December 27, 2013

Old Crankypants Liberal Republican Who Endorsed Obama Not Once But Twice Is Mounting an Independent Senate Campaign in South Dakota
— Ace

South Dakota is one of those states that should be routinely electing two conservative Senators but which generally doesn't. With longtime Democrat Tim Johnson finally retiring, the state is a key battleground in the fight for control of the Senate.

But that won't be easy. A Libertarian candidate is drawing 11% of the vote.

And now, curiously enough, as the Democrats' political position deteriorates further, it gets even harder. An allegedly "moderate" former Senator, Larry Pressler, who endorsed Obama in both 2008 and 2012 (I guess he was very impressed by his first term!), is joining the race as well.

Geraghty notes the state is R+10. But even an R+10 state can go Democratic with not one but two challengers for the right-leaning vote.

Thanks to @drewmtips.

Posted by: Ace at 10:15 AM | Comments (220)
Post contains 167 words, total size 1 kb.

1 Obama? I don't even know the guy.

Posted by: Larry Pressler (I) at December 27, 2013 10:17 AM (8ZskC)

2 Maybe it's time for me and my dick to jump into the race.

Posted by: Anthony Wiener at December 27, 2013 10:18 AM (8ZskC)

3 R+10 can get a whole lot bigger if you run a few ads of Dems bashing the oil and gas industry.

Posted by: AMDG at December 27, 2013 10:19 AM (t7OO0)

4

"But even an R+10 state can go Democratic with not one but two challengers for the right-leaning vote."

 

Actually, it's even more likely when one of the challengers for the right-leaning vote is a Progressive/Establishment "R"........

 

Why do we bother having elections, again?

Posted by: MtTB at December 27, 2013 10:19 AM (lQCe+)

5 I think the problem is the lack of people who want to repeatedly be kicked in the nuts...which is another way of saying, run for public office...

Posted by: GGE of the Moron Horde, NC Chapter at December 27, 2013 10:20 AM (yh0zB)

6 With longtime Democrat Tim Johnson finally retiring, the state is a key battleground in the fight for control of the Senate.


The Johnsons have had a lock on South Dakota for years.  The state is full of 'em.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero) at December 27, 2013 10:21 AM (8ZskC)

7 By chance, anyone know how long you need residency in SD before you can vote? I doubt the roughnecks making their way out there know or care about some old GOPe guy or want any type of new regs out there.

Posted by: AMDG at December 27, 2013 10:21 AM (t7OO0)

8 longtime braindead Democrat Tim Johnson, you mean

Posted by: soothsayer at December 27, 2013 10:21 AM (zvr0X)

9

Don't they have primaries in S Dakota?

Posted by: Soona at December 27, 2013 10:22 AM (fv6BP)

10 Who's paying him to run?

Posted by: Juan de Hattatime at December 27, 2013 10:22 AM (p7LQY)

11 The only problem I have with this is when those in the GOP who demand that the Tea Party faction stfd and stfu and be good little soldiers and support whoever wins the primary do not demand the same of Establishment types. Is he actually a registered Independent? Do they even do primaries by party in South Dakota? Those are serious questions, I don't know and am too lazy to look.

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Now with extra taunting. at December 27, 2013 10:23 AM (VtjlW)

12 Same old same old Democrat trick.  Get another candidate on the ballot to split the vote.

This "Republican" has connections to the South Dakota or national Dem machine and is doing it to keep the Senate from flipping.

Same for the Libertarian.  He's just another Dem.

Posted by: Dave in Fla at December 27, 2013 10:23 AM (LxcRK)

13 GGE, you saying politicians are nothing but a bunch of Piers Morgans?  Nothing in the sack?

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at December 27, 2013 10:24 AM (04hTF)

14 Do Repubs ever do similar dirty tricks? Can't we pay stalking horses to run as vote splitters, too?

Posted by: Flatbush Joe at December 27, 2013 10:24 AM (ZPrif)

15 @drewmjusthtetip would be a cooler handle.

Posted by: garrett at December 27, 2013 10:24 AM (cyvkk)

16
I never could understand how South Dakota could elect douchebags like Tom Daschle.

To their credit tho.... they did toss him out on his ass.

Hope springs eternal.

Posted by: fixerupper at December 27, 2013 10:24 AM (nELVU)

17 R+10?  That explains everything.  The guy is actually a Democrat, only he can't say it if he wants to run for office and not have his campaign literature be printed on the sides of milk cartons.

Posted by: Mikey NTH - Don't Wait to the Last Minute to Purchase that Special Someone a Squabble Set! at December 27, 2013 10:25 AM (gmoEG)

18 This is S. Dakota.  From what I know of it,  it's not necessarily what I'd call a really red state.

Posted by: Soona at December 27, 2013 10:25 AM (fv6BP)

19 GGE, you saying politicians are nothing but a bunch of Piers Morgans? Nothing in the sack?

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at December 27, 2013 02:24 PM (04hTF)

 

Never use "Piers Morgan" and "in the sack" anywhere near each other ever again, unless it involves punches or kicks.

Posted by: Insomniac at December 27, 2013 10:25 AM (DrWcr)

20 "A Libertarian candidate is drawing 11% of the vote."

Cue the usual whingeing about those awful libertarian voters going and stupidly throwing their votes away on protest candidates, and electing Democrats as a result.

Hey, I've got an idea! Let's have the GOP staunchly continue its present policy of rudely shitting down the necks of the libertarians, alienating and mocking them at every opportunity. That'll surely work if we just give it enough time.

Rudely pissing off the libertarians was, of course, a central piece of Reagan's strategy for winning the Presidency twice in huge landslides, a feat never equalled by the GOP since.

Wait, what? Reagan REACHED OUT TO libertarians? Praised them, gave interviews to the libertarian press, talked up how conservatives and libertarians are natural allies, invited them into the big tent, and thus was not plagued by spoiler candidacies drawing them off?

Oh. Well then.

Posted by: torquewrench at December 27, 2013 10:25 AM (gqT4g)

21 Since when is a guy who endorsed Obama not once but twice an establishment Republican? He's an anti-war activist who just chooses the label most convenient to run under.

Posted by: JackStraw at December 27, 2013 10:26 AM (g1DWB)

22 Hell, we had the same stunt pulled here with Crist.  Now Crist has gone all the way over as a registered Dem, and will try to win back his job as Governor.

Posted by: Dave in Fla at December 27, 2013 10:26 AM (LxcRK)

23 So who is the Conservative in the race who could benefit from my donation?  Or is there even one--just a Libertarian and RINO or is the Libertarian the RINO?

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes, shhh, be a little quieter, some of us are trying to sleep off tho at December 27, 2013 10:26 AM (kXoT0)

24 This just reminds me how timid the GOP is. Long before the GOP was afraid of obama, they were scared shitless to campaign against the brain-dead Tim Johnson.

Posted by: soothsayer at December 27, 2013 10:26 AM (zvr0X)

25 Do Repubs ever do similar dirty tricks? Can't we pay stalking horses to run as vote splitters, too? I honestly think most national R candidates are at least one standard deviation to the left of the population they represent. They're not too put out by Dems winning because they pull the population left.

Posted by: bonhomme[/i][/b][/i][/b] at December 27, 2013 10:26 AM (WhJf8)

26 how South Dakota could elect douchebags Reservations are fertile ground for Voter / Election Fraud. Not quite like the cemeteries of Illinois, but still pretty effective.

Posted by: garrett at December 27, 2013 10:28 AM (cyvkk)

27 yeah... let's get some "moderate" "Dems" to run as independents as well... the more the merrier!

Posted by: Chi-Town Jerry at December 27, 2013 10:28 AM (f9c2L)

28 BTW, no offense to the Libertarians.  I get where you are coming from on your beliefs.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes, shhh, be a little quieter, some of us are trying to sleep off tho at December 27, 2013 10:28 AM (kXoT0)

29 I was certain that Gab Giffords would be the new Tim Johnson and stay in Congress as long as she wanted. But I was wrong. And that is extremely rare.

Posted by: soothsayer at December 27, 2013 10:28 AM (zvr0X)

30 Replace your old, tired Johnson,
With a younger, better Weiner!

Anthony Weiner for South Dakota '16

Posted by: Weiner for South Dakota at December 27, 2013 10:28 AM (2ljO9)

31  Same old same old Democrat trick. Get another candidate on the ballot to split the vote.

This "Republican" has connections to the South Dakota or national Dem machine and is doing it to keep the Senate from flipping.

Same for the Libertarian. He's just another Dem.

Posted by: Dave in Fla at December 27, 2013 02:23 PM (LxcRK)

 

 

-------------------------------------------------

 

 

This is true.  And I also think we're going to see a lot of this for 2014 and 2016.  If someone, anyone comes out and says they're libertarian, the libertarians start slobbering all over themselves voting for him/her. 

Posted by: Soona at December 27, 2013 10:29 AM (fv6BP)

32
The dems are pretty good at running fake repubs, conservatives and libertarians to run and draw votes away.  Or they purposely finance a nut job like they did for CO guv last time.

It works well in a LIV nation.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at December 27, 2013 10:29 AM (MaP11)

33 Um, I think certain #VichyRepublicans are quite aware they are doing the bidding of the Democrats.  Huntsman comes immediately to mind.  Former Senator Olympia Snowe as well...

Posted by: Ed Mahmoud at December 27, 2013 10:29 AM (4mrXD)

34 So, basically, once again the "sane and sensible" Moderate leadership of the GOP will manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes, shhh, be a little quieter, some of us are trying to sleep. at December 27, 2013 10:30 AM (kXoT0)

35 Reservations are fertile ground for Voter / Election Fraud. Not quite like the cemeteries of Illinois, but still pretty effective. Posted by: garrett at December 27, 2013 02:28 PM (cyvkk) You are correct; fraud on the reservations is well-known in South Dakota.

Posted by: Vendette at December 27, 2013 10:32 AM (Y6+7w)

36 The dirty secret is that the GOP loves D's like Tim Johnson, and would rather have a 'moderate' D from a red state than a conservative R. Why? Because the D will keep the Spice flowing.

Posted by: soothsayer at December 27, 2013 10:33 AM (zvr0X)

37 Since when is a guy who endorsed Obama not once but twice an establishment Republican? He's an anti-war activist who just chooses the label most convenient to run under. Posted by: JackStraw at December 27, 2013 02:26 PM (g1DWB) Let's see. Larry Pressler, Larry Pressler, why does that name sound familiar? Oh. You mean former three term Republican Senator from South Dakota Larry Pressler? Who was a two term Congressman before that? You know, the one who ran for the Republican presidential nomination for two seconds in 1980? The one who claims that he's still a Republican? That Larry Pressler? Yeah. I don't see how on Earth any cognizant human being would choose to typify him as an establishment Republican. It's a mystery, really. Shit, I'd forgotten he was on Bush's transition team. Yeah, no clue why anyone would think he's an establishment Republican.

