March to Madness Freakshow Four: Rick Santorum vs. Dick Cheney

Jed Lewison for Daily Kos

Community

Saturday April 06, 2013 · 11:00 AM PDT

2013/04/06 · 11:00

Full tournament recap

It's finally underway: The semi-final round of the 2013 Republican March to Madness has begun. The first matchup of the day is #1 seed Rush Limbaugh from the Right-wing Media Region vs. #4 seed Michele Bachmann from the Teabaggers Region. Voting is happening right now—you can cast your ballot here, if you dare vote on a ballot featuring Limbaugh and Bachmann as your only two choices.

Our second Freakshow Four matchup features #1 seed Rick Santorum from the Theocons Region vs. #4 seed Dick Cheney from the GOP Establishment Region. Santorum romped to success by knocking off Pat Robertson, James Inhofe, Virginia Foxx and Bill Donohue. Cheney got here by mowing down Wayne LaPierre, Marco Rubio, Grover Norquist and John McCain.

Now it's Santorum vs. Cheney and the mystery couldn't be bigger. Will Santorum edge out a victory thanks to Cheney's endorsement of marriage equality? Or will Cheney finally reap the rewards of having lied the country into a decade-long war in Iraq? And whichever moonbat wins, will they face Bachmann or Limbaugh in the championship round?

Remember, you're voting for the poster-child of Republican craziness. This isn't some sort of sick prank to make you decide whether you'd rather be roommates with Dick Cheney or Rick Santorum. Voting in this matchup starts now and lasts until Monday morning, when we'll announce the two finalists. The full tournament recap is here and with just three matchups remaining, it's your call to decide who moves on.

Poll

6176 votes Show Results

Who should advance to the championship round?

6176 votes Vote Now!

Who should advance to the championship round?

#1 Rick Santorum (Theocons Region)

3221 votes

#4 Dick Cheney (GOP Establishment Region)

2948 votes

2013 March to Madness Freakshow Four, now underway

Jed Lewison for Daily Kos Republican March to Madness Tournament

Community

Friday April 05, 2013 · 3:20 PM PDT

2013/04/05 · 15:20

Your 2013 Republican March to Madness Freakshow Four: Michele Bachmann vs. Rush Limbaugh and Rick Santorum vs. Dick Cheney

Full tournament recap

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT!

Voting is now underway in the 2013 Daily Kos Republican March to Madness Freakshow Four as we narrow the tournament field down to two finalists for the honor of being selected as the poster-child of Republican craziness.

In the first matchup, we have Rush Limbaugh from the Right-wing Media Region vs. Michele Bachmann from the Teabaggers Region. You can vote here.

In the second matchup, we have Rick Santorum from the Theocons Region vs. Dick Cheney from the GOP Establishment Reason. You can vote here.

Voting will continue until Monday morning, so there's still time to weigh in. On Monday, we'll announce the finalists and kick off the championship round.

March to Madness Freakshow Four: Rush Limbaugh vs. Michele Bachmann

Jed Lewison for Daily Kos Republican March to Madness Tournament

Community

Friday April 05, 2013 · 1:20 PM PDT

2013/04/05 · 13:20

Full tournament recap

So it's here: The semi-final round of the 2013 Republican March to Madness is upon us. The winners of the regional brackets have all been set and today we begin the process of whittling the field down to a two last contenders.

Voting will start today and last until Monday morning, when we'll announce the two finalists and begin the championship round to crown the poster-child for Republican craziness.

The full tournament recap is here and with such a deep field of lunatics the semifinalists can be proud to be honored as the craziest of the craziest. But only two can survive this second-to-last round. And you decide who moves on.

Later today, we'll kick off our second Freakshow Four matchup, #1 seed Rick Santorum from the Theocons Region vs. #4 seed Dick Cheney from the GOP Establishment Region. But for now we're beginning with #1 seed Rush Limbaugh from the Right-wing Media Region and #4 seed Michele Bachmann from the Teabaggers Region.

Limbaugh's path to victory included wins over luminaries like Glenn Beck and Ann Coulter as well as clowns like Dick Morris. Bachmann knocked off heavyweights like Steve King, Ted Cruz, and Allen West, a true lunatic's row of competitors. Will her string of successes be enough momentum to knock off yet another? We're about to learn the answer.

Poll

7119 votes Show Results

Who should advance to the championship round?

7119 votes Vote Now!

Who should advance to the championship round?

