This is the thing that has always struck me about US politics (particularly in the last few years). Why are so many of the leaders in America so moronic? I'm not even talking about extremism, or being a dick, so many of them are just plain stupid: Bachmann, Palin, Perry, Cain, Bush Jr. These people aren't qualified to run the cashier at McDonalds, let alone hold office. In the world's most advance country, is it too much to ask for candiates to at least be in the top percentile with regards to intelligence?
Anybody seen his answer to the Lybia question? I almost peed myself... It is gold, comedy gold... I have never seen such a bunch of dumbfucks like this group of republicans...It is like the party just gave up on getting the presidency...
we are a representative democracy if you dont mind. republican voters will naturally select candidates that are a mirror of their intellect and values are you a communist?
Punky Brewster Cain I actually found it too agonizing to sit through. Anecdotally: I hate watching children sing on television. And that's the key—on television. It's not that I cannot sit through my daughter's class recitals and such, but once upon a time, when I was younger, I sat through an agonizing episode of Punky Brewster in which Soleil Moon Frye got up on the coffee table and did this song and dance bit about the sun in the morning and the moon at night. (Apparently, Ms. Frye was named for this song.) And back in the 1980s, watching television was still a "family" activity, where parents and kids would sit around together and watch various shows before bedtime. For two years, one of those shows was Punky Brewster. Just on that count alone, I ought to be embarrassed. But I recall watching her sing and dance, and this incredible wave of shame washed over me that I was trying to draw entertainment from this ultimately degrading spectacle. I've never forgotten the feeling. To this day, I disdain watching children sing and dance in sitcoms, and cringe through most dramatic presentations. (The recitation of "Suo Gon" at the beginning of Empire of the Sun being an exception worth noting in order to reiterate that it is not universal.) However ... er ... um ... right. Yeah. That's how I feel watching Herman Cain flub the Libya question. It's like watching Punky Brewster sing and dance on creepy Mr. Warnimont's coffee table.
Nice Chicken, Honey Herman Cain: Nice Chicken, Honey Rachel Maddow's explanation of the Herman Cain phenomenon might be the best one going. The transcript is a bit long for a single quote, so the bullet point from Ms. Maddow is, simply: "[T]his is about politics but this is not politics. This is art about politics. This is an art project. This is a satirical candidacy." It's a nearly nineteen minute video segment, but it's entertaining enough to make it worth your time. Strangely, he might be the most bipartisan Republican in the field. Once a hero for his opposition to the Clinton health care reform effort, Cain is now exposing the depths to which Republican Party politics have sunk. Any politician to crib from Pokemon, a video game, and Chris Tucker? The idea that we are supposed to take Herman Cain and this Republican field seriously is about as clear an assessment as one can offer of the state of our political system. Sure, one party might be incompetent about anything they try, but the other—the Republican Party—has just rolled over and given up. And they're inviting you to do the same. I guess there's only one thing to say: Nice chicken, honey. ____________________ Notes: Maddow, Rachel. The Rachel Maddow Show. MSNBC, New York. November 4, 2011. Television. Video.MSNBC.com. November 22, 2011. http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-rachel-maddow-show/45171907#45171907 Transcript: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45190584/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/
Cain going back to his original book tour? http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/11/herman-cain-reassessing-campaign-sources-tell-abc-news/
Gloria Lawrence O'Donnell, on Monday, laid into Herman Cain: The statement Lin Wood issued tonight is the political equivalent of an admission of what Ginger White is saying, an admission that it's absolutely true. Here's Lin Wood's statement: "This appears to be an accusation of private alleged consensual conduct between adult—a subject matter which is not a proper subject of inquiry by the media or the public. Mr. Cain has alerted his wife to this new accusation and discussed it with her. He has no obligation to discuss these types of accusations publicly with the media and he will not do so going forward." Now, when a politician's criminal defense lawyer says the politician will not discuss an allegation that the politician had an affair with that allegation being made on television by the woman who claims the affair, that politician is essentially telling you that everything that woman is saying is true. It is so true that the politician can't even talk about it. When Herman Cain's campaign peters out, most Republican voters will remember the charges of sexual harassment or perhaps this 13-year affair—as Herman Cain's worst sin as a candidate. But, in fact, his worst sin as a candidate was this: (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CAIN: Many African-Americans have been brainwashed in to not being open-minded, not even considering a conservative point of view. I have received some of that vitriol simply because I'm running for the Republican nomination as a conservative. So, it's just brainwashing and people not being open minded—pure and simple. (END VIDEO CLIP) O'DONNELL: African-Americans vote Democratic because they have been brainwashed. The sad truth about our politics is that most Republican Cain supporters were probably more delighted by that statement than anything Cain had to say about his