In 1976, George Wallace won the South Carolina primary on a platform of race-baiting and bigotry. It was pretty much George's last hurrah, he didn't win any other primaries that year, and soon retired from politics.
Today, Newt "the Grinch" Gingrich appears to have won South Carolina based on a similar plan of attack. Apparently folks in South Carolina liked his race-baiting and his constant attacks on the negro err President, sorta like back when they voted for George Wallace in the '76 primary 'cause George hated him some black people too.
All of which says more about South Carolina than anything that's going to be relevant to the rest of the race...northern Florida is also full of racists, but southern Florida isn't, so I doubt racism is going to stir as many people to vote for the Grinch there. Still, the Grinch is back, bitches! And the Republican dwarf race is still up in the air, with each of Frothy Dwarf, Sleazy Dwarf, and Grumpy Dwarf having won a state. None of them are going to beat the camel in the dwarf vs. camel race, but they're definitely all chugging away as fast as their tiny little legs can propel them!
-- Badtux the Dwarf-watchin' Penguin
Badtux, your comment about Florida reminded me of this nugget:
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/77p7pev
Lookin' more like Yugoslavia circa 1990 all the time down there, Tux. Newt Gingrich and the Southern Repukes = Slobodan Milosevic and the Serbian commies. "10th Amendment Movement" is 21st Century-speak for "nullification." My only question is, will it end with organized sides shooting at each other, or anarchy of everyone shooting at everyone else?
ReplyDeleteToday, Thoma asked if Newt was another Rethug bubble or in for the long haul.
ReplyDeleteMy response:
Newt's South Carolina surge is the direct result of the question John King asked him about his request for an open marriage. Newt did the classic conservative thing: he changed the subject. And he did the classic Republican thing: he turned something that should make the family values crowd hate him into something the family values crowd cheered.
Earlier, when revelations of Herman Cain's sexual harassment came out, contributions soared.
This isn't so much about the candidates as it is about a sick, sick electorate.
Newt's ability to last will depend on how many other states are willing to promote the unenlightened self-interests of a raving sociopath.
I am not optimistic.
JzB