You Can’t Change Anything

Burt Likko

Pseudonymous Portlander. Pursuer of happiness. Bon vivant. Homebrewer. Atheist. Recovering Republican. Recovering Catholic. Recovering divorcé. Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of Ordinary Times. Relapsed Lawyer, admitted to practice law (under his real name) in California and Oregon. There's a Twitter account at @burtlikko, but not used for posting on the general feed anymore. House Likko's Words: Scite Verum. Colite Iusticia. Vivere Con Gaudium.

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16 Responses

  1. Michelle says:

    And yet. . .

    While I think Romney is the likely nominee, his showing last night indicates that there’s little enthusiasm for him out there among the Republican base. Having watched his speech last night, I can understand why. No matter how hard he tries, there’s just something off about Romney, something vaguely non-human. Heck, Santorum, a guy who normally makes my skin crawl, came off as more sincere, with a dash of actual good humor, as opposed to Romney’s lame stab at making a joke. Combined with being a Mormon in a party that sports a major evangelical base and a serial flip-flopper on social issues, I just don’t see how Romney attracts evangelicals and Paul supporters to the polls come November.

    While Obama has his own enthusiasm gap this time around (I’m sure I’m not the only left-of-center type who finds his record on civil liberties appalling), he’s still the more attractive candidate compared to Romney and, if the economy keeps chugging along showing vague signs of improvement, he’ll be the man to beat.Report

  2. Sam says:

    You’re gonna lead with Buddy Roemer voters instead of Herman Cain voters? Poor form.Report

    • Burt Likko in reply to Sam says:

      Cain at least got some national media to roast him alive. Where was Roemer’s press?Report

      • Sam in reply to Burt Likko says:

        I wasn’t being entirely serious. Roemer at least has an amusing Twitter account to his credit, and his support may have come from voters intent more on mischief than genuine belief in his abilities.Report

        • Jaybird in reply to Sam says:

          I was thinking about the Colorado Caucus in 2008 and how my group (of 1) got busted up. Now, the rules in Colorado stated that you needed 15% to have your group remain. So I watched as the six people who showed up became seven people who showed up (bummer!) become 35 people who showed up… at which point I would have needed SIX people in my group.

          Is there a similar 15% rule for Republicans in Iowa?Report

          • Kolohe in reply to Jaybird says:

            No, I understand it was a straight one- shot deal – you wrote the name of your candidate on a piece of paper and they counted it and that was it.  (expcept for selecting the delegates, which was a different and later process) (As I understand it, Paul actually won the delegates – 9 for him, 7 apiece for Romney and Santorum – but as I also understand it, these delegates made non-binding pledges toward their respective candidates)Report

          • Nob Akimoto in reply to Jaybird says:

            Nope. The 15% rule works in the Democratic caucuses, but in the Republican ones, it’s basically a straw poll.

            On the other hand, the actual delegate apportionment process actually has very little to do with the results of the straw polls, and more to do with how party insiders deal with delegate selections.Report

        • BSK in reply to Sam says:

          Now would that be voting in bad faith?Report

  3. North says:

    It’s depressing when things go predictably. Romney in a walk. The only interesting thing to watch will be if any of his rivals actually try and take aim at him or if they all abstain out of fear of harming him in the general.Report

  4. b-psycho says:

    Y’know who it’d be hilarious in a monkey-wrench-in-the-gears sense for Rick Perry to drop out and endorse?Report

  5. DensityDuck says:

    My thoughts:

    *Santorum picked up the “Anybody But Romney” talking stick which was previously held by Perry, Cain, and Gingrich.  Look for some nasty stories about Santorum in the next few weeks.

    *A substantial number of Republican voters don’t give two shits what Ron Paul maybe wrote thirty years ago.  If Paul cared more about getting elected than about using the political campaign to push his message then the primaries would basically be over.Report