Just wait until they turn their sights on you, Mitt. What size flip-flops do you wear, by the way?

/cautiously optimistic

"I love to see it when it happens on the other side." Makes it sound as if smears usually came directed at the GOP, doesn't it?  Perhaps God himself thinks so. 

John 

http://www.haberarts.com/

Don't kid yourself. They'll all get together and hold their noses and tell the world that one of these clowns is the best man for the job since Abe Lincoln long before we're done tearing down our candidates as too close to Lieberman.

Make a note of what he said; it may be the first (and last) time he manages to tell the truth!

Jan Knaus

Romney is toast. As are Giuliani and McCain.

There is the odd belief that in this year of all years Social Conservatives will just be willing to buy into the same line of bullshit.

What did Social Conservatives actually get over the last six years? A couple of Supreme Court justices that really have yet to deliver on any part of their agenda. I mean Roe v Wade is still the law of the land. Plus they get some gravy from the Office of Faith Initiatives and family planning directors drawn from the abstinence movement. But can they really count on Giuliani or Romney appointing an anti-Roe Supreme?

The jokes and campaign attacks write themselves. And if the religious right leadership is not prepared to Stoop to Conquer, certainly I am.

If you don't think someone can't turn "Mormon Undergarments" "Giuliani Drag Video" or "Black Love Child" into fatal attacks on these campaigns you really have not been watching Republican attack politics from Nixon to today. These people don't play nice.

Now I suppose there is a scenario where Brownback and Huckabee flame out early and everyone lines up behind Romney, but I suspect there is a limit to the "hold your nose" factor. A lot of the uber-conservatives are openly claiming that a little time in the wilderness will allow them to sweat off the rot and that a purer Republican Party will come back from exile leaner and more fit for battle than ever.

These guys play well in Peoria today because by and large the media loves them, they fit convenient narratives: Maverick Senator, Heroic 9/11 mayor, Faced down Tax & Spend Democrats in Mass. Governor. Well those narratives melt down faced with predictable negative ads. "Manchurian Candidate" "Drag Queen" "Massachusetts Flip-Flopper" (the latter has to hurt considering).

As a Democrat I don't fear any of these guys in the General anyway. But the fact is they are the best chances of avoiding a Democratic rout in 2008, unless of course the Republican Party finds the courage to swing behind a truly Social Conservative, anti-war candidate.

"The only thing we have to fear is Chuck Nagel himself"

Nagel scares me. He could pull this off. But you can call Giuliani-Romney-McCain the Axis of Clowns. They are just too open for fair and unfair attacks from both Left and Right and can fully expect them.

What is that burning smell? The toast of the Republican frontrunners.

"There is the odd belief that in this year of all years Social Conservatives will just be willing to buy into the same line of bullshit."

Do you think that book by the man who worked in the Faith Based Initiative office, Koi (sp?) had a big impact on the social conservatives?

Don't those folks still tolerate Limbaugh(druggie) and that Bill (gambler) guy?

I do like the Giuliani-Romney-McCain axis of clowns line. good one

You know, I have to say this whole flap over Geffen's comments have led me to a new prediction for the 2008 race. Specifically, that it will be between Evan Bayh and Phil Bredesden, or some other pair of candidates who aren't even in the race at the moment.

I just find it hard to believe that anyone can stand two years of this level of antagonism-- and this is just WITHIN the parties! Just imagine month after grinding month of Hillary vs. Rudy after month after month of Hillary vs. Barack and John, it makes one ill to contemplate.

Newt Gingrich is supposed to have a strategy of entering the race next January when everyone's sick of the frontrunners-- frankly I think if Newt Gingrich is looking for how much time needs to pass before most of America will consider him a viable candidate he should be thinking centuries, not months-- but the strategy could work for someone not already disliked by 90% of the electorate. Kerry was written off last time, then came from behind when it turned out that the 12 bloggers who loved Howard Dean represented about 13 actual voters. No reason this year why someone couldn't sit it out now, spend no money while the others spend theirs, and then come in with a fresh appeal about how disgusted they are by the process to date. I have a feeling they'd sail to the nomination if it keeps up like this.

No i don't think it is a catch 22. There are many was to challenge your opponents without name calling. It is probably MORE effective, because you are trying to win over their adherents, you want to indicate that you are better, not that they are bad. Edwards is doing this very well these days.

THINK SEATTLE RIOTS folks and if someone told me it will be uglier then CHICAGO 68 I WON'T BE SHOCKED...

What is striking to me is how blissfully blind Romney is. As if nothing of the sort would or could happen on the Republican side.

I am not sure if he understands that just about every American has encountered Mormons in the form of two well dressed boys ringing your damn doorbell and trying to get you to convert. Southern Baptists and Catholics can dish out missionaries but I am not sure how well they take them.

Some political consultant somewhere is fully prepared to exploit that latent resentment, someone is fully ready to present those aspects of Mormonism that are most foreign to mainstream Protestant and Catholic beliefs.

Romney is laughing at what in context is a minor dustup between Clinton and Obama, yet apparently oblivious to the shitstorm coming his way. We'll see what happens when surrogates of his opponents start holding up the most distorted version of the tenets of his religion they can. And they will. Republican Presidential campaigning is always hardball.