasn't the last speaker tonight: by many standards, she was the ideal running mate for Romney. But by saying "no more barriers", she did nothing less than advertise for Obama's immigration policies and against Romney's program. The thing is, as soon as someone starts saying something sensible in this convention, it always sounds like an echo to the Obama-Biden campaign, and a condemnation of the Romney-Ryan ticket.
- If Paul Ryan's speech sounds familiar, that's because it was written by the same guy who carved those of Sarah Palin, Dick Cheney, and Dan Quayle, the man I keep seeing each time Ryan appears in public. Some guy may look likeable and full of humor, so was George W. Bush, also a man with more than radical and dangerous visions. Like all others, Paul Ryan lied. And I still can't believe how he dared bring up GM against Obama. Maybe he didn't vet his running mate carefully enough. Worse: the factory he said closed after Obama pledged to save it? It went down under Dubya's watch.
This convention is as outrageous as pathetic. At least, before, enemies showed up in person. Even McCain claimed 99% of the delegates in the end (only 90% for Romney).
Tomorrow, Newt Gingrich will show up in person. He wasn't allowed a prime time slot of course. But I can't wait to read between his acid lines.
Mitt Romney will close the farce. After Marco Rubio, probably his second choice if Ryan hadn't pass the cut. Not as good an orator as the Wisconsin representative, but precisely: Romney is such a downer, the damage will already be half done.
Rubio's job will be to sell Romney as a Tea Party compatible product, and maybe to to prepare the audience for another hurricane: his former rival for Florida Charlie Crist will speak at the Democratic National Convention.
So far, he's been the only (former) Republican to tell the truth: "An element of (the) party has pitched so far to the extreme right on issues important to women, immigrants, seniors and students that they've proven incapable of governing for the people".
blogules 2012
Since 2003, nonsensical posts about noncritical issues in nonenglish (get your blogules transfusion in French)
NEW: join blogules on Facebook!!!
* see "Total Un-Recall: RNC 2012 In Denial, Welcome to Tampa, FL (Fantasy Land)" and "Attack of the GOP First Lady Wannabe clones"
Showing posts with label Tim Pawlenty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tim Pawlenty. Show all posts
20120830
20111011
Grand Old Parting - enter the anticons
Just a few months left before the NH kickoff, but the Republican primaries have already entertained us with series of debates and debacles.
Among the "quitters", Sarah Palin refused to follow Segolene Royal in a doomed candidacy (the French diva who rocked the 2007 presidential elections claimed only 7% of the votes in the first round of the Socialist primaries). Tim Pawlenty illustrated the Peter Principle by exposing his incompetence as early as he postulated for the job. Donald Trump made us laugh with his usual roaring 80s / toupee in fire routine. Chris Christie didn't even try to run - the New Jersey heavyweight will have to find other ways of getting fit.
Among the "no shows", Bobby Jindal or Charlie Crist seem to focus on 2016... or poised to become "has-beens that never were".
Among the "Tea Partiers", Michele Bachmann is the most likely to cause durable damage withing GOP ranks. Libertarian in Chief Ron Paul (I won't even mention Gary Johnson) cannot rise as high as MB in the polls, and he will not try a Ross Perot diversion.
Yet, letting Tea Partiers run by themselves would be the smart choice for Republicans. As we all know, the Grand Old Party never recovered from the 2004 implosion (see "GOP: time to split"), and those paleocon-neocon-theocon divisions have been amplified by the emergence of yet another torpedo, the Tea Party.
I'd rather call these guys "anticons": the Tea Party is not just an alternative to the Republican or the Democratic parties, but the very negation of the republic, the very negation of democracy. The Tea Party refuses the balance of powers, of rights and duties that forge modern democracies. Make no mistake: if this imposture claims a revival of founding principles, it ultimately seeks their destruction. And Michelle Bachmann should never be allowed to break that fragile glass floor.
What does it leave us as we speak ? Newt Gingrich ? Come on ! Rick Santorum ? That man would sign a pledge of allegiance to the Devil to get nominated. Rick Perry ? An empty shell, a Dubya clone lacking his model's conviction and clutches (Karl Rove, Dick Cheney).
Mitt Romney has tried everything he could save visiting the Discovery Institute (he changed his mind on liberal reforms, and pledged to nominate judges that would revoke Roe v. Wade, but doesn't condone creationism yet). Even though, the mormon label remains a drag.
Herman Cain seems to propose the impossible synthesis between conservatism and teapartism (a populist 9-9-9 tax plan that only flies in polls), and the African American from Georgia could challenge Obama with his corporate background (even Mitt Romney struggles against this former CEO and Federal Reserve Banker).
