Read the whole thing. It really captures what's most bizarre about the GOP field this year: its complete lack of seriousness. If you watch the debates (an exercise recommended only for seasoned professionals) you'll strain for hours trying to hear anything of actual substance.

There is nothing bizarre about it. The GOP has succeeded for the last several years with a complete lack of seriousness, to the extent that even having a congressional majorities the Democrats are reluctant to push back against any of the things that drove public outrage against the GOP and put the Democrats in nominal power.

A complete lack of seriousness has succeeded in advancing the policy interests of the Republican Party, so that's what they'll continue to offer until they are punished for it. It is simple, rational behavior.

"It's like watching a bunch of nervous teenagers reciting talking points they don't really understand, but which they're afraid to stray from because they think that's what their teacher wants them to say."

Quote of the day.

The utter lack of substance (on both sides) is why nobody watches debates any more. Now if you had a debate moderated by John Stewart or Stephen Colbert, that would make for some terrific (and revealing) TV.

Clinton proved that raising taxes and turning a deficit into a surplus just ruins the economy. Largest peacetime expansion ever -- the horrors!

I can't remember the last time there was any serious
or substantial talks on either side of the aisle. The campaign in nothing more than a media event tailored to bore the average citizen into a complacent state.

Mission Accomplished!

There are no living organisms more Serious and Accomplished than Frederick The Great Thompson and Rudolphus Giulianius.

The elites may chuckle at these beautiful men, calling them out on one silly thing or annother, but the People see the radiation of American Greatness from these Men. You all are too disconnected to see the truth. Not the first time, silly Liberals.

"It really captures what's most bizarre about the GOP field this year: its complete lack of seriousness."

Maybe, deep down, they know they can't win, so why bother to come up with a real tax plan that will never see the light of day. Just promise to cut all taxes.

The Dems on the other hand, are very careful never to propose anything they don't think they can really get done once in office. Very moderate, reasonable, passable health care plans. Not making foreign policy commitments they think they can't keep. The Democratic canidates are planning to be President. The GOP field isn't.

There is nothing bizarre about it.

Actually, there is -- that the rest of the country puts up with (and, what's worse, puts into power) these addled lunatics. Why these people aren't met with finger-pointing, jeering, and coarse mocking laughter every time they show their faces I'll never understand.

"only one (Mitt Romney) able to mention a program whose funding he would cut (some advanced technology program)."

I didn't watch, so I'm going by the transcript, but I think he meant *the* Advanced Technology Program:

http://www.atp.nist.gov/

...which had been "abolished" two months prior.

"It's like watching a bunch of nervous teenagers reciting talking points they don't really understand, but which they're afraid to stray from because they think that's what their teacher wants them to say."

Sounds like the GOP platform has left no child behind!

"Conservative interest groups" aren't the targets here; GOP primary voters are. Anyone who wants the nomination must live by the rules of their intellectually gated community, and they love their tax cuts. Also, a cloud of polls attest that they think the economy's just fine, which sentiment is not shared by Dems, indies, and those less-well-off Repubs whom only Huckabee seems to know about.

But when the nomination's won, the party will be over:

GOP Forced to Pivot on Taxes
By Erin Billings, Roll Call, Sept. 12, 2007

Senate Republicans are likely to engage in a more serious message makeover than they previously thought following a private strategy session ... where they reviewed new polling data showing tax cuts are no longer priority No. 1 with key independent voters. The news, GOP Senators acknowledged... served as an important wake-up call as the party undergoes its massive internal image overhaul. The theme of lower taxes has been a cornerstone of the Republican platform ...
The findings ... showed Senators that Americans are far more focused on key domestic reforms like health care reform and the level of government spending rather than on previously enacted GOP tax reductions. ... Republican Senate sources said the latest information ... shows Republicans relied too easily on tax cuts as the answer to every domestic problem... [E]xplained one senior GOP Senate aide. "We've worn out the message"...

Romney, for example, issued a 23-point economic plan yesterday that, if you didn't know better, you might think was a parody written by Jon Stewart for "The Daily Show."

Or the Texas Republican Party....

The people want candy, not castor oil. Democracy seems to be in its last throes as the people demand multi-faced candidates who appeal to every special interest group.

