The Emptywheel Primary Trash Talk

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It’s here!! Yep the fateful Emptywheel Primary day! Why is it the Emptywheel Primary you ask? Well silly, because today is the Super Tuesday of GOP primaries in both Michigan and Arizona. My Mormons versus Marcy’s Hutaree. Gonna throw down baby.

I want to tell you how thrilling the excitement of the Republican primary has been for us here in Arizona. Except, well, I can’t. Because it hasn’t. It is now 5:00 pm here on the day of the primary, and I have not seen one single campaign ad on television. Other than a flurry of coverage on the day of the debate here, Nada. Zero. Zilch. As for campaign signs, which are always up everywhere in my busy area that sits at the intersection of Arcadia, Paradise Valley and Scottsdale. There are major roads leading to a lot of voters – many of them affluent – and this is a quite Republican district (it elected Ben Quayle handily just as an indicator). The pitiful tiny little Santorum sign in the picture above is the only sign I have seen within a two mile radius. That’s it.

As for Michigan, Marcy reports the same there. CNN and MSNBC says the GOP candidates have been traipsing around Michigan, but Marcy has not seen much in the way of advertising or excitement either. Charlie Pierce gives a rundown on the wonderful candidates in Michigan. Here is what Marcy reported on Twitter yesterday about the level of excitement:

Honestly though, it just seems like a non-event to me. I have yet to see an ad–not TV, direct mail, robo, signs. Nothing!

So, two decent sized primaries in pretty interesting states, for differing reasons, and…..bupkis.

It looks like Romney has Arizona solid unless there is a major upset, which is not shocking with the large contingent of Mormons here. But Michigan has been shockingly tight given Romney’s roots there, and that could really be interesting depending on how a few key counties go. And Ron Paul has better strength than you think in Michigan. So this is a thread for election chatter, and anything else in the world you got (hint FOOTBALL and other sports, etc!).

On piece of pretty interesting news today, Olympia Snowe has announced she is retiring after this term and will not run, so there is a scramble underway up in Maine. The big Dem names floated so far to replace Snowe are current Representatives Chellie Pingree and Mike Michaud, as well as former Representative Tom Allen. Of those, it is hard not to think Pingree has the edge, and she is already thinking about it hard. This could be a great pickup opportunity for the Dems in the Senate, and would sure help the effort to keep the majority control of the Senate. DDay has more.

So, with that, let’s hoop and yak it up for The Emptywheel Primary! Music by Bo Diddley and Roadrunner, which he first released in 1960.

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53 replies
  2. CTuttle says:

    Well silly, because today is the Super Tuesday of GOP primaries in both Michigan and Arizona. My Mormons versus Marcy’s Hutaree. Gonna throw down baby.

    What a Coinky-Doink…! ;-)

    Same epic proportions as a Lions/Cardinals hoedown…! ;-)

  5. orionATL says:

    getting rid of republican “moderate” olympia snow?

    that’d be almost as satisfying as getting rid of democratic “moderate” max baucus.

  6. Bob Schacht says:

    “It looks like Romney has Arizona solid unless there is a major upset, which is not shocking with the large contingent of Mormons here. ”

    Well, I dunno. Your on-the-ground report from PHX shows a lack of excitement, which is bad news for Romney and good news for Santorum. (BTW, have you ever seen anyone really *excited* about Romney’s candidacy?) And our dear Republican Governor waited until most Republicans had already voted by mail to announce that she was supporting Romney.

    And I am EXCITED about the possibility that Chellie Pengree might run for Olympia Snow’s seat! I might even have to learn how to spell her name! She’s great!

    Oh, and March Madness lies close at hand! I saw the Dames of Notre Dame dismantle the 4th-ranked Connecticut Husky ladies, expanding their lead in the 4th quarter. They are the team I like best this year. It would be great to see them in the finals against Baylor, the #1-ranked team. But last year, Notre Dame was ambushed in the quarterfinals(?) by Texas A & M, led by the Round Mound of Rebound, Danielle Adams, who is now playing in the pros.

    And the Michigan Men once again have a respectably rated Hoops team. They managed to beat Ohio State, led by Sullenberger, whom everyone is all goo-goo about. The Big Ten+ is really Big this year. Michigan State, in first place, is on the tube tonight.

