Monday, January 23, 2012

The cloud of unknowing

On the subject of primaries, voters and surprised (and even aghast) pundits, I’m with Jim Treacher: “Come on, everybody. Admit you have absolutely no idea what’s going to happen next. It’s not so bad. I kind of like it, actually.”

I also agree with Michael Walsh on the specifics of the Romney/Gingrich matchup in South Carolina. Whatever Newt’s failings – as a congressman, as a husband, as a man – he does, indisputably, excel at articulating important intellectual concepts and injecting passion into them (he’s also good at connecting with the base in its long-simmering contempt for the obvious liberal biases of the legacy media). In contrast, Romney’s well-groomed and calculated ambivalence makes him look (to borrow from, and mangle, Alice Roosevelt Longworth’s comment on Thomas Dewey) like one of the grooms on a gay wedding cake. Ok, so he’s Not Obama; is he sufficiently Not Obama to be able to convince the voters that he will make a positive difference? Myself, I don’t think there’s any doubt that Romney would be a better president than Obama; the question is, can he convince primary voters that he’d be a better president than Gingrich? That’s Romney’s big challenge going into Florida.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Deborah Leigh said... It bears reminding that we are still very early in the race. Each of the candidates, with the exception of Paul, has a win. We are only going into the fourth state in the race. If one had just arrived from being sequestered in some far flung destination, he or she would believe that the racers were approaching the finish line. So take a deep breath, then get behind a candidate (hopefully, not Ron Paul). The melee has only 47 more states to go.

For full disclosure, as if it matters, I support Rick Santorum.

Yojimbo said...

Where have you gone Sarah Palin
A nation turns its pensive eyes to you

I'm for Santorum, too.

I will not vote for Paul, literally.

We should know a lot more by Super Tuesday. A hard fought struggle is good just so long as it doesn't go so far as to poison the losing side to the extent that they will then stay home. We need all hands on deck in November.

Minicapt said...

I'm against all forms of primaries or caucuses; I want trial by combat!

Cheers

Paco said...

Captain: I think I'm with you on that.

Yojimbo said...

Good grief, Charlie Brown, there was ANOTHER debate tonight. Enough already!

RebeccaH said...

Ah, Rick Perry, I mourn you.

I don't care who the Republicans pick (with the exception of that fruitcake Paul). I just want them to pick one and get on with it, because any one of them will be better than President Food Stamp.

Col. Milquetoast said...

Paco really seems to be the only worthwhile candidate for President. In retrospect, the Paco for President Campaign should have spent more effort to actually get Paco on the ballot, but even without that he still has as many primary wins as Ron Paul and he spent less money doing it.

Paco said...

Colonel: I plan to implement the same sort of prudent financial management as president.