GOP Clown Car Gets Less Crowded (Dem Side Down to Two)

It was bound to happen. It's still too full. But the 2016 GOP Presidential Clown Car is finally shaking loose some of its more useless passengers. It's difficult to tell if the crazy level has dropped on average. I mean, Rand Paul is out of there, but he's always been half reasonable/half cuckoo. Mike Huckabee somehow got his fat behind out of that little trunk, but he wasn't ever so much crazy as oily and evil.  Rick Santorum was a frothy mix of very sincere (but awful) religious principles, and desperation. . .with maybe a little crazy in with the lube and unfortunate fecal matter.

But they're leaving behind the primary drivers, Donald J. Trump and Rafael "Ted" Cruz, who between them encompass at least a dozen overlapping negative qualities to different degrees, including batshit crazy. It's a VENN diagram I don't even want to contemplate. Still stuffed in the back seat are Ben "Dr. Stabby" Carson, Jim "Who?" Gilmore, Carly "Bring me those puppies!" Fiorina, (poor, sad) Jeb! Bush and John "Dishwater" Kasich. Marco Rubio is climbing furiously over the center console to try to get a front seat, and I'm guessing Chris Christie is on the roof rack, or tied to the fender or something. But it has to be a little more comfortable with three losers dumped out at the curb.

Likewise, the much smaller batch of Democrats can now focus a little better, being pared down to two after the departure of the dull but dreamy Martin O'Malley. Thursday night's debate, co-moderated by Rachel Maddow, will be the first one-on-one debate of the whole dang 2016 season. No kid's table, no extraneous candidates.

Buckle up kids, we're finally getting the whole thing in actual gear after sputtering around for over a year!

Ted Cruz Promises Iowa Crowd that Gay Marriage Will Be Reversed at SCOTUS

[Click to embiggen]

I've been toying with creating a Ted Cruz graphic ever since he came out with that "TRUSTED" graphic. It reminded me of United Airlines' ill-fated spinoff, Ted, a budget airlinelet. Cruz may not realize it, but he sort of ripped off their marketing schtick. And he surely didn't realize that a bunch of United employees had some fun with the (Word) + Ted, some unprintable.

I can't stand the man, as you might have surmised by my politics. But it goes beyond simple right vs. left. I find him odious on multiple levels. And when I think he's reached bottom, I find more levels.

This time, it's his promise to voters in Waterloo, Iowa that the Obergefell ruling by the Supreme Court, which effectively legalized same-sex marriage, will be overturned. With the implication, of course, that electing him will cause this "eventuality" to pass. This in a state that has had marriage equality for longer than most of the rest of the nation to no ill effect. Just a bunch of butt-hurt conservative crybabies like Steve Deace, Bob Vander Plaats, and oddly enough, a conservative preacher I went to school with.

So, Ted, here you go. Some brand new slogans to try out. They're more honest.

Joni Ernst and MAD TV's Stuart's Mom: Separated at Birth?

I have to give credit for the inspiration for this to The Stephanie Miller Show.

National Organization for Marrige Under Investigation in Iowa

This story makes me happy for a number of reasons, chief among them that the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) might be in hot water. But there are many other reasons, among them:

- My husband is from Iowa
- We're legally married in the state of California, no thanks to NOM's efforts to undo that
- A sanctimonious Iowa preacher who is a former classmate, and his friend, a sanctimonious Iowa radio show host would hate for NOM to get into trouble or for them to have to disclose their donors

NOM's Brian Brown crying from a different loss. Let's
hope he does a whole lot more of this.
Image from ThinkProgress.

NOM is one of the leading anti-gay groups in the country, and is allied with most of the rest. It is curious why and how they are so powerful, when their actual following is so small. For instance, they are trying to get up to 10,000 followers on Twitter, and are only 3/4 of the way there. Consider that *I* follow them on Twitter, as do many other gay rights activists, and you can safely bet they're not even half-way to their goal, with actual supporters. That's a very, very small pool of people. On Facebook, they fare slightly better with about 36,000 followers. But the situation there is similar: many of the followers are actually just keeping tabs on them, again, like I do.