For the moment, the most sustainable candidate seems doomed : Jon Huntsman has decided to take the high road, the closest thing to a dead-end for a GOP candidate nowadays.
blogules 2011
Among the "quitters", Sarah Palin refused to follow Segolene Royal in a doomed candidacy (the French diva who rocked the 2007 presidential elections claimed only 7% of the votes in the first round of the Socialist primaries). Tim Pawlenty illustrated the Peter Principle by exposing his incompetence as early as he postulated for the job. Donald Trump made us laugh with his usual roaring 80s / toupee in fire routine. Chris Christie didn't even try to run - the New Jersey heavyweight will have to find other ways of getting fit.
Among the "no shows", Bobby Jindal or Charlie Crist seem to focus on 2016... or poised to become "has-beens that never were".
Among the "Tea Partiers", Michele Bachmann is the most likely to cause durable damage withing GOP ranks. Libertarian in Chief Ron Paul (I won't even mention Gary Johnson) cannot rise as high as MB in the polls, and he will not try a Ross Perot diversion.
Yet, letting Tea Partiers run by themselves would be the smart choice for Republicans. As we all know, the Grand Old Party never recovered from the 2004 implosion (see "GOP: time to split"), and those paleocon-neocon-theocon divisions have been amplified by the emergence of yet another torpedo, the Tea Party.
I'd rather call these guys "anticons": the Tea Party is not just an alternative to the Republican or the Democratic parties, but the very negation of the republic, the very negation of democracy. The Tea Party refuses the balance of powers, of rights and duties that forge modern democracies. Make no mistake: if this imposture claims a revival of founding principles, it ultimately seeks their destruction. And Michelle Bachmann should never be allowed to break that fragile glass floor.
What does it leave us as we speak ? Newt Gingrich ? Come on ! Rick Santorum ? That man would sign a pledge of allegiance to the Devil to get nominated. Rick Perry ? An empty shell, a Dubya clone lacking his model's conviction and clutches (Karl Rove, Dick Cheney).
Mitt Romney has tried everything he could save visiting the Discovery Institute (he changed his mind on liberal reforms, and pledged to nominate judges that would revoke Roe v. Wade, but doesn't condone creationism yet). Even though, the mormon label remains a drag.
Herman Cain seems to propose the impossible synthesis between conservatism and teapartism (a populist 9-9-9 tax plan that only flies in polls), and the African American from Georgia could challenge Obama with his corporate background (even Mitt Romney struggles against this former CEO and Federal Reserve Banker).
For the moment, the most sustainable candidate seems doomed : Jon Huntsman has decided to take the high road, the closest thing to a dead-end for a GOP candidate nowadays.
blogules 2011
20110728
US debt : Fools House
The debt-ceiling deadblock can be easily summed up this way : while Barack Obama is trying to prevent the economy from collapsing, John Boehner is trying to prevent the Republican party from imploding.
Of course, as we well know (see "GOP: time to split"), the said implosion started with the 2004 elections, but US voters are just beginning to understand the GOP dilemma : this party cannot at the same time win the 2012 elections and save its soul.
The only way of saving face without caving in would be to submit for vote an absurd proposal bound to crash, and to blame Democrats for the failure.
Well US voters proved that they could be fooled once (giving Newt Gingrich the right to torpedo the budget during the mid 90s), and even twice (giving GWB the right to nuke America's value and economy for four more years during the mid 2000s).
At least twice.
The other day I watched Tim Pawlenty trying to sell, on CNN's "State Of The Union", the idea that they'd been fooled one more time by Obama because the deficit tripled under his first term.
But Candy Crowley was not fooled. And she kindly reminded Pawlenty of the 2008 situation, when only he and the John McCain he campaigned for believed the US economy to be still "fundamentally sound".
Unlike Tim Pawlenty, John Boehner is not a fool.
Just a liar.
blogules 2011
Of course, as we well know (see "GOP: time to split"), the said implosion started with the 2004 elections, but US voters are just beginning to understand the GOP dilemma : this party cannot at the same time win the 2012 elections and save its soul.
The only way of saving face without caving in would be to submit for vote an absurd proposal bound to crash, and to blame Democrats for the failure.
Well US voters proved that they could be fooled once (giving Newt Gingrich the right to torpedo the budget during the mid 90s), and even twice (giving GWB the right to nuke America's value and economy for four more years during the mid 2000s).
At least twice.
The other day I watched Tim Pawlenty trying to sell, on CNN's "State Of The Union", the idea that they'd been fooled one more time by Obama because the deficit tripled under his first term.
But Candy Crowley was not fooled. And she kindly reminded Pawlenty of the 2008 situation, when only he and the John McCain he campaigned for believed the US economy to be still "fundamentally sound".
Unlike Tim Pawlenty, John Boehner is not a fool.