ridiculous 999 tax plan. Herman Cain ran for president as a stunt, a book-selling, income-enhancing stunt. And in the process, he has now visited stress and anguish and possibly tonight again embarrassment on his wife of 43 years, Gloria Cain. According to the "Atlanta Journal Constitution," public voting records show that Gloria Cain has voted in numerous Democratic primaries and runoffs since 2000, including the 2008 Democratic presidential primary in Georgia. That was the first time Gloria Cain had a chance in her lifetime to vote for a black candidate for president who she could reasonably believe was actually on his way to becoming president. Gloria Cain was very probably an Obama voter in 2008. Herman Cain's criminal lawyer says that Mr. Cain has alerted his wife to this new accusation and discussed it with her. Every husband has something to apologize for to his wife and every wife has something to apologize for to her husband. We may never know what Herman Cain has had to apologize to Gloria Cain for this year, but saying that she was brainwashed in to voting Democratic would be a good place for Herman Cain to begin his apologies to Gloria Cain. The words "very probably" stand out in O'Donnell's analysis. But, in truth, when I see Herman Cain's ridiculous grin, I now think of his wife. Someone recently joked that of course Gloria Cain was going to say that doesn't sound like her husband, because what sort of marriage is it if one's reaction to the accusation that her husband has been sticking his hand up other women's skirts is, "That sounds exactly like my husband"? And in a political world that has survived Bill Clinton dissecting the word "is", O'Donnell, a seasoned Capitol Hill aide, is not exactly grasping at straws. In the years since "Zippergate", we have learned that Ted Haggard is not gay but, rather, heterosexual with an asterisk. Or that the broken and useless remnants of a dysfunctional and discontinued weapons program from a decade before equal an imminent threat to national security that justifies claims of an active, dangerous program. Or that a prominent heterosupremacist who founded an organization for doctors and scientists to reject medical and scientific evidence needs a gay hooker to lift his luggage. As Lin Wood said: This appears to be an accusation of private alleged consensual conduct between adult—a subject matter which is not a proper subject of inquiry by the media or the public. Mr. Cain has alerted his wife to this new accusation and discussed it with her. He has no obligation to discuss these types of accusations publicly with the media and he will not do so going forward. It is one thing to put the wife of a politician caught up in a sex scandal beside him as he ferociously denies the allegations, or regretfully admits to his indiscretions; indeed, the trope is so overplayed that many noticed the absence of Huma Abedin when her husband, former Rep. Anthony Weiner, was not present. But Gloria Cain took to national television, sitting through an interview with FOX News personality Greta van Susteren, to defend her husband's honor and credibility in the face of sexual harassment accusations. And then comes this latest blow. Does Mrs. Cain feel blindsided by the subsequent allegation of marital betrayal, or was she in on it the whole time? To go by her FOX News interview— So yes, I know the type of women that you're thinking about, that the little woman at home is the last to know. But I never see myself as being the little woman at home. And I've always said when I've seen stories like that, I will not be one of those people who will stand up on stage with a smile and knowing that you were wrong. I'm not going to do that. —no, she was not in on it the whole time. Even setting aside the question of whether Gloria Cain voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 Georgia Democratic Primary, it seems she will bear the deepest wounds of her husband's presidential campaign. In November, Rachel Maddow examined the proposition of the Cain Train as performance art: The Herman Cain campaign is an art project about running for president. That much is clear. But the thing that is underappreciated, the thing that I think deserves some attention, even maybe from the art world, is that this is not just an art project, this is a really good art project. It is complicated. It is widely sourced. It is pulling from movies and songs and video games and even TV shows that were turned into movies. The 2012 election will likely be remembered for many things, right? But Herman Cain pulling off really quite good political performance art for months at a time right in the middle of it is something we will all be able to tell our grand kids about. I am dying to see the next act. She has a point, of course. But it seems the next act is even uglier, and the avalanche of allegations against her husband's fidelity will be the most important legacy of the bizarre spectacle known as the Herman Cain 2012 presidential campaign. _____________________ Notes: O'Donnell, Lawrence. "'The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell' for Monday, November 28th, 2011". Transcript. November 29, 2011. MSNBC.MSN.com. December 1, 2011. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45476831/ns/msnbc_tv/ Cain, Gloria. Interview with Greta van Susteren. On the Record. Transcript. FOX News. November 14, 2011. FOXNews.com. December 1, 2011. http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/on-th...-sex-harassment-allegations-thats-not-person- Maddow, Rachel. "'The Rachel Maddow Show' for Thursday, November 17th, 2011". Transcript. November 18, 2011. MSNBC.MSN.com. December 1, 2011. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45356764/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/
Let's do a countdown before the Cain Train gets derailed and he announces his withdrawal... 3...2...1....