This is a tiny organization, that has had some major successes, mostly in the past. Their last big victory that wasn't already a forgone conclusion (as in North Carolina) was when they managed to recall three Iowa Supreme Court judges for acknowledging the right to same-sex marriage in the state. They were not successful on their next try, and have been steadily losing their mojo. But it would be interesting, nonetheless to see exactly who is funding these guys.

[Excerpt]

NOM slapped with ethics investigation in Iowa

The National Organization for Marriage is being investigated by an Iowa ethics committee, amid allegations that the group violated state law when it did not disclose its donors in a campaign to oust state Supreme Court justices. . .

Read more at: Salon

Did Ron Paul Buy Endorsement in Iowa, 2012?

Image from source, Raw Story

Whoa. Ron Paul's quixotic attempts to become president were always kind of a sideshow. He's a tiny, little old man in an ill-fitting suit. He makes perfect sense about 25% of the time, with the other three quarters being batshit crazy. And his followers are bananas. But could the whole enterprise have been crooked?

[Excerpt]

Ron Paul’s 2012 campaign allegedly bought Iowa endorsement

Ron Paul’s 2012 campaign allegedly offered financial compensation to a Republican Iowa state senator in exchange for his endorsement and support. Documents obtained by TheIowaRepublican.com and OpenSecrets.org showed a representative of state Sen. Kent Sorenson told the Paul campaign the senator would ditch Rep. Michele Bachmann’s presidential campaign if they provided him with $8,000 per month in salary, $5,000 per month in salary to his Senate clerk Chris Dorr, and $100,000 in contributions his newly created PAC. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Rep. Steve King: Climate Change is Religion, Not Science

Image from source, Think Progress

This is weird for several loopy reasons. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is seemingly knocking religion with this statement, which is odd, especially for him. It's also literally climate science he's talking about being a religion. Seemingly, this would be the reverse of claiming that "intelligent design," which is religion, is actually science, which it's not. King though, is not the sharpest tool in the shed, and I would expect nothing less than for him to be confused by the difference between religion and science.

[Excerpt]

Steve King: Belief In Climate Change Is A ‘Religion,’ ‘Not Science’

Despite the fact that 97 percent of scientists agree that climate change is real, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) is insistent that it is “not science” and that environmentalists are missing the potential upsides. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Sam Seder: Conservative Radio Host Wants Bill O'Reilly Hanged for Marriage Stance

Here's Deace with his motto, and a quote from the Huckster. Ugh.

One nice thing about having your own blog is reporting on the little things that bug you. Or the big things.  One of the things that bugs me is a radio host named Steve Deace out of Iowa. Now, I live in Nevada, so this really should be completely off of my radar, right? Except for a few degrees of separation, little filaments that connect A to B, or maybe M in this case.

See, I'm what some call "gay married," (though I just call it married), and my husband was born and raised in Iowa. Also, though I went to school in Ohio, one of my classmates became a conservative pastor in Iowa. Through Facebook, I became reacquainted with the pastor, and through him I became acquainted with Steve Deace. All of this Facebooking happened during the time when Iowa approved same-sex marriage, and began marrying gay couples. The pastor, the radio host, and other inter-connected "friends" got very vocal in this public forum about repealing marriage equality, with the "LUV: Let Us Vote!" campaign, spearheaded by the ultra-creepy perennial failed candidate Bob Vander Plaats. They also mounted a successful repeal of three of the judges responsible for the decision.

The Deace kids at the creation museum. Scary!
From SteveDeace.com

I'm not much of a shit-stirrer on the subject, or at least I try not to be confrontational. But when I see something that really rubs me the wrong way, I sometimes can't help interjecting. This usually leads to a very lengthy back-and-forth, and I often have trouble just dropping it. It's difficult to discuss anything strictly on its merits because the ridiculousness and insulting tangents thrown at me can be a bit dizzying. But I often get kudos--usually privately--from people reading the interaction. And so, that's nice. The funny thing is, the people who post the incendiary remarks in the first place often bow out early, leaving the arguing to their friends and/or congregation.