#1 Rush Limbaugh (Right-wing Media Region)

3281 votes

#4 Michele Bachmann (Teabaggers Region)

3830 votes

Presenting your 2013 Republican March to Madness Freakshow Four

Jed Lewison for Daily Kos

Community

Monday April 01, 2013 · 10:00 AM PDT

2013/04/01 · 10:00

After two weeks and nearly 200,000 votes, the 2013 Republican March to Madness Tournament has its Freakshow Four: Rush Limbaugh from the Right-wing Media Region, Michele Bachmann from the Teabaggers Region, Rick Santorum from the Theocons Region, and Dick Cheney from the GOP Establishment Region.

You couldn't ask for a crazier quartet—or a better image of what the GOP has become. But the road to the Freakshow Four has been littered with lunatics. Just take a look at the field that these conservative hacks had to overcome:

Click to enlarge

I'll admit to being a bit sad that Rush Limbaugh and Michele Bachmann will face each other in the semi-finals rather than the finals, but your idiot selection committee gets the blame for dimwittingly pitting the Teabaggers Region against the Right-Wing Media Region. Still, what a great portrait of everything wrong with the GOP. Like the other semi-final matchup, voting will begin on Friday and continue throughout the weekend. The winners will be announced next Monday morning, at which time voting will begin in the championship round.

The other matchup in the Freakshow Four is Dick Cheney vs. Rick Santorum. Santorum slid past Pat Robertson in the Crazy 8 (note to self: don't ever say "Santorum slid" again), but it was Cheney who had this weekend's toughest matchup. He barely vanquished Wayne LaPierre, shooting down the NRA flack with 52 percent of the vote. But as they say, you only need one bullet if you hit your target, and Cheney was successful this time. Still, don't go hunting with him: there's a 48 percent chance you'll get shrapnel in your face. Anyway, this time Cheney was dead on—and as a result, Santorum gets to face a weekend of fighting off Dick. And if that's not cause for celebration, I'm not sure what is.

Once again, the Freakshow Four will begin on Friday and last throughout the weekend with results being announced on Monday. And congratulations to the regional champions.

2013 March to Madness Crazy Eight: #4 Dick Cheney vs. #10 Wayne LaPierre

Jed Lewison for Daily Kos Republican March to Madness Tournament

Community

Sunday March 31, 2013 · 6:55 PM PDT

2013/03/31 · 18:55

2013 Daily Kos Republican March to Madness Tournament Crazy Eight

Click for full bracket

This is a perfect matchup. Dick Cheney, who once shot a friend in the face while hunting, against Wayne LaPierre, who continues to defend Cheney's Second Amendment right to shoot friends in the face.

Cheney has beaten John McCain, Grover Norquist, and Marco Rubio on his path to the Crazy 8. LaPierre has taken down Mitch McConnell, Eric Cantor, and Paul Ryan. These guys are old school Republicans, but even though they've been around forever, they are proof that the GOP has an eternal fountain of youth—at least when it comes to wingnuttery.

The winner of this matchup will proceed to the Freakshow Four. Voting ends Monday morning at 8:30 AM ET, after which we'll announce the winners of this round. The finals will begin on Saturday and conclude on the following Monday.

As with previous rounds, you're voting for whomever you believe makes for a better poster-child for Republican craziness. That doesn't necessarily need to mean you're voting for the craziest person, because you might also consider their prominence and influence as well as their association with the GOP. It's entirely up to you.

Vote on the other Crazy Eight matchups and track results here.

Poll

5981 votes Show Results

Who should proceed to the Freakshow Four?

5981 votes Vote Now!

Who should proceed to the Freakshow Four?

#4 Dick Cheney

3213 votes

#10 Wayne LaPierre

2767 votes

2013 March to Madness Crazy Eight: #3 Steve King vs. #4 Michele Bachmann

Jed Lewison for Daily Kos Republican March to Madness Tournament

Community

Sunday March 31, 2013 · 2:55 PM PDT

2013/03/31 · 14:55

Click for full bracket

These guys need no introduction. I love them both, if by love you mean "My jaw drops to the floor every time they open their mouths."

Both of these guys have performed brilliantly. Steve King has defeated Matt Kibbe, Louis Gohmert, and Rand Paul. Michele Bachmann has defeated Allen West, Joe Arpaio, and Ted "Calgary" Cruz. They are the final two hopefuls standing from the Teabaggers Region, which was arguably the most stacked region of them all. Whoever advances from this matchup could easily win the whole thing.

Voting ends Monday morning at 8:30 AM ET, after which we'll announce the winners of this round. The finals will begin on Saturday and conclude on the following Monday.

Vote on the other Crazy Eight matchups and track results here.

Poll

6521 votes Show Results

Who should proceed to the Freakshow Four?

