RSS Feed MenuRand Paul’s victory in the Kentucky Republican primary is obviously a depressing event for those who support strong national defense and rational conservative politics. In another year, such a victory would be a prelude to a Republican defeat in the general election. This year however the tide is running so strongly with the GOP that … well … that Rand Paul may benefit from the political rule so well described by Brooklyn ward heeler Hymie Shorenstein back in 1940:
Did you ever go down to the wharf to see the Staten Island Ferry come in? You ever watch it, and look down in the water at all those chewing-gum wrappers, and the banana peels and the garbage? When the ferryboat comes into the wharf, automatically it pulls all the garbage in too.
Paul will not have an easy ride. Paul offers a target-rich environment for negative advertising. On the other hand, Paul does lead his (likely) Democratic opponent, Jack Conway. It could be his year.
Which raises this question:
How is it that the GOP has lost its antibodies against a candidate like Rand Paul? In the past few months, we have seen GOP conservatives rally against Utah Sen. Bob Bennett. There has been no similar rallying against Rand Paul: no ads by well-funded out-of-state groups. Some senior Republicans, like former VP Dick Cheney, indicated a preference for opponent Trey Grayson. But despite Paul’s self-presentation as “anti-establishment,” the D.C. conservative establishment by and large made its peace with him. It is this acquiescence – even more than Paul’s own nomination – that is the most ominous news from tonight’s vote.
Red Phillips // May 20, 2010 at 10:02 am
“a lot of teabaggers are … hicks”
As opposed to what? Urban sophisticates who read the FrumForum? Is there something inherently wrong with being a “hick,” whatever that even means? But of course it is the TEA Partiers who are all bigots.
David Frum is Troubled by Rand Paul … | Conservative Heritage Times // May 20, 2010 at 10:18 am
[...] or more precisely that the “conservative” establishment didn’t police him out of the ranks. Rand Paul’s victory in the Kentucky Republican primary is obviously a depressing event for those [...]
Eunomia » Antibodies // May 20, 2010 at 1:28 pm
[...] over Rand Paul’s victory, but I’d like to address another part of what Frum said. Frum wrote: How is it that the GOP has lost its antibodies against a candidate like Rand Paul? In the past few [...]
George Will on Rand Paul | Think Tank West // May 20, 2010 at 1:36 pm
[...] critical commentators range from David Frum and Commentary to the Huffington Post — the entire spectrum of the welfare-warfare [...]
Ella in NM // May 20, 2010 at 1:47 pm
“How is it that the GOP has lost its antibodies against a candidate like Rand Paul?” IT NEVER HAD THEM. IT NEVER NEEDED THEM.
Your party, David, has a long and notorious history of associating with “the garbage” as a means to pull in any and all votes. It has no real agenda to govern on behalf of all Americans–only those who want to grab back the legal reins that are needed to insulate them from the rules the rest of us have to follow. What you don’t seem to understand is, the Republican Party is the Party For Sale to any and all otherwise broadly unacceptable factions that can help it win elections. It will always embrace the Tea Partiers, the extreme Christianists, the racists, the Ayn Rand selfish. It needs these tiny, yet noisy, minorities to create the 50.01% it needs to win elections. As for how it manages to find a way to rationalize the ugliness of those factions into “sound conservative principles”, well, that is TRULY an art, just like how it manages to convince those factions that it will protect their interests.
There is no “Republican Party”, David. It is an illusion, created by the Corporatist Powers that Be to hide behind so as to puppet what is left of the greatest country on the earth.
Neo-Cons Attack Rand Paul After Primary Victory – Dark Politricks // May 20, 2010 at 3:00 pm
[...] moderate who’s been drummed out of the establishment, wrote on his FrumForum last night that Paul’s victory was “troubling” and wondered why there hadn’t been more fight against him by the GOP. Tim Mak, another [...]
George Will on Rand Paul | Austrian Economics Blog // May 20, 2010 at 7:05 pm
[...] critical commentators range from David Frum and Commentary to the Huffington Post — the entire spectrum of the welfare-warfare [...]
George Will on Rand Paul | Austrian Economics Blog // May 20, 2010 at 7:05 pm
[...] critical commentators range from David Frum and Commentary to the Huffington Post — the entire spectrum of the welfare-warfare [...]
The Great Rand Paul Lies – Pre Maddox Interview | The Pink Flamingo // May 21, 2010 at 8:01 pm
[...] Frum wrote: “..Rand Paul’s victory in the Kentucky Republican primary is obviously a depressing event for those who support strong [...]
Kelley Beaucar Vlahos: Rand Paul Drinks Tea, Turns Into Hawk? | GoodPorkBadPork.com // May 25, 2010 at 9:58 pm
[...] "Rand Paul's victory in the Kentucky Republican primary is obviously a depressing event for those who support strong national defense and rational conservative politics. In another year, such a victory would be a prelude to a Republican defeat in the general election," wrote conservative pundit David Frum last week. [...]
Skull / Bones » Blog Archive » political antibodies? // May 26, 2010 at 9:31 pm
[...] David Frum asks the question: How is it that the GOP has lost its antibodies against a candidate like Rand Paul? [...]
George Will on Rand Paul | Cato @ Liberty // Oct 7, 2010 at 8:07 pm
[...] critical commentators range from David Frum and Commentary to the Huffington Post — the entire spectrum of the welfare-warfare [...]