August 3, 2012

"[D]oubling down on the bland, middle-aged white guy quotient on the Republican ticket could be a major mistake."

Writes Chris Cilizza, giving 3 reasons why Rob Portman is the wrong VP choice for Romney. One of the reasons is "Boring":
Portman is not exactly Mr. Exciting. (When your calling card for charisma is a chicken impersonation, it’s pretty slim pickings in the personality department.)
Must everything be about chicken? I would invite everyone to read "15 Genuinely Interesting Things About Rob Portman." The "great impression of a chicken" is in there, and in fact, there's another one with chickens:
He assembled a chicken coop for his wife's Christmas present this year and he gave her four chickens that live in their backyard. They lay four eggs a day.
To be fair to Cilizza, he also wrote a column about why Portman would be a great pick. In that analysis, boringness was a plus:
The rap on Portman is that he’s a boring guy who no one knows. That fact virtually ensures that if Portman is the pick the narrative that will emerge will be along the lines of “he’s more interesting that you might think!”. It’s just how these things tend to work.
I see that column links to the "15 Genuinely Interesting Things" that I remembered.

By the way, will it ever become politically incorrect to say white men are boring? People assume that it's safe to be racist and sexist when you're insulting traditionally privileged groups, but if you are one of those people who's felt the comfort of that insulation, I'd like to invite you to consider the way those insults always contain an implicit stereotype insulting the traditionally disadvantaged groups. If you say white men are boring, you're also saying something about women and about black people.

Oh, but it's a compliment — you say — to call someone interesting.

Is it? And there's a big difference between saying that a specific person is interesting and asserting that a particular group is "interesting." Black people are interesting — Is that something you think is acceptable to say?

ADDED: Remember those pathetic people who ate rats in an art gallery and imagined that they were adding to their interestingness? In the linked post, the commenter t-man said:
The sad man who lives in fear of seeming to be uninteresting brought to mind the classic Bugs Bunny lines:

My, I'll bet you monsters lead in-teresting lives. I said to my girl friend just the other day, 'Gee, I'll bet monsters are in-teresting.' I said. The places you must go and the things you must see -- my stars! I bet you meet lots of in-teresting people too. I'm always in-terested in meeting in-teresting people. Now let's dip our patties in the water!
 Now let's dip our patties in the water!

69 comments:

Bob Ellison said...

They do not lay four eggs a day. They lay four eggs every five days.

Anonymous said...

Boring is at least safe. Portman is a reasonable defensible low risk choice.

Anonymous said...

Further boring can be a virtue in politics. Novelty and excitement gave us our current pres. Boredom would be a fitting reversal/reaction to Obama.

Tom Spaulding said...

Ladies and Gentlemen...Please welcome to the podium...Mr. Excitement.....Joe Biden

Christopher in MA said...

Portman is not exactly Mr. Exciting.

"Mr. Exciting" is what got us into this mess. If Portman, or Romney, for that matter, are serious about attacking our mountain of debt and overreaching Imperial Federal Government, they can be finalists in the World's Most Boring Man contest for all I care.

Wanting "excitement" gives you the party of pederast Harry Reid.

Michael K said...

Romney is going to win. McCain needed a jump, which he got from Palin until his campaign people sabotaged her. Nicole Wallace, that's you.

Portman will be fine, or Pawlenty would be. Rubio has no more track record than Palin, or Obama for that matter. Paul Ryan would be a lightning rod and doesn't want it anyway. Condaleeza would bring up Iraq again.

traditionalguy said...

What's wrong with a middle age white guys? Are the young and the old jealous of them because they get to buy trophy wives while they can still enjoy them?

GBS famously said, "money is wasted on the old and youth is wasted on the young."

But the middle age white guys never waste either one. I said that.

Now where does Mitt's campaign keep those Chinese whores again?

Thorley Winston said...

I’ll take boring and competent over exciting and incompetent twice a day and three times on Sunday.

coketown said...

