Althouse: "Just when you thought the Republican Party was destined to take a turn toward the ugly..."

October 31, 2015

"Just when you thought the Republican Party was destined to take a turn toward the ugly..."

"... two boyishly handsome young stars have emerged."

37 comments:

Hagar said...: AA goes trolling today.

That said, the Republicans at least give you a choice of unpopular candidates.

With the Democrats it is Hillary! or ???; 10/31/15, 7:45 PM
Anonymous said...: Handsome is fine. Smart is even better, which is why I increasingly like Cruz.; 10/31/15, 7:58 PM
Gahrie said...: Repeal the 19th; 10/31/15, 8:07 PM
rcocean said...: Just when you thought the Republican party might grow-up and start reflecting the views of the average Republican it nominates two young globalists who support the Chamber of Commerce.; 10/31/15, 8:08 PM
Michael K said...: I thought for a moment the story was about Ben Carson. He's certainly young compared to the Democrats.; 10/31/15, 8:12 PM
Quaestor said...: During Wednesday’s debate, Mr Bush attacked Mr Rubio, his former Florida protégé, for missing votes in the senate - but the mentee would have none of it - unleashing a devastating counterattack, slapping Mr Bush down and dealing a harsh blow to his flailing campaign.

Mentee, the cited article is the first use of that word I can remember. It looked so ridiculous on the screen, I took it for a clumsy neologism, but it's not accord to Wiktionary, which attests mentee to at least 1958. Even Safari's internal spell-check doesn't recognized it, and keeps trying to correct it to menthe.

Unfortunately mentor is one of those overused word one finds all too often on the lips of pop culture mavens, so I should be grateful the back-formation hasn't been as popular.; 10/31/15, 8:17 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: How shallow can you get? OTOH the Democrat party has definitely turned toward the aged ugly with Hillary and Bernie.; 10/31/15, 8:23 PM
YoungHegelian said...: Both are eloquent communicators who stress a more compassionate brand of conservatism and prefer solutions-oriented politics to harsh rhetoric.

It's amazing how even a sympathetic portrayal by a European newspaper feels it must traffic in tropes such as "harsh rhetoric". Does Bernie Sanders prefer "solutions" to "harsh rhetoric" too, or is "harsh rhetoric" just a Republican thing?

Also completely missing from this analysis is the break-out support for Ben Carson, which is really quite strange in American, not just Republican, politics. That a non-politician, and a black one to boot, can attract such loyalty in a party that is 90+% white is really amazing. I really think the author skipped Dr. Carson because, like a super-intelligent computer in the original Star Trek given an impossible paradox by Captain Kirk, it simply doesn't compute.; 10/31/15, 8:27 PM
sinz52 said...: The word "mentee" seems to have become more popular in the last few decades.

Though it's still nowhere near as popular as "protege," which is similar.

http://tinyurl.com/ovbds5p; 10/31/15, 8:29 PM
madAsHell said...: boyishly handsome

This is written for women.
Oh, wait....it was written by a man, and published in the UK!!

I don't understand the agenda.; 10/31/15, 8:37 PM
rcocean said...: Harsh rhetoric = anything the listener objects to.; 10/31/15, 8:39 PM
cubanbob said...: "Just when you thought the Republican Party was destined to take a turn toward the ugly..."
"... two boyishly handsome young stars have emerged."

Poor Democrats. All they have is the Hildabeast and the retro 1930's Sanders. Maybe the ought to start pimping for the garage band musician, whats his name? O'Malley?; 10/31/15, 9:38 PM
Quaestor said...: The MSM will continue to pretend Ben Carson doesn't exist until an an actual primary vote is tallied revealing Dr. Carson as forceful contender, then suddenly the term Seventh Day Adventist will appear in the background chatter.

The MSM fear Carson and Rubio, and to a lesser extent Ted Cruz. They favor Hillary because they think its a way to get Bill back as some kind of vicarious co-president. Carly's not seen as dangerous because her career at HP is easy to misrepresent. Trump is the nominee their hoping for, because they're convinced he's more than beatable.

Here's how it will play next year, depending on who has the big delegation on or about May 15th:

(Rubio) Handsome lightweight with no record to speak of, the Gen-X Dan Quayle. If he gains real traction against Hillary look for the "white hispanic" label to be trotted out.

(Cruz) Neo-Federalist evil genius bent on rebellion. Rebellion against what? Whadda ya got?

(Trump) Looney capitalist success

(Fiorina) Sensible capitalist failure

(Carson) Very tricky. By reason of the Great Bugaboo Carson cannot be critiqued directly. Instead they will attack his religion. Look for an exposé report on one of the weekly magazine shows (Dateline, 60 Minutes, etc.) about the Seventh Day Adventists. They'll accurately point out that Carson's denomination grew out of the Millerite Great Disappointment, then they will connect Carson to David Koresh and the Branch Davidian cult.; 10/31/15, 10:04 PM
traditionalguy said...: After Trumps runs the table, the RNC will all have to face the worst nightmare of the DC Bush gang which is another great Communicator of reality who helps, God forbid, the middle class first, the middle class second and the middle class third.; 10/31/15, 10:20 PM
eric said...: Wow, they are really pushing Marco Rubio all of a sudden.

