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News & ArtsThursday, April 23, 2009
Politics Glenn Beckwatch: Where Do You Want the Republican Party to Go?
Posted by Paul Constant on Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 12:08 PM
Hey, what's going on over on Glenn Beck's side of the internet? Well, when he's not taking calls from people chopping down trees on Earth Day and complaining about how Janeane Garafalo is ruining 24, he's running polls!
Today's poll is "Which way do you want the GOP to go from here?"
Apparently, Sarah Palin is a "cultural populist." I had no idea. I just thought she was pissed off about big 'mercan cities what hate Jesus. Maybe it's a euphemism?
So those are the choices. Ron Paul, Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, and Olympia Snowe. That's a hell of a foursome. Maybe it's just because I'm from Maine, but I think Snowe has to be the only logical choice here, right? Her brand of government even has the word "good" in it! Here are the results:
Wow. Ron Paul is totally in the lead, with Palin batting cleanup. Looks like all those ReLOVEutionaries who were carrying around posters and putting up videos about how "First they ridicule you, then you rent a giant blimp, then you win" were actually telling the truth.
Of course, if, say, a whole bunch of people were to vote for Mike Huckabee's "big government," that sure would confuse the fuck out of Glenn "libertarian small government" Beck, wouldn't it? I'm just saying.
1
Where do I want them to go?
Hmm.
How about on top of the ice floes that are melting in the Arctic Circle?
Hmm.
How about on top of the ice floes that are melting in the Arctic Circle?
2
If paultards put half the effort they put into to gaming online polls into not being morons they might just get somewhere.
3
Olympia Snowe is as good as it gets for Republicans. She's sane, responsible, and decent. There's no room for any of those attributes in today's Republican Party. This poll is evidence of that. Oh, how I hope that the next ten Republican campaigns are knock-down drag-out fights between the Paulistas and the Palinites. Fun to watch, and pretty much guarantees a 25% voter share.
4
Palin actually gets my vote here.
I want the Republican Guard to go the way of the No-Nothings, the Whigs, and the dodo: straight to the dungheap of history, do not pass go do not collect $200.
And I think her unique brand of cultural populism is the fastest and surest way there.
Just hope I'm rite on that one.
I want the Republican Guard to go the way of the No-Nothings, the Whigs, and the dodo: straight to the dungheap of history, do not pass go do not collect $200.
And I think her unique brand of cultural populism is the fastest and surest way there.
Just hope I'm rite on that one.
6
Beck lifted this breakdown, descriptions and all, from a Nate Silver (FiveThirtyEight.com) post:
"But of the roughly four different pathways the Republicans could take in the post-Obama universe -- toward Ron Paulesque libertarianism, toward Sarah Palinesque cultural populism, toward Mike Huckabeesque big-government conservatism, or toward Olympia Snowesque moderation/ good-governmentism -- the libertarian side would seem to have had the best go of things in the First 100 Days."
http://bit.ly/A8zlv
"But of the roughly four different pathways the Republicans could take in the post-Obama universe -- toward Ron Paulesque libertarianism, toward Sarah Palinesque cultural populism, toward Mike Huckabeesque big-government conservatism, or toward Olympia Snowesque moderation/ good-governmentism -- the libertarian side would seem to have had the best go of things in the First 100 Days."
http://bit.ly/A8zlv
7
@6 -- oh, that's funny. Beck is milking these shitheads for all they're worth, I'm convinced of it. Which raises the old question: which is worse, the True Believer or the Cynical Opportunist? It's the ultimate Republican conundrum.
9
Superfrankenstein beat me to it, but yes, these labels are a Nate Silver creation. I don't think they're that inaccurate either.
10
Those of you chuckling at the in-fighting amongst the Republicans,...
Remember how the Democrats were acting mere MONTHS before the election?
Don't underestimate the Republicans. They may very well pull together into a cohesive front by 2012 (personally, I predict 2010 mid-terms will not bode well for them). Newt may become dangerously relevant again.
