They're All Either Weirdos or John Huntsman

Just watched tonight's GOP debate in Michigan. I just can't belive that a political party with so many American members could offer up this slate of candidates to the nation.

Mitt Romney: Rich kid robo-weirdo
Herman Cain: Reality-resistant simpleton weirdo
Rick Perry: Stupid weirdo
Ron Paul: Heartless zealot weirdo
Newt Gingrich: Angry narcissist weirdo
Michelle Bachman: Nihilist weirdo
Rick Santorum: 16th century religious kook weirdo
John Huntsman: Bright guy who mistakenly registered in the weirdo party

America is ill-served by having one of its two political parties headed by weirdos. But that's what we've got. Every honest Republican will admit it.

President Obama is very vulnerable, but to his great fortune, it really seems like none of these weirdos will be able to beat him.

And the Democrats are paragons of normalcy? Dude, you are too much.

Oh, don't get me wrong, there are definitely some strange people in both parties. For Dems, I give you John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich, David Wu, and Cynthia McKinney. There's plenty of weird in both parties.

Here, I'm writing about the eight individuals I saw on a stage in Michigan last night.

Seven of them are really weird. The eighth is John Huntsman.

As a Texan who genuinely hates Rick Perry, I'm enjoying the man's public humiliation. Other than that, my ability to watch this exercise in pandering is limited. But, you're right about Huntsman.

Looking at this line-up, I think I understand why Republicans found it so difficult to accept Chris Christie's non-participation. In spite of his reputation as an elitist blowhard, Christie is actually moderate enough to win a national election.

But, Obama against the shape-shifting Romney? Second term.

I'm not sure I would hand it to Romney just yet.

Squirmen Herman's skirt chasing doesn't seem to be hurting him in the polls with the people that cried bloody murder when Clinton did it.

And his complete ignorance of China's nuclear capability doesn't seem to be hurting him with the crowd that blasted Obama's lack of foreign policy experience prior to his election.

I'd hand it to Romney. The GOP doesn't like him, and really doesn't think he's actually one of them.

But there are no plausible others who can take it from him, they're all so profoundly flawed.

Tea Party types have even suggested that four more years of Obama, followed by a right-wing President in 2016, would be better than 4-8 years of Romney starting next year.

At this point, I really think Romney would have to be found in bed with a dead girl or a live boy to lose the nomination. It's a royalist party, and he's next in line, just like McCain, Bush Jr., Dole, Bush, Reagan, Ford, and Nixon all were.

Frank, I couldn't agree more with your post. I'm just a little sad that Perry is representing us Texans to the rest of the nation. W was more than enough already.

"It's a royalist party, and he's next in line, just like McCain, Bush Jr., Dole, Bush, Reagan, Ford, and Nixon all were."

Despite the impression given by the media millionaires tend to be be democrats

Considering the number of times he's been elected Governor, I'm afraid we'll just have to take the hit.

Two weeks ago, Sarah Silverman hosted a fundraiser for the NAACP at the Paramount Theater in Austin, in direct response to Rick Perry's infamous painted rock scandal. (Google the name of the show, if you dare.) The proceedings were hilariously profound and profane, and the audience (crammed into movie palace seats that prove people were much smaller in the twenties) was enthusiastic and responsive. For about three hours, I was proud to be a Texan. (It still happens.)