Quote of the Day

"We have to repeal the whole war on drugs. It isn't working!"

- Rep. Ron Paul at the Tavis Smiley debate in Baltimore, which I foolishly decided not to liveblog.

UPDATE 10:25: Wow, what just happened? Who knew that if you dislodged the slavering, gotcha-crazed hosts and forced candidates to discuss race and economics they would actually have things to say? Everyone, apart from the buffoonish and insulting Alan Keyes, came away looking thoughtful (if usually wrong).

Comments

[John-David]

Well, amen!

[Hugh Akston]

One more nail in the coffin, Ron.

But God bless you for saying it.

[Lost_In_Translation]

What's with this debate, its civilized, policy driven and informative.

NO WONDER FRUDY MCROMEY AVOIDED IT LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!!!

Keyes is funny BTW

[Cesar]

Ah, Alan Keyes. The most homosexual homophobe I've ever seen. Talk about closeted!

[publius]

You know, they asked the democratic prez candidates last night if they supported letting the states again decide the drinking age instead of mandating it at 21. Of course, no major candidate was a taker. Heaven forbid if they had asked them about the jackbooted thuggery that passes for the war on drugs.

So much for ensuring each state a republican form of gov't.

[Tom W]

Keyes the guy who kicked out and cut off his own daughter for coming out.

Actually, GARY BAUER is the most homosexual homophobe ever.

> Ah, Alan Keyes. The most homosexual homophobe I've ever seen. Talk about closeted!

[Guy Montag]

Keys rocks, Fred is winning and Ron Paul is coming off as the Dennis Kichinich of the Republican party.

Oh, Dave, as mentioned in the other thread, I thought you had stopped schilling for Dems but I was wrong. Thnaks of the fair and balanced coverage of both parties opposing the L party.

And, again, I shall ask, did anybody notice that Nick shaved off his sideburns to be in a commercial?
http://www.nationwide.com/nw/about-us/our-ads/auto-ads/index.htm

[Tom W]

Ron's introduction was very good, and he is not holding back. He's getting the most applause it seems, and I'm not sure it's all Paulistas.

Ron's obviously not as slick as Brownback Mountain or Suck-up-abee, but you can tell he's giving honest answers (even if they are somewhat hurried). Some of their answers are not bad, but when Brownback said he secured funding for building a Black culture museum in DC... jeez.

I was pleasantly surprised by Tancredo's Federalism answer on drugs, but he keeps harping on the immigration-keeps-Blacks-down thing.

[Guy Montag]

Actually, GARY BAUER is the most homosexual homophobe ever.

> Ah, Alan Keyes. The most homosexual homophobe I've ever seen. Talk about closeted!

Perhaps you fellows have not heard of John Edwards? Ask his wife what his position on homosexuals is.

[Lost_In_Translation]

Hey Guy,

Cut Dave a break, there's only so much snark a guy can put out a week?

Go over to wonkette if you need your commentary...

[Guy Montag]

Did Mr. Paul bring his 9/11 Truth supporters from the ferry boat incident earlier in the week?

[Guy Montag]

Cut Dave a break, there's only so much snark a guy can put out a week?

Give ME a break! I have been around here for a few months and I know that Dave has not yet begun to snark!

However, he has decided to do it in a quite partisain manner, and until recently, quite predictibly too.

Perhaps if he pleaded distraction by milkshake . . .

[Lost_In_Translation]

Keyes wants to kill people for TRRREEEEEEAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNN

[Lost_]

Whoops, that wasn't Keyes, but I did like that line.

[highnumber]

Keys rocks...

How does Keys [sic] rock?
Enumerate, please.

Write it slowly.

Slower.

Can you talk in a huskier voice?

Oh, yes. Yes. YesYesYesYesYes!!!

Sorry. I get off on batshit insane assholes and their followers.

[Guy Montag]

Advantage Republicans: they end debates at a decent hour.

[Cesar]

> Ah, Alan Keyes. The most homosexual homophobe I've ever seen. Talk about closeted!