    Bob in AZ

  7. Jim White says:

    Got the Michigan State – Indiana game on. Remember that Indiana has upset both Kentucky and Ohio State in Bloomington. That sets up the best sign I’ve seen in a while in the stands there: “You rank ’em, we spank ’em”.

    Come to think of it, that kinda fits the primary trash talk thread, too.

  8. rosalind says:

    been waiting for the trash talk thread all day, and now i can’t think of a damn thing to say.

    taht MI/AZ ennui be catching.

  10. CTuttle says:

    I must say tho, that the Michiganders might make the Clown Car pileup much more spectacular than AZ, so in the immortal words of Patrick Swayze… “Go Wolverines!” ;-)

  11. tejanarusa says:

    @Jim White: Yeah! You got the right take, Jim! Go Hoosiers! Raaaaah!!! (IU ’76 here)

    Really, I’m excited about the game because I found it…usually never even know they’re on tv…not easy to get the schedule here in deep south central TX (even the IU website sucks, click aftter click after click without getting anything useful…but I digress) We’re back! And without a Knight in sight.

    Re: the elections: I’m reating it as entertainment for once. Irrelevant? I hope?

  13. MadDog says:

    Since anything goes in this post, via the AP:

    “New rules on when FBI retains custody of detainees

    The Obama administration outlined Tuesday when the FBI, rather than the military, could be allowed to retain custody of al-Qaida terrorism suspects who aren’t U.S. citizens but are arrested by federal law enforcement officers.

    The new rules issued by the White House resulted from a December compromise in Congress between the administration and a majority of Republicans and some Democrats who wanted a bigger military role and a reduced role for civilian courts in the fight against terrorism…”

    From the White House site, the new rules: PRESIDENTIAL POLICY DIRECTIVE/PPD-14

  15. tejanarusa says:

    I admit, I got nothin’ on the elections. If Nate Silver can’t call it..

    I did want to say, though, that I peered at that photo up top, trying to decide if it was MI or AZ. How did I conclude it was AZ?
    ‘Cause the trees weren’t the right height for MI.

  17. bmaz says:

    @tejanarusa: There ya go! That was taken on East Camelback Road in the Arcadia part of town. Major road, and that is the only sign for two or three miles in the vicinity.

    Must of slipped and omitted an “o” up there….

  18. bmaz says:

    @CTuttle: Not sure why so many people are up in arms about that. OWS has had flare ups with cops in many cities, irrespective of which side caused them (often cops or instigators). But it is DHS job to monitor such things; that’s what they do.

  19. MadDog says:

    @CTuttle: Hadn’t seen it until you linked to it. As I see the DHS, if you build a domestic spying organization, it will spy domestically. Who knew? *g*

  26. scribe says:

    Ahh. Snowe removal. My friends in the Pine Tree State have been filling me up with their glee. Olympia (for some reason, they all refer to a certain painting by Manet when they talk about her) will no doubt be cashing out more than she and her hubby already have. He, former governor of Maine, has reportedly gotten into the investing in charter school setups scheme, and they’ll never lack for money.

    As to the contenders, within the last couple years Chellie Pingree married a gentleman whose name escapes me, but who is very wealthy – owns a hedge fund or something – recently bought a big (controlling) chunk of the biggest newspapers in Maine – the Portland Press-Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. She gets the benefit of that and, as I hear, a good amount of goodwill in the liberal-for-Maine half she represents, Portland and south and west and a little east and north from there.

    Mike Michaud, OTOH, represents the much-more rural east and north of the state, where winguttery and poverty is the rule. I’m told he brings home enough bacon to keep his constituents coming back, if not happy.

    Matt Dunlap, who few people are talking about, is the former Secretary of State and a legislator who, I’m told, has a lot of respect on both sides of the aisle and whose ouster at the hands of the governor, LePage, was widely lamented. Until today, he was the leading candidate to go against Snowe.

    Allen, ran a crappy campaign the last time and lost in a Dem wave year. He had his chance and blew it.

    Then there’s the wingnuts and teabaggers. One guy is a selectman in some rural-ish town where they had to let the roads go from paved to unpaved because they refused to raise taxes (and wingnut politics tend to keep the area poor, too). One guy is a heavy metal rocker and teabagger. Neither one has much of a chance.

