The 2008 Clinton Vs. Obama Primary Fight Vs. The 2012 GOP Clown Show

[BrentWil]

One thing hit me about the quality of the two parties. In 2008, the Democratic party had a primary fight. However, it was a primary fight in which two highly skilled and highly capable people trying to rip each others head off (politically, at least). This fight involves more incompetence then anything else. It is a rather amazing contrast. What are your thoughts on the contrast between the 2008 Democratic fight versus the 2012 Republican fight?

[phasma ex machina]

1. The GOP puts on a fairly decent clown act. They truly earned my applause.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. The 2008 Dem primaries involved people who were essentially competent

and who did not represent a demented fringe element that couldn't get their candidate elected dogcatcher. While the Obama vs. Clinton contest often got heated, the arguments were always about either the actual issues or the respective candidate's qualifications - it was never a clown show that included people who could not possibly function as President (leaving aside Edwards' zipper problems). Mike Gravel was a bit out there, but even he had experience as a Senator and could not be dismissed as a vanity candidate.

In contrast, the GOPers had Herman Cain, who has no experience at all in politics and whose claim to fame was as a pizza magnate; Donald Trump, whose candidacy was pure vanity; Michelle Bachmann, who is a gaffe-prone and ill-informed member of Congress (who has actually done very little in Congress). Rick Perry is the governor of a weak-governor state and is as dumb as a stump; Santorum is a religious fanatic was once called the stupidest member of Congress; Gingrich is an adulterous former professor who was denied tenure and a former Speaker of the House who was censured and fined for ethics violations; and Romney is a filthy rich empty suit who seems to have no principles at all. And they're fighting about who hates immigrants, women and gay people the most.

[elleng]

3. Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards,

Kucinich, Gravel, Richardson, Bayh, Vilsack, the contrast is LAUGHABLE!!!

[L. Coyote]

4. 2008 Dems brought millions of new voters to the polls, 2012 Rs have lower turnout than before.

Why aren't people coming out to watch this circus? It is a free freak show.



And I'm not talking Furry Freak Brothers

[lumberjack_jeff]

5. It reminds me of something.

I miss Shemp.

[spanone]

6. race to the top vs. race to the bottom