Sunday, July 8, 2012

Wisconsin GOP Senatorial Primary Becoming Political Trivial Pursuit

People have been saying that the Walker recall election sapped focus and energy from the GOP Senate primary contest, and Journal Sentinel columnist Jim Stingl has documented the campaign's distance from depth.

Stingl finds Mark Neumann showcasing an ability to hold a heavy beer stein parallel to the floor.

I'd rather hear more about how long Neumann will hold on to his false talk about federal spending - - from a former math teacher and US House member on the Appropriations and Budget Committees, no less.

But back to the sideshow: Not to be outdone, Tommy Thompson's campaign claims he does 100 push ups a day (in a row?) and Eric Hovde, Stingl writes, practices "Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a means of fitness and self-defense."

OK, I get it. Stingl and Neumann had a little fun, though Neumann has actually competed in these beer stein competitions nationally, and all of that was interesting on its own  - - but the other candidates felt they needed to weigh in.

I doubt Stingl had to browbeat any of them into offering something for comparison.

What's next for the candidates' fitness to serve? A cream-puff eating contest at State Fair, with deep-fried Snicker bar consumption as the tie-breaker?

If running for office is all about political fitness, I'll take Tammy Baldwin against the field.






3 comments:

He can lift a stein like a pro but will he lift up this nation? said...

Now James - once in a while there has to be some fun in politics - right? Yeah- it probably appealed to the ignorant beer drinking crowd but who cares. If anything- it puts a weird spin a Neuman - I mean seriously - he competes in national competitions ? Neuman can hoist a stein but not the poor?
Whatever -

Betsey said...

WhatEVAH!!!

It's all part of the political plot to give these GOP-bots a human appeal. Good luck with that, as they continue to spout the tenets of 1980's supply-side economics, discredited--IN the 1980's by its inventor, David Stockman, who, in a rare moment of GOP honesty (probably the last one) called it "Voo Doo Economics".

As Tavis Smiley said so brilliantly, [supply side economics] "is less trickle down than 'tinkled on."

These weird little hobbies / habits do more to make their practitioners seem even further out of touch--of the mainstream of everything--than they do to humanize them.

Yea, Mitt Romney, populist dressage king, that's the ticket.

Anonymous said...

Republican Jeff Fitzgerald played basketball in college, but he couldn't come up with any offbeat talents.

Republican Jeff Fitzwho? said played basketball in college, but he couldn't come up with any talents--offbeat or otherwise.