The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘Remain Calm! All Is Well!’

Posted on | January 24, 2012 | 25 Comments

“All the insanity inspired by the intense struggle in Iowa will be over in two weeks, and nothing would be crazier than to predict that Santorum — who has lingered near the back of the Republican pack all year — will emerge with an upset victory Jan. 3.”
— Robert Stacy McCain, “Hawkeye Fever,” Dec. 21

Jennifer Rubin embarrassed herself with her desperate “open letter” plea to Republican leaders to join her “Stop Newt” movement, but I didn’t have time to react to that lunacy Sunday, because I was too pissed off about Erick Erickson’s equally bizarre assertion that a vote for Santorum is actually a vote for Romney.

How long  before Ann Coulter flips out and shows up on Fox News declaring that a vote for Newt Gingrich is actually a vote for Ron Paul?

This GOP primary campaign has been plagued by savage weirdness for months, ever since those vicious bastards in Florida decided to ruin Christmas by moving up their primary. This was probably part of the apocalyptic prophecy that the world would end in 2012, foretold by the ancient Mayan calendar.

Alas, the ancient Mayans could not be reached for comment.

Everybody’s gone wacko this year except me, but that’s only because I’ve been certifiably insane since 1979. At any rate, I got enough sleep Monday to recover from the semi-psychotic caffeine-induced frenzy that seized me during the latter stages of my South Carolina trip. Between provocations like “Occupy” freaks glitter-bombing Rick Santorum — which happened again Monday in Florida — and the financial straits that threatened to leave my son and I stranded at a McDonald’s in Rock Hill, S.C., it was a struggle to maintain any slight semblance of sanity, much less write my special Sunday column for the American Spectator.

Writing anything except incoherent gibberish under such challenging conditions would be impossible for a normal person, but when the going get weird, the weird turn pro.

These “Blogger on the Edge of a Schizo Breakdown” episodes are more or less routine now, and there is probably no need to worry that I’ll go berserk in Florida.

‘OCCUPY’ PROTESTER INJURED IN BRUTAL ATTACK;
JOURNALIST ARRESTED AFTER ORLANDO ASSAULT

That’s unlikely to happen, but if you’re feeling the urge to contribute to the Shoe Leather Fund in case I need to get bailed out — hey, don’t fight the feeling. All of which is a preamble to my two main points:

  1. Thanks to all the tip jar hitters who came to the rescue Sunday, ensuring that I not only got home from the South Carolina trip, but also have enough to get to Jacksonville for Thursday’s CNN debate; and
  2. Can we all just chill the hell out for a while?

For the past month, not a day has gone by without someone on TV, talk radio or the blogosphere issuing an Emergency Declaration of Impending Doom unless their favorite candidate wins the GOP nomination (or their least-favorite candidate loses). I’m about at the point where I’m ready to start blogging all day about Kate Upton bikini pictures or something — anything — except this depressingly vitriolic presidential campaign.

And you know who understand the importance of a calm and steadfast temperament in times of crisis? Yeah, I think you do.

SANTORUM RISES ABOVE THE BICKERING

“America Was Worth It To Do It The Right Way.”
Tampa, FL – At this evening’s NBC/National Journal/Tampa Bay Times Republican Presidential Debate, again Rick Santorum stood alone as the one candidate ready and able to stand firm, stand tall, and effectively implement conservative principles as our next commander-in-chief.
Hogan Gidley, National Communications Director, said: “While some on stage bickered back and forth about issues that won’t put one person back to work, Rick Santorum stood as the statesman ready to lead our nation on day-one.” . . .

You may want to read the rest of that Santorum campaign press release, which is probably better for your mental health than reading anything written lately by Jennifer Rubin or Erick Erickson. But you know who has written something truly insightful about all this?

Yeah, I think you do:

Florida is not South Carolina, and neither is it Iowa or New Hampshire, and the pundits rushing to early judgment about the likely result of next Tuesday’s primary in the Sunshine State should take a deep breath and calm down. Such was the advice offered by Florida GOP activist Sarah Rumpf yesterday, and I feel obligated to share her advice with people whose knowledge of Florida politics is less direct and extensive than hers.
“These people in New York and D.C. are looking at it from 30,000 feet up in the air and you can’t do that,” Rumpf said. Currently involved in Republican Adam Hasner’s Senate campaign and not allied with any of the remaining GOP presidential contenders, Rumpf was an early supporter of Marco Rubio’s successful challenge of former Gov. Charlie Crist in the 2010 Senate primary, a crucial battle for the Tea Party movement.
Rumpf called me Monday to warn against underestimating the strength of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s campaign organization in Florida. Romney endorsed Rubio in 2010 and campaigned with him, garnering respect from Tea Party activists and also from the Cuban-American community that is an important GOP constituency in South Florida. Furthermore, Rumpf said, Romney has a large staff of experienced Florida operatives who have been working in the state for months, and have been especially active in pushing Romney’s supporters to submit early absentee votes, a process that began over the weekend. Most of all, Romney has a vast funding advantage which allows him to advertise heavily in Florida’s expensive TV marketplace. Monday, the Romney campaign rolled out a new ad attacking former House Speaker Gingrich: “While Florida families struggled during the housing crisis, Newt Gingrich cashed in while working for Freddie Mac.” . . .

That’s from my American Spectator column today, and I hope you’ll read the whole thing. Otherwise, you might go completely nuts like that Vegas guy who just threw another $5 million at Newt Gingrich’s campaign.