6521 votes Vote Now!

Who should proceed to the Freakshow Four?

#3 Steve King

1472 votes

#4 Michele Bachmann

5042 votes

2013 March to Madness Crazy Eight: #1 Rick Santorum vs. #10 Pat Robertson

Jed Lewison for Daily Kos Republican March to Madness Tournament

Community

Saturday March 30, 2013 · 3:55 PM PDT

2013/03/30 · 15:55

Click for full bracket

Rick Santorum and Pat Robertson demonstrate the extent of the GOP's commitment to diversity. Yeah, they're both socially conservative white dudes, but Santorum is Catholic and Robertson is Protestant, and for the GOP to demonstrate such a vibrant range of religious diversity is a real sign of progress. Reince Priebus should be proud.

So far, Santorum has performed steadily in the tournament, mowing down Bill Donohue, Virginia Foxx, and James Inhofe. But his margins of victory have made them less exciting—"blah" if you will. Robertson had a relatively easy time with Todd Akin and ~~Kenneth the Page~~ Bobby Jindal, but his toughest opponent—Mike Huckabee—held him to just 51 percent. Will Santorum be tougher for Robertson than Huckabee? If so, he'll be going to the Freakshow Four. If not, Pat Robertson will have made his way to the next round of the dance.

Vote on the other Crazy Eight matchups and track results here.

Poll

6159 votes Show Results

Who should proceed to the Freakshow Four?

6159 votes Vote Now!

Who should proceed to the Freakshow Four?

#1 Rick Santorum

3999 votes

#10 Pat Robertson

2157 votes

2013 March to Madness Crazy Eight: #1 Rush Limbaugh vs. #15 Ann Coulter

Jed Lewison for Daily Kos Republican March to Madness Tournament

Community

Saturday March 30, 2013 · 1:55 PM PDT

2013/03/30 · 13:55

Click for full bracket

Florida Gulf Coast University wishes it were Ann Coulter, because Ann Coulter is a #15 seed who knows what it takes to win. She's run a great tournament, taking down legendary Fox News chairman Roger Ailes in the first round, Fox News Sunday regular Bill Kristol in the second round, and Fox News host Sean Hannity in the third round.

But Rush Limbaugh could eat those guys for breakfast. All of them. At once. He's already put away Brent Bozell, Dick Morris, and Glenn Beck and he's the only contender to have gotten more than 90 percent twice. So it's possible that Ann Coulter has finally met her match. Then again, Ann Coulter is easy to underestimate. You need look no further than the idiot selection committee which seeded her as #15 to appreciate that.

Vote on the other Crazy Eight matchups and track results here.

Poll

6858 votes Show Results

Who should proceed to the Freakshow Four?

6858 votes Vote Now!

Who should proceed to the Freakshow Four?

#1 Rush Limbaugh

4586 votes

#15 Ann Coulter

2265 votes

Presenting your 2013 GOP March To Madness Crazy Eight

Jed Lewison for Daily Kos Republican March to Madness Tournament

Community

Saturday March 30, 2013 · 7:25 AM PDT

2013/03/30 · 07:25

After more than 150,000 votes in the 2013 Daily Kos Republican March to Madness Tournament—and more wingnuttery than is safe for human consumption—we now have a Crazy Eight. And it will be from these eight loons that a champion wingnut will be picked.

Here's a look at the bracket (click on it to enlarge):

Click to enlarge

Yet again, what a testament to the incredible depth of this year's field: we've got two #1 seeds (Rush Limbaugh and Rick Santorum), but we've also got a #15 seed (Ann Coulter) and two #10 seeds (Pat Roberts and Wayne LaPierre).

LaPierre in particular is evidence of the GOP's outstanding depth chart: He never would have made it this far just a few months ago, but his nutty reaction to the push for sensible gun control has vaulted him into an elite field. He was literally just waiting for his moment—and he seized it, with reckless disregard for anything but pure nutjobbery. That's what it takes to win this thing, and he's got his work cut out for him: His opponent will be #4 seed Dick Cheney.

Rounding out the Crazy Eight are Michele Bachmann and Steve King who will face off in an epic battle of teabaggers. The winner of the whole tournament easily might come down to that one matchup. It will be amazing.

We'll get things underway this afternoon with Limbaugh vs. Coulter followed by Santorum vs. Robertson. Tomorrow will be the Bachmann vs. King and Cheney vs. LaPierre matchups. You'll have until Monday morning at 8:30 AM ET to vote after which we'll announce our Freakshow Four.

