The Phony Campaign

2011-08-21 Update

[phony baloney]

Our phony lineup changes once again. Murmurs that Paul Ryan might enter the race have bumped him above our arbitrary 4%-at-Intrade threshold (5.0% as I type); in turn, this has pushed poor Ron Paul, with 3.5%, off the chart.

Michele Bachmann's hit count last week was ephemeral; President Obama reclaims his rightful lead:

Query String Hit Count Change Since
2011-08-14
"Barack Obama" phony 6,880,000 -70,000
"Michele Bachmann" phony 6,140,000 -8,060,000
"Rick Perry" phony 5,690,000 -290,000
"Mitt Romney" phony 5,610,000 -950,000
"Sarah Palin" phony 4,610,000 +160,000
"Paul Ryan" phony 2,680,000  
"Jon Huntsman" phony 1,050,000 0

In other Intrade news, President Obama's re-election chances have (as I type) dipped below 50%.

  • Reported at (of all places) ABC News:
    At his rural economic forum in Iowa Tuesday, President Obama exhorted the need to boost the manufacturing and export of U.S. cars and trucks to create jobs.

    "We've got folks in America driving Kias and Hyundais. I want to see folks in Korea driving Fords and Chryslers and Chevys," Obama said, drawing applause.

    "I want to sell goods all over the world that are stamped with three words: 'Made in America.'"

    But it turns out the president's new custom motor coach comes stamped with a brand that's located someplace else: Canada.

    Gotcha.

  • Headline in the Deseret News: Friends say Mitt Romney not as stiff or robotic as media portrays. Whew, that's a relief! One classmate of Mitt is quoted:
    "There is this notion that he's phony -- some say his wife looks like a Barbie doll and he's the ken doll-- so, there is a perception that he looks and acts too corporate or too polished or like he's putting up a phony persona," Barlow told the Deseret News. "That is clearly not the case, when he was in a formal setting, casual setting, or even on vacation at the Cape (Cod) in swimming trunks out in the water, there was just a natural articulate polish to his style -- its not a front or formality or a public persona to seem impressive, he's just an intelligent, articulate person who is polished in his nature."
    Which made me wonder: where did the phrase "Methinks thou dost protest too much" come from? Turns out to be both a misquote and misunderstanding of Queen Gertrude in Hamlet.

  • This is somewhat of a trend, people going out of their way to mention a candidate's non-phoniness. Al Hunt found someone to vouch for Michele Bachmann:
    She's the real deal, there's nothing phony about her," says former Representative Tim Penny, a Minnesota Democrat turned independent. "She's smarter than most people give her credit for."
    Which made me look up "damn with faint praise"; turns out that was Alexander Pope.

  • OK. But how about Rick Perry? Is he also the real deal? Find out the answer in this column by Roland S. Martin in the Paragould Daily Press: "Gov. Rick Perry is the real deal":
    Perry's entrance into the race will also show a tremendous contrast with Romney, who is even less appealing on the campaign trail than Vice President Al Gore. Perry will hit the stage in his Texas cowboy boots, flash the smile that suburban Republican women pine for, and succeed like a madman at retail politics. And while he'll be vibrant and charismatic, Romney will look as if he's stuck in place.
    Arguing that Perry is the "real deal" because he's a bigger dreamboat that Mitt? Quite frankly, if I were a suburban Republican woman, I'd be kinda offended.

  • How about Jon Huntsman? Is he the real deal? Howard Dean thinks so.

  • I don't believe any of the other candidates have a book devoted to the Realness of their Deals:

    [Amazon Link]
    (paid link)

    And talk about a real deal: you can pick up this book for $0.38 (used, plus shipping) at Amazon! Tell them Pun Salad sent you.

  • And how about that Paul Ryan guy? Is he the Real Deal? Friends, I can tell you that many, many, many, many, many blog commenters believe this to be true.


Last Modified 2024-01-28 2:50 PM EDT