Blog Credo

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.

H.L. Mencken

Saturday, February 11, 2012

I Just Don't Think So


There is some hand wringing over at Booman Tribune that Santorum might actually be a more difficult opponent for Obama than R-Money.

If that's true, it's because R-Money has proven to be the least adept serious presidential candidate since Dewey.

So, simply saying that Santorum might be a better candidate than Romney is like saying horseshit is more palatable that dogshit.  Let's face it, you don't want a big pile of either on your plate.

Now, I will freely admit that at this moment in time, Santorum looks to be the new frontrunner.  But there are two caveats.  First, R-Money is about to go medieval on Ricky's ass, which is fitting for "one of the finest minds of the 13th century."  Second, haven't we seen this movie before?

Maybe the GOP will nominate Santorum.  Who the hell knows?

But the idea that Santorum is just some "aw shucks, gee whillikers" regular guy is misguided.

First, he's the worst of the God botherers.  He's the living embodiment of the American Taliban.  And he will freak the Wall Street types right the hell out.  That sweet, sweet SuperPAC money that's flowing to R-Money just isn't going to flow the same to Santorum.  Santorum represent the religious rubes that the Wall Street types love to laugh at behind their backs.  I can't see the Connecticut Gold Coast opening up their checkbooks for this zealot.

Second, he's neck deep in Abramoff stuff.  He ran the K-Street project for Delay.  He's just as corrupt a Washington insider as Gingrich was, he just tends to fixate more on lady parts than moon bases.  He served two terms (I think) as a Senator.  He's got some votes and some past associates that will come back to haunt him.

Third, he's a dick.  Yes, he has a sad story about his daughter.  But that stuff is really not a motivating factor for people picking their president.  It is a justification for their pre-existing prejudices.  Someone's not going to say, "That Obama is an uppity n*****."  They will say, "Rick Santorum embraces traditional values, just look at his daughter."  Nothing changed in who they were going to vote for, just the rational behind it.

Santorum will guarantee Obama picks up close to 60% of the female vote in November.

The culture wars were never as powerful as they were made out to be.  They simply gave people a chance to appeal to their previous prejudices.  And many of those wedge issues have simply lost their bite.

I am not afraid of a Santorum nomination, and the reflexive crouch that Democrats inevitably fall into whenever a new possibility broaches the horizon is why they are always on the defensive.

We should welcome a Santorum candidacy, because we will destroy the GOP with it.

If that's not your attitude, stay the hell off the field.

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