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Now with extra taunting. at December 27, 2013 10:33 AM (VtjlW)

38 It may cost some big bucks from time to time but I wish every state had a run-off system, where the winner has to get over 50%.

Posted by: Margarita DeVille at December 27, 2013 10:33 AM (dfYL9)

39 once again the "sane and sensible" Moderate leadership of the GOP will manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. This place is just a bubbling cauldron of misogyny.

Posted by: Sandra Fluke at December 27, 2013 10:34 AM (cyvkk)

40 The vote-splitting tactic shouldn't be that hard. In the Southeast, run a Black. In the Southwest, run a Mexican. In the Northwest, run a Green. In the Northeast, run a Socialist. In the Midwest, run a Scandi. Have them all claim they are the "true" Democrat. Steal 10% of the vote. Repubs win 98 Senate seats and 52,326 electoral votes. Problem solved.

Posted by: Flatbush Joe at December 27, 2013 10:34 AM (ZPrif)

41 12 Same old same old Democrat trick. Get another candidate on the ballot to split the vote. This "Republican" has connections to the South Dakota or national Dem machine and is doing it to keep the Senate from flipping. Same for the Libertarian. He's just another Dem. Posted by: Dave in Fla at December 27, 2013 02:23 PM (LxcRK) If I had to guess, based on previous experience, the "libertarian" is a full-bore liberal with financial support from many and various ultra-lib organizations. But libertarians are very naive and often very stupid and will salivate over anyone with an "L" next to their name. The liberal Republican is probably a former officeholder, has his tendrils throughout the state (probably a lawyer) and a lot of people owe him favors. He's probably bitter that his power is usurped by these upstart Tea Party types. Time to click through and see if I'm right.

Posted by: AmishDude at December 27, 2013 10:34 AM (xSegX)

42 Because the D will keep the Spice flowing. --- Someone needs to drain the tank of Navigator McConnell.

Posted by: Brandon In Baton Rouge at December 27, 2013 10:34 AM (/Crba)

43 South Dakota voted for Tom Daschle for 3 terms as Senator. SO not a bright red state.

Posted by: The Hickster at December 27, 2013 10:35 AM (TI3xG)

44 The dems are pretty good at running fake repubs, conservatives and libertarians to run and draw votes away. Or they purposely finance a nut job like they did for CO guv last time.

It works well in a LIV nation.
Posted by: Guy Mohawk

That and voting for sore-loser RINOs when the Dem candidate is trailing badly  See:  Alaska, Murky

Posted by: mrp at December 27, 2013 10:35 AM (HjPtV)

45 Think about it. Guys like Ted Cruz and Louis Gohmert are the bane of the GOP -- outspoken principled conservatives from safe places. They get in the way of the Big Govt agenda.

Posted by: soothsayer at December 27, 2013 10:36 AM (zvr0X)

46 But libertarians are very naive and often very stupid and will salivate over anyone with an "L" next to their name.>>

Mostly though they are just high.

Posted by: The Hickster at December 27, 2013 10:36 AM (TI3xG)

47 You are correct; fraud on the reservations is well-known in South Dakota.

Posted by: Vendette at December 27, 2013 02:32 PM (Y6+7w)


Everywhere.  It is a complex problem.  There are Indians who are damaged by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, who should not be voting, but, they do.  There are Indians who sell their votes for liquor or meth.  But, the main problem is tribal culture--and I say this with all due respect--Indians model their behavior on what the tribe says to do via their leadership and their elders.  If the Tribal leadership is bought off by Democrats and consequently tells the tribe to vote for Democrats, then most of them will dutifully do so.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes, shhh, be a little quieter, some of us are trying to sleep. at December 27, 2013 10:37 AM (kXoT0)

48 The dirty secret is that the GOP loves D's like Tim Johnson, and would rather have a 'moderate' D from a red state than a conservative R.

Why?
Because the D will keep the Spice flowing.

Posted by: soothsayer at December 27, 2013 02:33 PM (zvr0X)

 

 

-----------------------------------------------

 

 

After the VA elections a short time ago, I am now more than willing to believe this.  As I've said, all the politicians know that the fix is in.  It's nothing but a game to them.   They don't want to give up their power, no matter what us rubes in fly-over country want.

Posted by: Soona at December 27, 2013 10:37 AM (fv6BP)

49 The repubs should then find a astroturf lefty to run and split their vote. If that is the way the game is going to be played, play it or get used to a rat controlled government.

Posted by: GMB-Schoolyard bully at December 27, 2013 10:37 AM (nkPV9)

50 So, basically, once again the "sane and sensible" Moderate leadership of the GOP will manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes, shhh, be a little quieter, some of us are trying to sleep. at December 27, 2013 02:30 PM (kXoT0) I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I don't think this can be laid at the feet of the GOP. Pressler is running as an independent, not in the Republican primary so it's not like he's the preferred GOP candidate. Unless and until there's evidence that someone in the state or national GOP is behind him trying to play spoiler, it's on him, not the GOP. Yes, I freely and totally admit saying that completely vitiates my above bitchery but the point remains that up to the point where Pressler went full Crist, he was pretty much up there in the list of establishment type Republicans.

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Now with extra taunting. at December 27, 2013 10:38 AM (VtjlW)

51 28 BTW, no offense to the Libertarians. I get where you are coming from on your beliefs. I have yet to see a major candidate who polls high and runs as a Libertarian actually BE a libertarian. And the pure-as-snow Libertarian Party doesn't do squat about it because they like the attention.

Posted by: AmishDude at December 27, 2013 10:38 AM (xSegX)

52 I just do whatever Karl Rove tells me to do. Cuz he's The Architect.

Posted by: eman at December 27, 2013 10:38 AM (EWsrI)

53 They don't want to give up their power, no matter what us rubes in fly-over country want. --- Everybody knows that the dice are loaded Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed Everybody knows that the war is over Everybody knows that the good guys lost Everybody knows the fight was fixed The poor stay poor The rich get rich That's how it goes And everybody knows.

Posted by: Leonard Cohen at December 27, 2013 10:39 AM (/Crba)

54 Defeat. Jaws. Victory. Delivered to you by the GOP in one fully assembled shit sandwich.

Posted by: krakatoa at December 27, 2013 10:39 AM (eCtnP)

55 GGE, you saying politicians are nothing but a bunch of Piers Morgans? Nothing in the sack?

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at December 27, 2013 02:24 PM (04hTF)




Anything that was in the sack was sacrificed to the media gods many years ago.

Posted by: GGE of the Moron Horde, NC Chapter at December 27, 2013 10:40 AM (yh0zB)

56 Our most right-wing (either so-con or fis-con libertarian types) get pilloried in the media and by Establishment Repubs. Just like how the establishment Democrats routinely savage the avowed Socialist Bernie Sanders. Oh wait, no. Nobody ever talks about Bernie Sanders or mentions he's a proud Socialist.

Posted by: Flatbush Joe at December 27, 2013 10:40 AM (ZPrif)

57 I have yet to see a major candidate who polls high and runs as a Libertarian actually BE a libertarian.

And the pure-as-snow Libertarian Party doesn't do squat about it because they like the attention.

Posted by: AmishDude at December 27, 2013 02:38 PM (xSegX)


All true, but, I do understand why Libertarians separate themselves from Conservatives.  I do not agree with them, but, I grok it.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes, shhh, be a little quieter, some of us are trying to sleep. at December 27, 2013 10:40 AM (kXoT0)

58 Defeat.
Jaws.
Victory.

Delivered to you by the GOP in one fully assembled shit sandwich.>>

You forgot the Snatch.

Posted by: The Hickster at December 27, 2013 10:40 AM (TI3xG)

59 And here pundits were writing SD off as a pick-up based on the popularity of former Gov. Mike Rounds. "Shit, I'd forgotten he was on Bush's transition team." So, establishment Republicans are donating to the Democrat Michelle Nunn running for Chambliss' seat. Liz Cheney is running against a well-liked amnesty opponent who introduced legislation to overturn the individual mandate. And now TFG. Fuck the Bush family, every last lizard-fucking one of them, six ways to Sunday.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 10:41 AM (Y92Nd)

60 After the VA elections a short time ago, I am now more than willing to believe this. As I've said, all the politicians know that the fix is in. It's nothing but a game to them. They don't want to give up their power, no matter what us rubes in fly-over country want. Posted by: Soona

True.

Posted by: mrp at December 27, 2013 10:41 AM (HjPtV)

61 Everybody knows that the ship is sinking Everybody knows that Obama lied Everybody got this broken feeling Like their father or their dog just died Everybody talking to their pockets Everybody wants a box of chocolates And a long stem rose Everybody knows

Posted by: Flatbush Joe at December 27, 2013 10:42 AM (ZPrif)

62 I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I don't think this can be laid at the feet of the GOP. Pressler is running as an independent, not in the Republican primary so it's not like he's the preferred GOP candidate. Unless and until there's evidence that someone in the state or national GOP is behind him trying to play spoiler, it's on him, not the GOP.


Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Now with extra taunting. at December 27, 2013 02:38 PM (VtjlW)

 

More likely evidence that the DNC is behind it.   It only benefits them. 

 

 

Posted by: Obama at December 27, 2013 10:42 AM (m2CN7)

63 Yeah. I don't see how on Earth any cognizant human being would choose to typify him as an establishment Republican. It's a mystery, really. {Snip} Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Now with extra taunting. at December 27 Answered your own question there didn't you?

Posted by: tsrblke, PhD(c) No Really! at December 27, 2013 10:42 AM (GaqMa)

64 The money has run out. The world is gliding now and losing altitude and airspeed. Soon there will be not enough lift. Then a spiraling dive.

Posted by: eman at December 27, 2013 10:42 AM (EWsrI)

65 58 Defeat. Jaws. Victory. Delivered to you by the GOP in one fully assembled shit sandwich.>> You forgot the Snatch. --- See "Snatch". Snatch... Snatch... Snatch...

Posted by: Hedley Lamarr at December 27, 2013 10:42 AM (/Crba)

66 So if Pressler is running as an I, and the Libertarian is running as an L...who is running as the R? No one?



Hmm...makes you wonder why the Republicans can't get anyone elected in these kinds of races, doesn't it?

Posted by: GGE of the Moron Horde, NC Chapter at December 27, 2013 10:42 AM (yh0zB)

67 ATC - Pressler is an insider in SD.  He isn't politically connected to the SD Dem party, but he is connected financially and/or socially.

I'd wager my left nut that he is doing this as a favor to someone to try and keep that seat in Dem hands.  And he will be rewarded after he loses.

Posted by: Dave in Fla at December 27, 2013 10:42 AM (LxcRK)

68 17 " R+10? That explains everything. The guy is actually a Democrat" Let's not go all judgmental on this guy. Just because he voted for Obama twice doesn't mean he isn't a hard-core republican. Maybe he just isn't racist enough.

