Media Blames Republicans for Ignoring Media-Created Candidate

Our guest columnist is Joe Klein, who argues that Jon Huntsman is a credible candidate because Joe Klein said so.

But Huntsman’s real sin is deeper than that: his is a vitriol-free candidacy. There is no gratuitous sliming of Barack Obama or his fellow Republican candidates. There is no spurious talk of “socialism.” He pays not the slightest heed to the various licks and chops that Rush Limbaugh has made into stations of the cross for Republican candidates. He is out-of-step with the anger that has overwhelmed his party and puts it at odds with the vast, sensible mainstream of this country. Because he has refused to engage in such carnival tactics — because he hasn’t had any oops! moments, extramarital affairs, lobbying deals with Freddie Mac or flip-flops — the media have largely ignored him. That makes us complicit in a national political calamity. But Republican voters have been complicit, too: a conservative party that doesn’t take Huntsman seriously as a candidate has truly lost its way.

Next week: Joe Klein on why it’s a crying shame that America doesn’t elect position papers.

Two Candidacies, Two Planets [Time, via Sully]
32 Comments

So now it’s Mr 2%’s turn on the GOPer Wheel Of Misfortune?

Yes, he’s probably the least pandering, sanest, and most intelligent candidate on the GOPer side and THAT IS WHY THE GOPER’s WON’T PICK HIM EVER… JOE.

Shit, for a guy who claims to have his finger on the pulse of US America politiks (sic) Joe is quite oblivious. Smell the bacon fat and follow the Rascal tracks, jackass Joe. The GOPers haven’t been sane since Nov 2008 when a “Kenyan” won the “White” House. Perhaps if Anonymous weren’t stuck in his “equivalency cocoon” then he might have figured it out 4 years sooner.

Why did Huntsman even get into it in the first place? I mean, I can see him thinking that some sanity was needed, but the 2012 is clearly not the time to bring it.

@ManchuCandidate: I hereby nominate “Smell the bacon fat and follow the Rascal tracks, jackass Joe.” as COTD for the Stinquer tweet.

@RomeGirl: Bonjour, ciao, bella!

@SanFranLefty: Bonjour ciao to you! I’ve really missed you guys. 2011 was not a good year for me for many reasons, but the thing that kept me away was the 2,500 pages of EU labor law translation (IT->EN) I had to do. However, to save my sanity and my blood pressure, I’m working less and Stinquing more in 2012.

@RomeGirl: hello! great to see you. i have also been on sabbatical and just got back into the stinque myself, though i’ve been a faithful lurker. my excuse? company and depression. i must tell you that i’ve stolen one of your lines and use it every time i pick up a young’un at the airport. (nieces, nephews, rats kids, my kids)
“look at you! you look like like a 4am fire drill at the dorm!!!”

@RomeGirl: I recently glided over to your blog, it looks fantastic and your end of the year thank yous were very classy.

Programming notice: New Hampshire debate open thread at 8:45 ET. Stopwatches will be distributed to time Diane Sawyer’s questions.

@nojo: Just remember: Diane Sawyer – Ron Ziegler’s lackey.

I left this comment:
Republicans win elections by combining the votes of the Thurston Howell IIIs of the world with the votes of bigots, sociopaths, and people so beaten down by hate radio that they vote against their own interests. Huntsman simply can’t inspire the GOP, Tea Party haters. They won’t come out for him. QED.

@blogenfreude: Huntsman can’t inspire anybody, except for those who believe that Resume is Destiny. He’s a paper candidate who has no presence in the real world. That he doesn’t appeal to idiots is just a footnote.

@Walking Still: Damn, I keep forgetting that. My mind only has room for Buchanan and Safire.

His father was a billionaire and he is only worth $15 million? What an asshole.

@FlyingChainSaw: That, plus whatever Daddy’s pouring into the Totally Unaffiliated SuperPAC.

@nojo: Is there anyone in the primary who doesn’t have major Daddy issues?

@SanFranLefty: I don’t think men go into politics unless they have major daddy issues.

Who the hell is this dood in the picture anyway? (Yes, I saw his name.) I mean, He looks like the lovechild of Sawyer and The Beastmaster but with all the gross and none of the, “I’ll ignore the smell” hotness.

@nojo: Okay, so like, SOPA? Interested in Bene’s thoughts as well (and everyone else of course. Like I could shut you up anyway. ;-p )

@SanFranLefty: One candidate has Granddaddy Issues, but I’m saving that for Monday.

@JNOV is like, Peace?: Thor. But I had to look that up. I just liked the image.

@JNOV is like, Peace?: I have everybody else’s opinion about SOPA, and nothing to add.

@Mistress Cynica: Good point. Black Eagle’s Daddy Issue being the lack thereof.

@nojo: Well, yes Mittens has two generations’ worth of Daddy issues.

@SanFranLefty: The autobiography wasn’t titled Dreams of My Mother–which denotes its own issues.

@nojo: Ah.

@nojo: Sorry. It’s the first I’d heard of it. I’ll check out the EFF.

@All: I think I’d like to see a movie, like in a movie theater. Any suggestions for stuff playing? (If it’s artsy, I might be able to see it in Philly.)

@SanFranLefty: I’m thinking it goes back even further. Isn’t he of Pioneer Stock?

ADD: Not surprisingly, Mittens and HunThor are related.

@JNOV is like, Peace?: My bad. Didn’t know you didn’t know. SOPA’s been all over the geekosphere for weeks, including the week I was supposed to liberate my two dozen domains from GoDaddy because they oh-so-briefly supported it. But if I haven’t already liberated my domains on account of their gawdawful commercials, I figure it’ll take shooting a dog or something to get me off the dime.

@JNOV is like, Peace?: Girl With a Dragon Tatoo was better than expected, ie I actually liked it.

Huntsman fan Sully, liveblogging the debate tonight:

I so want Huntsman to be persuasive, commanding, smart … and yet it never quite works.

Thus and so. Yes, the wingnut would never accept a rational candidate. But it’s not Huntsman who proves the point. He’s just a bad candidate.

@baked: OMG I love it. I use that all the time.

@Nabisco: Awww, thanks! it was a rough, rough year, but the people that pulled me through it needed to be thanked.

@JNOV is like, Peace?: Hay gurl!!!!!

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