Bill O'Reilly said gay marriage foes need
a better argument than "Bible thumping."
Steve Deace really didn't like that.

It is safe to say that I've ruffled some feather with both Deace and the pastor, and neither is very good at arguing marriage equality, because they are incapable of separating church and state in their minds (Deace even proudly displays photos of his family at the Creation Museum on his Facebook page, making me wonder if he has any reasoning skills at all). And I have to wonder what drives these overtly religious people to focus so strongly on gay people anyway. It leads my mind to all sorts of speculation, but that's neither here nor there.

All of that is a very long way to go to say that I'm a fan of Sam Seder, of The Majority Report, a show he used to have on Air America Radio with Janeane Garofalo. And Seder has discovered the inanity of Steve Deace, and the over-the-top reaction Deace has to anyone who disagrees with him on the topic of gay marriage. And I just thought I'd share. Take it, Sam. . .

Right Wing World: FOX "News" Losing Their Base?

There have been signs that FOX "News" is not what it once was. Surely, some people are still watching out of habit. And the nursing homes and your grandpa may not have yet discovered that there are other channels. But their ratings--while still technically #1 in the cable news biz--are in decline. Sean Hannity is looking bloated. Sarah Palin was politely turned loose (via very low resigning offer), as has been the always-wrong Dick Morris. The writing is on the wall, and some people are saying so.

Steve Deace is an Iowa talk show host of the radical right-wing, guns, God and (no) gays variety. I know of him because The Other Half is from Iowa, and because a former classmate of mine is an uber-conservative pastor there. Through Facebook, I've become aware of Deace, and he stuck in my mind because of his very anti-gay views which are in stark contrast to his very--shall we say--Marcus Bachmann-like air (and I have the same suspicions about the pastor). Deace may be an extremist, but he is 100% down-the-line FOX "News" bait. He's the guy they're selling to, and he's the guy who helps complete part of the right-wing bubble that FOX has cultivated over the years. But Deace looks like he's dumping FOX. And that makes me wonder if this bubble is popping, or if it's just splitting off into smaller bubbles?

[UPDATE]: Though this appears on Deace's blog page, I've just realized it was written by Bob Eschliman, and posted there. So, let me correct the record. One can infer from the lack of framing by Deace that he agrees with the sentiments contained. I'm happy to correct the record if that isn't the case.

[Excerpt]

Image from source.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do . . . But It’s Time

You’ve really got to hand it to Fox News. For many years, they been able to dupe an overwhelming majority of the American conservative movement into believing they were on their side with the cover of “fair and balanced. . .”


Read more (if you must) at: Steve Deace

Right Wing World: Paul Ryan is Controversial? Really?

This clip from Monday's The Rachel Maddow Show brings up a point that I hadn't really considered: In Right-wing World, Paul Ryan isn't controversial. At all. In the FOX "News", talk-radio, FreeRepublic.com, Red State world in which a whole bunch of the conservative base spend most of their time, Ryan is a rock star, a super hero. But this isn't Right-wing World, and it isn't the primaries anymore. Ryan has to prove himself on the stage in front of everybody, which may be alarming, for right-wing voters, Mitt Romney and for Ryan himself.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

WTF is Wrong With Iowa Republicans?

In my last post about the birthers, I gave you a link to where all birther conspiracy theories are thoroughly debunked. While there myself, I found a post about the Iowa Republican Party's potential platform planks (Iowa is partial to birtherism, of all things). So, I'm taking Dr. Conspiracy's paraphrasings of the planks--which are more concise--and making my own comments.  I'll have a link at the end to the actual list, so you can check if you think the paraphrasings are wrong. As you read, note the inherent meanness toward anything but the hardline Christian/Conservative mindset.


I feel I have the right to criticize Iowa, since I'm (gay!) married to an Iowan. And it is legal there!  Keep in mind, this is a partial list! Reducing font size for length, so put your readers on. Mmmkay?

