GOP Primary Megathread!

[Admiral Yi]

Paul Ryan, New Jersey Fat Boy.

[DGuller]

Paul Ryan, New Jersey Fat Boy.

What has the Fat Boy done that elevates him to the presidential status?  Talk tough for a year or two when in spotlight?  I'm a little disturbed at the trend of some local political newbies doing one nationally notable thing, going viral, and instantly becoming presidential material.  (No, it doesn't apply to Obama, he's been a renowned community organizer for years before giving The Speech.)

[Admiral Yi]

What has the Fat Boy done that elevates him to the presidential status?  Talk tough for a year or two when in spotlight?  I'm a little disturbed at the trend of some local political newbies doing one nationally notable thing, going viral, and instantly becoming presidential material.  (No, it doesn't apply to Obama, he's been a renowned community organizer for years before giving The Speech.)

The question was are there any non-cultural conservative conservatives still around, Captain Reading Comprehension.

[DGuller]

What has the Fat Boy done that elevates him to the presidential status?  Talk tough for a year or two when in spotlight?  I'm a little disturbed at the trend of some local political newbies doing one nationally notable thing, going viral, and instantly becoming presidential material.  (No, it doesn't apply to Obama, he's been a renowned community organizer for years before giving The Speech.)

The question was are there any non-cultural conservative conservatives still around, Captain Reading Comprehension.

If you start looking for local politicians, I'm sure there are plenty of Republicans in the Northeast who fit the bill.  The problem is that they are either disqualified from the national arena, or tard it up to 11 to appeal to the GOP primary voters.

[Caliga]

What has the Fat Boy done that elevates him to the presidential status?  Talk tough for a year or two when in spotlight?  I'm a little disturbed at the trend of some local political newbies doing one nationally notable thing, going viral, and instantly becoming presidential material.  (No, it doesn't apply to Obama, he's been a renowned community organizer for years before giving The Speech.)

I liked when he told everyone to "get the hell off the beach".  That was OSSUM.  Chris Christie for Emperor.

[Razgovory]

I like a politician who his fatter then me.

[katmai]

I like a politician who his fatter then me.

So Taft is your all time favorite?

[Razgovory]

I like a politician who his fatter then me.

So Taft is your all time favorite?

He was under appreciated.

[Viking]

I'm sure a documentary titled "The Mormon Candidate" would play up that angle.  Who is the "tea party evangelical" chick?  And you know that "tea party" and "evangelical" aren't necessarily tied together, right?

In this case she was a chick that was evangelical and in the tea party. John Sweeny asked her and that is what she said.

Canvass and polls

An October 2010 Washington Post canvass of local Tea Party organizers found 99% said "concern about the economy" was an "important factor".[21] Polls have also examined Tea Party supporters' views on race and racial politics. The University of Washington poll of registered voters in Washington State found that 74% of Tea Party supporters agreed with the statement "[w]hile equal opportunity for blacks and minorities to succeed is important, it's not really the government's job to guarantee it", while a CBS/New York Times poll found that 25% think that the administration favors blacks over whites, compared with just 11% of the general public, and that they are more likely to believe Obama was born outside the United States.[85][91][92] A seven state study conducted from the University of Washington found that Tea Party movement supporters within those states were "more likely to be racially resentful" than the population as a whole, even when controlling for partisanship and ideology.[93][94] Of white poll respondents who strongly approve of the Tea Party, only 35% believe that blacks are hard-working, compared to 55% of those strongly opposed to the Tea Party, and 40% of all respondents.[95][96] However, analysis done by ABC News' Polling Unit found that views on race "are not significant predictors of support for the Tea Party movement" because they are typical of whites who are very conservative.[97][98]

Basically polling has Tea Partiers trending white, male, religious, racist and likely to belive birther claims.

[Ideologue]

Unfortunately for the GOP, women aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

This post gave me an idea: a site that measures a person's degree of partisanship by the jokes they find funny.

"Transvaginal ultrasound" gets funnier every time I hear it.

Sounds hot.

[CountDeMoney]

I sort of think the entire "Anybody but Romney" bit in the primaries has pretty much made that case for me.

That'll morph into anybody but Obama soon enough.

Pretty much.  They're not too thrilled with Mittens now, but once the convention kicks in, they'll flock.