2013 March to Madness Insane 16: #2 Rand Paul vs. #3 Steve King

Jed Lewison for Daily Kos

Community

Friday March 29, 2013 · 5:25 PM PDT

2013/03/29 · 17:25

2013 Daily Kos Republican March to Madness Tournament Insane 16 Bracket

Click here for the full bracket

Welcome to Rand Paul vs. Steve King, quite possibly the second best matchup so far in the 2013 Daily Kos Republican March to Madness Tournament. The best? Calgary Cruz vs. Michele Bachmann, also from the Teabaggers Region. Of course.

Paul is the only number two seed to make to the Insane 16, while King is joined by Bobby Jindal as one of two #3 seeds to make it this far. Neither has had an easy path. Paul beat Donald Trump in the first round and held off Sarah Palin in the second round, proving beyond doubt the legendary nature of his lunacy. King had an easy first round against FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe, but faced the scare of his life when he battled Louis Gohmert in the second round. King is probably happy that Gohmert's parking ticket kerfuffle didn't become public until after their matchup—if it had, Gohmert might easily have won. Earlier this week King said he was exploring a bid to join his buddy Rand Paul in the Senate, a decision that would at the very least guarantee him prominent billing in the 2014 Tournament.

The winner of this matchup will face the winner of #1 Ted Cruz vs. #4 Michele Bachmann in the Crazy 8. You can vote on (and track results of) all the Insane 16 matchups here. Voting ends Saturday at 8:30 AM ET, after which we'll announce the winners and kick off the Crazy 8, from which will emerge the Freakshow Four.

Poll

4909 votes Show Results

Who should advance to the Crazy 8?

4909 votes Vote Now!

Who should advance to the Crazy 8?

#2 Rand Paul

2199 votes

#3 Steve King

2705 votes

2013 March to Madness Insane 16: #6 Sean Hannity vs. #15 Ann Coulter

Jed Lewison for Daily Kos Republican March to Madness Tournament

Community

Friday March 29, 2013 · 3:25 PM PDT

2013/03/29 · 15:25

Click here for the full bracket

With the Insane 16 already well underway we've got the final match of the round, #6 Sean Hannity vs. #15 Ann Coulter in the right-wing Media Region.

Hannity defeated Ben "Friends of Hamas" Shapiro in the first round and James "ACORN" O'Keefe in the second. O'Keefe was a higher seed than Hannity, but nobody in the tournament has performed more brilliantly as an underdog than Ann Coulter. She knocked off heavyweight Fox Chairman Roger Ailes in the first round with 52 percent of the vote, and then smoked Bill Kristol out of the water in the second round. She's on a roll, and Hannity has to be worried.

The winner of this matchup will join the winner of #1 Rush Limbaugh vs. #5 Glenn Beck in the Crazy 8. You can vote on (and track results of) all the Insane 16 matchups here. Voting ends Saturday at 8:30 AM ET, after which we'll announce the winners and kick off the Crazy 8, from which will emerge the Freakshow Four.

Poll

4819 votes Show Results

Who should advance to the Crazy 8?

4819 votes Vote Now!

Who should advance to the Crazy 8?

#6 Sean Hannity

1655 votes

#15 Ann Coulter

3162 votes

2013 March to Madness Insane 16: #3 Bobby Jindal vs. #10 Pat Robertson

Jed Lewison for Daily Kos Republican March to Madness Tournament

Community

Friday March 29, 2013 · 1:25 PM PDT

2013/03/29 · 13:25

Click here for the full bracket

This could be ~~Kenneth the Page's~~ Bobby Jindal's toughest opponent yet in the 2013 Daily Kos Republican March to Madness Tournament: Theocons Region #10 seed Pat Robertson. The #3-seeded Jindal managed to beat out #6 Richard Mourdock in an epic battle, but not even Mourdock brings the crazy like Pat Robertson so this battle is anyone's guess.

Jindal defeated NOM co-founder Maggie Gallagher in the first round, but Pat Robertson not only defeated Todd Akin in the first round but squeaked past Mike Huckabee with 51 percent in the second round. The winner of this matchup will join the winner of #1 Rick Santorum vs. #4 James Inhofe in the Crazy 8 and the smart money is probably betting on a Santorum-Robertson showdown.

Voting ends Saturday at 8:30 AM ET, after which we'll announce the winners and kick off the Crazy 8, from which will emerge the Freakshow Four. You can vote on (and track results of) all the Insane 16 matchups here.

Poll

5318 votes Show Results

Who should advance to the Crazy 8?

5318 votes Vote Now!

Who should advance to the Crazy 8?

#3 Bobby Jindal

1205 votes

#10 Pat Robertson

4107 votes

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