I don't know where this came from. I haven't read anything by Hunter S. Thompson in a while, but reading TPM's Snowe losing to generic conservative story, and had a very strange thought.
Im not sure if I'm serious, Kidding on the Square, thinking out loud, or what, but here goes. The comments express doubt the Republicans will run a serious challenger against Snowe, and doubt that she'd switch parties. Well, 2012 is a long ways away. Plenty of time for someone to go out to Maine, set down for a while. Ideally start a small business. And be active in Conservative politics. Immensely. Give speeches to the teabaggers about how great they're doing. What a service they provide the 'real america', the patriots. And then pull a Hoffman. Get disgusted at the 'liberal' Republican. And run conservative. Run as conservative as you can straight through the primary and until election day. I don't mean cheat them with a fake conservative candidate, I mean be their perfect conservative candidate, all the while knowing such a strategy would be an electoral loser in New England.
It's early, I'm eating breakfast and this may just be me not being awake yet, but something about that Gonzo ethic- insert yourself into the story as the journalist, you're just as much a part of its telling as anything else- seems almost ideally suited to politics.
Thoughts?