My guess is he did it for the pure fun of watching Jennifer Rubin have another conniption. You probably don’t have $5 million to fling around for fun like that, but if you wanted to hit my tip jar for $20, I’ll see what new kind of craziness I can come up with.






Category: Election 2012, Fear. Loathing., Florida

Comments

25 Responses to “‘Remain Calm! All Is Well!’”

  1. Bob Belvedere
    January 24th, 2012 @ 8:35 am

    There’s Good Crazy and Bad Crazy – I think we know which one you are, you Road Man For The Lords Of Karma.

    Thank you for all your hard work and for risking what little modicum of sanity you do have left.

     

  2. TWB
    January 24th, 2012 @ 9:19 am

    Yeah Stacy, we need someone to write about it. I hit the wall and would definitely rather post about Kate Upton.

    Thanks for the link! And what a wonderful link it is.

  3. Anonymous
    January 24th, 2012 @ 10:31 am

    Sanity is perhaps overvalued. A little goes a long way.

  4. richard mcenroe
    January 24th, 2012 @ 10:36 am

    A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for Quark!

  5. richard mcenroe
    January 24th, 2012 @ 10:37 am

    ‘OCCUPY’ PROTESTER INJURED IN BRUTAL ATTACK;JOURNALIST ARRESTED AFTER ORLANDO ASSAULT
    That’s unlikely to happen…

    WHY NOT?!  Jefferson can hold the camcorder…

  6. Ladd Ehlinger Jr.
    January 24th, 2012 @ 10:53 am

    Keep hope alive on Deep Space Nine!

  7. richard mcenroe
    January 24th, 2012 @ 10:56 am

    Frankly, I’m about ready to start posting Rule 5 Kate Moss…

  8. Anonymous
    January 24th, 2012 @ 11:09 am

    Undoubtedly that would go viral. Which would be OK, as long as Jefferson remembers to end the video by saying, “Hit the freaking tip jar!”

  9. Anonymous
    January 24th, 2012 @ 11:21 am

    It is said in the Rules of Acquisition: Hear all, trust nothing.

  10. Anonymous
    January 24th, 2012 @ 11:24 am

    I saw Ann Coulter on Red Eye last night and while not coming making the argument you suggested above, she is still moving in that direction.  

  11. ThePaganTemple
    January 24th, 2012 @ 11:25 am

    Anybody know anything about Newt And Alvin Toffler? Is that something we should worry about?

  12. Last Night’s Debate, and Stacy’s Tip Jar
    January 24th, 2012 @ 12:14 pm

    […] has a lot of good insight at his blog and in his American Spectator column today (hit the tip jar), and he touches on a phenomenon that […]

  13. Charles Martel
    January 24th, 2012 @ 12:26 pm

    http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2011-12-07.html

  14. When You’re Right, You’re Right | Daily Pundit
    January 24th, 2012 @ 12:30 pm

    […] ‘Remain Calm! All Is Well!’ : The Other McCain “All the insanity inspired by the intense struggle in Iowa will be over in two weeks, and nothing would be crazier than to predict that Santorum — who has lingered near the back of the Republican pack all year — will emerge with an upset victory Jan. 3.” – Robert Stacy McCain, “Hawkeye Fever,” Dec. 21 […]

  15. ThePaganTemple
    January 24th, 2012 @ 1:16 pm

    Thanks, I’ll update my post with this.

  16. Anonymous
    January 24th, 2012 @ 2:16 pm

    There’s a couple of the Rules of Acquisition that apply to that, but since discretion is the better part of valor imma let it slide.

  17. richard mcenroe
    January 24th, 2012 @ 3:34 pm

    Toffler was a security client of mine back in the 90’s.  The supergenius futurologist couldn’t work his own alarm system.  Another case of intelligence vs smarts.

  18. Tuesday Roundup 1/24/12 State of the Campaign Edition | Katy Pundit
    January 24th, 2012 @ 3:37 pm

    […] Slams NBC Silencing Audience & Reacts To Palin’s “Panties In Wad” Comment‘Remain Calm! All Is Well!’Newt Gingrich raises $2M in 48 hours THEY SAID WHAT?Ouch! Sarah Palin on Chris Christie’s […]

  19. Anonymous
    January 24th, 2012 @ 3:52 pm

    That was not intentionally phrased so awkwardly!  

  20. Anonymous
    January 24th, 2012 @ 5:11 pm

    Hey, Stacy — I just name-checked and quoted you in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

    They didn’t grab the link, but it’s in the original over at C4SS.org.

  21. Anonymous
    January 24th, 2012 @ 6:39 pm

    Thanks, Tom! I’ll pretend that this is confirmation of my extraordinary awesomeness, rather than of your generosity and kindness.

  22. Anonymous
    January 24th, 2012 @ 7:25 pm

    No need to pretend. I grabbed that quote because it struck me as exactly the kind of title that would grab a newspaper editor’s attention. You wrote it. I just gravy-trained on it!

    I expect it will make another paper two as well, but probably not any as big as the Sun-Sentinel. I submitted it to about 1,800.

  23. Nomination Excitations: The Lion, The Witch, And The Gert Frobe* « The Camp Of The Saints
    January 24th, 2012 @ 8:26 pm

    […] comment comes during a damn fine report [and I'm not just saying that because he gives Jennifer Rubin a well-deserved spanking] on the […]

  24. Bob Belvedere
    January 25th, 2012 @ 8:57 am

    This is what worries me about people like Newton Leroy.  Toffler and Newt are the kind of eggheads that live in their own worlds.

  25. Bob Belvedere
    January 25th, 2012 @ 9:01 am

    I just gravy-trained on it!

    Looter!