Any of you watch the Republican debate from Las Vegas?

[Jacob]

It doesn't hurt that Republicans are in a full blown retard mode, which makes their debates easier to not bother with.

So basically, let them be completely ridiculous for the next however many months. Then a month or so before the election start paying attention and - in your case - vote Democrat anyways and - in Ed Anger's case - vote Republican as usual?

[Valmy]

So basically, let them be completely ridiculous for the next however many months. Then a month or so before the election start paying attention and - in your case - vote Democrat anyways and - in Ed Anger's case - vote Republican as usual?

Well what do you want me to do about it Jake?

[garbon]

My stance is to wait until near when the primary elections occur.  If I pay too much attention before that...I'm liable to not end up voting.

[Habbaku]

It doesn't hurt that Republicans are in a full blown retard mode, which makes their debates easier to not bother with.

So basically, let them be completely ridiculous for the next however many months. Then a month or so before the election start paying attention and - in your case - vote Democrat anyways and - in Ed Anger's case - vote Republican as usual?

  Jacob has a pretty good handle on American politics, here.

[Jacob]

Well what do you want me to do about it Jake?

Whatever you think you need to do. I wasn't implying anything with my question.

I'm just curious because I derive some enjoyment from Languish discussion of presidential campaigns (including the nominations), much as I derive enjoyment from Languish discussions of the NFL.

[KRonn]

I missed last night's debate but I've been paying some attention to the candidates. Romney has done very well, pretty polished on his debating, and he's been sharp off the cuff.

Perry I thought would be a contender but I've soured on him. He doesn't seem to have much in the way of deep seated ideas.

Cain I like to an extent. I like his 9-9-9 plan in that it removes many other taxes and adds a Fed sales tax. I'm not saying I strongly endorse that idea but it has some good points in freeing up the massive tax code. I don't think it will fly though, and I don't think Cain has much in the way of economic talent in his campaign. Also, I don't like that Cain makes jokes about not being up on foreign policy. Don't need another rookie in there.

I don't know enough about Huntsman to say, or Santorum, but I'd like one of these guys to show some strong running, maybe provide an alternative to Romney.

Bachman is out, a non-player. She just doesn't have the ability for President, and she does herself in too often with dumb/wrong statements. You'd think that after all her time in Congress that she'd be more on the ball. Too right wing anyway for me.

Gingrich seems one of the smarter candidates. He has a lot of facts and ideas, and I love hearing him tear some issue apart, looking at it from outside the box, with some ideas on fixing. But I don't think he's gaining much traction.

So, I think that Cain will be on the way down, after rocketing to the top as another flavor of the month. Romney keeps on the same, but not gaining either. But I haven't seen any of the others break out from the pack either.

[Valmy]

Perry I thought would be a contender but I've soured on him. He doesn't seem to have much in the way of deep seated ideas.

See Jake?  Why do I bother.  KRonn says it only seems like Perry has no ideas after all I have said about his track record as Governor.  Clearly me talking about politics is a waste of time.

[Valmy]

Whatever you think you need to do.

Sorry when you said 'let them be ridiculous' I thought you were somehow saying they were only being ridiculous because we were not stopping them from being so.

[fhdz]

I don't think it will fly though, and I don't think Cain has much in the way of economic talent in his campaign.

His 9-9-9 plan was devised by a CPA from Ohio.

Oh, and he has Art Laffer on his "secret economics team".

[Barrister]

Whatever you think you need to do.

Sorry when you said 'let them be ridiculous' I thought you were somehow saying they were only being ridiculous because we were not stopping them from being so.

Valmy - it's Jacob.  He can not help himself from sounding snide and condescending, even when he doesn't mean it that way.   

[jimmy olsen]

It doesn't hurt that Republicans are in a full blown retard mode, which makes their debates easier to not bother with.

So basically, let them be completely ridiculous for the next however many months. Then a month or so before the election start paying attention and - in your case - vote Democrat anyways and - in Ed Anger's case - vote Republican as usual?

It's going to end up Obama vs. Romney. Not much difference between how they'll govern no matter what they tell their partisans.

[Jacob]

Valmy - it's Jacob.  He can not help himself from sounding snide and condescending, even when he doesn't mean it that way.   

Exactly 

[The Minsky Moment]

Saw an interview with Herman Cain.  Remove bank regulation, get rid of the FDIC.   

A year ago, the just-minted econ "Nobel" winner Thomas Sargent gave an unintentionally hilarious interview published by the Minneapolis fed.   When asked to come up with any examples of contributions that macro-economic theory had made to understanding financial crises, the two examples he could think of were a model demonstrating the benefits of deposit insurance and a Chicago School research concerning narrow banking.  Given that Sargent is one of the doyens of the conservative rational expectations school, its hard to understate the degree to which significant swaths of the GOP (Cain, Paul, Bachman at least) are way out of the mainstrream on these issues.

[DGuller]

So basically, let them be completely ridiculous for the next however many months. Then a month or so before the election start paying attention and - in your case - vote Democrat anyways and - in Ed Anger's case - vote Republican as usual?

You're making it sound like my vote is a foregone conclusion.  Believe it or not, I am actually planning to consider my choice between Democrats and Republicans very carefully before I will make my decision to vote for a Democrat.

[Jacob]

You're making it sound like my vote is a foregone conclusion.  Believe it or not, I am actually planning to consider my choice between Democrats and Republicans very carefully before I will make my decision to vote for a Democrat.

Oh, I know that you're going to make a rational decision based on considering the merits of each of the candidates. No doubt.