Perhaps you fellows have not heard of John Edwards? Ask his wife what his position on homosexuals is.

I don't think she would call gays "selfish hedonist sinners" or disown one of their children if they turned out to be gay.

[Guy Montag]

Yea, that whole fredom of association thing rubs certain people wrong.

BTW, you might want to review Mrs. Edward's statement for Mr. Edwards on homosexuals. Seems you did not catch it.

[Lost_In_Translation]

When you have to admit that not even Dick Cheney is that heartless, you've got to wonder, just how batshit insane is Keyes?

and he was an Ambassador...

[Jim]

You're surprised?

Ron Paul has been for legalizing drugs and eliminating the failing drug war for decades. You should check out the youtube bit with him as a guest on the morton downey jr. show in the 80's. He was patiently explaining what most people will now agree with but back then Morton was screaming at him for it.

[Lost_In_Translation]

feedom of association is a legal problem, disowning your daughter because she's gay is a mental problem...

[Randolph Carter]

ambassador to what? Crazypantsistan?

[Lost_In_Translation]

Amabassador to the Economic and Social Council at the UN...more reason to wonder if we're even taking the UN seriously

[Asharak]

How does Keys [sic] rock?
Enumerate, please.

Write it slowly.

Slower.

Can you talk in a huskier voice?

Oh, yes. Yes. YesYesYesYesYes!!!

Sorry. I get off on batshit insane assholes and their followers.

Indeed, it is amusing that Guy Montag calls Ron Paul a kook while praising Alan Keyes, who makes even Paul look stable by comparison.

[highnumber]

I have it on good authority that Guy is himself a kook.

(The Urkobold? told me.)

[Asharak]

Go over to wonkette if you need your commentary...

Heh, exactly.

I called out Guy here not too long ago for claiming to be a libertarian while parroting the RNC. I pointed out to him that the Republicans he sucks up to will never accept him and he responded with an evasive sexual non sequitur, so I guess I struck a nerve.

[chris lawton]

GO RON PAUL! GO RON PAUL! GOD BLESS RON PAUL!
RON PAUL FOR PRESIDENT 2008!

Best Ron Paul video - (Reply: WRONG!...Best Presidential Candidacy Video EVER!!!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFfdB5OzlyQ

[SIV]

Alan Keyes is the greatest living orator in American Politics you douchebags. Everybody knows that.
Batshit fucking insane yes, but that would be an improvement over what we usually get.
Seriously you don't have to support a candidate to appreciate his skills. ex:Bill Clinton is brilliant and entertaining.

[JL]

"Ron's obviously not as slick as Brownback Mountain or Suck-up-abee..."

huckabee was clearly pandering to the audience in a disgusting way, but brownback slick? he has the most awkward answers of anyone up there. he's just creepy.

[SIV]

- Rep. Ron Paul at the Tavis Smiley debate in Baltimore, which I foolishly decided not to liveblog.

Dave,

The Republican debates are always going to be better............ especially with the crap skimmed off the top.

[Monica]

Seriously you don't have to support a candidate to appreciate his skills. ex:Bill Clinton is brilliant and entertaining.

Yes! But can his cigar still get it up without using Viagra?

[iih]

Is the debate on TV?

[Alan]

ex:Bill Clinton is brilliant and entertaining.

Clinton's oratory skills never appealed to me. The emotive effect he goes for has all the subtlety of a reach around.

Now that Huckabee, wow, I'm no fan, but look at that technique in motion. That subtle message conveyed 'I support the death penalty but I'm not an ignorant redneck, like that George Bush laughing it up over the Tucker girl, about it', to the blue staters, but at the same time it was softballed enough to piss off the 20 odd percent who are the GWB hardcore whom any Republican candidate who is not Ron Paul will unfortunately need.

[Alan]

er, the missing word there would be 'not'.

As in 'softballed enough not to piss off the 20 odd percent who are the GWB fetishist . . .'

[Syloson of Samos]

Keyes was one of the ambassadors to the UN (there are a few of them).

