Althouse: Jonathan Chait on Michelle Bachmann: "she may be crazy, but she does have a strong grasp of political reality."

১৩ জুন, ২০১১

Jonathan Chait on Michelle Bachmann: "she may be crazy, but she does have a strong grasp of political reality."

"The problem with so many radical candidates is that they lack political sense as well. Bachmann is a potent combination of substantively radical and politically shrewd, much like [Paul] Ryan. And if Ryan does not run, Bachmann could make some noise."

Subtext: Distinguish Bachmann and Palin on the sanity/intelligence axes. Palin is the stupid one, so Bachmann is the crazy one. With the negatives nailed down, we may concede that Bachmann is pretty smart (watch out!) and Palin is pretty sane (now, go home take care of your children).

৪৬টি মন্তব্য:

ricpic বলেছেন...: Crazy = not a statist.; ১৩/৬/১১, ৯:৪৪ AM
Scott M বলেছেন...: Ah, the regressive, reactionary misogyny of the progressives...

(do I pass Dialectic 101?); ১৩/৬/১১, ৯:৪৮ AM
Original Mike বলেছেন...: "She me be crazy, ..."

What a jerk.; ১৩/৬/১১, ৯:৫০ AM
MadisonMan বলেছেন...: So I read the article at the WSJ, and I see she has hired strategist Ed Rollins, who managed Perot and Huckabee campaigns.

Given that those people were not elected, why would someone hire him? Because he knows how to lose?; ১৩/৬/১১, ৯:৫২ AM
David বলেছেন...: That's the problem with women, all right. Crazy or stupid. Especially when they might kick your sorry ass all over the parking lot.; ১৩/৬/১১, ৯:৫২ AM
The Drill SGT বলেছেন...: Crazy = female lawyer?

j/k: I'm married to a female lawyer :); ১৩/৬/১১, ৯:৫৩ AM
Original Mike বলেছেন...: Ed Rollins is the Bob Shrum of the Republican party.; ১৩/৬/১১, ৯:৫৪ AM
The Drill SGT বলেছেন...: David said...
That's the problem with women, all right. Crazy or stupid.

It's those ugly hormones right?; ১৩/৬/১১, ৯:৫৫ AM
Tank বলেছেন...: Any candidate who looks to Friedman and Hayak and takes Von Mises to the beach is my kind of candidate.

Crazy = actually understands economics.; ১৩/৬/১১, ৯:৫৭ AM
SteveR বলেছেন...: To Chait, every republican is stupid and crazy, he's just splitting hairs. Throw in racist, intolerant and religiously fanatical and you'll get his read.; ১৩/৬/১১, ৯:৫৮ AM
David বলেছেন...: As if what our national government has been doing is not crazy . . . .; ১৩/৬/১১, ৯:৫৯ AM
MayBee বলেছেন...: Now, let's play this game with Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Anthony Weiner.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:০৯ AM
traditionalguy বলেছেন...: Bachmann is the media's anti-Palin move. She is so electable ...You Betcha.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:১০ AM
নামহীন বলেছেন...: Yea, a real looney tune I tell ya'.

After graduating from high school, Bachmann spent time working on a kibbutz in Israel.[12] In 1978 she graduated from Winona State University with a B.A.. In 1986 she received a J.D. degree from Oral Roberts University, followed by an LL.M. degree in tax law from the William & Mary Law School in 1988.[13][14] She was a member of the final graduating class of the Oral Roberts University law school, and was part of a group of faculty, staff, and students who moved the ORU law school library to what is now Regent University.[15]

From 1988 to 1993, Bachmann was an attorney representing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).[16] She left her position with the IRS to become a full-time mother.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:১১ AM
Chip S. বলেছেন...: The problem with people like Jonathan Chait is that they never reflect upon the possibility that it is they who are stupid. Or crazy. Or, most likely, miseducated.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:১৫ AM
I'm Full of Soup বলেছেন...: As Ricpic pointed out, has there ever been a crazy statist?

Perhaps Howeird Dean? or Shrillary Clinton blaming the VRW conspiracy? Or that whackjob Congress critter from Florida who said Reps wanted to kill old people? or "Professor" Marc Lamont Hill who thinks Obama is a moderate?; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:১৬ AM
Chip S. বলেছেন...: Cynthia McKinney.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:২২ AM
RuyDiaz বলেছেন...: The problem with people like Jonathan Chait is that they never reflect upon the possibility that it is they who are stupid. Or crazy. Or, most likely, miseducated.

It more or less goes like this:

1) Every good liberal knows that good human beings are rational.