The Bush family must be very angry that they've been replaced.; 10/31/15, 10:27 PM
eric said...: (Rubio) Handsome lightweight with no record to speak of, the Gen-X Dan Quayle. If he gains real traction against Hillary look for the "white hispanic" label to be trotted out.

(Cruz) Neo-Federalist evil genius bent on rebellion. Rebellion against what? Whadda ya got?

(Trump) Looney capitalist success

(Fiorina) Sensible capitalist failure

(Carson) Very tricky. By reason of the Great Bugaboo Carson cannot be critiqued directly. Instead they will attack his religion. Look for an exposé report on one of the weekly magazine shows (Dateline, 60 Minutes, etc.) about the Seventh Day Adventists. They'll accurately point out that Carson's denomination grew out of the Millerite Great Disappointment, then they will connect Carson to David Koresh and the Branch Davidian cult.

This isn't how it works.

Instead, they will throw things against the wall and see what sticks. They'll try everything in their arsenal. And when something does seem to stick, the rest will pick it up and run with it. Especially if it sticks with some of the more "moderate" Republicans.; 10/31/15, 10:30 PM
traditionalguy said...: Let me get this straight. We can elect Rubio and the legalized Mexican Hispanic Catholic Majority will all vote Republican and then make Spanish our Official Language.

Somebody please tell me why that is a victory for me. Oh yeah, it's sacrificial love that I can become poor so that illegal peasants and The Vatican can become rich.; 10/31/15, 10:57 PM
Annie said...: Not one on the GOP side has sexually assaulted women and then attack those women for speaking out....like Hillary has. Not one has sold favors to foreign governments, while SoS, through a money laundering family foundation...like Hillary. And I doubt very much that any one of them would get their ambassador killed and then f*cking lie through their teeth about it, while keeping a private server and wiping it clean after it was subpoenaed to hide her crimes (well some were found out but noone that matters, cares, because laws don't apply to democrats).
The democrats are the definition of ugly.; 10/31/15, 11:06 PM
Achilles said...: "Just when you thought the Republican Party was destined to take a turn toward the ugly..."
"... two boyishly handsome young stars have emerged."

You can hear them muttering in their green rooms "please not Cruz or Trump, please not Cruz or Trump...; 10/31/15, 11:06 PM
William said...: Rubio's kind of short, and it looks like he's developing a bald spot. He won't lock up the female vote. He doesn't look like he ever bullied anyone in high school. Do we really want a president who's not a bully? You would have to do extensive research with teams of reporters to find someone who Trump didn't bully in high school. Maybe a couple of guys on the football team. Trump might get more of the female vote than Rubio for just that reason......,Ryan is tall and handsome. However, he's got that nasty habit of throwing old ladies off cliffs. Old women in wheelchairs seem to particularly inspire his homocidal rage. That works against him with women. Still it would be fun to watch him take Hillary out for a spin.; 10/31/15, 11:29 PM
Anonymous said...: Ryan is inauthentic. He's not comfortable in his own skin. Even when he says good morning it sounds like he's reading from a scrip. Even Rubio is preferable to that. Carson doesn't know enough to be president. I would prefer Rubio to any Democrat but that's a low bar. He seems like a kid to me. No presence. No gravitas. He'll never be anyone who makes an impression when he enters a room. That leaves Cruz. I watched him speak at a rally when Code Pink showed up and tried to shut him down over his position on Iran. He invited them over to the mike to say their piece. He didn't interrupt. When it was his turn to talk they immediately interrupted. In a polite and respectful way Cruz took control, forced them to let him talk. The guy is smart, smart, smart. He's a great debater. He doesn't stutter or get rattled like Rubio.; 10/31/15, 11:44 PM
walter said...: +10 Hegelian...young or otherwise.
solutions-oriented politics and harsh rhetoris are not necessarily mutually exclusive.; 11/1/15, 12:18 AM
walter said...: (sorry for typos..this blogger comment format makes everything microscopic); 11/1/15, 12:20 AM
chickelit said...: eric said...
Wow, they are really pushing Marco Rubio all of a sudden.

There is a rush and a push to select and to narrow the Republican field because it makes Hillary's job easier. She has struggled so far to face down this nine-headed hydra of Republican candidates. If the MSM can just get Republicans to focus FOCUS! on just one then the political assassination(s) will conserve resources for Hillary.; 11/1/15, 12:39 AM
David said...: Did you know that since 1995 the House has had a Republican speaker for all but 4 years, when Pelosi was Speaker?

And yet the Republic survived. More or less.