That might be the weekend Saturday is the target date I've been hearing. Apparently, Cain is expected to (finally) open a campaign headquarters. However, he is also said to be discussing the future of his campaign with his wife, who is expected to attend the Atlanta HQ opening with him. The question buzzing around is whether his campaign will survive that discussion. Herman Cain said today he will make a decision about whether to stay in the Republican presidential race in the next few days, and it would hinge on what his wife says. The former businessman took to Fox News this afternoon saying that he is reassessing his family’s feelings, but he wouldn’t answer the question of whether he will still be in the race a week from now. “A week from now, I will have made a final decision,” Cain said. He added that the decision depends on his wife. “It has had a very damaging effect on her emotionally, because of the way some of the story has been presented,” he said of his wife of 43 years. “She gets upset when she sees the implications and the distortions by some people in the media.” The former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, who has been accused by multiple women of sexual harassment, said he cannot unequivocally say there might not be another allegation. “I can’t sit here and say, after working in the business for 40 years, that someone else may not come up with another trumped-up charge,” he said on Fox. “This is about bring down Herman Cain.” (Khan) Meanwhile, Rabbi Brad Hirschfield suggests it does not matter whether or not Herman Cain had an affair in the context of his potential presidency, though his WaPo blog entry speaks nothing of hypocrisy, as Cain politically aligns himself with homophobes seeking to leverage the sanctity of marriage as a justification for his bigotry. And the Draft Herman Cain PAC, organized by mildly controversial fundraisers Charles Benninghoff and Randy Goodwin, appears to have given up on the Hermanator, changing its name to Beat Obama PAC. Life goes on, to be certain. But what of the Cain Train? Is Herman Cain's ticket punched? Has The Hermanator reached the end of the line? Will the Grinning Engine Who Wanted to Believe He Could acknowledge political reality? Or will the Herman Cain Art Project continue its attempt to downwardly redefine American politics as a Pokemon playground and aspiring video game? ____________________ Notes: Khan, Huma. "Herman Cain: Decision to Stay in Race Depends on Wife". The Note. November 30, 2011. ABCNews.Go.com. December 1, 2011. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politic...e-mixed-signals-on-herman-cains-reassessment/ Hirschfield, Brad. "Does it matter if Herman Cain had an affair?" For God's Sake. November 30, 2011. WashingtonPost.com. December 1, 2011. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...had-an-affair/2011/11/30/gIQArH4BDO_blog.html Blumenthal, Paul. "Herman Cain-Backing PAC Gives Up, Changes Name". The Huffington Post. November 29, 2011. HuffingtonPost.com. December 1, 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/29/2012-herman-cain-super-pac_n_1118714.html
Note to Conservatives Note to Conservatives .... Many conservatives complain that liberals unfairly accuse them of racism. It would probably be helpful, then, if conservative icons like Rush Limbaugh didn't reinforce the notion by using his radio show, popular among conservatives, to validate suggestions of rampant idiotic racism among Republicans. David Teich reporting for TMP Livewire, notes the right-wing gasbag's latest defense of Herman Cain: "I just don't think in racial terms first, second or third," said Limbaugh during his radio show Thursday. "But you know it is possible that all this Herman Cain stuff is coming from Obama." "Let's say [Cain] gets the nomination," Limbaugh added. "Talk about a quandary for black voters. Talk about two pictures, one that that the Democrats wouldn't want to have to deal with. So I could see after somebody points out the racial aspect. I say, OK maybe the White House would like to take Cain out and not take any chances whatsoever." (Boldface accent added) Or, as Paul Constant suggested several months ago: The Fox News focus groups chose him as the winner of the first Republican debate, which could mean that Republicans are dumb enough to think that the only reason Obama is president is because he's black, so they'll vote in a black guy in order to confuse and disorient Democrats. (Boldface accent added) No, really. If conservatives disdain the widespread belief that they are narrow-minded, racist idiots, one of the most potent things they could do is repudiate the popular elements within their ranks that would seem to convincingly demonstrate the point. ____________________ Notes: Teich, David. "Limbaugh Says Obama May Be Behind Cain Sex Allegations". TPM Livewire. December 2, 2011. Livewire.TalkingPointsMemo.com. December 2, 2011. http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/updates/2360 Constant, Paul. "Are They Serious?" The Stranger. May 24, 2011. TheStranger.com. December 2, 2011. http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/are-they-serious/Content?oid=8309380
OK, let's bet/predict. Cain is out by next Tuesday... I just read an article about his marriage. His wife had to know about his shenanigans, they were basicly living apart. But this run for presidency throw the spotlight on them... Edit: Alright, I have just read this, after my prediction: "The improbable rise of Herman Cain could come to an end Saturday, with multiple sources saying that the candidate will announce his withdrawal from the race. Cain will make an announcement at the opening of his Georgia state headquarters today. He reportedly met with his wife Friday to discuss his campaign's future. Sources tell NBC's David Gregory and Politico that Cain's announcement will likely be that he's dropping out. Multiple allegations of sexual harassment and a new accusation of a 13-year affair have taken a toll on the one-time frontrunner's support."