2) Liberalism is self-evidently true. It clearly stands to reason.

3) Thus, those who are not liberals must be either lacking in reason (either dumb or crazy), or else they must be evil.

Therefore non-liberal politicans must be crazy (Bachman), dumb (Palin, George W. Bush), or evil (Cheney.)

This is not self-serving in any way, only obviously true.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:২৪ AM
Roger J. বলেছেন...: Drill--yeah, but your fair wife is also a colonel! That counts for a lot. This reminds me of that fabulous piece when Dennis Mulroney and Ronald Reagan were waiting for their wives: St Ronnie turns to Mr Mulroney and says--Dennise for a bunch of poor Irishmen we sure married up.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:২৬ AM
dbp বলেছেন...: Rollins also ran Reagan's 1984 campaign which racked-up 49 out of 50 states. So he can run a winning campaign when he has a candidate that is electable.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:২৬ AM
Roger J. বলেছেন...: BTW Drill--I am not suggesting you are a poor Irishman, but apparently you married up :); ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:২৯ AM
RuyDiaz বলেছেন...: As Ricpic pointed out, has there ever been a crazy statist?

Stalin was as crazy as an Argentinian in a humility contest.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:৩২ AM
The Drill SGT বলেছেন...: এই মন্তব্যটি লেখক দ্বারা সরানো হয়েছে।; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:৩৩ AM
Chip Ahoy বলেছেন...: এই মন্তব্যটি লেখক দ্বারা সরানো হয়েছে।; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:৩৪ AM
The Drill SGT বলেছেন...: MayBee said...
Now, let's play this game with Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Anthony Weiner.

I'll go for Weiner as wacko and Debbie as dumb...

Roger J. said...
Drill--yeah, but your fair wife is also a colonel!

I made her everything she is today... Why, when she was a field grade officer, I still got called in to line up her brass :)

Drill SGTs are multi-faceted :)

and no, I never polished her purse.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:৩৮ AM
Scott M বলেছেন...: and no, I never polished her purse.

How about her buckles n buttons?; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:৪৩ AM
edutcher বলেছেন...: Chait pretty much shows himself to be everything he accuses both ladies of being. Talk about your patronizing sexist!

Ann Althouse said...

Distinguish Bachmann and Palin on the sanity/intelligence axes. Palin is the stupid one, so Bachmann is the crazy one. With the negatives nailed down, we may concede that Bachmann is pretty smart (watch out!) and Palin is pretty sane (now, go home take care of your children).

Yes, they're so dumb and crazy, they make the Lefties look like idiots all the time.

And then there's the women of the Democrat Party who are taking up the same defense of The Weiner that worked so well for Gloria Steinbrenner in the defense of Willie.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:৪৪ AM
Original Mike বলেছেন...: dbp said: "So [Rollins] can run a winning campaign when he has a candidate that is electable."

I stand corrected.

Then again, the same may be true of Shrum.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:৪৮ AM
Chip S. বলেছেন...: The easiest way to see the sexism here is to note that the media have three categories for Republican men they dislike: Crazy (Rand Paul), Stupid (GW Bush), and Evil (Cheney). I think Reagan managed to occupy all three categories, a true sign of greatness.

Now Ron Paul just might actually be crazy.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:৪৯ AM
rcocean বলেছেন...: Re-electing Reagan, yep Ed Rollins had a real tough job in 1984 - not. Rollins is a flake and an overrated big-mouth. He was involved with Perot in '92, has been taking shots at Palin for 3 years, was involved in some "walking around money" scandal, and generally says something stupid everyone other day.

Like Newt Gergan, and Rove he should just go away.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১০:৫৫ AM
mccullough বলেছেন...: Rollins was as responsible for Reagan's re-election in 1984 as Barry Switzer was for the Cowboys winning Super Bowl XXX.

Both deserve high praise for not getting in the way and fucking it up.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১১:০২ AM
নামহীন বলেছেন...: Here's the scam. Lazy lefty media type (insert Chait, Klein, etc.) has a deadline--topic, Bachmann. Media type goes to his handy Lefty Thesaurus and scrolls through to "Conservative Woman" where he finds: "Crazy, stupid, bitch--pick two."; ১৩/৬/১১, ১১:০৮ AM
SunnyJ বলেছেন...: "...now, go home and take care of your children." Unflippinbelievable. Camile Paglia was so right about the hijacking of the feminist movement by the breasts and ovaries version of the good ol' boys club. Before feminism became just another straight jacket for women, I was there and it really, really was meant to be exactly what Bachmann and Palin have done in each their own way.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১১:১৩ AM
Titus বলেছেন...: MIchelle Bachmann is kind of hot. Too much eye makeup though.

