A gentleman does not exult in the humiliation of others; I get that. But, in the case of Tim Pawlenty’s ignominious early exit from the 2012 presidential campaign, I’m not prepared to even try to mind my manners. After twenty months or so of covering him for MN Progressive Project, I have come to truly, profoundly detest everything that the sorry runt represents. He was a horrible governor, easily the worst in the state’s history, and would make an indescribably disastrous president. And nobody should take for granted that somebody this self-serving, delusional, and narcissistic, is going away for good. He’ll keep trying (2014 Senate? 2016 Pres?); there’s not much reason to think that the result will be any different, but that won’t spare us his excruciatingly annoying presence. That’s politics.
As far as I’m concerned, two groups share equally, also (not that either will have the integrity to admit, or even face, the truth of the matter), in TBag‘s well-deserved mortification; the fulsome, shameless Pawlenty boosters among the Villager punditry, and in local (Twin Cities) corporate media.
(Cross-posted from MN Progressive Project, where my username is dan.burns)
I can well imagine the Villagers’ explanations of the downfall of their candidate. He made a few mistakes, they’ll say, in effect. The time wasn’t right. People misrepresented him. Worst of all, they’ll claim that he’s just “too nice of a guy” to survive in contemporary politics.
Shit. A quick look at Pawlenty’s record (power-slamming the poor and disadvantaged, for the sake of more handouts for the rich man), and persona (that of a contemptible, boot-licking/back-stabbing by turns, odious little weasel, that will say or do anything in the service of his lust for power), puts the lie, and I do mean lie, to that.
The reason that TBag’s candidacy went nowhere is that he’s as phony as they make ‘em; so phony that he couldn’t even con conservative voters - the most naïve, uninformed segment of the electorate. Yet he conned the Villagers. Likely explanations:
1. The Villagers are even more ignorant and delusional than the Teabaggers.
2. They’re knowingly writing farcical drivel, and hate doing it, but their families need the paychecks.
3. Some combination of the above.
Probably “3.” It usually is.
Or, maybe it’s just that a lot of the Very Serious Villagers are sorry hacks that will say anything, and position themselves however, for attention and ego-boosting - just like Gutshot himself. Birds of a feather…
This guy couldn’t get it together, against the sorriest group of presidential wannabes that either party has fielded in living memory. He’s a joke. Plenty of us have been saying that from Day One, and all that we had to do was ignore the Villager Conventional Wisdom, and accept the evidence of our senses, the way that any intellectually competent people do. It ain’t hard, and if everyone did it, - poof! - no more of the likes of Tim Pawlenty, in elective political office. In fact, no more conservatism. But, I need to get back on point.
For the locals, the explanation is even more straightforward. They were all starry-eyed at the thought of the ratings boosts that may well have been associated with a Pawlenty run to the White House. (Of course, that’s still true, with Mighty Michele, but that’s tempered by the reality of what an overt embarrassment she is). So starry-eyed that they were willing to pervert the truth, at virtually every opportunity, to try to help make it happen. “Contemptible” doesn’t begin to describe it. And it pleases me to note that, now, they can suck it, too.
Well, Timmy, as the saying goes, good riddance to bad rubbish. I have no doubt that I’ll be dealing with you again, but I intend to enjoy the interim, and I can certainly hope for the best, in any case. Because you make me fuckin’ puke.