Here we go. . .

4b: No ternerders!

1. No school activities on Sundays or Wednesday nights [when Baptists hold Prayer Meeting].
   Ludicrous. Why do Baptists get special treatment? All religions or none.
2. No mandatory school attendance.
   Sorry, this one is bananas. Even if it's the dreaded home schoolers, kids have to go to school.
3. No voting by non-tax-paying out-of-state college students.
   Why? This is suspiciously like "must be a property owner to vote." It's just wrong.
4. Mandatory ultrasound prior to abortion, which should be outlawed anyway.
   Again, why? It is medically unnecessary, and intended to inflict shame. Since when is "shame" the intent of a law?
5. No stem sell research.
   Why?
6. Abolition of the Department of Agriculture.
   Sure. Because agriculture should be utterly free of regulation. Again, why?
7. Abolish all farm subsidies.
   In Iowa? I can't imagine this is a universal opinion there.
8. Oppose UN Agenda 21 (a popular conspiracy theory related to the New World Order) on sustainable development. It is described as “diabolical.”
   Boogity boogity!
9. No regulation of dust by the EPA.
   As a resident of the Mojave Desert, I find this one particularly ridiculous. If you can control the dust, you should control the dust. Be reasonable about it, not black or white.
   
10. Ban foreign corporations from owing Iowa farm land.
    Why don't we ban foreign corporations from donating to candidates? Hmm? Would be a little more important.
11. No money for bike trails until the federal deficit is eliminated.
    Errr. . .hunh?
12. No government money to ACORN, AARP, ACLU and Planned Parenthood and anyone else who lobbies against the platform.
    ACORN is gone. The rest. . .have to agree with you? Compromise really is dead.
13. No federal money for public broadcasting
    Death to Big Bird! Spoilsports.
14. Support a landlord’s right to refuse to lease on “moral grounds.”
    Yes, because we should be free to be bigots! And if we find black people or Hispanic people or Jewish people to be "immoral," who are you to tell us no?
15. No “hate crime” laws.
    Again, they want to be free to hate.
16. No Sharia, or other foreign laws.
    Yep. Nothing from that there Jerusalem area. . .Nazareth either.
17. No smoking bans.
    Cough! Cough! Idiots.
18. No First Amendment protection for pornography.
    Well, now you've gone too far. Even right wingers like porn. Idiots.
19. Eliminate the Federal Department of Education.
    Duuuuhhhhhh. . .
20. No regulation of private schools or home schooling by the Iowa Department of Education.
    Damn straight! People ought to be able to teach any ol' thing they want to their chillen! Idiots.
21. No teaching of “multiculturalism” in public school.
    Oh, that would be dreadful.
22. Education “purely returned to a free market system.”
    Yeah, I have no idea what that means.
23. No reporting requirements for home schooling families.
    Sure! Let 'em just say whatever and boom! You graduate! WTF? Idiots.
24. Balanced presentation of evolution and creationism in public schools. “Darwinian evolution is only a theory and not a scientific fact.”
    Creationism is not science. Any party--anybody who thinks this is a good idea is crushingly stupid.
25. Tax-funded libraries must include “intelligent design” and creationism books.
    Ditto #24.
26. Parents may opt-out their children from health screenings and surveys.
    I. . .um. . WTF?
27. No school clubs based on sexual orientation.
    Okay! No straight clubs, whatsoever!
28. Repeal “No Child Left Behind.”
    Hmmm. . .a Bush Era policy? Weird.
29. Oppose anti-bullying laws. Students should stand up for themselves.
    Fuck 'em!
30. Repeal the 17th Amendment (direct election of US Senators)
    Yes, because voting is bad. Have I said they're idiots?
31. Abolition of the US Department of Energy
    Abolition of the US Government! Why not?
32. No regulation of greenhouse gasses or carbon dioxide.
    I'll stop the world, and melt with you!
33. Claims of human-based globing warming are “fraudulent.”
    Based on what, geniuses? Your track record as evidenced by this list, is thin.
34. More deer hunting licenses.
    Fuck yeah!