Posted by: jwest at December 27, 2013 10:43 AM (u2a4R)

69 I remember reading an AP piece about this in October. ****************************** The Republican establishment also is signaling a willingness to strike back at the tea party in next fall’s elections. “It’s time for someone to act like a grown-up in this process,” former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu argues, faulting Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and tea party Republicans in the House as much as President Barack Obama for taking an uncompromising stance. Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is just as pointed, saying this about the tea party-fueled refusal to support spending measures that include money for Obama’s health care law: “It never had a chance.” The anger emanating from Republicans like Sununu and Barbour comes just three years after the GOP embraced the insurgent political group and rode its wave of new energy to return to power in the House.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 10:43 AM (Y92Nd)

70 Snatch... Snatch... Snatch... Posted by: Hedley Lamarr at December 27, 2013 02:42 PM (/Crba) You said 'Snatch', thrice.

Posted by: garrett at December 27, 2013 10:43 AM (cyvkk)

71

Unless and until proven otherwise, I just assume "Libertarian" means "I wanna legalize pot, everything else is negotiable."

 

 

Posted by: BurtTC at December 27, 2013 10:43 AM (xCw24)

72 Fun fact: Larry Pressler not only refused a bribe in the Abscam investigation, he immediately reported it to the FBI.

Whatever his faults, when no one was looking, he proved his honesty.

P.S.  In American Hustle (great movie BTW), when they list out all the members of Congress pinched by Abscam, they conspicuously leave out one Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania.  Must've slipped their mind...

Posted by: Dave at Garfield Ridge at December 27, 2013 10:43 AM (Ed+yP)

73 Everybody knows that you love me baby Everybody knows that you really do Everybody knows that you've been faithful Ah give or take a night or two Everybody knows you've been discreet But there were so many people you just had to meet Without your clothes And everybody knows

Posted by: Leonard Cohen at December 27, 2013 10:44 AM (/Crba)

74 I stand corrected. There is an R, Mike Rounds, and he's up by 6.

Posted by: GGE of the Moron Horde, NC Chapter at December 27, 2013 10:44 AM (yh0zB)

75 Pressler went to Harvard Law School! Shocka. It seems that Kurt Evans is the perennial Libertarian candidate. Evans cost John Thune the race in 2002. He actually dropped out of that race and endorsed Thune, but it was too late to stay off the ballot. That alone should disqualify him from being considered a serious anything, and yet...

Posted by: AmishDude at December 27, 2013 10:44 AM (xSegX)

76 70 Snatch... Snatch... Snatch... Posted by: Hedley Lamarr at December 27, 2013 02:42 PM (/Crba) You said 'Snatch', thrice. --- I'm trying to summon it like Beetlejuice.

Posted by: Brandon In Baton Rouge at December 27, 2013 10:44 AM (/Crba)

77 Shit, I'd forgotten he was on Bush's transition team. Yeah, no clue why anyone would think he's an establishment Republican.

Posted by: alexthechick

Ka-Boom.

Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at December 27, 2013 10:44 AM (dwArK)

78 Everybody's talking at me. I don't hear a word they're sayin' Only the echoes of my mind. Wah wa wa wah wa wa

Posted by: GOP at December 27, 2013 10:45 AM (zvr0X)

79 I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I don't think this can be laid at the feet of the GOP. Pressler is running as an independent, not in the Republican primary so it's not like he's the preferred GOP candidate. Unless and until there's evidence that someone in the state or national GOP is behind him trying to play spoiler, it's on him, not the GOP.


Yes, I freely and totally admit saying that completely vitiates my above bitchery but the point remains that up to the point where Pressler went full Crist, he was pretty much up there in the list of establishment type Republicans.

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Now with extra taunting. at December 27, 2013 02:38 PM (VtjlW)


I see your point, Great One, but, the National Party does not stomp down hard on the lousy Larry Presslers.  No, they wring thems widdle hands and say there is nada, zip, zilch, and nothing to be done about the Pubby spoiler, despite the fact that a few phone calls from the correct folks could stop the spoiler cold.  But, by gosh and by golly, they have no problem strapping on their hobnail boots and grabbing up an axe handle to beat a Tea Party candidate about their figurative head and shoulders.  So yeah, IMHO, the national party will be working their usual magic.  After all, should be some miracle, we retake the Senate, do we want them to have to listen to guys like Cruz for totes realz?

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes, shhh, be a little quieter, some of us are trying to sleep. at December 27, 2013 10:45 AM (kXoT0)

80 So what is the polling like on this mess?

Posted by: Lindsey Lohan at December 27, 2013 10:45 AM (RJMhd)

81 Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is just as pointed, saying this about the tea party-fueled refusal to support spending measures that include money for Obama’s health care law: “It never had a chance.”



Yeah...that was kind of the idea...

Posted by: GGE of the Moron Horde, NC Chapter at December 27, 2013 10:45 AM (yh0zB)

82 I've seen this movie:  Colorado governership lost to some dickweed liberal because an asshole couldn't control his narcissism.

Now, we get 10 round mags instead of 30 round mags.

Thanks, fucker.

Posted by: tangonine at December 27, 2013 10:45 AM (x3YFz)

83 With Barry's job approval numbers running between 37-41 percent, I don't think the split-the-vote scheme will work as well in 2014 as it did in 2012.

The question will be simple:  Did you support/vote for ObamaCare and/or endorse Obama?

Posted by: mrp at December 27, 2013 10:46 AM (HjPtV)

84 " I have yet to see a major candidate who polls high and runs as a Libertarian actually BE a libertarian." Two words: herding cats. The LP is totally disorganized, but more so than any other third parties. They always get trotted out as the vote splitter, which keeps voters from taking them seriously and therefore making them a viable threat.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 10:46 AM (Y92Nd)

85 Oops! Should have followed the--duh--the independent is draing 11% of the vote--link. Still though Jeebus Cripes Ace!! it's PPP--even I know they SUCK!

Posted by: Lindsey Lohan at December 27, 2013 10:47 AM (RJMhd)

86 this whole "i'm going to go independent and have a snowball's chance in hell of winning" approach is starting to piss me off.

Posted by: tangonine at December 27, 2013 10:47 AM (x3YFz)

87 P.S. In American Hustle (great movie BTW), when they list out all the members of Congress pinched by Abscam, they conspicuously leave out one Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania. Must've slipped their mind...

Posted by: Dave at Garfield Ridge at December 27, 2013 02:43 PM (Ed+yP)


Yeah, I noticed that.  IMHO, it was a good movie, but not great.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes, shhh, be a little quieter, some of us are trying to sleep. at December 27, 2013 10:47 AM (kXoT0)

88 Who's paying him to run? Posted by: Juan de Hattatime at December 27, 2013 02:22 PM (p7LQY) EXACTLY!!!!!

Posted by: Eton Cox at December 27, 2013 10:47 AM (q177U)

89

No offense to our Native American brethen but if you choose to retain your rights  as a sovereign entity within that State and do not answer to State law but  only  to   your own sovereign law and Federal law,  you should not be able to vote in State elections. 

 

 

Posted by: polynikes at December 27, 2013 10:48 AM (m2CN7)

90 "Pressler is running as an independent, not in the Republican primary so it's not like he's the preferred GOP candidate." Because Republican primaries are easily dominated by the grassroots, and the establishment knows this.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 10:48 AM (Y92Nd)

91 Posted by: jwest at December 27, 2013 02:43 PM (u2a4R)

The racists voted for Obama not against him.

Posted by: ryukyu at December 27, 2013 10:48 AM (C6XFd)

92 South Dakota? You mean we have more than one? Next you'll tell me there's a New Mexico.

Posted by: wooga at December 27, 2013 10:48 AM (2G4Er)

93 Well actually its that Political Wire dude linking to PPP--but still--it's PPP--even that Liberal what's his nuts doesn't think they are legit. What the hell is that guy's name? The baseball stats nerd that quit...

Posted by: Lindsey Lohan at December 27, 2013 10:49 AM (RJMhd)

94 By the way, if anyone  still  has any doubts that  jwest is a troll, see post #68. 

Posted by: BurtTC at December 27, 2013 10:49 AM (xCw24)

95 Posted by: jwest at December 27, 2013 02:43 PM (u2a4R)

The racists voted for Obama not against him.

Posted by: ryukyu

Don't bother. He's a known tax-cheat troll with a penchant for saying dumb things. The proverbial chess playing pigeon.

Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at December 27, 2013 10:51 AM (dwArK)

96 The dirty secret is that the GOP loves D's like Tim Johnson, and would rather have a 'moderate' D from a red state than a conservative R.

And what is not at all a secret is the fact that you are a delusional imbecile.

Posted by: Hollowpoint at December 27, 2013 10:51 AM (SY2Kh)

97 Anyone who endorsed da Zero isn't gonna get the right leaning vote.

Posted by: maddogg at December 27, 2013 10:51 AM (xWW96)

98 The Reservations should be dismantled and the land sold off at auction. This whole fake sovereign nation within a nation is fucking retarded. What is this, Lesotho?

Posted by: Flatbush Joe at December 27, 2013 10:52 AM (ZPrif)

99 Nate Silver!! Jezzuz gawd I'm getting old--or it's the coke...

Posted by: Lindsey Lohan at December 27, 2013 10:52 AM (RJMhd)

100 94 By the way, if anyone still has any doubts that jwest is a troll, see post #68. Posted by: BurtTC at December 27, 2013 02:49 PM (xCw24) The Granny Slayer leaves no doubt.

Posted by: eman at December 27, 2013 10:52 AM (EWsrI)

101 Another has been tryin to get in there. We have Mike rounds, former governor running. Stace Nelson, former marine and a few others just to make it interesting. Our best hope is Stace, but Rounds has the money behind him.

Posted by: from here at December 27, 2013 10:52 AM (a673H)

102 I see your point, Great One, but, the National Party does not stomp down hard on the lousy Larry Presslers. No, they wring thems widdle hands and say there is nada, zip, zilch, and nothing to be done about the Pubby spoiler, despite the fact that a few phone calls from the correct folks could stop the spoiler cold. But, by gosh and by golly, they have no problem strapping on their hobnail boots and grabbing up an axe handle to beat a Tea Party candidate about their figurative head and shoulders. So yeah, IMHO, the national party will be working their usual magic. After all, should be some miracle, we retake the Senate, do we want them to have to listen to guys like Cruz for totes realz? Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes, shhh, be a little quieter, some of us are trying to sleep. at December 27, 2013 02:45 PM (kXoT0 You have an excellent point as well though this runs slam into my rather wild eyed optimism (shut up it happens) that there should be more candidates in every race. Pressler thinks the GOP no longer represents his views and he doesn't want to become a Democrat for whatever reasons so he's running as an independent. That is fine by me. Seriously, it is. It's fine by me that the Libertarian guy is running as well. Fine. If you don't like the party and don't think you can change the party, then leave and see if you can win on your own. Fine by me. My critique is for those who do not think such a thing is fine. If you think that we must work within the current two party system, no matter what you think of that system, then it is as horrible a thing for Pressler to do what he is doing as it is for any Tea Party person to do the same.