Bluuuhbubububub.

That's the sound of temporary retardation, brought on by all this inside-baseball talk about choosing the right vice presidential candidate. I know politics is a sport and the presidential election is the Olympics, and choosing the vice president is basically the ribbon twirling of the Olympics. It's there and it's part of the Olympics and there will always be people insisting that it is, despite popular belief, actually significant and interesting and not at all crushingly, demoralizingly tedious and stupid. But it is. The choice of vice president is of no consequence.

Also, I am starting a liberal blog, and my first post will be titled, "Ann Althouse says it is unacceptable to call black people interesting."

Lucius said...

Isn't Charlie Crist unemployed right now but hypothetically extremely popular?

Seriously: does losing one primary when you're a gov with 80% mean that your enemies Rubio and Jeb are the arbiters of the fate of the ticket and the nation, while you're just toast?

If I were Romney, I'd consider nominating Crist just to poke those fellows in the eye.

Crist might not be ideologically ideal, but he's probably a better campaigner than many others. Probably better than Rubio.

wyo sis said...

Interesting?
Here are some interesting politicians:
Rob Blagoyavich
Jessie Ventura
Rahman Emmanual
Anthony Wiener
Maxine Waters
Jessie Jackson
Sarah Palin
Chris Christie
Richard Nixon
Bill Clinton

See where this is going?

Anonymous said...

Steve Sailer has been addressing this issue for years.

And, I essentially agree with his conclusion.

The way for Republicans to win is to openly embrace the white middle class. Oppose illegal immigration. Oppose the quota systems. Stand up for the values of the white middle class. Ignore the Democrats' taunts of racism as irrelevant.

The Hispanic vote is wildly over hyped. They never vote in the numbers anticipated, and they aren't going to vote Republican.

Blacks are selling their votes to Democrats for entitlements and quotas. Ditto for the white Julias. Republicans aren't going to get those votes, unless they essentially become Democrats.

They way for Republicans to win is to openly court the white middle class vote... win 80% of that vote.

dreams said...

Rob Portman is my favorite for VP, we need competence not interesting. Plus, I don't have a very high opinion of that liberal Chris Cillizza.

shiloh said...

Althouse, re: Portman perception is reality. Plus if Reps want the electorate to forget about cheney/bush, Bush41's former counsel and chief lobbyist and Bush43's former U.S. Trade Rep and OMB ((( probably ))) is not your guy.

In any event polls have already indicated picking Portman has no effect on OH.

And speaking of no effect, turdblossom/mittens et al have been carpet bombing Ohio w/negative Obama ads to no effect!

Ohio~Ohio~Ohio which defeated Kasich union busting referendum 61/39.

carry on

dreams said...

"The way for Republicans to win is to openly embrace the white middle class. Oppose illegal immigration. Oppose the quota systems. Stand up for the values of the white middle class. Ignore the Democrats' taunts of racism as irrelevant."

I agree, Republican politicians shouldn't a darn what a bunch of sorry ass liberals think.

cubanbob said...

How about a VP choice that would credible as President? That alone would be a selling point (as if one is needed) over Obama bin Biden. White, boring, competent and credible as a back up President works for me.

Tim said...

1. Conservatives/Republicans should never take political advice from Liberals, especially those in the employ of the highly-partisan media;

2. Given that the cult-like enthusiasm for Obama resulted in 53% of the American electorate stupidly electing the least experienced person ever nominated by a major political party for president, and that selection is, by objective standards, a complete cluster fuck of a disaster, would a little boring competency be of some value right about now?

Sorun said...

Biden tries to be interesting whenever he gives a speech. We know how well that works out.

Tim said...

"Crist might not be ideologically ideal, but he's probably a better campaigner than many others. Probably better than Rubio."

Uh, Republicans want a Republican for Vice-President.

Not a turncoat.

Roger J. said...