35. Parents have a right to know what their children read at the library.
    Oh, and on the internets! Them Googles and Tumblrs are all writed by fagitz!
36. The US should drop out of the United Nations.
    Yes. We should be quitters like Sarah Palin.
37. End foreign aid.
    All of it! And put a fence around the whole country!
38. Oppose any revision of the original intent of the US Constitution (except for a few Constitutional amendments called for in the platform)
    Back to 3/5 of a person for some people then. Idiots.
39. “We support Congressional action, including an Amendment to the United States Constitution if needed, to repeal the 1943 (sic) Wicker (sic) vs. Filburn ruling by a divided US Supreme Court cowed by Democrat FDR’s “court-packing attack” which set in motion ever-increasing misuse of the Commerce Clause in Article 1, Section 8.”
    Yeah, that's going to be a tough sell. Imagine trying to explain that to America, and getting them to pass it.
40. Public display of the Ten Commandments.
    Wrong. 100% wrong. Especially if you're bitching about "Sharia Law."
41. Return money to the gold and/or silver standard.
    Impossible for lots of reasons, but as I said. . .idiots.
42. Impeach judges who rule in favor of same-sex marriage.
    Awfully specific, wouldn't you say?
43. Eliminate the Department of Homeland security
    America! Fuck no!
44. Eliminate the Department of Housing and Urban Development
    America! Fuck no!
45. Eliminate the Department of Labor
    America! Fuck no!
46. Eliminate the Department of Commerce.
    America! Fuck no!
47. Eliminate the Department of the Interior
    America! Fuck no!
48. Eliminate the TSA, FDA, ATF, EPA, the National Endowment for the Arts, Fannie Mad and Freddie Mac.
    America! Fuck no!
49. The US Census should only count citizens.
    Yes. It should have no statistical relevance whatsoever. Just count us, dammit!
50. Juries instructed that they may consider questions of law as well as fact.
    This one sounds fine, but I'm quite sure I don't trust these people after 50 of these. They're up to something on this one.
51. No federal regulation of guns manufactured in Iowa for use in the state.
    None! Get yourself a nuclear warhead if you want it! And you can be crazy, or a felon. . .but not a fag.
52. People with concealed carry permits may take their guns to school.
    Capital idea. Nothing bad could come from this idea.
53. Repeal the “allopathic medicine” monopoly.
    So, what? They want witch doctors? Apothecaries?
54. “Philosophic exemption” for childhood vaccination requirements.
    Oh, why? Can't you leave your kids out of your crazy hallucinations?
55. End the “Patriot Act.”
    First thing I've agreed with entirely. But again, suspicious.
56. Oppose any military draft.
    This one I seriously don't get. Don't they freakin' "support the troops" and love war?
57. Drug testing for all persons on public assistance.
    Just to be mean. No other reason.
58. Opt-out of the Social Security system until it is privatized.
    Fucking nuts.
59. Anchor babies are not citizens.
    And babies are not anchors. Sickos.
60. The Supreme Court not have jurisdiction over cases related to marriage.
    Why the hell not? Does Loving vs. Virginia bother you that much? On what Constitutional grounds could this possibly be based on?
61. No “no-fault divorce.”
    Oh wow, good luck with that, goobers. On this one you are at least putting your money where your teeth should be.
62. No minimum wage.
    Yay, slave labor!
63. No public employee unions.
    Yay, slave labor!
64. Repeal of various financial reforms: Davis-Bacon, Sarbanes-Oxley, Dodd-Frank.
    Yep. Because lax regulations worked so well in 2008.
65. Abolish the IRS and repeal the 16th Amendment (Income Tax Amendment).
    Who needs fire departments, police departments, roads, the military. . .
66. Abolish the Alternative Minimum Tax
    Why?
67. Eliminate estate, gift and inheritance taxes, and let heirs avoid capital gains when they sell appreciated inherited property.
    Yes, no tax! Every man for himself!
68. No unmanned cameras allowed to enforce traffic regulations.
    Wow, the last one is kinda random. I'm out of outrage, so whatever.