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Now with extra taunting. at December 27, 2013 10:53 AM (VtjlW)

103 Dems, while intellectually and morally bankrupt, are flush with cash thanks to Stimulus and other graft. They can afford to fund stalking horses to peel off just enough to win, like they did in Virginia. We're beyond the point where just the will of the voter is sufficient to keep them from the reins of power. Now they'll rely on an arsenal of well-funded dirty tricks.

Posted by: --- at December 27, 2013 10:53 AM (MMC8r)

104 46 But libertarians are very naive and often very stupid and will salivate over anyone with an "L" next to their name.>>

Mostly though they are just high.
Posted by: The Hickster

Wow.  What utter nonsense.  Some Libertarians vote their party because it needs all the votes it can get, especially when there are thresholds to meet for ballot qualifications and all that. 

OTOH, Republicans, mostly though, they are just drunk.  Ain't that right Hickster?



Posted by: SFGoth at December 27, 2013 10:53 AM (NYAei)

105 Establishment Repubs aren't running Pressler. That's stupid. Establishment Repubs, by definition, take control of the part apparatus of the Repub Party. That's what makes them the Establishment.

Posted by: Flatbush Joe at December 27, 2013 10:53 AM (ZPrif)

106 What is this, Lesotho? Posted by: Flatbush Joe at December 27, 2013 02:52 PM (ZPrif) It depends on whether you're in a black neighborhood or a gay italian restaurant.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 10:54 AM (Y92Nd)

107 89 No offense to our Native American brethen but if you choose to retain your rights as a sovereign entity within that State and do not answer to State law but only to your own sovereign law and Federal law, you should not be able to vote in State elections.

Posted by: polynikes at December 27, 2013 02:48 PM (m2CN7)

Yup.

Look.  They got screwed.  Got it.  Welcome to history.  You're not first, take a number, get the fuck over it.

Choose to be a separate nation, fine.  And all that goes with it.

1) can't have a federal job
2) can't join the armed forces

Every res I've been on and seen in my lifetime (and I've seen many) it's empty liquor bottles and trailer homes with delapitaded furniture out front.

To the American Indian:  Unfuck yourself. 

My grandmother was Apache.  And I love her. 

Take it as you will.

Posted by: tangonine at December 27, 2013 10:54 AM (x3YFz)

108 I see your point, Great One, but, the National Party does not stomp down hard on the lousy Larry Presslers.

And what exactly would you have them do?  Hire some KGB hitmen to Polonium his ass?

Posted by: Hollowpoint at December 27, 2013 10:54 AM (SY2Kh)

109 So what positions does this faux-Libertarian espouse that might (assuming they are libertarian) be appealing to Republicans?  If there are any, friggin' co-opt them.

Posted by: SFGoth at December 27, 2013 10:54 AM (NYAei)

110 106 What is this, Lesotho? Posted by: Flatbush Joe at December 27, 2013 02:52 PM (ZPrif) It depends on whether you're in a black neighborhood or a gay italian restaurant. --- What you did there, I see it.

Posted by: MISTER Steve Martin at December 27, 2013 10:54 AM (/Crba)

111 "Some Libertarians vote their party because it needs all the votes it can get, especially when there are thresholds to meet for ballot qualifications and all that." Even when its candidate runs a Bush flunkie?

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 10:55 AM (Y92Nd)

112 Two words: herding cats. The LP is totally disorganized, but more so than any other third parties. They always get trotted out as the vote splitter, which keeps voters from taking them seriously and therefore making them a viable threat.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 02:46 PM (Y92Nd)

 

 

-------------------------------------------

 

 

Just watch.  These people that call themselves libertarians, when they have to vote  for people in the two main parties, they'll never vote for the conservative.  They seem  to   always vote for the RINO or democrat.

Posted by: Soona at December 27, 2013 10:55 AM (fv6BP)

113 59 And here pundits were writing SD off as a pick-up based on the popularity of former Gov. Mike Rounds. "Shit, I'd forgotten he was on Bush's transition team." So, establishment Republicans are donating to the Democrat Michelle Nunn running for Chambliss' seat. Liz Cheney is running against a well-liked amnesty opponent who introduced legislation to overturn the individual mandate. And now TFG. Fuck the Bush family, every last lizard-fucking one of them, six ways to Sunday. Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 02:41 PM (Y92Nd) I have to say, I can't disagree with the notion that the big-money donors' support of amnesty is fueling all this. Liz is probably running on ego and ambition, but her support is probably amnesty support. Of course, she won't say it. I think Pressler's a different story. I think he thinks he can get enough of that establishment money to make a run of it. He may be wrong and he might not be pushed by anything other than his own ego and his friends' ambitions, but he isn't going to waste his time.

Posted by: AmishDude at December 27, 2013 10:55 AM (xSegX)

114 94 By the way, if anyone still has any doubts that jwest is a troll, see post #68. Posted by: BurtTC at December 27, 2013 02:49 PM (xCw24) People spend an inordinate amount of time explaining things to you, don't they Burt?

Posted by: jwest at December 27, 2013 10:56 AM (u2a4R)

115 And what exactly would you have them do? Hire some KGB hitmen to Polonium his ass?

Posted by: Hollowpoint at December 27, 2013 02:54 PM (SY2Kh)

 

 

--------------------------------------------------

 

 

Hmmmmmm.

Posted by: Soona at December 27, 2013 10:57 AM (fv6BP)

116 The Dems figured out how to shade middle America blue and it's called "The Farm Bill". Same as the cronyism of big business since the bulk of farms are now in the big business league. And gobbling up more small farms through regulations enacted by their co conspirators.

Posted by: The Hickster at December 27, 2013 10:57 AM (TI3xG)

117 "Pressler thinks the GOP no longer represents his views and he doesn't want to become a Democrat for whatever reasons so he's running as an independent." He endorsed Obama twice. Why doesn't he want to become a Democrat?

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 10:57 AM (Y92Nd)

118 Should have followed the--duh--the independent is draing 11% of the vote--link. Still though Jeebus Cripes Ace!! it's PPP--even I know they SUCK! Posted by: Lindsey Lohan at December 27, 2013 02:47 PM (RJMhd) Yep, they do. They're a proudly Democrat firm and when they're this far out from an election, their numbers are -- at best -- to be ignored. At this point in the race, they are push-polling. They get a bit more honest closer to the actual election, citing "changing dynamics" but really afraid of having their push-polls clashing with real-life data. But it might have worked, convincing Pressler he had a chance to be a spoiler.

Posted by: AmishDude at December 27, 2013 10:58 AM (xSegX)

119 As of 2007, South Dakota's "Sore Loser" law covered presidential candidates.
Things might have changed since then.

Excerpt:

Only four states maintain that their “sore loser” laws apply to president: South Dakota, Mississippi, Ohio and Texas. After LaRouche won in court against Ohio in 1992, Ohio amended its “sore loser” law in 1993 to specifically apply to presidential candidates. No precedents have been set in Mississippi or South Dakota. LINK: http://preview.tinyurl.com/k6jasu3

Posted by: mrp at December 27, 2013 10:58 AM (HjPtV)

120 The Rezzies all live in trailer parks cause the land is communally owned. We have communist countries in America and they are called Indian Reservations. Typically one family ends up dominating the Tribal Council and uses that control to enrich themselves (for some definition of enrichment) at the expense of the others. Nobody owns the land privately so no point in building any permanent structures or improvements, the Tribal Council can just steal anything you make on a whim. So just trailer parks with drunken, broken Indian dudes inside watching satellite TV while the women try to sell trinkets to tourists. When they aren't recovering from getting beaten. The Indian Reservations in America are basically communist Eastern Europe -- they are factories for breaking the souls of man.

Posted by: Flatbush Joe at December 27, 2013 10:59 AM (ZPrif)

121 104 SFGoth at December 27, 2013 02:53 PM (NYAei)

You'll recall even two short years ago I was in a blind rage when capital R libertarians cost the GOP seats...

yeah I am getting past caring with the likes of Lindsey and John McCain running the GOP PR team

Posted by: sven10077 at December 27, 2013 11:00 AM (9jfyN)

122

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 02:41 PM (Y92Nd)

 

Except the Bush's having nothing to do with  any  of the  races  you mentioned,   you are right on point.  


 

 

Posted by: polynikes at December 27, 2013 11:00 AM (m2CN7)

123 The Dems figured out how to shade middle America blue and it's called "The Farm Bill". Same as the cronyism of big business since the bulk of farms are now in the big business league. And gobbling up more small farms through regulations enacted by their co conspirators. Posted by: The Hickster at December 27, 2013 02:57 PM (TI3xG) *ragetwitches on the ground* Oh farm bills. How you make me want to do redacted redacted redacted beep beep beep things to various Congresscritters.

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Now with extra taunting. at December 27, 2013 11:00 AM (VtjlW)

124 If someone, anyone comes out and says they're libertarian, the libertarians start slobbering all over themselves voting for him/her.
========
You try reading when you're stoned off of your ass all the time.

What's that libertarians, you're not all pot-smoking idiots?

Oh?

Then how come we keep seeing elections where the "libertarian" gets more than 1% of the vote?

Because if your goal is "more freedom," a symbolic protest vote that allows the Democrat to win isn't getting any of us there. Exactly the opposite. So the only other explaination is that you have no idea why you're voting or who you are voting for.

Hey, here's a little hard truth for you: You've had near as long as the Republican Party to get your shit together and actually come up with a candidate and a platform that realistically appeals to 51% of the population.

It hasn't happened means it will never happen.

And for every "don't piss on us libertarians" post, there are ten of the libertarians pissing on the social conservatives.

Posted by: RoyalOil at December 27, 2013 11:01 AM (VjL9S)

125 71
Unless and until proven otherwise, I just assume "Libertarian" means "I wanna legalize pot, everything else is negotiable."

Posted by: BurtTC

Cutting my taxes?  Not negotiable.  Getting rid of every "Department of..." that didn't exist before 1/20/77?  Not negotiable.  Getting rid of the Patriot Act?  Not negotiable.  Getting the hell out of Afghanistanhole?  Not negotiable.  Eliminating affirmative action?  Not negotiable.  Congressional term limits?  Not negotiable.  Single-subject bills in Congress?  Not negotiable.  Mining the border and shooting the survivors?  Not negotiable.  Eliminating citizenship by birth to illegals?  Not negotiable.

You know, some of you dyed-in-the-wool Republicans might win a few more votes if you'd be a little less glib.  It's rather like saying "Unless and until proven otherwise, I just assume 'Republican' means 'I wanna outlaw abortion, no exceptions, everything else is negotiable.'"