I dont have any strong feelings about the VP selection--if Joe Biden can function as VP anybody can--I suspect, however, the minute that Mr Romney names his VP selection, the media will be on him or her like stink on shit. They dont do all the oppo research for fun. And then the campaign shifts from the 8.3 unemployment rate and failed foreign policy to personal assaults on whomever is the VP nominee.

edutcher said...

My own choice would be Ryan, but the big thorn in Portman's side is his pull as Dubya's Budget Director.

Conservatives would like someone a little less free with money.

shiloh said...

Althouse, re: Portman perception is reality. Plus if Reps want the electorate to forget about cheney/bush, Bush41's former counsel and chief lobbyist and Bush43's former U.S. Trade Rep and OMB ((( probably ))) is not your guy.

In any event polls have already indicated picking Portman has no effect on OH.

And speaking of no effect, turdblossom/mittens et al have been carpet bombing Ohio w/negative Obama ads to no effect!

Ohio~Ohio~Ohio which defeated Kasich union busting referendum 61/39.


Little Zero was in Akron for the second time in a month.

Yeah, Akron, the one run by the Demos who are run by the unions.

If Zero is worried he can't hold Akron, he's got real trouble in OH.

PS The last poll showing Zero ahead here oversampled Demos by 10.

PPS The only swing state where unemployment's gone down is OH, thanks to Kasich.

The times, they are a-changin'.

dbp said...

A first assumption should be that Chris Cilizza does not have the best interests of Republicans in mind. Complicating matters, he seems to be both for and against a choice of Rob Portman.

Brian Brown said...

shiloh said...
Althouse, re: Portman perception is reality. Plus if Reps want the electorate to forget about cheney/bush, Bush41's former counsel and chief lobbyist and Bush43's former U.S. Trade Rep and OMB ((( probably ))) is not your guy.


Yeah, because that whole 4.6% unemployment stuff was horrible!!!

And speaking of no effect, turdblossom/mittens et al have been carpet bombing Ohio w/negative Obama ads to no effect!

Obama has spent more than $100 million in advertising to be tied with the worst candidate you and garbage mahal have ever seen!

Speaking of spending dum-dum, Obama spent $787 billion to have an unemployment rate higher than when he was sworn in.
Note: 195,000 people left the labor force last month.

See you in November, idiot.

dreams said...

Remember that liberal Cillizza was part of Andrea Mitchell's attempt to distort a video of Romney to make him look bad and out of touch.

Watch the video and see them smirk and snicker. Yeah, If I was Romney I sure would take advice from Cillizza and maybe Andrea can give him some advice too.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/some-never-learn-msnbc-caught-selectively-editing-romney-video-to-make-him-seem-out-of-touch/

Unknown said...

I think we all have had quite enough of "exciting."

I just want Mitt and Rob to put on their green eyeshades and start cutting: laws, budgets, the works.

shiloh said...

edutcher, you do understand the concept of political campaigning is to campaign everywhere in a toss-up state?

ok, ok, we're talking edutcher, Althouse's court jester ... never mind.

Don't tell edutcher their are libs and cons in most every county in America! :-P

shiloh said...

Althouse, some of your con lemmings are getting very angry. As per usual. Hopefully you have a con psychiatric team prepared for the Nov. fallout.

Lucius said...

Crist was a turncoat because of Rubio-latry.

Sure, Crist is careerist, and ambitious. Yes, maybe Rubio was a better choice for Florida voters (maybe not).

But, vis-a-vis what ShoutingThomas is saying, Rubio is not going to pick up Hispanic votes.

Besides this, he's untested, supercilious, and, to my view, rather callow.

I detest having Rubio shoved down my throat by such interested non-nominees as Jeb Bush and, of course, himself.

If Crist's fault is ambition, what of that? Rubio gives his speeches in two languages. That, to me, is far more damningly "turncoat".

Brian Brown said...