I'm frankly surprised that there wasn't more antigay stuff here, though it is plain. In any event, I wouldn't want to live in any state or country where even a majority of these things were made law. What a horrible, theocratic, stick-up-the-ass, Footloose town-that-can't-dance world it would be. Don't fall for it, Iowa!

Here are the links to the paraphrased list above, and the real one.

Obama Conspiracy Theories

Republican Party of Iowa Platform Committee Report

Ron Paul Actually Won Iowa?

I guess this is a lesson: you can play by the rules as they are understood, or you can play by the rules as they are written. Something tells me that Mitt Romney's team is working overtime to sew up any straggling delegates.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Michele Bachmann's Iowa Guy Jumps Ship to Ron Paul

"Marcus! Get your--I mean MY--purse. I need a Motrin,
I'm getting a migraine!" Image from source, Huffington Post

When Iowa picked Mike Huckabee in 2008, many people (like me) thought they were kinda nuts to do so. And many people (like me) openly wonder why Iowa has a permanent #1 slot in primary season anyway. This year, it won't be surprising if they do it again. After all, there is a wealth of looney candidates in this season's race. So chock full of nuts it is, that the campaign chair from one goofy candidate has jumped ship for one of the other ones!


[Excerpt]


Michele Bachmann's Iowa Chairman Kent Sorenson Abandons Her For Ron Paul 

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) accused her former Iowa campaign chairman of accepting money to jump ship to support Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) on Wednesday, issuing a terse statement within two hours of his announcement. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Newt Gingrich Signs No Adultery Pledge

This picture is BEGGING for a word balloon.
Image from source, Raw Story

Irony, thy name is Newt. Wait, that means starting now right?

[Excerpt]

Gingrich signs pledge forbidding adultery

New GOP frontrunner Newt Gingrich has signed a pledge from Iowa social conservative group The Family Leader that forbids committing adultery, according to the political blog The Iowa Republican. . .

Read more at: The Raw Story

Bob Vander Plaats, Anti-Gay Zealot to Host Presidential Event

Dude really needs some eyebrows. And a
new hairdo. And he probably shouldn't
open his mouth that way, given his favorite
subject matter.

Bob Vander Plaats is a ultra-conservative, ultra-religious political figure from Iowa. Calling him a zealot in the headline isn't an insult or a slam, it is simply the truth. Social conservatives paradoxically preach "smaller government" while simultaneously trying to use legislation to restrict the rights of homosexuals and women. They claim to be about "freedom," but in reality only want their kind of freedom, which includes heaping helpings of Jesus, and questionable biblical admonishment of homosexuality and abortion.

I feel like I'm giving kid-glove treatment here, but thankfully, Think Progress has all the details.

[Excerpt]


Vander Plaats 101: Meet The Anti-Gay Zealot Hosting A 2012 Forum Tomorrow

Who is Bob Vander Plaats & Why Does It Matter?

Earlier this year, we introduced you to the FAMiLY LEADER, the extreme anti-gay group in Iowa, and its leader, Bob Vander Plaats. Tomorrow, Vander Plaats is hosting a “Thanksgiving Family Forum” for presidential candidates. If history is any guide, this event promises to be a veritable cornucopia of attacks on gays and women’s health care and a celebration of fringe social views.

Here’s a rundown of that history, just to remind you who and what Republicans presidential candidates choose to associate themselves with — something that definitely matters. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Iowa Governor: No Link Between Anti-gay Rhetoric and Murder of Gay Kid

Yeah. You know what? If your political party is going to make hay at the expense of gay people, their rights and their lives, your party needs to own it, when bad things happen.

Marcellus Andrews, killed in
anti-gay attack in Iowa.
Image from TowleRoad

[Excerpt]

Iowa Governor: No Link Between Recent Fatal Anti-Gay Attack and Tenor of State's Debate Over Gay Marriage

Prompted by questioning from a reporter, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad commented on the recent murder of Waterloo, Iowa teen Marcellus Andrews, who was beaten to death by a group of people who preceded their attack with anti-gay slurs. . .