[G]

Best moment of the debate: When Tom Tancredo (or was it Duncan Hunter) was talking about the need to have more treason-related executions, Alan Keyes was in the frame, and you could practically hear him thinking, "Holy shit, I've got to come up with something even crazier than that?!"

[SIV]

Not sure I get your point Alan
Karla Faye Tucker shouldn't have got the lethal injection.

She should have been doused in gasoline, lit on fire, and dragged behind a truck upon apprehension.

[Cesar]

Well, Guy, thanks for the RNC talking points!

[Alan]

See, that illustrates the point perfectly:

Not sure I get your point Alan
Karla Faye Tucker shouldn't have got the lethal injection.

She should have been doused in gasoline, lit on fire, and dragged behind a truck upon apprehension.

Huckabee was insulting you to win favor with the blue staters, or left-center vote, but at the same time it went over your head so you didn't feel insulted. It's a great trick I've seen him do dozens of times in these debates, stating socially conservative positions, but at the same time building up a strawman foil -- the Social Conservative HardAss Redneck -- to castigate in order to appeal to more moderate voter and yet do it in such a way as not to alienate the SoCons whom he still needs.

So far he has done this brilliantly.

[CoveAxe]

Ya know, after seeing Keyes' Illinois campaign in realtime, I have to admit that I didn't think anyone this crazy would be allowed at debates or campaigns anymore. It pleasantly surprised me that I was wrong. He's the comedic intermission for a debate.

[prolefeed]

Perhaps you fellows have not heard of John Edwards? Ask his wife what his position on homosexuals is.

On the bottom?

*Ducks, strolls with haste from room.*

[Max]

Keyes is completely insane, but in a nice Mr. Rogers sort of way. He would make a good elementary school teacher.

[Guy Montag]

Well, Guy, thanks for the RNC talking points!

How was Mrs. Edwards talking about her husband's attitudes toward homosexuals a RNC talking point?

Hope you are not going to link this to a Rove plot/thought trick or something.

[Guy Montag]

Asharak,

Have a link to that? I don't remember what you are describing.

[Asharak]

Asharak,

Have a link to that? I don't remember what you are describing.

Why should I link to it? You're the one who said it.

And how is Paul "the Dennis Kucinich of the Republican Party" for wanting to repeal the War on Drugs?
Even if one supported the war, there are plenty of valid reasons not to support most other Republican candidates on domestic issues.

[Asharak]

Best moment of the debate: When Tom Tancredo (or was it Duncan Hunter) was talking about the need to have more treason-related executions, Alan Keyes was in the frame, and you could practically hear him thinking, "Holy shit, I've got to come up with something even crazier than that?!"

Yet Paul is the one that gets called a nutjob.

Hopefully Tancredo's proposal will cause any of the clueless paleo-libertarians who are supporting his candidacy to have second thoughts, but I'm not holding my breath. The paleo-libs can be just as bad as Eric Dondero.

[wayne]

Perhaps you fellows have not heard of John Edwards? Ask his wife what his position on homosexuals is.

Doggie-style?

[SIV]

Perhaps you fellows have not heard of John Edwards? Ask his wife what his position on homosexuals is.

Reverse-cowboy?

[Jimmy Smith]

Perhaps you fellows have not heard of John Edwards? Ask his wife what his (best)position is.

[Guy Montag]

Why should I link to it? You're the one who said it.

Because, as I plainly stated, I do not recall writing what you are describing. You are the one leveling the accusation, so feel free to prove it. Certainly not denying that I could say something like that, but I certainly don't remember it.

Then again, I don't remember responding to much of your nonsense lately, I usually ignore you.

And how is Paul "the Dennis Kucinich of the Republican Party" for wanting to repeal the War on Drugs?

Another reason to ignore your type. Making up positions for people.

Kucinich and Paul are both nutty little fellows with a funny presence. That is all that there is to it.

Now, back to ignoring you, even if you do come up with the response that I forgot and you seem to remember.