    I’m inclined to say that between the coming gay marriage referendum and the general distaste if not hatred I’ve heard LePage has engendered – by his out and out thuggery toward anyone not a wingnut – this should likely be a Dem pickup. Then again, the wingnut base will be activated, too.

    So it will be interesting.

    But Queen Olympia will not be missed nor should she be.

  28. tejanarusa says:

    Yay! Yaaay!Hoosiers Rooooollll!

    Yeah, I’m bein’ obnoxious. Sorry ’bout that. That was fuuuunn!

    And I am resolutely avoiding politics after a coupla terrible days arguing with idjits and trolls…decided I needed a break. So I came for the bball…Umm, I forget, Marcy, you’re not an MSU grad, are you? (I picture you more as BigBlue, if not a Seven Sisters? ducking)

  33. tejanarusa says:

    Okay, one political comment…barelyoldenough to shave kid reporting from Romney hq – Romney’s friends say “he just doesn’t think of himself as a rich guy” so he says these things.

    Aand…no recognition (until Ed schulz) THAT *IS* the problem!
    Same as all those banksters writing whiny opeds about how poor they are at quartermillion dollar salaries, what with private school fees and living in Soho and all….

  37. Francine says:

    I’m in Ann Arbor. I had several robo-calls urging me to vote for Santorum. The first started out saying they were the Michigan Democratic party urging democrats to vote for Santorum — at the end of that call the voice said “approved by and paid for by the Santorum for President campaign.” All of the calls that I got (total of 4 I believe…one from Karen Santorum) were Santorum calls. None from Romney. None from any of the others. I’m not a registered Republican.

  38. jo6pac says:

    @scribe:
    , has reportedly gotten into the investing in charter school setups scheme, and they’ll never lack for money.

    Yes something dear to 0 heart pay to learn on how to hate, Thanks, sad but then again not suprising from Calli that was home of the great education systems in the world.

  39. Jim White says:

    Heh. This tweet I sent out earlier has already been retweeted about 25 times:

    Santorum’s voters couldn’t get to the polls in time today. Hard to walk with an aspirin between your knees…

  42. orionATL says:

    @Francine:

    francine,

    i appreciate your making the effort to pass on this info to emptywheel. it’s always hard for those of us not there to make sense of what’s happening using only our suppositions and whatever media gossip we ingest.

    if you get more info you think important, feed it to us.

    tx in advance.

  43. Bob Schacht says:

    @CTuttle: It’s all over now. Romney won MI by 3 points.

    @tejanarusa:

    Umm, I forget, Marcy, you’re not an MSU grad, are you? (I picture you more as BigBlue, if not a Seven Sisters? ducking)

    Good thing Marcy isn’t around to beat up on you. She’s definitely Big Blue, so you’re “picture” was better than your first guess.

    Bob in AZ

  44. Bob Schacht says:

    This just in:
    Republicans invite torture architect [Bradbury] to testify in favor of indefinite detention
    By Stephen C. Webster
    Raw Story
    Tuesday, February 28, 2012 16:37 EST

    The hearing is scheduled for TOMORROW:

    The Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing Wednesday is scheduled to commence at 10 a.m. EST. Committee members will be considering the Due Process Guarantee Act, a bill by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) which would clarify the NDAA to assert that no American citizen or lawful resident may be subjected to detention without due process under the law.

    I hope there will be some chatter about that hearing here at the Wheel House.

    Bob in AZ

  52. Bob Schacht says:

    Ah. Now I know Zingerman’s, thanks to bmaz. When I was a grad student in Ax2, I had no car and walked everywhere. And I didn’t get over that way very much. Zingerman’s was new then.

    Bob in AZ

  53. JohnT says:

    Politics schmolitics (wish they’d just go away)

    Trash is for football

    Is Rick Spielman high?!?

    There’s the adage that you go back and forth on. Is the left tackle that important or is it more important to have playmakers on offense? Because as your quarterback evolves, he learns the system, he gets the ball quicker out of his hand and all of a sudden that left tackle doesn’t need to be a Pro Bowl left tackle. He can be a functional left tackle because the quarterback evolves and he’s got playmakers.

    I swear to g*d, I srsly think he might be hitting the medical pot to hard. I hope this is a predraft used car salesman flim flam double fake to lessen the interest in Kalil

    PS check out the simulated race between RG III, Scam Newton and Andrew Luck

    http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/971739/simul.gif

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