Posted by: SFGoth at December 27, 2013 11:01 AM (NYAei)

126 Republican infighting is completely stupid right now. Doesn't mean it won't stop happening. Take a tour of your local emergency room. That's if you can find a place to stand... the places are swamped with people who now think they have "free health care". If Republicans can't get their act together in the face of the New Ombacrat--it's over seriously. Wake the hell up.

Posted by: Lindsey Lohan at December 27, 2013 11:01 AM (RJMhd)

127 My critique is for those who do not think such a thing is fine. If you think that we must work within the current two party system, no matter what you think of that system, then it is as horrible a thing for Pressler to do what he is doing as it is for any Tea Party person to do the same. Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Now with extra taunting. at December 27, 2013 02:53 PM (VtjlW) But it is a horrible thing for a Tea Party person to run as a third-party spoiler. I can't think of one who has (and has had an impact and was supported by larger Tea Party organizations). They've all run in primaries. It's the Crists and Murkowskis who have run third party or have supported -- implicitly or explicitly -- the Democrats.

Posted by: AmishDude at December 27, 2013 11:01 AM (xSegX)

128 The Indian Reservations in America are basically communist Eastern Europe -- they are factories for breaking the souls of man. Posted by: Flatbush Joe at December 27, 2013 02:59 PM (ZPrif) Stossel had a heart-breaking expose of the reservations. Can't remember if it was back when he was on ABC or on FBN.

Posted by: AMDG at December 27, 2013 11:01 AM (t7OO0)

129 Hey now Burt TC the proper recourse against J "throw granny from the train" West is "how is the subsidy chasing going?"

Posted by: sven10077 at December 27, 2013 11:02 AM (9jfyN)

130 >>>I see your point, Great One, but, the National Party does not stomp down hard on the lousy Larry Presslers. No, they wring thems widdle hands and say there is nada, zip, zilch, and nothing to be done about the Pubby spoiler, despite the fact that a few phone calls from the correct folks could stop the spoiler cold. But, by gosh and by golly, they have no problem strapping on their hobnail boots and grabbing up an axe handle to beat a Tea Party candidate about their figurative head and shoulders. So yeah, IMHO, the national party will be working their usual magic. After all, should be some miracle, we retake the Senate, do we want them to have to listen to guys like Cruz for totes realz? Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes Drew made this argument. I think it's silly. I think it's animated by a sense of resentment and not anything approaching a fact. I don't know what you mean by the party doesn't "stomp down" on them. It does what it can. It has no enforcement apparatus to push such people out of the race. This man is likely recruited by Democrats. Or else he's simply a leftist who doesn't like the idea of conservatives gaining power. He is plainly off the reservation. What mechanism would you propose to "stomp down" on him, beyond the things which will obviously be done?

Posted by: ace at December 27, 2013 11:02 AM (/FnUH)

131 "Liz is probably running on ego and ambition, but her support is probably amnesty support." Cesar Conde was her father's domestic policy adviser, and she is running for his old seat rather than a more viable one and a bonafide pick up like Warner's in VA where she lives with her lobbyist husband. Cesar Conde introduced Paul Ryan to Mitt Romney in 2007 and currently serves as Marco "Jeb Prodigy" Rubio's chief of staff. Amnesty is most certainly why she's running. It's how she plans on paying off her campaign debt. ******************** I think Pressler's a different story. I think he thinks he can get enough of that establishment money to make a run of it. He may be wrong and he might not be pushed by anything other than his own ego and his friends' ambitions, but he isn't going to waste his time. Posted by: AmishDude at December 27, 2013 02:55 PM (xSegX) It is exactly the same thing for all the reasons you just listed: 1. Ego and ambition 2. Establishment money aka greed 3. He's got nothing better to do.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 11:03 AM (Y92Nd)

132

125 -

 

Do you really expect me to argue with you? 

 

You must be high. 

Posted by: BurtTC at December 27, 2013 11:03 AM (xCw24)

133

Posted by: Flatbush Joe at December 27, 2013 02:59 PM (ZPrif)

 

As someone who was born and spent their early years in Rapid City, SD , I can vouch for that description.    Except the satellite TVs.   Rabbit ears but not satellites.   

Posted by: polynikes at December 27, 2013 11:04 AM (m2CN7)

134 130 ace at December 27, 2013 03:02 PM (/FnUH)

emulate the mules....

You must admit Ace that Nanzi and friends don't get the idiocy from the bottom feeders in their caucus when it is game time.

You fuck up her and Chuck Schumer's schemes she gets her pound of flesh.

Posted by: sven10077 at December 27, 2013 11:04 AM (9jfyN)

135 Ballot management, why can't the Republicans play the same game? The Dims can be crippled by identity candidates, but we insist on playing nice.

Posted by: Jean at December 27, 2013 11:05 AM (4JkHl)

136 Just watch. These people that call themselves libertarians, when they have to vote for people in the two main parties, they'll never vote for the conservative. They seem to always vote for the RINO or democrat. Posted by: Soona

That's true.  I voted for Bush the first time.

Posted by: SFGoth at December 27, 2013 11:05 AM (NYAei)

137 124 I humbly nominate this post for threadwinner.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 11:05 AM (Y92Nd)

138

129 -

 

I never speak directly  to it.  I prefer to leave it in a seething rage. 

Posted by: BurtTC at December 27, 2013 11:05 AM (xCw24)

139 Yeah, can't prevent people from running 3rd party. You have to offer carrots and sticks. The Dem establishment is clearly better at persuading lefties not to run damaging 3rd party campaigns than the Repubs are. The Dem establishment is also clearly better at recruiting fake Repub stalking horses than the Repubs are at getting fake Dems to run.

Posted by: Flatbush Joe at December 27, 2013 11:05 AM (ZPrif)

140 My critique is for those who do not think such a thing is fine. If you think that we must work within the current two party system, no matter what you think of that system, then it is as horrible a thing for Pressler to do what he is doing as it is for any Tea Party person to do the same.

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Now with extra taunting. at December 27, 2013 02:53 PM (VtjlW)


Agreed.  We need more ideas, not fewer.  If some wild eyed optimist wants to run on the Little Green Men ticket, let them.  What I take exception to is the national leadership of the GOP refusing to fight for anything but status quo mediocrity and the right to be second class citizens.  The Dims make be scum with old and tired ideas, but, they are scum who know how to access power, how to hold on to it, and then how to beat everyone up while wielding that power.  Contrast that with the GOP leadership who refuses to use tactics that are legal and ethical to win--they refuse to win--unless we drag them to it kicking and screaming.  Then once they hold power, they do everything they possibly can to turn it over to their enemies.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes, shhh, be a little quieter, some of us are trying to sleep. at December 27, 2013 11:06 AM (kXoT0)

141 "What mechanism would you propose to "stomp down" on him, beyond the things which will obviously be done?" I prefer color photos of the candidate having sex with underage boys. Of course, they need to be of a quality sufficient to get past the election before being exposed as photoshopped.

Posted by: jwest at December 27, 2013 11:06 AM (u2a4R)

142 Here's what I find silly: The notion that the Party doesn't really mind, all that much, when a liberal spoils and election, and that they are only angry at Tea partiers for doing so. That's simply wrong. Of course they are angry at this idiot. If it's true that all the GOP cares about is winning elections, not policy, then they'd STILL be pissed at this guy for keeping the seat from them. I realize this populist sentiment that "They're trying to keep us down and out" is a very, very important animating emotion in politics, but honestly, we are going around the bend in making everything about the Secret War of Them Against Us.

Posted by: ace at December 27, 2013 11:07 AM (/FnUH)

143 But it is a horrible thing for a Tea Party person to run as a third-party spoiler. I can't think of one who has (and has had an impact and was supported by larger Tea Party organizations). They've all run in primaries. It's the Crists and Murkowskis who have run third party or have supported -- implicitly or explicitly -- the Democrats. Posted by: AmishDude at December 27, 2013 03:01 PM (xSegX) Yeah, I couldn't think of a third party post-primary Tea Party challenge off the top of my head, at least on the Congressional level. If anyone can, put me some knowledge. I'm trying to think of what leverage the GOP would have on Pressler. No canvassing with the Senate Republicans? No choice committee spots presuming Republicans take over (that one would hurt probably)? Ummm. He'd be, what, 77 or 78 next election cycle so I'm not sure no money if he comes back to the R side after election would work.

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Now with extra taunting. at December 27, 2013 11:07 AM (VtjlW)

144 132
125 -

Do you really expect me to argue with you?

You must be high. Posted by: BurtTC

No, I don't expect you to argue with me.  I expect you to say, "gee, maybe you have a point." 

Burt, I've taken some guff from you here -- and guff that is neither funny, clever, nor insightful.  It doesn't bother me, but it does lead me to the conclusion that you are a really unpleasant person to be around.

Posted by: SFGoth at December 27, 2013 11:08 AM (NYAei)

145 Oh farm bills. How you make me want to do redacted redacted redacted beep beep beep things to various Congresscritters. Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Now with extra taunting. at December 27, 2013 03:00 PM (VtjlW) A huge majority of the last farm bill was food stamps (or whatever the acronym is now). People in the farm states still support farm bills not out of any individual self-interest but because (a) those other folks are getting their freebies so why shouldn't our people get some too and (b) sentimentality for family farmers. Restrict farm bill goodies to small farmers and you'll eliminate most of it.

Posted by: AmishDude at December 27, 2013 11:08 AM (xSegX)

146 120 The Rezzies all live in trailer parks cause the land is communally owned.

Typically one family ends up dominating the Tribal Council and uses that control to enrich themselves (for some definition of enrichment) at the expense of the others.

Nobody owns the land privately so no point in building any permanent structures or improvements, the Tribal Council can just steal anything you make on a whim.

____

I grew up next to a res.  we played ball with those kids.  They were the most self-centered, eager to fail, group of human beings I've met.  To this day.

I've see muslims in the hindu kush, Been to north africa, saudi arabia, all of Europe, and I have never met people so determined to fail.

breaks my heart that what happened 150 years ago destroyed them.  Completely.  They're done.

Posted by: tangonine at December 27, 2013 11:08 AM (x3YFz)

147 Follow the money

Posted by: bobbymike at December 27, 2013 11:08 AM (hY7Vw)

148 What mechanism would you propose to "stomp down" on him, beyond the things which will obviously be done? Posted by: ace at December 27, 2013 03:02 PM (/FnUH) Exactly what Haley Barbour recommended during the shutdown and what they are apparently doing now. "Cut their legs out from under them." If it was Mitch McConnell's hide, he would use all his clout to blacklist his enemies by drying up their funding like he did with the Senate Conservatives Fund. It's ridiculous to argue that the party that nominates based on your position in line doesn't have some top-down pressure it can bring to bear on defectors.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 11:09 AM (Y92Nd)

149 71 Unless and until proven otherwise, I just assume "Libertarian" means "I wanna legalize pot, everything else is negotiable." Posted by: BurtTC at December 27, 2013 02:43 PM (xCw24) Agreed!