[Xmas]

The debate, if you're interested:

http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/special/forums/video.html

[Asharak]

Guy, "ignoring" me is just your way of being evasive when called out on your shit, which is your m.o. here and it's a typical troll tactic.
In fact, you were being evasive in your recent comment by artfully dodging my bringing up how you fancy yourself a libertarian while backing Beltway Republicans who support the War on Drugs among other statist policies.
And you've made up positions for other people more than anyone else here!

And Paul and Kucinich may be nutty, but they're no more nutty than your fellow trolls Eric Dondero and TLB or the crazies who still think Clinton had TWA Flight 800 shot down (many of whom who remain loyal Republicans and hate Paul themselves).

Thanks again for proving my point, fraud.

[Asharak]

And Guy, I don't feel like looking for the particular H&R comment that you deny making, but I do recall that you said something about me doing a crabwalk for spare change. What this has to do with your political contradictions is beyond me.

[Asharak]

whom who=whom

[Cesar]

Guy-

Because Edwad's wife has nothing to do with Alan Keyes--we are talking about a Republican debate for Christ's sake--it made it almost seem like you wanted to score cheap political points! You wouldn't do that, would you?

You are very good at changing the topic.

[Cesar]

Should read "Edward's wife".

[de stijl]

You are very good at changing the topic.

If by "very good" you mean "blatantly obvious and have a reputation for doing this all the time" then I agree with your statement.

[Guy Montag]

Cesar,

Because Edwad's wife has nothing to do with Alan Keyes--we are talking about a Republican debate for Christ's sake--it made it almost seem like you wanted to score cheap political points! You wouldn't do that, would you?

Please feel free to scroll up rather than whatever it is you are doing. My mention of Edwards was in response to Tom W bringing up Gary Bauer as the biggest homosexual homophobe ever.

[Cesar]

Please feel free to scroll up rather than whatever it is you are doing. My mention of Edwards was in response to Tom W bringing up Gary Bauer as the biggest homosexual homophobe ever.

It doesn't matter. If Elizabeth Edwards was a candidate for President of the Untied States, it might be germane to this thread. But shes not, she will not dictate public policy. Alan Keyes would. Gary Bauer ran for President once and is political active. His weird attitude towards gays would have also influenced public policy. What someones wife thinks doesn't matter.

[Timothy]

Don't you have some books to burn, Guy?

[Ruthless]

The WoD is like the smell of a fart on a crowded elevator. Everybody smells it, but no one dares mention it.
(except Ron, of course)

[TrickyVic]

With respects to Ron Paul, Am I think only one here that thinks America pretty much screwed when the candidate that defends old school American values, and the Constitution is considered nuts?

I hope not.

[TrickyVic]

"""Perhaps you fellows have not heard of John Edwards? Ask his wife what his position on homosexuals is."""

I don't know a straight man that would pay $400 for a haircut.

[Cesar]

I think Alan Keyes is gay not because he is effeminate. Its because hes effeminate and really, really, REALLY worried about the Homosexual Agenda(tm). Those two things together usually mean closeted.

Edwards may have one part of that, but he certainly doesn't have the other.

[de stijl]

I don't know a straight man that would pay $400 for a haircut.

Politicians, TV Talking Heads, Actors (famous ones at least), Musicians, etc.

This haircut thing thing is a old trope. Democrats are pussies and fags and it's fun to call them girls because they're pussies and totally faggy.

Probably the only Presidential contenders who do not spend $10K+ a month on personal image related expenditures are RP, Gravel, Kucinich. Amd I bet all 3 of those guys have had teeth veneers, etc. in the past.

[stephen the goldberger]

the best part about the $400 haircut story is that its such a shitty haircut.

edwards is a laywer and uhhhh a POLITICTIAN. he cares about his image a great deal because he works in fields in which it is IMPORTANT.

[Guy Montag]

Edwards may have one part of that, but he certainly doesn't have the other.

You sure spend a lot of electrons on someone we are not supposed to be talking about here.

[Christof]

This may be one of the only sane things that has come out of Ron Paul's mouth.