Back during the whole 9/11 Truther debate, I once asked Ed Morrissey, back when he was on Captain’s Quarters, why should we even bother rebutting the nutjobs, because, well, they’re nutjobs. He replied back that yes, they’re nutjobs, but, it is important to rebut them lest their insanity grow and spread. Good point, because Trutherism had been spreading. Hell, it’s still around.
I recently gave a similar response to a friend of mine in email, who asked why I even bother mentioning Jon Huntsman. Basically because the media and liberals will continue pushing him in an attempt to make him seem reasonable and electable to the point where he gets the nomination. The Wall Street Journal highlights just how idiotic Huntsman’s campaign is, and how he is not really a Republican, even a squishy one.
The article starts off with a discussion of how Huntsman is basically attacking his GOP opponents, particularly on the globull warming hoax issue (while failing to do more than mildly chide Obama or his policies, usually not by name). Then we get
All of this is the hallmark of John Weaver, who is Mr. Huntsman’s chief strategist. Mr. Weaver has long been at war with the GOP mainstream, and his candidates typically end up running against some element of the Republican base. That was his strategy in 2000 with John McCain, who won New Hampshire but lost in South Carolina after attacking fellow Republicans. Mr. Weaver was no longer advising Mr. McCain in 2008 when the Arizonan won the nomination. Mr. Weaver is angling Mr. Huntsman for a McCain-2000-style victory in New Hampshire.
The trouble with the strategy is that while it draws huzzahs from the media, attacking Republicans rarely appeals to enough . . . Republicans. This year in particular it’s hard to see much room for Mr. Huntsman running to the left of Mr. Romney. The GOP as “anti-science” was a main Democratic theme in the past decade but also isn’t likely to move many Republicans now. Perhaps Mr. Huntsman thinks this will carve out ideological space to be the “moderate” choice as vice president, which on present course is his only chance of getting on the ticket.
If he manages to win the GOP primaries, Republicans, especially conservatives, will be demoralized and unenthusiastic to vote. If someone picks him as their VP running mate, the same will happen. The only measure of enthusiasm for the McCain 2008 campaign was picking Sarah Palin. Without her, Obama would have utterly destroyed McCain in landslide not seen since Reagan destroyed Mondale.
Yet, he will be lucky if his campaign survives through November. The only passion for it seems to come from Democrats and the liberal media. Huntsman has bought into the liberal talking point that he is the only guy who can beat Obama, and they’re scared of his candidacy. Meanwhile, he’ll attempt to personally destroy the other Republican candidates. Nothing wrong with criticism, it is about winning, after all, but, you do not want to destroy the person who could end up with the nomination. Of course, the other candidates are wisely ignoring Huntsman, highlighting that he is not in their league.
It is quite simple.
The MSM and the radical left want to make their policies seem moderate….thus forcing the right to move left to be more reasonable.
Highlighting someone like Huntsman and making his left policies seem right of center forces the right to move left OR appear to be more radical then they are with the…….
NEW
and
IMPROVED version of what is centrist as dictated to Americans by the MSM and the radical left. Its HOW OBAMA was elected in 2008…..smoke and mirrors and a great repositioning of the radical left to appear mainstream.
You’re exactly right, Word. It’s a great way of making us looking “extremist.”