Posted by: olddog in mo at December 27, 2013 11:09 AM (4R4zF)

150 I am absolutely certain there are no shenanigans here.

Posted by: Circa (Insert Year Here)-also drooling imbecile incapable of doing algebra or something at December 27, 2013 11:09 AM (659DL)

151 "All true, but, I do understand why Libertarians separate themselves from Conservatives."

I know a guy who shows up with ironclad consistency and votes Libertarian. Every cycle. Since the early 1970s when he first got the vote. He's essentially a base voter for the LP. He has never once seen an LP candidate elected in an election where he voted.

You should go ask him why he doesn't vote for Republican "conservatives".

His answer would be, "I want smaller government. That's my guiding star. Point me to a time when a so-called Republican conservative actually significantly rolled back government."

And, he has a point. Even under the likes of Reagan and Eisenhower, domestic discretionary spending either stayed flat, or went up at a slower rate than usual. It's never gone down in any meaningful way since the New Deal years.

Posted by: torquewrench at December 27, 2013 11:09 AM (gqT4g)

152 Oh farm bills. How you make me want to do redacted redacted redacted beep beep beep things to various Congresscritters.

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Now with extra taunting. at December 27, 2013 03:00 PM (VtjlW)

 

 

---------------------------------------------

 

 

It's the one and only  thing about  OK senators that I don't like.  They are champions of farmer welfare.

Posted by: Soona at December 27, 2013 11:10 AM (fv6BP)

153 142 ace at December 27, 2013 03:07 PM (/FnUH)

In the case of the GOPe vs the Tea Party it is not an imaginary battle.

When Liza Murkanski spoiled the GOP's win in AK she was forgiven, if the Tea Party wins a nom and the split puts a D in I don't see the same five minutes of hate for the moderate.

The Tea party's sin is it wants less spending, it votes with the GOP's purported goals in a higher % than the Olympia Snowe, Suzy Collins, Leeza Mukanaksi faction does but it doesn't matter....

Go left rather than two steps to the right seems to be the motto at Casa Rove.

Posted by: sven10077 at December 27, 2013 11:10 AM (9jfyN)

154 The Tea party's sin is it wants less spending, it votes with the GOP's purported goals in a higher % than the Olympia Snowe, Suzy Collins, Leeza Mukanaksi faction does but it doesn't matter....


Posted by: sven10077 at December 27, 2013 03:10 PM (9jfyN)

There will be a reckoning.

Posted by: tangonine at December 27, 2013 11:11 AM (x3YFz)

155 The Dakotas. A place where the Republicans are as liberal as the Democrats, right? Kind of like New Jersey? Conneticutt? Delaware? I'm spitballing, I don't know anything about the area. Sounds kinda Scandi-ish though. Pale people with oil and gas under them.

Posted by: Meremortal, viva Cricket at December 27, 2013 11:12 AM (1Y+hH)

156 A huge majority of the last farm bill was food stamps (or whatever the acronym is now). People in the farm states still support farm bills not out of any individual self-interest but because (a) those other folks are getting their freebies so why shouldn't our people get some too and (b) sentimentality for family farmers. Restrict farm bill goodies to small farmers and you'll eliminate most of it. Posted by: AmishDude at December 27, 2013 03:08 PM (xSegX) *ragetwitches more on ground* Fuck you ethanol! Fuck you! *twitchtwitch*

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Now with extra taunting. at December 27, 2013 11:12 AM (VtjlW)

157 118 Should have followed the--duh--the independent is draing 11% of the vote--link. Still though Jeebus Cripes Ace!! it's PPP--even I know they SUCK! Posted by: Lindsey Lohan at December 27, 2013 02:47 PM (RJMhd) Yep, they do. They're a proudly Democrat firm and when they're this far out from an election, their numbers are -- at best -- to be ignored. At this point in the race, they are push-polling. They get a bit more honest closer to the actual election, citing "changing dynamics" but really afraid of having their push-polls clashing with real-life data. But it might have worked, convincing Pressler he had a chance to be a spoiler. Posted by: AmishDude at December 27, 2013 02:58 PM (xSegX) ********** I'm a long time commenter here. I'm not putting my old handle because I don't want to really get into why I haven't been posting. Long and short of it people all around me became seriously sick. Health Care and getting a doctor for my parents right now is a NIGHTMARE. You people have no idea what is coming. It is really, really bad. Anyways. Here is what is going to happen with-- PPP--you are absolutely correct--they are going to push poll. On top of that they flood the zone. They publish crap results at a rate that no one with credibility can match. They push junk results sometimes almost every three days. Those "results" get averaged in with more legitimate firms by Real Clear Politics, etc. Then--the *magic* happens. The self fulfilling prophecy nature of polling which any good pollster would tell you about--tell the public often enough which way an election will go--and you can lean it enough in that direction. It might be a little like Heisenberg's Principle in physics. "Observe" something enough and you can change the results you ultimately get.

Posted by: Lindsey Lohan at December 27, 2013 11:12 AM (RJMhd)

158 >>What mechanism would you propose to "stomp down" on him, beyond the things which will obviously be done?
===
How do the Dems ensure there are never any spoilers from the left?

Posted by: RoyalOil at December 27, 2013 11:12 AM (VjL9S)

159 What mechanism would you propose to "stomp down" on him, beyond the things which will obviously be done?

I don't know what you mean by the party doesn't "stomp down" on them. It does what it can. It has no enforcement apparatus to push such people out of the race.

Posted by: ace at December 27, 2013 03:02 PM (/FnUH)


I don't know what they can do to stomp down on them.  How about the same thing they do to Tea Party candidates? 


I watched this same split the vote thing happen when Steve Largent retired from Congress  to run for Governor of Oklahoma.  No way a popular NFL hero Congressman could lose running as a Republican in Oklahoma?  Right?  Wrong.  Once you split the vote, it can be done.  So Largent left politics hurt and angry and went into private enterprise and we as the GOP lost a rising star, possibly a POTUS or VPOTUS.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes, shhh, be a little quieter, some of us are trying to sleep. at December 27, 2013 11:13 AM (kXoT0)

160 154 tangonine at December 27, 2013 03:11 PM (x3YFz)

Oh I assure you...

I am about to join the idiot libertarians who would rather die than empower donk lite to fake doing something.

Posted by: sven10077 at December 27, 2013 11:13 AM (9jfyN)

161 And, he has a point. Even under the likes of Reagan and Eisenhower, domestic discretionary spending either stayed flat, or went up at a slower rate than usual. It's never gone down in any meaningful way since the New Deal years.

Posted by: torquewrench at December 27, 2013 03:09 PM (gqT4g)

 

I too would like a smaller government but like all numbers are we looking at  percentages or  actual dollars spent?   I say that because a lot of people never take into fact that as the country grows , spending  in real dollars grows with it. 

 

  

Posted by: polynikes at December 27, 2013 11:13 AM (m2CN7)

162 "Of course they are angry at this idiot." Let's see some big high level endorsements for Mike Rounds like you see for Lindsay Graham then. Let's see the NRSC pour funds into his campaign and turn its guns on Pressler. How does the fat new RGA chair who is campaigning for Graham weigh in on this race?

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 11:13 AM (Y92Nd)

163

@14 14 Do Repubs ever do similar dirty tricks? Can't we pay stalking horses to run as vote splitters, too?

-----------------

 

The first time I ever read about something like this, it was Republicans, actually.  iirc, it was either at a state or local level (I can't remember where, though), and while the voting group in question was overwhelmingly Republican, there were multiple candidates from the Republican party running in the general election while only one Democrat was running.  The Republican vote meant that the Democrat had a good chance of winning an election that they should have otherwise lost.  But as it turned out, the Republican front-runner happened to have a registered Democrat as a member of his staff, and she (the staff member) realized that her entry into the race - even if she didn't actually do any campaigning or spend any money - would go a long way toward ensuring that her boss would win the election.

 

So she entered the race.

 

iirc, charges were pressed when the affair came to light...

 

Posted by: junior at December 27, 2013 11:14 AM (UWFpX)

164 It reeks.  Pressler knows he can't win, so he's going after what, an appointment to be ambassador to what country in the last two years of Obama's crime spree?  Maybe a judicial appointment?  Maybe Palin will endorse him, too (like she did Hatch).

Posted by: Born Free at December 27, 2013 11:16 AM (xL8Hf)

165 How do the Dems ensure there are never any spoilers from the left?

Posted by: RoyalOil at December 27, 2013 03:12 PM (VjL9S)

 

 

----------------------------------------------

 

 

Dem spoilers get late-night  knocks on their doors.

Posted by: Soona at December 27, 2013 11:16 AM (fv6BP)

166 Let's see some big high level endorsements for Mike Rounds like you see for Lindsay Graham then. Let's see the NRSC pour funds into his campaign and turn its guns on Pressler. How does the fat new RGA chair who is campaigning for Graham weigh in on this race?

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 03:13 PM (Y92Nd)

 

I totally agree with this.  

Posted by: polynikes at December 27, 2013 11:17 AM (m2CN7)

167 >>>When Liza Murkanski spoiled the GOP's win in AK she was forgiven, if the Tea Party wins a nom and the split puts a D in I don't see the same five minutes of hate for the moderate. what was the proper response? Should we have punished her so that she caucused with Demcorats? For a lot of you guys, everything seems to be "threats" and "making people do things." I don't understand what cards you think you're holding, or which you think the GOP is holding. This is what bothers me about a lot of these conversations: Something bad happens. It is next postulated that the Bad Thing happened because of The Establishment or the GOP, which are Bad. When it is asked "how did they make this Bad Thing happen?," the response is, "They failed to STOP the Bad Thing from happening." When it is next asked how they would go about such a thing, vague statements about "using power" are offered. This is like the whole Obamacare fight. I did support (weakly) the attempt to defund, but the idea that the GOP "made this Bad Thing happen" is absurd. No matter what happened there, Obamacare stays on the books. We do not have these High Cards people keep postulating we have! It is forever postulated we have High Cards that will win the day if we only had the *guts* and moral clarity to play them. In fact, we do not have these High Cards. it is not a lack of guts or will that permits most Bad Things to happen . It's just bad circumstances.

Posted by: ace at December 27, 2013 11:17 AM (/FnUH)

168 "Unfuck yourself." This a useful phrase with many applications, tangonine. Thanks.

Posted by: Gem at December 27, 2013 11:17 AM (zw+pb)

169 How does the fat new RGA chair who is campaigning for Graham weigh in on this race? Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 03:13 PM (Y92Nd) I'll answer my own question. SD doesn't nominate the 2016 Republican presidential candidate.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 11:18 AM (Y92Nd)

170 It might be a little like Heisenberg's Principle in physics.

"Observe" something enough and you can change the results you ultimately get.

