I think maybe we need Moody Blues playing in the background: "isn't life strange?"
The 2011 Value Voters Summit was this weekend (...and that's creepy enough!). Among other VVS events, Ron Paul won the straw poll vote. Then today the President of VVS goes on the air stating 'don't put too much stock in the poll outcome' (of his own group!); that it doesn't mean that much. (Excuse me?! Just 'cause you don't like the outcome?)
Straw polling (which really doesn't mean that much in the big picture) has had a variety of surprises so far in this Republican slog-fest. Herman Cain handily won the Republican straw poll vote in Florida the end of September with 37%--more than twice the showing of Perry (15%) & Romney (14%). Oh, oh, oh, & don't overlook Michelle B's 1.5%!! One of my favorite comments after-the-fact came from Larry Wilmore on a John Stewart show: "...it's kind of like a plot for a new porn flick: the pizza man shows up out of the blue and f----s ya!"
Meanwhile good ol' Herman has been caught in several remarkable sound bytes including: "there isn't really a race problem in this country anymore; the playing field's pretty level." But maybe what he meant was regardless of your color--the unemployment issue is a nonstarter--go get a job!
I guess that seems tame, compared to Glen Beck's comments (...yes, he's still around on the radio....): "they will come for you & drag you into the streets & kill you...they're Marxist radicals...these guys are worse than Robespierre from the French Revolution...they'll kill everybody." Seriously?!
The possibly gentler versions came from Eric Cantor who is "increasingly concerned" about the "growing mobs" and Mitt Romney's description of 'class warfare' currently under way.
Whichever version du jour, it's very clear the party line now is to marginalize the OWS participants & invoke the fear-factor regarding the teachers and others self-described as the "99%" (vs. the 1% fostering the greed, corruption & corporate power). Although some police, fire, & other public employees have joined in solidarity, they should not be confused with the NYPD officers pepper-spraying and baton bashing people last week.
While Mitt's talking about the class warfare, the Values Voters speaker introducing Rick Perry this weekend said: "Rick Perry's a Christian. He's an evangelical Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ. Mitt Romney's a good moral person, but he's not a Christian. Mormonism is not Christianity. It has always been considered a cult by the mainstream of Christianity." Wow. Might be news to them. (Perry was quick to try distancing himself from the comment, but not too far distant, as this group is a solid core of his base...) That broad cult-brush must also include Huntsman, but he's not a contender they need to worry about right now.
Can you say: "anyone but Mitt?" That phenomenon has fostered other interesting news-bits: reporting that Gov. Christie might still be a contender--even after he resoundingly stated he's staying put in New Jersey, and then of course, Sarah Palin's belated announcement that she will not be running in 2012. That was after she coyly captured one last round of PAC donations based on her letter to followers reporting 'being on the verge of deciding'. It just seems so 'over' & over done: "I believe that at this time I can be more effective in a decisive role to help elect other true public servants to office--from the nation's governors to Congressional seats and the Presidency."
It all makes for fairly great entertainment--except there's a poorly disguised undercurrent that feels very sinister. Certainly desperate. And fear-mongering, in the face of the latest economic stall (can you say, stimulus money has been used up?!).
P.S. Ken Burn's 3-part Prohibition was well worth the time to watch--but then I'm a long-time fan. Always much to learn while being entertained...
1 comment:
christie is in position and photos to be the VP pick. jb
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