The Bubble Genius Bob & Chez Show 8/30/12

Politicians stretch the truth. It’s what they do. Sharks gotta swim, bats gotta fly (as the incomparable Tom Lehrer put it).

Outright lying is new, at least in (relatively recent) national politics. Shamelessly repeating easily- and often-disproved untruths is new. Glorying in lying is new. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan—and probably Karl Rove—have indeed brought something new to our politics, and it stinks to high heaven.

The lies Rs tell one other about Barack Obama are things they already believe—no, they know these things in their heart of hearts. Of course Obama stole money from Medicare to give to the undeserving colored people. Of course Obama hates business/success/profits/America. Of course Obama’s stimulus gave money to his cronies (those undeserving colored people again). Of course Obama closed the GM plant in Janesville, Wisconsin. Of course Obama has exploded the deficit and debt. They can’t bring themselves to admit the truth—Obama’s an American, the stimulus prevented a full-on depression, loaning money to the car industry saved it and thousands of jobs, the economy still sucks but it’s getting better despite the best efforts of the Rs in Congress, &c.—because doing so would undermine their excuses for not wanting Obama in the White House, and they’d have to admit the real reason (he’s a melanin-enhanced, center-left D).

Chez, I don’t really disagree, but look at what Ryan wants to do to the social safety net, look at what he wants to do to the social compact, look at who he says was a big influence on his economic thinking. He is a sociopath, and his running for higher office shouldn’t change that assessment—it does, but it shouldn’t.

A constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United would be very popular (I’d guess a 90-10 split in favor), at least until Rush Limbaugh and FNC started telling their audiences that doing so would mean the end of America, at which point support would go down to the low 50s (a majority but not one large enough to command any respect). Besides which, the Rs incessantly claim to speak for The American People, who seem always to support the Republican agenda of the moment—odd, that.

Bob, you’re half right. The Rs want liberal economic policies to fail (and will do everything they can to make them fail, or say and do everything possible to make the public think they’ve failed), not to vindicate conservative policies but simply to discredit liberals. That’s it. I’m hardly the first person to say that Rs are great at campaigning but are terrible at governing, and this is a good example.

First, Todd Akin was inconveniently candid about abortion and the Rs’ widespread ignorance about ladybits. Now, Lindsey Graham, of all people, was inconveniently candid about the demographic downfall facing the GOP. Akin, the Rs can banish to the outer darkness; the Rs can’t shun Graham because they need him, but he is going to spend some time on the naughty step.

Yes, Graham and Jeb Bush are correct: their party has no choice but to expand the Big Tent (hah!) beyond straight, white, Christian men. The problem is that minority outreach has been comprehensively nuked in the GOP’s relentless quest for straight, white, Christian male votes. Me, I think it serves them right.

Chuck Todd is a chowderhead. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: it’s that ridiculous face mullet. Seriously. I can’t think of anyone with that configuration of facial hair who isn’t lazy and stupid.

And some day, I’m going to start editing these comments.

–alopecia