Just a liar.
blogules 2011
20110404
Obama 2012
Out of the blue, an e-mail from Barack, simply titled "2012"*, with a link to a YouTube video (is it "it starts with us" or "it starts with US" ?).Obama does remain the favorite for the next elections. In spite of the Mid-Term Elections disaster. In spite of the disappointment of his liberal democrat base (not very happy with the reforms' compromises and the Bush heritage (Gitmo and Iraq mess). In spite of the Republican revival (the party has split anyway, remember "GOP, time to split" ?). In spite of an army of potential opponents : Jon Huntsman, Tim Pawlenty, Donald Trump, Bobby Jindal, Mitt Romney...
Among key achievements : a Nobel Peace Prize, ambitious reforms, two moderates at the Supreme Court, diplomatic success in Tunisia, and a spectacularly improved image for the country overseas (even WikiLeaks failed to destroy it). All this while facing a major depression, the country's worst environmental disaster ever, and series of uprisings across the Muslim world...
Among key disappointments : a very poor communication for internal affairs (disconnected, maybe overprotected by Rahm Emanuel ?), and Israel for foreign affairs. The POTUS obviously spared AIPAC and finance lobbies to secure his reforms, and then to limit the damage at the mid-term elections.
Overall, Barack Hussein Obama governed from the center and rather well, even if he exposed some limits. In a perfect world, he would be easily reelected, then get rid of the Geithners and Summerses, and finally would focus on history and in particular the Israel-Palstine case. Once again thrashed, the GOP would at last start its own reforms, get rid of the Palins and Pauls, and push a moderate and pragmatic candidate for 2016.
In the worst case scenario, Americans would elect a pseudo-Republican populist impostor and irreversibly cut the country in two.
blogules 2011
* Stephane --
Today, we are filing papers to launch our 2012 campaign.
We're doing this now because the politics we believe in does not start with expensive TV ads or extravaganzas, but with you -- with people organizing block-by-block, talking to neighbors, co-workers, and friends. And that kind of campaign takes time to build.
So even though I'm focused on the job you elected me to do, and the race may not reach full speed for a year or more, the work of laying the foundation for our campaign must start today.
We've always known that lasting change wouldn't come quickly or easily. It never does. But as my administration and folks across the country fight to protect the progress we've made -- and make more -- we also need to begin mobilizing for 2012, long before the time comes for me to begin campaigning in earnest.
As we take this step, I'd like to share a video that features some folks like you who are helping to lead the way on this journey. Please take a moment to watch:
In the coming days, supporters like you will begin forging a new organization that we'll build together in cities and towns across the country. And I'll need you to help shape our plan as we create a campaign that's farther reaching, more focused, and more innovative than anything we've built before.
We'll start by doing something unprecedented: coordinating millions of one-on-one conversations between supporters across every single state, reconnecting old friends, inspiring new ones to join the cause, and readying ourselves for next year's fight.
This will be my final campaign, at least as a candidate. But the cause of making a lasting difference for our families, our communities, and our country has never been about one person. And it will succeed only if we work together.
There will be much more to come as the race unfolds. Today, simply let us know you're in to help us begin, and then spread the word:
http://my.barackobama.com/2012
Thank you,
Barack
20081113
GOP Primaries 2012 Kick-off - Charlie Crist's Second Coming
Iowa, get ready: the GOP pack is bracing itself for the 2012 Primaries.
John McCain ? declined. Sarah Palin ? you betcha*. Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee ? still there. Rudi Giuliani ? already dead.
Not yet ? Whatever. He won't run in 2012. Neither the NY Marathon, nor the Big Race. Maybe a fever, after his yearly flu shot.
One week after Obama's victory, 3 players are exuding Prez ambitions from every pore (4 if you include Condi Rice, but that goes without saying) : Bobby Jindal, Charlie Crist, and Tim Pawlenty are already campaigning.
Crist did his best to save appearances in front of cameras during John McCain's doomed campaign. A second coming of Crist in 2010 would put Florida back on the GOP map ("wasn't me"), a failure would probably condemn him to retirement in Maine (I suggest home sharing with Stephen King : Charlie keeps his sun tan alive during the summer, Steve prevents his own old bag of bones from screaming durin' 'em long yankee winters, ayuh).
CristforAmerica.com and PawlentyforAmerica.com are somehow "deja vu" too, but still available. Up to now.
JindalforAmerica.com has been booked for the long run (2016, an interesting date).
Registrant : Domain Discreet from Funchal, Portugal
Created on: 22-Sep-08 - Expires on: 22-Sep-16 - Last Updated on: 24-Sep-08
But by then, a web 3.0 candidate is likely to have come out of the blue... or even out of the red.
blogules 2009
* see "Sarah Palin and the Segolene Royal Syndrome - The GOP on the same path as the French Socialist Party"
ADDENDUM 20100211
This post recently received a visit from an interesting URL : vpn.giulianipartners.com (74.9.69.162). Yup. That's from Rudy's headquarters in 5 Times Square New York, NY 10036-6527... Sorry lads if I gave you inaccurate news regarding your dear boss.