Never underestimate the hatred Republican voters have for the concept of a liberal black man in Der Weiss Haus.

[Sheilbh]

I think Santorum is pinning all his hopes on Pennsylvania somehow turning things around for him.  But it looks like it'll be his Waterloo.

I think you're wrong.  Romney wants the focus to be on Pennsylvania, I think Santorum's probably hoping to survive there and be able to move onto May/June when there's states like Arkansas and Texas that he'll probably be targeting.

We'll see.  But don't underestimate the disdain a lot of them have for the guy he'll be facing in the general election.  Sometimes that can make up for a lack of enthusiasm for your 'own' guy.

It worked for Kerry

I respectfully disagree.  As soon as Romney trots out the I want to protect unborn babies bullshit, they're in the bag for him

He's been saying it for years.  In 2008 he ran as the socially conservative candidate (and none of his speeches or policies are more moderate this time round).  I think the problem is doubts about whether it's true.  I actually think it is, I think he did kind of 'convert' on this issue.

Guy by the name of Ron Paul.  Mitch Daniels.  Others.  Not many ran this year.  They don't excite the zealots and don't get the zealot money.

Mitch would have been interesting.  His line about a 'truce' on social issues didn't go down well.  It would have been interesting though to see that tested and developed in the campaign.

The question was are there any non-cultural conservative conservatives still around, Captain Reading Comprehension.

I think a better question is are there any issues which haven't been subsumed into the culture war?   It seems to me that it's about a lot more than abortion and gays now.

[Capetan Mihali]

I think a better question is are there any issues which haven't been subsumed into the culture war?   It seems to me that it's about a lot more than abortion and gays now.

This strikes me a definitive characteristic of political discourse right now.  Obamacare is clearly a culture war issue, and even formerly inflammatory things that had been put to rest like birth control have come back into controversy through their association with healthcare reform.  The whole idea of the economy is a culture war issue in a way it probably wasn't during the Clinton/Greenspan years or even the 91-92 recession.  The seeming consensuses on discrete culture war issues have been rolled into larger issues that still retain the culture war feel.

[derspiess]

In this case she was a chick that was evangelical and in the tea party. John Sweeny asked her and that is what she said.

No one person speaks for the tea party movement.

Canvass and polls

An October 2010 Washington Post canvass of local Tea Party organizers found 99% said "concern about the economy" was an "important factor".[21]

Cool.

Polls have also examined Tea Party supporters' views on race and racial politics. The University of Washington poll of registered voters in Washington State found that 74% of Tea Party supporters agreed with the statement "[w]hile equal opportunity for blacks and minorities to succeed is important, it's not really the government's job to guarantee it",

This is a libertarian, not necessarily racist, position.

while a CBS/New York Times poll found that 25% think that the administration favors blacks over whites, compared with just 11% of the general public,

Okay.

and that they are more likely to believe Obama was born outside the United States.[85][91][92]

I wouldn't dispute that.  There's bound to be more birther representation in a right-wing group vs. the nation at large.  I don't like that, but it is what it is.

A seven state study conducted from the University of Washington found that Tea Party movement supporters within those states were "more likely to be racially resentful" than the population as a whole, even when controlling for partisanship and ideology.[93][94] Of white poll respondents who strongly approve of the Tea Party, only 35% believe that blacks are hard-working, compared to 55% of those strongly opposed to the Tea Party, and 40% of all respondents.[95][96]

Okay.  I don't think 35% is that far off from the overall 40%.  And btw, you're shifting gears.  People who approve of the Tea Party movement are not necessarily themselves part of the movement. 

Also, I have a problem with the poll question to begin with, as it seems to be forcing people to generalize one way or another about blacks.

However, analysis done by ABC News' Polling Unit found that views on race "are not significant predictors of support for the Tea Party movement" because they are typical of whites who are very conservative.[97][98]

Basically polling has Tea Partiers trending white,

Sorry about that.

male,

religious,

I missed that in what you posted. 

racist

Disagree.

and likely to belive birther claims.

Likely?  That would seem to imply a strong majority.  Got anything to prove that?

And I'm missing the evidence of the Tea Party being an evangelical movement.

[CountDeMoney]

I'm impressed, derfetuss;  you didn't have to edit that post 4 times.