During that same period Democrats have been President for 12 years, Republicans 8. Eight years of someone named Bush. Five of someone named Clinton. Seven of Obama.

We are a great country without a great government.; 11/1/15, 12:44 AM
BN said...: Cruz is the best we could have. So, not a chance.

Hillary is the worst we could get. So, it will be her.

It's what we deserve. Hide and watch. And by that, I mean hide.; 11/1/15, 12:53 AM
BN said...: "And yet the Republic survived."

Give it time. We've been sliding for a long time. And when we go over the edge, we'll fall for quite awhile.

But when we hit the ground, it will be all of a sudden.; 11/1/15, 12:56 AM
Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...: ...Donald Trump nomination (which would set the party in the wrong direction for the future)

...unleashing a devastating counterattack, slapping Mr Bush down and dealing a harsh blow to his flailing campaign.

I think we've got enough opinion and "harsh rhetoric" delivered as news by our own media without having to go to the Brits for political analysis.; 11/1/15, 6:00 AM
sinz52 said...: "He won't lock up the female vote. He doesn't look like he ever bullied anyone in high school. Do we really want a president who's not a bully? "

The GOP base has the only people I've ever met in my life who admire kids who bullied other kids.

Over on Redstate.com, some of them have even waxed nostalgic about how they used to bully other kids in school.; 11/1/15, 7:28 AM
Phil 314 said...: Comments here suggest they appreciate the British snark.

PS Does a British paper qualify as MSM?; 11/1/15, 7:57 AM
Paco Wové said...: Most British commentary regarding the U.S. reads like the writer, on tight deadline, called up some friends at the Washington Post or New York Times and asked them for a quick summary of events across the pond. So, yeah, I'd say they're like the MSM with even more subtlety and nuance scrubbed out.; 11/1/15, 9:00 AM
David said...: "But when we hit the ground, it will be all of a sudden."

Not with a bang, but with a whimper.; 11/1/15, 11:27 AM
Mick said...: Rubio is not eligible. He was born of legal resident alien parents and naturalized by the 14th Amendment (conferred citizenship) just like Wong Kim Ark, about who the Supreme Court said was "conferred citizenship by the 14th Amendment" See Afroyim v. Rusk:

"The issues in that case were whether a person born in the United States to Chinese aliens was a citizen of the United States and whether, nevertheless, he could be excluded under the Chinese Exclusion Act, 22 Stat. 58. The Court first held that within the terms of the Fourteenth Amendment, Wong Kim Ark was a citizen of the United States, and then pointed out that though he might "renounce this citizenship, and become a citizen of . . . any other country," he had never done so. Id., at 704-705. The Court then held 22 that Congress could not do anything to abridge or affect his citizenship conferred by the Fourteenth Amendment. Quoting Chief Justice Marshall's well-considered and oft-repeated dictum in Osborn to the effect that Congress under the power of naturalization has "a power to confer citizenship, not a power to take it away," -
Afroyim v. Rusk, [387 U.S. 253, 266]

State Dept definition of "naturalization"--"the conferring of nationality of a state upon a person after birth, by any means whatsoever."

Marco Rubio was conferred citizenship by 8 US Code 1401(a) after birth occurred (not in the womb or birth canal), by "any means whatsoever" (via the 14th Amendment-- he was born subject to the jurisdiction of the US because of the legal residence of his parents (See Wong Kim Ark @693).

Marco Rubio is a naturalized citizen, not natural born, and not eligible.; 11/1/15, 11:44 AM
Phil 314 said...: Mick perseverates.; 11/1/15, 1:44 PM
Anonymous said...: Neither can even remotely compete with ex-snowboard instructor and erstwhile bhangra dancer Justin Trudeau in the young-and-fresh-for-a-power-holder dept. We, as a country, are just going to have to deal with not having the hottest world leader anymore. /s

We had our dessert before our vegetables; now we're going to have to finish getting our underlying system in order with the old people who represent policies that should have been implemented decades ago.; 11/1/15, 1:48 PM
Bilwick said...: You know what's really ugly, Democrats? Statism coupled with envy-stoking and class warfare.; 11/1/15, 6:31 PM
Unknown said...: ----Ryan is inauthentic. He's not comfortable in his own skin. Even when he says good morning it sounds like he's reading from a scrip.

Of course you mean 'script'. As for your judgement of authenticity, probably as top-notch as your world-beating spelling.

***Gannett Wisconsin Media recently talked to people on the streets of Janesville, Ryan's hometown, and found Ryan is well-liked, even by some people who don't agree with his politics.

"I think he's a great guy," said Brian Tinkler, a technology consultant from Janesville. "His integrity, his character, his moral values.

Sue Abrahamson, a Democrat, also had positive things to say about Ryan.

"He's grown up here, everybody knows him," she said. "What's not to like, he's a great guy.”

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2012/09/29/ryan-wisconsin-profile/1603075/; 11/1/15, 8:15 PM