Cheat To Win

Gotta love the ads in NYC.

He talks in maths
He buzzes like a fridge
He’s like a detuned radio

Mitt Romney has begun using the slogan ”Clear eyes and full hearts — and America can’t lose” on the campaign trail. For fans of Friday Night Lights, this is obviously a stilted version of the Dillon Panthers’ (and, eventually, East Dillon Lions’) pregame chant, “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.” This comes after Buzz Bissinger, writer of the book that inspired FNL, announced his support for the Republican candidate. Kudos to Romney, who admitted to being a huge fan of the show, for using such an awesome phrase. However, the question remains: What would the people of Dillon think? So, we went through all the main characters and determined which candidate will likely get their vote.

I love you, Vulture. Never change.

I was strangely happy while listening to the litany of slights and gaffes Mitt made in the UK yesterday.

Schadenfreude at its best, I presume.

Although decades of research studies show that children perform better in integrated schools, desegregating New York City’s system has not been a distinct priority for the mayor or his chancellors.

“I can’t remember the last time anyone in a leadership position said anything about desegregation,” said Diane Ravitch, an education historian at New York University.

“That sends a signal,” she added. “They talk about choice.”

Instead of Romney advocating a federal voucher program, he should work to push integration, which has been a proven tactic for improving American educational experiences.  Unfortunately, I don’t see him - or most prominent US politicians - doing that any time soon.

This is pretty fantastic, people.

Awww, poor Republicans.

It was nice to dream, for a time, that general hatred of Mitt Romney and the surprising surge in popularity of Michele Bachmann would combine to prolong the GOP primary campaign until late in 2012. Maybe it would go all the way to a contested convention! Maybe Ron Paul would even have some delegates! Maybe Palin would enter late!

Alas, I am convinced by Jonathan Bernstein’s argument that this will be wrapped up fairly quickly in the new year.

I agree with Salon and the Washington Post’s Jonathan Bernstein.  The Republicans in charge (who exert far more formal authority than the Democratic elite) will never let a Clinton/Obama race take place in the GOP.  Winning is what matters most; not fairness, not representation, not even common human decency.  In some ways, you have to admire their ruthlessness. 

Perry took the attacks like a veteran, but it was not a good night for him. Romney was polished, he had his answers prepared, and his attack lines honed. If you were scoring this as an academic exercise, Romney would be the clear winner. But the audience of Tea Party activists in the hall for the debate co-sponsored by the Tea Party Express and CNN weren’t grading on that scale. They appeared to like Perry much more than Romney. That’s the broader split that exists in the larger Republican electorate: Do GOP voters want the ragged, forceful, conservative Perry—or do they want the measured, methodical, and less ideological Romney?

Oh, Slate.  Thank you so much for attacking the root of Perry’s problems.  He wants credit for what he’s said in the past while simultaneously ducking the attention - or just evading the question entirely.  I’m fascinated to see how this strategy works out for him.

The fight for the Republican presidential nomination began narrowing into an intense and ideological battle at a debate here Wednesday night, with Gov. Rick Perry of Texas andMitt Romney sharply clashing over Social Security, health care and each other’s long-term prospect against President Obama.

A series of spirited exchanges between the two men, which revealed differences in substance and style, offered the first extensive look into the months-long contest ahead. They traded attacks on each other’s job creation records and qualifications to be president, overshadowing their opponents in the crowded Republican field.

I’m actually pretty bummed I missed this.

The tweet unquestionably puts an exclamation point on a strategy that hasn’t worked so far for a candidate that one GOP strategist, insisting on anonymity for obvious reasons, called “a dead man walking.” But can a tweet change the course of a campaign?