So a few hours later, the Hermanator threw in the towel, "suspending" his campaign: "Embattled White House hopeful Herman Cain effectively ended his presidential bid Saturday after support dried up in the wake of accusations from a string of women that he had engaged in sexual impropriety. Cain said he was technically "suspending" the campaign and vowed to press on with his unique blend of conservatism through a new website, thecainsolution.com." I heard he is going to switch to plan 969.
It's too bad. I was looking forward to Cain winning the Republican/Tea Party nomination. I guess the next question is how long will it take him to secure an "analyst job" with Fox?
sexjoke.... I have to check Intrade (bets on events), what kind of bets they offer for the rest of the cream. I don't think there was ever a more entertaining presidential race, but if you are non-American, it is actually sad.
Walk the Line Walk the Line Perhaps it's a new dance: The Hermanator Limbo. Brad Knickerbocker's lede for The Christian Science Monitor reflects widespread sentiment about Herman Cain's decision to suspend his presidential campaign: Faced with continued allegations of inappropriate behavior involving women, Herman Cain has “suspended” his presidential campaign – effectively ending it. Knickerbocker also noted that, "Suspending his campaign allows Cain to continue raising and spending campaign funds". Susan Saulny, in The New York Times, considered the broader implication: In suspending his candidacy, as opposed to saying that he was ending his bid, Mr. Cain, according to campaign finance lawyers, maintains an ability to accept money to pay for his campaign so far and potentially to finance the new venture that he called his Plan B: to travel the country promoting his tax and foreign policy plans. Though pundits and analysts suggested Cain's campaign was coming to an end, and NBC news reported Friday that the Cain Train was likely terminating its run, Saulny reports that his supporters who gathered in Atlanta "were surprised and disappointed". Lisa Chambers, 48, a volunteer from Snellville, Ga., said: “This is not what I wanted. Not at all. I’m not sure what to do now. I’m so disappointed.” But other supporters were more pragmatic. Dean Kleckner, a former president of the Iowa Farm Bureau who gave Mr. Cain an early endorsement, said: “I hate to say this, because he was a remarkable man in many ways, but I honestly think he did the right thing. I’m disappointed in a way, relieved in a way.” And like Cain himself, those supporters blame the media, apparently believing the man completely innocent of sexual harassment or adultery. Still, though, it is hard to see how Cain could have secured the GOP nomination, even had the allegations never arisen: The accusations of sexual misconduct were not Mr. Cain’s only stumbling block. The very qualities that endeared Mr. Cain to so many conservatives appeared to undercut his chances, as questions were raised about his management style and foreign policy expertise. In a videotaped interview with the editorial board of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that went viral on the Web, Mr. Cain became flustered when asked to assess President Obama’s policy toward Libya, lurching over five minutes from awkward pauses to halting efforts to answer. Compared with his rivals, Mr. Cain hardly campaigned in New Hampshire and Iowa. Former staff members complained that he spent the bulk of his time on a book tour through the South when he should have been organizing a grass-roots operation. He occasionally mishandled potential big donors or ignored real voters, said former staff members and supporters. (ibid) And while the end of Herman Cain's campaign is received by many as good news—for his primary opponents, Republicans everywhere, and the nation in general—we can expect that the comedians will be weeping. _____________________ Notes: Knickerbocker, Brad. "Herman Cain 'suspends' presidential campaign, effectively ending it". The Christian Science Monitor. December 3, 2011. CSMonitor.com. December 3, 2011. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Electi...s-presidential-campaign-effectively-ending-it Saulny, Susan. "A Defiant Herman Cain Suspends His Bid for Presidency". The New York Times. December 3, 2011. NYTimes.com. December 3, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/us/politics/herman-cain-suspends-his-presidential-campaign.html
A Note on Comedy A Note on Comedy The Onion actually gets the headline of the day, but I'm not sure what it says that American comedy outlets have a better grasp of what's going on than our news media organizations: Rumors Of Extramarital Affair End Campaign Of Presidential Candidate Who Didn't Know China Has Nuclear Weapons