Chuckle now while it's easy. Be ready to take them seriously in a couple years, if you don't want them to take back power.
Remember how the Democrats were acting mere MONTHS before the election?
Don't underestimate the Republicans. They may very well pull together into a cohesive front by 2012 (personally, I predict 2010 mid-terms will not bode well for them). Newt may become dangerously relevant again.
Chuckle now while it's easy. Be ready to take them seriously in a couple years, if you don't want them to take back power.
11
That's hilarious. The option with the words "good government" in it is polling dead last.
Probably because anybody who watches Glenn Beck doesn't pay enough attention to politics to know who Olympia Snowe is.
I am fond of her and Susan Collins because they just seem so perfect as representatives of Maine (they seem like practical New Englanders, for one).
Probably because anybody who watches Glenn Beck doesn't pay enough attention to politics to know who Olympia Snowe is.
I am fond of her and Susan Collins because they just seem so perfect as representatives of Maine (they seem like practical New Englanders, for one).
12
olympia snowe has always seemed like one of the good ones. is she still married to jock mckernan??
13
I also recognized the language as lifted from somewhere else. I think Sullivan linked to it yesterday.
To answer your question, Paul, yes. "Cultural populist" is a euphemism for pissed off about big 'mercan cities what hate Jesus.
I'm interested that none of the 4 categories is "strong on national defense." That used to be one of the crucial legs of the GOP.
To answer your question, Paul, yes. "Cultural populist" is a euphemism for pissed off about big 'mercan cities what hate Jesus.
I'm interested that none of the 4 categories is "strong on national defense." That used to be one of the crucial legs of the GOP.
14
Ron Paul, Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee are all populists -- or at least their political operations are. (RP's campaign mgr is an academic expert on populism movement, said to be angling for a book deal on the subject.) Snowe is the only outlier.
And I hate to break it to you, Paul, but this Jesus character is popular with populists. Palin's and Huckabee's bible-beltin' rabbles greatly outweigh Ron Paul's small but intense band of populist potheads, survivalists and gold bugs.
Throw in Obama's bible-thumpin' bandwagon, and it's no contest for populist hegemony.
And I hate to break it to you, Paul, but this Jesus character is popular with populists. Palin's and Huckabee's bible-beltin' rabbles greatly outweigh Ron Paul's small but intense band of populist potheads, survivalists and gold bugs.
Throw in Obama's bible-thumpin' bandwagon, and it's no contest for populist hegemony.
15
George Wallace was the last person to run successfully on a populist plank in a time of severe economic and social strife (mumblemumble-60s) and he only grabbed like 15% of the vote.
The current populist movement is the Designer Imposters version of populism. Populistesque.
The current populist movement is the Designer Imposters version of populism. Populistesque.
16
It's incorrect to say anyone is "in the lead" in this type of poll, because self-selected internet polls have no meaning whatsoever. None. To speak of them as if they revealed anything about anything is as foolish as answering the question using astrology.
18
@10,
Thanks to the squabbling between the cultural populist factions, a relative moderate might squeak through the primaries, unless the Republicans are more batshit than even I think. So, sadly, you're probably right.
Thanks to the squabbling between the cultural populist factions, a relative moderate might squeak through the primaries, unless the Republicans are more batshit than even I think. So, sadly, you're probably right.
20
The Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee types are nothing compared to Ron Paul and libertarians. Ron Paul would have us become Somalia, only with enormous wealth only in the hands of him and his sociopathic ilk. I would gladly take Bush for the rest of my life over a libertarian majority.
I disagree with everything social conservatives stand for, but at least they have people's best interests at heart. Libertarians do not - they would gladly have poor and disadvantaged people suffer and die if it means they can become richer.
I disagree with everything social conservatives stand for, but at least they have people's best interests at heart. Libertarians do not - they would gladly have poor and disadvantaged people suffer and die if it means they can become richer.
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