I would like to see her wear tighter clothes in order to see what is going on with the tits though.

Tits.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১১:১৪ AM
Original Mike বলেছেন...: "Both deserve high praise for not getting in the way and fucking it up."

Most consultants can't even manage that. (Not that I'm sticking up for Rollins.); ১৩/৬/১১, ১১:১৪ AM
ken in tx বলেছেন...: Drill Sgt, what is or was your service or active or reserve status. I ask this because I was in Air Training Command in the 80s when they started forcing those in mixed officer/enlisted marriages to either resign or get a divorce. Strictly speaking, IAW the UCMJ, the officer member is in violation of the anti-fraternization provisions of Article 92 & 133 and the enforcing regulations based on them.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১১:৩৬ AM
Bruce Hayden বলেছেন...: 1) Every good liberal knows that good human beings are rational..

The reasons that this is humorous is that it is so delusional. Socialism, and therefore liberalism, is based on the assumption that man is not rational, but rather is willing to sacrifice his own good for that of the national community. This is, of course, 180 degrees off. Most liberal policies fail because man in the composite is more rational than the drafters of those policies.

So, for example, the Cash for Clunkers program resulted in a time shift for automobile purchases. Who would have thought? Liberals some how thought that this program would result in a significant increase in the number of vehicles purchased. It did, but then the market crashed at the end of the program, since most of the increased volume was fueled by future purchases being shifted back in time.

2) Liberalism is self-evidently true. It clearly stands to reason.1

The only thing self-evident about liberalism is that it is a handy and effective means for one group of people to exploit the rest of the people through their control of the government. And, if you are in that group, then you can get some of the goodies for yourself too.

3) Thus, those who are not liberals must be either lacking in reason (either dumb or crazy), or else they must be evil

I would take the opposite position, that those who are liberal are either naive or cynically dishonest, with the shepple being the naive ones, and the politicians, their top supporters, and their Capitalism Cronies being the cynical dishonest ones.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১১:৪৫ AM
Chip S. বলেছেন...: Bruce Hayden, I'm completely certain that Ruy's post was ironic.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১১:৫২ AM
Chip S. বলেছেন...: So, for example, the Cash for Clunkers program resulted in a time shift for automobile purchases. Who would have thought?

Funny you should ask. You won't know whether to laugh or cry.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১১:৫৪ AM
Trooper York বলেছেন...: I think Republican voters should totally base their decesion on who to vote for on what Jon Chair, Joe Klein, Ezra Klein, Eleanor Clift, Jonathan Alter, Chris Matthews and Lawrence O'Donnell think are the best most electable Republican candidates.

What could go wrong with that?; ১৩/৬/১১, ১২:০৭ PM
MadisonMan বলেছেন...: @dbp: Thanks, I had forgotten Rollins with RWR. I wonder why the person writing the WSJ did as well?; ১৩/৬/১১, ১২:২৩ PM
Kirk Parker বলেছেন...: Drill SGT,

"Crazy" isn't a female lawyer, it's someone who would marry one!

(j/k); ১৩/৬/১১, ১:২৮ PM
নামহীন বলেছেন...: I feel less endangered by the "crazy" ideas of Bachmann than those of people like Anthony Weiner. Bachmann is an out and proud social con, but Weiner and his ilk are walking blackmail targets.; ১৩/৬/১১, ১:৩২ PM
Trooper York বলেছেন...: You just don't get it PatCA.

Bachmann and the social conservatives think you should keep your dick in your pants.

Weiner and the Democrats think you should text your dick to your Iphone.

Sharpen up.; ১৩/৬/১১, ২:০৩ PM
The Drill SGT বলেছেন...: ken in sc said...
Drill Sgt, what is or was your service or active or reserve status. I ask this because I was in Air Training Command in the 80s when they started forcing those in mixed officer/enlisted marriages to either resign or get a divorce.
when we met:

I was a Regular Army Captain (combat vet) with 10 years of service

She was an Army of the United States (e.g. reservist on active duty) Captain with 6 months of service

My enlisted time preceded my ROTC RA DMG commission

I dated officers senior to me, but never any junior; ১৩/৬/১১, ৪:২৪ PM
The Drill SGT বলেছেন...: ah, the ambiguity.

While an officer, I dated only officers of equal or greater rank, none of them in my chain of command

while enlisted I dated nobody, or nobody except civilans, certainly not any F'ing officers. They were all male BTW:; ১৩/৬/১১, ৬:০১ PM