Read more: TowleRoad

Tim Pawlenty Drops Out

Winnowing out the boring, leaving in
the crazy. Image from HuffPo

T-Paw, we hardly knew ye. . .

[Excerpt]

Tim Pawlenty Quits: Former Governor Drops Out Of Presidential Race 

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty dropped out of the race for the GOP presidential nomination on Sunday, hours after finishing a disappointing third in the Iowa straw poll. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Can We Count T-Paw Out?

Image from source, CNN

If Ames, Iowa was Tim Pawlenty's last stand, it isn't as though his campaign will have fizzled out. It's pretty much been all fizzle.

[Excerpt]


Questions for Pawlenty after straw poll finish

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann’s narrow victory at the Ames Straw Poll on Saturday dealt a serious blow to the presidential hopes of former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who now must rethink his candidacy after staking much of his campaign on a strong performance in Iowa. . .


Read more at: CNN

Michele Bachmann Wins Iowa Straw Poll

"These are my thumbs." Photo from source, NYT

The media is making a big deal out of Michele Bachmann's win at the Ames Straw Poll. But if you know much about the poll, you know that the poll is kind of dodgy. You have to pay to be in it. Candidates sometimes strategically avoid it. The poll has been conducted a grand total of six--you read that right--six times. And only once in its history has the winner of the poll also won the Presidency.

You can throw in that the poll has in the past been won by Pat Robertson. And that the last time it was held (2007) the winners of the straw poll, the Iowa caucuses, the Republican primary and the general election were four different people. Put all of that together, and you can safely say that Bachmann's chances of becoming President are now no more clear than they were yesterday. Oh, and Ron Paul was essentially tied with her. So there's that.

[Excerpt]


Iowa Poll Goes to Bachmann; Paul Is Second

The race for the Republican presidential nomination entered a new phase on Saturday as Gov. Rick Perry of Texas declared his candidacy in South Carolina and Michele Bachmann won a closely watched poll of voters in Iowa. . .

Read more at: New York Times

Whoopi Goldberg on Iowa Marriage Pledge

I never, ever watch The View. But I really like Joy Behar and especially Whoopi Goldberg. So once in a while, a clip from the show will end up on line and surprise me. This one is on the topic of the rabid religious group "The FAMiLY Leader" (the "i" is silent or something) and their ridiculous marriage pledge. It wouldn't even be newsworthy were it not for the fact that Michele Bachmann (and to a much lesser extent, Rick [don't Google me] Santorum) signed the thing. Not at all surprisingly, there's a bunch of crazy shit in the pledge, and it's causing some equal and opposite reaction. Take it away, Whoopi. . .

Michele Bachmann has the Spirit of John Wayne Gacy?

Image from PrairieGhosts

Oh, my. This is a strange, strange gaffe for Michele Bachmann to make. She's done similar things before, kind of skimming a history text, and spouting out a history lesson that jumbles the details. But she's not just from Waterloo, Iowa, she's making a great big giant deal about her birthplace. So, how could she not know that the John Wayne from Waterloo was the serial killer rather than the right-wing hero?

In right-wing world, this is now a) being dismissed as a simple gaffe, b) being called the Palin-fication of Bachmann by the lamestream media, c) being called irrelevant because President Obama once said "57 states", and d) actually being cited as correct, since John Wayne's parents were from Waterloo, and that Gacy only lived there for a couple of years, so he wasn't from there! So it is now clear that Bachmann is going to get the same level of water-carrying that Palin got.

[Excerpt]

Wayne's birthplace no secret in Iowa

The Minnesota congresswoman cited John Wayne as an inspiration during her campaign kickoff in Waterloo, Iowa, Monday, saying the actor hailed from the town. In fact, Wayne hailed from Winterset, while serial killer John Wayne Gacy came from Waterloo. . .


Read more at: Politico

Thanks to my sister and to Stupid Monkey Planet for pointing this one out.