Obama said unemployment rate would be 6% in July 2012 -- even if NO stimulus was passed.

He's doing swell, isn't he?

PS: US GDP growth for 2013 is being forecast at 1.6%

jungatheart said...

Definitely Portman over Pawlenty; aesthetics matter.

Fen said...

11AM and Shiloh is already on the pipe.

edutcher said...

shiloh said...

edutcher, you do understand the concept of political campaigning is to campaign everywhere in a toss-up state?

Then he should be campaigning in the purple areas, not the red ones.

Campaigning in Akron says he needs to shore up his base.

Which is why they've resurrected bathtub swabbie. 8.3% unemployment will not help zero with the base.

garage mahal said...

Please please take Paul Ryan. I beg.

Brian Brown said...

Ohio which defeated Kasich union busting referendum 61/39.


Hey dum-dum, why don't you tell us what the situation was with Ohio's budget before Kasich took office and now?

Christopher in MA said...

Please please take Paul Ryan. I beg.

I hope not. Slow Joe can't even count to eleven without droppng his pants. Ryan debating him would be like. . .well, like debating you.

cubanbob said...

shiloh said...
edutcher, you do understand the concept of political campaigning is to campaign everywhere in a toss-up state?

That OH is a toss-up state is a fact lost on Shiloh. If Obama had the slightest competence OH wouldn't even be a toss-up state.

The safe bet is edutcher is right and shiloh is wrong. We will find out soon enough.

Joe said...

The problem with picking Rubio or Ryan is that Romney needs them more as allies in the senate.

The VP doesn't matter much after August. Boring may be the best strategic move since all the press can complain about is racial perception, which at worse, will backfire.

Having said that, plenty of "boring white guys" turn out to have rather embarrassing things in their history. Whoever Romney is picking had better be vetted to an absurd degree and that's all that matters.

edutcher said...

Joe is right. Ryan is more valuable in the Senate; I was just picking from those named.

Thanks, cubanbob.

dreams said...

"Whoever Romney is picking had better be vetted to an absurd degree and that's all that matters."


Rob Portman has been vetted a couple of times already.

Bender said...

Rob Portman thoroughly DISQUALIFIED himself with his recent bill, the End Government Shutdowns Act, which would create an automatic continuing resolution -- without the need for congressional passage -- if Congress fails to pass appropriations bills.

From the PJ Media story --
"Portman argues that it’s basically impossible to get the budget through on time, anyway, hence there’s a need to cut back on needless and potentially harmful drama.

"Since 1997, Congress has failed to pass a regular appropriations bill by the Oct. 1 deadline. The rushed budget agreements reached in the midnight hour, threat of government shutdowns — including a near-miss last year — and unpredictability for government agencies would be addressed by Portman’s automatic continuing resolution."

This is reminiscent of Pelosi's plan to pass ObamaCare by deeming it to be passed without an actual vote on it. But Portman's grossly unconstitutional plan of making appropriations without actually voting on them is even more despotic in its reach. And far from being a plan to cut spending, it is a guarantee of skyhigh spending.

Strelnikov said...

Prediction: Cilizza will think whatever choice is made was a mistake.

traditionalguy said...

I have an idea. Mitt needs the most qualified woman with a super intelligent mind an a brilliant smile.

But is Gabby Douglas a Republican?

campy said...

Prediction: Cilizza will think whatever choice is made was a mistake.

Don't be stupid; he works for the WaPo. He's unbiased!

shiloh said...

Re: Ohio being carpet bombed w/negative Obama ads recently:

An FYI per Chucky T and Major Garrett. Most if not all Super PAC $$$ for political ads will be used by Sept. 1 because of anonymous donors.

Soooo turdblossom et al are shooting their wad now before the Sept. 1 deadline.

carry on

Bender said...

