Election Round Up: You Right

I’d like to start off my column today with a hearty apology to you, my dear readers. I’ve left you in the lurch, unsatiated in your desire for a trenchant and hilarious take on the latest news. I’ve been slacking, I admit it, but let me shout out from the mountaintops today that “I’m Back!” I’m about to be like Michael Jordan in 1996 on this site, I’ve had my foray into the uncharted waters and now I’m ready to reclaim the throne and ascend to even greater heights. Screw it, I’m Grover Cleveland in 1892, back by popular demand, with the populace wondering what they’d done to lose me in the first place, because I sure as hell didn’t lose the popular vote. You won’t have the Redel Traub Report to kick around anymore, and I think we can all breathe a little easier at this prospect. If there isn’t news to write about, I’ll make the goddamn news. You give me the pictures, I’ll give you the war, we’re about to turn this into a little yellow journalism and I’m Citizen Kane.

Today, however, we won’t have to manufacture the news, I’ll offer you a potpourri of election news.

The Obama campaign and his various media surrogates are up in arms over Mitt Romney’s refusal to condemn a women who said to him at a rally Monday that Obama is"operating outside the structure of our Constitution."  And he "should be tried for treason." In college, I used as my catch phrase “you right” a colloquialism of “you’re right.” It meant that I clearly recognize that what you are saying is true, but I don’t really care. So let me offer a “you right” to the Obama campaign. Of course it’s ridiculous to assert that Obama should be tried for treason, but what have the Republicans, both their base and their elected officials, done this election cycle that isn’t ridiculous? What have the Republicans done for the past 20 years(and probably longer) that hasn’t been utterly ridiculous and wrong headed?  Moreover, when has Mitt Romney ever seemed to illustrate a strong moral fortitude, a willingness to take an unpopular stand, that would cause you to think he would ever call out this woman. Mitt needs people like this to keep his slim electoral hopes alive, and he sure as heck isn’t going to take a tough tact against such inflammatory statements so shortly after he finally wrapped up the Republican nomination amidst great consternation from their base. I understand that Democrats think they can score political points, but this election is not hinging on Romney’s failure to rebuke this woman 6 months before the election, so please save the fake outrage for Rick Santorum’s views on gay marriage.

Speaking of Santorum, he graciously offered Romney his endorsement last night. In an email. At 11 PM. Jeepers Rick, relax with the enthusiasm. But you know what? Rick Santorum’s endorsement carries almost no weight. Let’s not delude ourselves into thinking that Santorum is popular or a power player in the Republican party just because he was Mr. Romney’s most significant challenger. That was dumb luck and basically by default. The rest of the candidates eliminated themselves by blowing their chance when they had it and Santorum was lucky enough to not really have a chance to blow it in the early stages. I’m not going to rehash the whole ugly affair of the primary, but suffice it to say the owner of a small pizza chain was a serious contender. I don’t really understand why Santorum would want to marginalize his endorsement. I’m sure Romney would have welcomed a joint event, but I guess Santorum is still too bitter that he won’t get to realize his dream of banishing all gay people to Newt Gingrich’s moon colony, to appear with his once bitter rival.

Lastly, The Huffington Post’s banner right now links to a Matt Taibbi article that proclaims this election to be the “Most Boring Election Ever.” Taibbi’s point is somewhat true, but HuffPo looks a little silly running that article when half their articles are about the election in some respect. Let’s be a little careful about dancing in the endzone before the election has really started in earnest. The ruling in Citizen’s United ensures that literally 100s of millions of dollars are going to flow in with the sole purpose of defeating Obama, and strict voter ID laws in some swing states will hurt Obama as well. This election is boring right now, but a Romney victory would be an absolute disaster, sending America down the path of austerity that Europe is currently revolting against. While the 2008 election turned into an electoral vote landslide, Obama only won by 7% of the national vote in an amazingly good cycle for Democrats. It ties into my first point about the woman that called Obama treasonous, the liberal media wants to both marginalize and demonize the Republican opposition. Well, “you right” but let’s please not underestimate the real damage they can do.