"It's like watching a bunch of nervous teenagers reciting talking points they don't really understand, but which they're afraid to stray from because they think that's what their teacher wants them to say."

I was thinking it was like watching Miss South Carolina attempting to discuss geography education.

This comes down to a question of whether GOP Presidential candidates can be Not Bush without being Against Bush.

Bush administration policies don't easily suggest obvious continuations. What comes after tax cuts? No Child Left Behind? Iraq? Any constituencies whose preferences needed to be addressed have already been taken care of, if that is the expression, by things the Bush administration has already done. This doesn't leave much for Republicans seeking above all to assure the most loyal Republican voters that they are still "with" the President.

Hence the floundering on policy, I think, but there is something else as well. None of the major GOP candidates this year would ordinarily be considered potential nominees. McCain is too old. Giuliani is too liberal and has had too many wives. Romney is from the wrong state -- the religion issue aside -- and Thompson has less interest and energy than Presidential candidates typically do. None of these guys has an individual constituency independent of President Bush, not even McCain. They haven't sought to build one, haven't even appeared as if they wanted one. Now they're stuck with nothing to say. The Republican voters who still like Bush don't want anything new or different, and there is no way to make them happy and still appeal to everyone else.

you are being unfair

There is very little difference between cutting my taxes, and putting more money in my pocket, and increasing a government program that benefits me, putting more goods and services in my pocket.

So, Romney is actually a big time liberal since he wants to take government funds and give it to his supporters.

It is almost like earmarking.

"Advanced technology program" ... don't know if that's the NIST program that was killed, but the
MSNBC transcript attributes that comment to Brownback (R-Witchburners).

Why these people aren't met with finger-pointing, jeering, and coarse mocking laughter every time they show their faces I'll never understand.

Well, maybe you've got a p...aaaagh! Look! Mexicans! Terrorists! Two men in love! Who will save us?!

Look, two swarthy Mexican gay terrorists in love! Who will save us?!

Why Rudy (not that one, the one played by Kirk Russell in Used Cars) wants to be a politician:

"I just want to tell the people what they want to hear."

Guess which party he'd belong to?

The GOP presidential candidate field freak show is on par with the 2003 California recall freak show. Most of them are in it for the attention and fame, but given the freak show that is the American electorate, one of them might just slip through to replace GWB.

Not to belittle our fellow citizens but I have strongly felt that "tax cuts" is the secret word. It has bought Geo Bush two elections. A Repulican just uttering the word "tax cut" can have so many of us salivating. Of course, those tax cuts help keep us quite about energy costs, healthcare costs etc. It's all a scam and a money laundering process that Columbian drug lords admire.

They're all really just Miss Teen South Carolina, but with no redeeming hotness.

There's no point at all in noticing anything the Repub candidates say until one is selected as the nominee. The nominee will then receive a thorough political and rhetorical "makeover" for the general election. And everything they said up to that point will be flushed, and the candidate will take on a new "centrist" political persona. At this point, the squealing from the same ultra"conservatives" he kow-towed to just a few months ago will become a political advantage, as each goes for the Broderesque "center"

And to top it off, nothing the candidate says during the general election campaign will mean anything once he gets into office, God forbid.

Remember the "humble foreign policy"? What the hell did that have to do with anything Bush has done in office?

If you had asked me 10 or 15 years ago who the Republicans would be grooming for the top spot by this time I would have thrown out names like John Kasich or Joe Scarborough, maybe even that Joey Trabiani fellow they ran against Hillary the first time... last week I heard Scarborough [on his TV show] offerring to bundle campaign donations for Bob Kerrey. I agree my party is on the ropes; I'm pretty sure that's why Dobson is threatening to go third party - he's sharp enough to know this year is a loser anyway and his group will look stronger in the long run if they contribute to a blow-out. I'm very depressed, all I can say is if you guys manage to blow it this time I'd recommend you commit suicide.

I think the term "lack of seriousness" is too kind.
Lack of brain cells seems more on point. This is the most daft group of entitled bastards I have ever seen on a single stage short of Ms. Teen America. Indeed, I would take Ms Teen America over any of these posers. I am sure she would think of of the children. And Stuff.