Paul Ryan co-signed onto a similar plan in the House, but his own disqualifications will no doubt run deeper when, in a few weeks, he will be joining Boehner in advocating for passage of a continuing resolution that will continue to fund ObamaCare, including funding enforcement of the contraceptive mandate and other measures destructive of personal liberty. To be sure, expect Ryan to be quite insistent on passage of the ObamaCare Funding Act before the elections.

Ryan, together with the rest of the Republican leadership, has been thoroughly complicit in throwing away the ONLY check and balance that Republicans have against Obama and ObamaCare -- the power of the purse. They have time and again facilitated Obama's plans, rather than stop them.

Sure, they have had a few gimmick votes here and there -- not in any attempt to actually stop Obama, but to trick people into voting for them. To be clear, they are all too happy to engage in extortion concerning ObamaCare -- if you want it repealed, then you have to vote for us -- but if you don't give in to their demands, then they will be eager to continue to help Obama, as they have helped him for the last year and a half.

edutcher said...

I see the little animal is still here.

He better not turn on the news or he'll see his Messiah talking about the new economic figures, especially the uptick in unemployment.

Choom looks like he's presiding over a funeral.

And, yes, Little Zero is still whining because all his donors are deserting him. Pretty soon all he'll have left is bathtub swabbie.

We can only hope he has plenty of lube.

shiloh said...

btw, the first question reporters will ask mittens eventual v-p is how many tax returns did Romney require you to release in the vetting process.

Romney did, however, reportedly provide ((( 23 years of his tax returns ))) to the McCain campaign when they considered him for vice president in 2008.

Oh what a tangled web mittens weaves ...

Beldar said...

This is a rare occasion when I generally agree with Chris Cilizza's conclusion, albeit not all of his logic. Portman would be a fine vice president if elected. He would be a competent vice presidential nominee, and he might indeed bring Ohio back into the GOP column, but otherwise I don't think he would improve Romney's chances. And I think Romney will need help: He cannot afford to play it safe and pick someone who'd be an excellent Veep but an average-or-below enhancement to the campaign. Alas, I suspect Romney is so risk-averse that Portman is exactly the kind of Veep nominee he's likely to pick.

n.n said...

We live in interesting times. Everyone's perspective is equally right. There are no objective standards.

Michael K said...

"edutcher, you do understand the concept of political campaigning is to campaign everywhere in a toss-up state?

ok, ok, we're talking edutcher, Althouse's court jester ... never mind."

Is that you, baby cakes ? Are you trying to tell the adults how a campaign is run ? Maybe you should send your advice to the DCCC which is apologizing to Adelson. They may have just remembered that he is not a public figure and billionaires have expensive lawyers. They can libel Romney and he can't sue.

I think it might be instructive to run that Ohio initiative on unions again but we'll just have to see how the election goes. Even California is getting restive about union pensions.

cubanbob said...

Bender said...
Rob Portman thoroughly DISQUALIFIED himself with his recent bill, the End Government Shutdowns Act, which would create an automatic continuing resolution -- without the need for congressional passage -- if Congress fails to pass appropriations bills.

Excellent point. By and large if you are a private sector taxpayer and not dependent on 'entitlements' what difference would it really make if the government shut down? On a day to day basis you would hardly notice the shut down but for the shrills of the media? maybe that is what the country needs, a shut down for a few weeks and when the tax paying public sees the sky hasn't fallen then real reform will come.

Michael K said...

"Ryan, together with the rest of the Republican leadership, has been thoroughly complicit in throwing away the ONLY check and balance that Republicans have against Obama and ObamaCare -- the power of the purse. They have time and again facilitated Obama's plans, rather than stop them."

Do you understand that there are TWO houses of Congress ? Oh, never mind.

Beldar said...

@ Bender: The new GOP leaders in the House can be accused of many things, but your accusations are transparently silly.