John McCain ? declined. Sarah Palin ? you betcha*. Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee ? still there. Rudi Giuliani ? already dead.
Not yet ? Whatever. He won't run in 2012. Neither the NY Marathon, nor the Big Race. Maybe a fever, after his yearly flu shot.
One week after Obama's victory, 3 players are exuding Prez ambitions from every pore (4 if you include Condi Rice, but that goes without saying) : Bobby Jindal, Charlie Crist, and Tim Pawlenty are already campaigning.
Crist did his best to save appearances in front of cameras during John McCain's doomed campaign. A second coming of Crist in 2010 would put Florida back on the GOP map ("wasn't me"), a failure would probably condemn him to retirement in Maine (I suggest home sharing with Stephen King : Charlie keeps his sun tan alive during the summer, Steve prevents his own old bag of bones from screaming durin' 'em long yankee winters, ayuh).
Tim Pawlenty could be the reformer this party needs, but does he have the strength to run the ultimate campaign ? Can he lead and set people in motion the way Obama did ? That remains to be seen.
Bobby Jindal remains the favorite for 2012 or 2016. Besides, Obama helped his cause by breaking the biggest glass ceilings : Jindal's first name is Hindi (Piyush), and his ears are ridiculously stuck to his skull.
Let's see how those 3 not-yet-candidates perform on the web :
Anyway, 12 or 16 suck compared to 00, 04, or 08. So forget about those. And "Smith2012" sounds too much web 1.0, XXth century deja vu.CharlieCrist2012.com belongs to Joseph B Mizereck &
Associates, Inc. from Tallahassee, FL
Created on: 01-Jan-07 - Expires on:
01-Jan-10 -Last Updated on: 26-Sep-08
The domain is active (for advertising
purposes) and officially up for saleCrist2012.com belongs to Chris Stavrianos from Chicago, IL
Created on: 27-Feb-08 - Expires on: 27-Feb-11 - Last Updated on: 14-Mar-08
The domain used to be active (with scary commercial content) and up for
sale.CharlieCrist12.com and Crist12.com belong to Cadenza
Entertainment from Winter Park, FL
Created on: 30-Jan-08 - Expires on: 30-Jan-09 - Last Updated on:
30-Jan-08
Inactive (ads)BobbyJindal2012.com belongs to Mark Fricker from Newton
Square, PA
Created on: 07-Feb-08 - Expires on: 08-Feb-09 - Last Updated on:
07-Feb-08BobbyJindal12.com belongs to Rod Snyder from Naperville,
IL
Created on: 10-Oct-08 - Expires on - 10-Oct-13 - Last Updated on
12-Nov-08
Active (ads)Jindal2012.com belongs to Peter Orvetti from Washington,
DC
Created on: 22-Oct-07 - Expires on 22-Oct-12 - Last Updated on: 20-Mar-08
Domain parkedJindal12.com belongs to Brian Sabolich (Sabolich Realty)
Created on: 30-Aug-08 - Expires on: 30-Aug-09 - Last Updated on:
30-Aug-08
Domain parked.TimPawlenty2012.com belongs to a more discreet
person
Registrant: Click Industries from Minneapolis, MN
Created on: 16-Jan-07 -
Expires on: 16-Jan-09 - Las Updated on: 17-Jan-08
Domain inactiveTimPawlenty12.com belongs to Kyle Sandstrom from Rochester,
MN
Created on: 30-Aug-08 - Expires on: 30-Aug-09 - Last Updated on:
30-Aug-08
Just registered pagePawlenty2012.com and Pawlenty12.com belong to Michael
Deutsch, a MIT Alumni from Guttenberg, NJ
Created on: 03-Jan-08 - Expires on:
03-Jan-09 - Last Updated on: 01-May-08
Ads
CristforAmerica.com and PawlentyforAmerica.com are somehow "deja vu" too, but still available. Up to now.
JindalforAmerica.com has been booked for the long run (2016, an interesting date).
Registrant : Domain Discreet from Funchal, Portugal
Created on: 22-Sep-08 - Expires on: 22-Sep-16 - Last Updated on: 24-Sep-08
But by then, a web 3.0 candidate is likely to have come out of the blue... or even out of the red.
blogules 2009
* see "Sarah Palin and the Segolene Royal Syndrome - The GOP on the same path as the French Socialist Party"
ADDENDUM 20100211
This post recently received a visit from an interesting URL : vpn.giulianipartners.com (74.9.69.162). Yup. That's from Rudy's headquarters in 5 Times Square New York, NY 10036-6527... Sorry lads if I gave you inaccurate news regarding your dear boss.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Search my personal portal :