Posted by: Lindsey Lohan at December 27, 2013 03:12 PM (RJMhd)

him and Schrodinger.  Fucked it up for everyone.

Posted by: tangonine at December 27, 2013 11:19 AM (x3YFz)

171 I watched this same split the vote thing happen when Steve Largent retired from Congress to run for Governor of Oklahoma. No way a popular NFL hero Congressman could lose running as a Republican in Oklahoma? Right? Wrong. Once you split the vote, it can be done. So Largent left politics hurt and angry and went into private enterprise and we as the GOP lost a rising star, possibly a POTUS or VPOTUS.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes, shhh, be a little quieter, some of us are trying to sleep. at December 27, 2013 03:13 PM (kXoT0)

 

 

------------------------------------------------

 

 

Very very true.  And thanks for reminding me about that debacle.

Posted by: Soona at December 27, 2013 11:19 AM (fv6BP)

172 I'm trying to think of what leverage the GOP would have on Pressler. Not much, if he's determined. He has name recognition, if he wants to push through to the end, he can. I suspect the Democrats have a whole network set up where if you misbehave as a donor, they can cut your access to, say, social events. Even then, they can't influence the huge donors, whom they need. The real problem with Pressler (and it shows what low character he has) is that he is much less likely to win than if he'd run as a Democrat (the Dems couldn't even field a candidate in the last election). Being an Obama endorser, he'd have some credibility there. He could do the old "my party left me" thing and might win. Might...if the Democrats weren't so rigidly organized and if the unions didn't have him and his family beaten to a pulp. They are very effective in that way.

Posted by: AmishDude at December 27, 2013 11:19 AM (xSegX)

173 I'm trying to think of what leverage the GOP would have on Pressler. No canvassing with the Senate Republicans? No choice committee spots presuming Republicans take over (that one would hurt probably)? Ummm. He'd be, what, 77 or 78 next election cycle so I'm not sure no money if he comes back to the R side after election would work. Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Now with extra taunting. at December 27, 2013 03:07 PM (VtjlW) I'd like to know how much time he actually has spent in South Dakota since he left the Senate. His wife is a well-known DC real estate agent (although it appears she she's slowed down in the past little while) and they're known on the DC social circuit.

Posted by: Vendette at December 27, 2013 11:19 AM (Y6+7w)

174 What's wrong with the GOP having a strong Pimp Hand?

Posted by: soothsayer at December 27, 2013 11:20 AM (zvr0X)

175 14 Do Repubs ever do similar dirty tricks? ************* We have the action figures to prove it! I like DeMint better at Heritage than leading the TP caucus, but getting Al Greene as his opponent was the funniest political stunt I've seen in my relatively short life.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 11:21 AM (Y92Nd)

176 168 "Unfuck yourself."

This a useful phrase with many applications, tangonine. Thanks.

Posted by: Gem at December 27, 2013 03:17 PM (zw+pb)

It *is* extremely useful.  But I have to give credit to staff sergeant Jefferson H. Dehart for first enlightening me to the phrase in 1987.

Posted by: tangonine at December 27, 2013 11:21 AM (x3YFz)

177

144 -

 

Actually I'm a wonderful person, who most people find engaging, witty, and insightful.

 

I am also very good at recognizing phonies.  That sir, is you. 

Posted by: BurtTC at December 27, 2013 11:21 AM (xCw24)

178 167 ace at December 27, 2013 03:17 PM (/FnUH)

Ace it is not a matter of conjecture the Democrats do not suffer the "herd of cats" caucus like we do.

They freeze out the outsiders, and punish them even in victory if need be.  They destroy representatives they consider borderline by making them take the heat in votes like the one chick from Philly Suburbia on Clinton's tax hike that Schumer literally had in an armbar dragging to change her vote back in '93.  The GOP allows dissidence from the left and punishes it from the right.

They have had my vote for 27 years for just the asking, that ship has just about sailed.

Better to have the one party nature of the nation be overt rather than subtle I guess.

No more left lurches on my dime or time.

Posted by: sven10077 at December 27, 2013 11:22 AM (9jfyN)

179

When Liza Murkanski spoiled the GOP's win in AK she was forgiven, if the Tea Party wins a nom and the split puts a D in I don't see the same five minutes of hate for the moderate.

what was the proper response? Should we have punished her so that she caucused with Demcorats?

Yes, if she caucused with the Dems she would not be reelected.   She should not be rewarded.   I ususally scoffed at the establishment conspiracy theories but the GOP during the election and what they did after the election  put an end to that.     

Posted by: polynikes at December 27, 2013 11:22 AM (m2CN7)

180 You should go ask him why he doesn't vote for Republican "conservatives".

His answer would be, "I want smaller government. That's my guiding star. Point me to a time when a so-called Republican conservative actually significantly rolled back government."

And when was the last time a Libertarian significantly rolled back government?  Oh, that's right- never.  Because we have a two party system, and they're not one of the two.

And by "rolled back government", I don't mean "rolled a joint at a national park".

But that's OK when the only purpose to voting Libertarian is the smug self-satisfaction of pretending you're not like all those other lowly mainstream people.

Posted by: Hollowpoint at December 27, 2013 11:23 AM (SY2Kh)

181 It *is* extremely useful. But I have to give credit to staff sergeant Jefferson H. Dehart for first enlightening me to the phrase in 1987.

Posted by: tangonine at December 27, 2013 03:21 PM (x3YFz)

On 7 Feb, at 0510.  To be precise.

Posted by: tangonine at December 27, 2013 11:23 AM (x3YFz)

182 His wife is a well-known DC real estate agent (although it appears she she's slowed down in the past little while) Posted by: Vendette at December 27, 2013 03:19 PM (Y6+7w) Of course, it has. He's been out of office for a while. Patti Blago's real estate career has probably also taken a hit.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 11:23 AM (Y92Nd)

183 Dem spoilers get late-night knocks on their doors.

Posted by: Soona at December 27, 2013 03:16 PM (fv6BP)


Or photos of their wife, children, and dogs tastefully annotated with red Sharpies.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes, shhh, be a little quieter, some of us are trying to sleep. at December 27, 2013 11:23 AM (kXoT0)

184 him and Schrodinger. Fucked it up for everyone. Posted by: tangonine at December 27, 2013 03:19 PM (x3YFz) ****** Ha! That whole cat thing stinks. oy. ***** Seriously I was in an ER last night. Something really awful happened I can't get into the details--but-- the African American male discharge nurse ended up apologizing to us and explained that-- "because of ObamaCare"we had to do this. It was awful trust me. It was Cali--so maybe it is worse here. I don't know. It's going to get really, really bad--and Republicans-- HAVE TO STOP IT. Unite to do this. You have to. It really is your last chance.

Posted by: Lindsey Lohan at December 27, 2013 11:23 AM (RJMhd)

185 New thread up

Posted by: Vendette at December 27, 2013 11:24 AM (Y6+7w)

186 In fact, we do not have these High Cards. it is not a lack of guts or will that permits most Bad Things to happen . It's just bad circumstances. Posted by: ace at December 27, 2013 03:17 PM (/FnUH) I get this argument as far as it goes. So what went wrong when we had the High Cards? We didn't get anything good then either. I'm speaking of the Bush power period. Why did we do better with Clinton and a Republican congress?

Posted by: Meremortal, viva Cricket at December 27, 2013 11:25 AM (1Y+hH)

187 >>In fact, we do not have these High Cards. it is not a lack of guts or will that permits most Bad Things to happen . It's just bad circumstances.
==========
You never hear anyone with the DNC badmouthing a Democrat.

I'd say that's a High Card that could be used.

GOP-E can always count on kind words and help from the RNC. He can also count on some "friendly" fire from the RNC being directed at any of his opponents from his right.

Maybe it's a Reverse High Card; the "stop knee-capping conservatives even if it hurts the guy you want to win" Card. You know, Reagan's 11th.

Maybe if they stopped with that, we'd see a lot less angry or "fringe" candidates entering the race because they feel the party is actively against conservative views.

Posted by: RoyalOil at December 27, 2013 11:25 AM (VjL9S)

188 Seriously I was in an ER last night.

Something really awful happened I can't get into the details--but--


It really is your last chance.

Posted by: Lindsey Lohan at December 27, 2013 03:23 PM (RJMhd)

uh... go into details.  That's what's going to matter.  Make up names and places but get it out there.

Posted by: tangonine at December 27, 2013 11:27 AM (x3YFz)

189 187 RoyalOil at December 27, 2013 03:25 PM (VjL9S)

In Euchre that is called playing backwards where rather than smoke out trump by leading strong you lead weak to smoke out any trump you're not holding.

It's risky and your partner has to understand your psychology in the use of the gambit but when it works it makes the hand unbeatable.

If it doesn't work you get Euchred and lose extra points.

Posted by: sven10077 at December 27, 2013 11:28 AM (9jfyN)

190 I watched this same split the vote thing happen when Steve Largent retired from Congress to run for Governor of Oklahoma. No way a popular NFL hero Congressman could lose running as a Republican in Oklahoma? Right? Wrong. Once you split the vote, it can be done. So Largent left politics hurt and angry and went into private enterprise and we as the GOP lost a rising star, possibly a POTUS or VPOTUS. I wiki-ed that race. Holy crap. Third party spoiler ("former Republican") check. Liberal hypocrisy (the Democrat was a supporter of cockfighting) check. Smear campaign (Largent apparently used a "vulgarity" when asked where he was during the 9/11 attacks. He was hunting and hadn't heard of them) check. Still, if after all that he didn't want to dedicate his life to crushing the bastards, he really wasn't right for politics. Better to be happy.

Posted by: AmishDude at December 27, 2013 11:29 AM (xSegX)

191 There were more than 2 options during the Shutdown. Like most political situations, there didnt merely exist a dichotomy of either giving in or fighting for total repeal. At the least and most obvious was the open opportunity to make a strong (united) case against obama and the D's. We had the attention of lots of voters and Dumb People. So what did we do with that opportunity? We not only ran for cover but sold out our bravest fighter. And eventually caved. Instead of the Party increasing in the eyes of The People, it was diminished. The worst part was that most of the damage was self inflicted.

Posted by: soothsayer at December 27, 2013 11:30 AM (zvr0X)

192 This is why runoff voting should be everywhere. This is so stupid.

Posted by: HoboJerky, Hash Hunter at December 27, 2013 11:31 AM (E8IHS)

193 And the coke whore from Alaska? Yeah, they proudly announced BEFORE the election that "If Lisa wins, we'll gladly take her back."

How many votes did that cost the Republican on the ballot?

Don't you think they could have waited?

She was running on a campaign of "send me back because I have seniority and I'll use that for you!" It's all she had--the only reason to vote for her at all. And the RNC says, "Yes, yes that is true."

That's another card they could have played--and they used it against us.

She wins and they could have welcomed her back anytime. After.
She loses and it sends a message "you wanna play spoiler? You're SOL."