Paul Ryan is Barack Obama's #1 nemesis. The House GOP hasn't stopped Obama's runaway spending train, but it has indeed put the brakes on it in a meaningful way; if it were not from them, we certainly would have had one or two multi-trillion dollar "stimulus" bills like that which Obama, Reid, and Pelosi rammed through without a single GOP vote in 2008. Apparently you would be satisfied with nothing short of a superhero who can bend Obama's will -- perhaps by telekinesis? You have allowed the perfect to become not just the enemy of the good, but its vanquisher, and that's a recipe for failure.

shiloh said...

Let the record show Michael K childishly attacked me and not my message re: presidential political campaigns.

But hey deflections aside, as per usual w/Althouse cons, Michael K did get to talk about Adelson and OH unions.

Indeed, conservative anger is makin' cons at this blog incoherent!

edutcher said...

Hmm, no answer from the little animal about that ghastly little speech Choom just gave or how down he looked.

Just pimping for the pederast.

Typical.

shiloh said...

edutcher, Althouse's #1 pet, keep hope alive little tagalong buddy. :)

Brian Brown said...

shiloh said...

Soooo turdblossom et al are shooting their wad now before the Sept. 1 deadline.


So the shithead has gone from asserting Romney is stopping ads, to Romney is running a bunch of ads before September 1st.

Why, it is almost as if the shithead is stupid or something.

edutcher said...

Still no rebuttal on the fact Akron should be a safe area for Choom.

No rebuttal on the bad economic conditions.

We're all waiting....

shiloh said...

edutcher, Reps are almost makin' it too easy for Obama as he can run against the 12% job approval rating, Boehner/Cantor, do nothing congress and the train wreck who is their nominee.

The perfect storm! Thanx! :)

edutcher said...

That's it?

Congress' approval rating?

Hmmm, last I looked, Dingy Harry and the Demos ran the Senate, so Choomie owns that, too.

The little animal is grasping at straws (surprise!) like all the other Demos.

He needs to come back when his talking points are ready.

garage mahal said...

Ryan is one of the least liked person in Congress.

VoucherCare is radioactive to voters.

Could Romney be that dumb to pick Ryan? Why yes, I think he would!

Christopher in MA said...

Ryan is one of the least liked person in Congress.

I'm not surprised. Greedy little kids don't like it when they're told there's no Santa Claus. But it's typical that you'd conflate "popular" with being right.

Oh, edutcher, remember - it's not "Dingy Harry" any more; it's "pederast" Harry Reid.

Michael K said...

"Let the record show Michael K childishly attacked me and not my message re: presidential political campaigns.

But hey deflections aside, as per usual w/Althouse cons, Michael K did get to talk about Adelson and OH unions.

Indeed, conservative anger is makin' cons at this blog incoherent!"

No, I was just pointing out how far from an adult your comments are.

Michael K said...

"Only 34 percent said they would be better off if Congress replaced “traditional Medicare” with a program to purchase private insurance with government subsidies, as Ryan has proposed."

Your link, garage. No breakdown on weighting or cross tabs. I gave up on Politico a long time ago but I can see why you quote it.

How do they think they would do when Medicare runs out of money in a couple of years ?

trumpetdaddy said...

It will be Portman. Romney is running on a "return to normalcy" and basic competence. Portman checks all the competency boxes and knows where all the bodies are buried in DC, all while looking as non-threatening as possible to low-information voters.

Plus, since we all know that Biden couldn't debate Sarah Palin worth a shit, a VP debate with Portman will be like a mercy killing of ole Slow Joe.

For people seeking "excitement" in politicians I suggest becoming sports fans or watching American Idol.

Those are the appropriate places for satisfying a need for "excitement" in public figures.

Anonymous said...

Less politics, more Looney Tunes!

Oh, wait, they've become the same thing.

garage mahal said...

Less politics, more Looney Tunes!

Less fiscal cliff and more Jimmy Cliff :)

Alex said...

ENjoy the con circle jerk lozahs!!!!

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

Candidates who go for exciting VPs lose. Every time.