Posted by: RoyalOil at December 27, 2013 11:31 AM (VjL9S)

194 Pressler knows he can't win But he could. If he believes the PPP poll, the fractured electorate could give him the vote. The Murkowski gambit. If he's honest with himself, though, he can't win. He's been out of the game too long.

Posted by: AmishDude at December 27, 2013 11:32 AM (xSegX)

195 Wow ... This latest bit of GOP apologism TOTALLY makes me reconsider telling Establishment Republicans to go screw themselves.

Posted by: ScoggDog at December 27, 2013 11:33 AM (+cWvC)

196 Lat comment. Here is what I think the game plan is and I wish I was joking. May, many people now think with ObamaCare in place supposedly--they think they have FREE health care. And they are swamping the ER's and hospitals. Now--this should have been a *known* problem. The military health care system had this problem for awhile. So this problem should have been anticipated but it was not. Obama and Democrats are doing absolutely nothing to abuse people of this notion. Now why not? Well maybe the United States Health Care system -- collapse is not considered a "problem"... maybe it's the goal. And it is happening--you had better believe that. Most single payer heath care systems that they have sold you on happen in nice low density homogenous countries--Canada for instance. You cannot template Canada's system over our pluralistic society that is much more stratified economically. It isn't going to work. Go look at an ER in any place with a plus sized population. It's like visiting a third world country. It's horrendous.

Posted by: Lindsey Lohan at December 27, 2013 11:34 AM (RJMhd)

197 Most single payer heath care systems that they have sold you on happen in nice low density homogenous countries--Canada for instance. You cannot template Canada's system over our pluralistic society that is much more stratified economically Also, lawyers. I know I'm kind of a joke over this lament, but these other countries are not nearly as litigious as we are. Not even close. In Canada and the UK, you don't sue the health care system, you suffer.

Posted by: AmishDude at December 27, 2013 11:36 AM (xSegX)

198 As a South Dakota Native, I can tell you Pressler has no chance.

Posted by: Shonuff at December 27, 2013 11:39 AM (gaxli)

199 The independent is likely only going to take votes away from the eventual Democrat nominee.  What Republican is going to vote for a 3rd Party candidate that endorsed Obama twice? 

The Libertarian is a concern, but I'm not 100% convinced they only take votes away from the right.

If ObamaCare is the main issue in 2014, and not birth control/sodomy/abortion, the GOP will get right-leaning voters.

Posted by: Uniden at December 27, 2013 11:43 AM (13G+x)

200 snoopdogg 22 hours ago Boss life. me n john kerry at d white house !!! #reincarnated #khc We have fucking children running the country.

Posted by: RWC at December 27, 2013 11:45 AM (fWAjv)

201 This poll was conducted on behalf of People for Weiland

Posted by: Tom at December 27, 2013 11:50 AM (jPJup)

202 The answer to this problem is simple - an independent outfit should find someone to run on the ballot as some third party candidate that is even more to the left than the Democrat, to siphon off some of the Democrat's votes. Play their game.

Posted by: Blacque Jacques Shellacque at December 27, 2013 11:52 AM (G5cc0)

203 Tim Johnson only beat Thune narrowly because the Libertarian candidate, who withdrew a month before the election and endorsed Thune, still got more votes than the difference.  Also, Indian Reservations (OT Q: if Indian reservations are independent of federal authority to the point of building casinos, why do we have to pay them welfare and let them vote)

So South Dakota - which was dependably Republican even as they kept George McGovern in the Senate for years - is subject to the same type of stupidity that affects other states.

Posted by: Adjoran at December 27, 2013 11:54 AM (473jB)

204

@ 20 It's a two way street bub. Ken Cuccinelli pandered excessively ( more so then Reagan) to Libertarians, he also helped get a Property Rights Amendment into the VA Constitution ( something Libertarians have been pushing for decades and Cooch pushed with them throughout his entire State Senate career and part of his AG tenure) and the Libertarians still knifed him in the back.

When Libertarians learn manners and respect for others in the coalition, then I'll start showing some respect in turn.

Posted by: midwestconservative at December 27, 2013 11:59 AM (eFTkY)

205

Kurt Evans is the same Libertarian douche who saved Tim Johnson's hide back in 02 when Thune came within less then a percentage of beating him ( Johnson had less then 50%)

Fortunately Thune came back two years afterwards and kicked Daschle's butt for us.

Posted by: midwestconservative at December 27, 2013 12:00 PM (eFTkY)

206

As long as Stace ( sure I'd ban abortion at any time) Nelson doesn't win the freaking primary this seat will be picked up by the GOP.

Rounds would clean the floor with any of these guys, though personally I'd prefer Rhoden to get the GOP nod, he seems more conservative on the issues that matter.

And again, the libertarian is a douchebag seeking attention. Don't give it to him. Sarvis only started getting as high in the polls when every Republican kept on freaking out about him being on the ballot.

Posted by: midwestconservative at December 27, 2013 12:06 PM (eFTkY)

207

Just so you know Pressler ain't establishment. Rounds is. Pressler is a Rockefeller Republican/ Jim Jeffords Republican who last was in the Senate back in 1996 ( where he lost to then U.S. Rep Tim Johnson, who is now retiring his Senate seat)

So lets not blame the "establishment" on this, since they're just as happy about Pressler being in this race as we are.

Posted by: midwestconservative at December 27, 2013 12:08 PM (eFTkY)

208 Also the Poll in question was PPP (D)

Posted by: midwestconservative at December 27, 2013 12:09 PM (eFTkY)

209 It's still a lean-R race. It's been assumed for a while Pressler would step in.

Posted by: CAC at December 27, 2013 12:25 PM (MMm69)

210 The Libertarian candidate ended his campaign on 12/13/13.  http://tinyurl.com/kl7kzp5

We're strange in SD.  One minute, we can elect Thune, the next minute we can elect Daschle.  Sadly, we're a little like Minnesota that way. 

Posted by: Matt thuh Grate at December 27, 2013 12:25 PM (l/021)

211 That's Kurt Evans, not Larry Pressler.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at December 27, 2013 12:41 PM (Y92Nd)

212 Democrats will do anything to steal an election. We need to destroy them.

Posted by: NJRob at December 27, 2013 12:53 PM (iJWJi)

213 "Just watch. These people that call themselves libertarians, when they have to vote for people in the two main parties, they'll never vote for the conservative."

Why would they?  Or are you one of those people not smart enough to understand that libertarian doesn't mean conservative who smokes pot?

Posted by: nunya at December 27, 2013 01:53 PM (EilFB)

214 "Because if your goal is "more freedom," a symbolic protest vote that allows the Democrat to win isn't getting any of us there."

Incorrect.  The longer it takes you people to understand you'll never get my vote and you'll suffer with me until you do get it, the worse it is, but you cannot say it's not working, because you're complaining about the very fact that it's working.

We want your guys to lose.  Again and again and again, until you lose the smug stupidity that permeates your party and this thread and start listening.


Posted by: nunya at December 27, 2013 01:57 PM (EilFB)

215

"AmishDude" wrote: "Evans cost John Thune the race in 2002. He actually dropped out of that race and endorsed Thune, but it was too late to stay off the ballot."

A technical point of clarification is that I didnÂ’t consider my endorsement of Thune in 2002 to be the equivalent of dropping out of the race. I still thought of myself as a candidate, still recognized the right of others to campaign and vote for me, and (contrary to widespread media reports) wouldnÂ’t have removed my name from the ballot even if I could have.

A point of outright correction is that I didn't cost Thune that election. My endorsement narrowed Johnson's margin of victory and arguably helped to set the table for Thune's 2004 victory over Daschle.

"Matt thuh Grate" wrote: "The Libertarian candidate ended his campaign on 12/13/13."

I actually ended it on December 18, not December 13.

Posted by: Kurt Evans at December 27, 2013 04:33 PM (5BVi+)

216 One person's Cranky Pants is another perfect Mudfarmer recruit for the GOP LOSERship.

Mudfarmers make their living pulling cronies out of the burrOcratic mud so they can move along unimpeded while everyone else remains suck in the Ocrat muck -- this is done in exchange for campaign donations, insider info and other stuff of value to Mudfarmers.  Mudfarming was defined in a Faulkner's "The Reivers".

No worry, so long as Mudfarmer's basic traits are mislabeled as 'cranky pants', liberal Republicans, or RINOs, they'll do just fine.  So nothing much to see here, just move along. 

Posted by: Seipherd at December 27, 2013 05:54 PM (AortR)

217 http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/pressler-could-be-gop-spoiler/?id=157971 from the local news site. He doesn't seem to be appreciated as much as he thinks he is.

Posted by: from here at December 27, 2013 05:56 PM (a673H)

218 "We had the attention of lots of voters and Dumb People. So what did we do with that opportunity?

We not only ran for cover but sold out our bravest fighter. And eventually caved."

SOLD OUT OUR BRAVEST FIGHTER?  The GOP gave him EXACTLY what he wanted, even if it was a passive-aggressive move.  ("Stop attacking us, ass!  You know it won't work as much as we do.  Cut it out!  FINE!  You're so smart, we'll give you what you want!")  The fact that Cruz had no plan and accomplished jack + squat is a tad important.

We mock Dems for worshipping Obama.  This need to worship Cruz thing is seriously creepy.

Posted by: Shoot Me at December 28, 2013 07:01 AM (qiXMt)

219 I'm sorry I'm so late to this thread.  Holidays and all...

I'm here in SD.  A few things that might be useful,

Pressler's 2X support of Obama is the first thing mentioned by all of the local news outlets who covered his announcement.  So he'll get beat over the head with that the election.

There's no viable Dem candidate emerging this time.  I can't even remember the guy's name.  Bigger and possibly competetive Dem. names, like Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, chose not to run.  I think that they want the Obama suction effect to be over before they jump back in.

There are a gaggle of tea party types who will neutralize one another, giving the GOP nomination and almost certainly the Senate seat to former Governor Mike
Rounds, who is way ahead of anybody and everybody in campaign funds.

The reason that SD elects Dems to DC from time to time (and hard left ones - George McGovern, for example) is that this state would cease to exist without federal money.  Rapid City would evaporate without Ellsworth Air Force Base and significant govt. research contracts to the School of Mines and Technology (my son is a senior there).  Then there are farm subsidies and all of the attendant federal ag stuff.  And the Indian Reservations. 

So it is an odd state.  Culturally and in terms of internal politics, pretty much conservative with a libertarian streak in the "West River" ranches.  But there's also a strong reliance upon DC that enables the election of Dems to the House and Senate.  It only works at the federal level - the Dem. Party inside the state is a joke.


Posted by: Drive by Spike Lee at December 28, 2013 10:17 AM (XZNzU)

220

FREE BOOZE FOR ALL THE INDIANS!

 

Posted by: burt at December 29, 2013 05:00 AM (1+kJ5)

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