Chuck Norris: Romney’s buying the election
posted at 2:04 pm on January 29, 2008 by Allahpundit
Send to a Friend |
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly
The Hammer and I had a two-hour IM argument on this very subject to pass the time during the last debate, to no good end. Chuck’s asking, implicitly, “Where would Romney be today if not for his dough?”, but since there’s no way to do that counterfactual without separating his wealth from the career that earned it, it’s like asking “Where would Romney be if he were a totally different person?” Besides, the lament here isn’t about Mitt so much as it is the perceived effect of saturation advertising on voters — which is itself a stupid counterfactual, tantamount to “Why do people have to react to ads like people?” while ignoring the fact that the policies being promoted in those ads may have a teensy impact on their effectiveness.
Hannity’s right: A fatally weak candidate can’t buy an election, which is why we never had a President Perot and we’ll probably never have (god willing) a President Bloomberg, although a $1 billion ad budget will certainly test the theory. I think the reason this knock has taken hold against Romney, though, is that while he’s not a weak candidate on paper, he’s run a weak enough campaign that it’s sometimes hard to believe he’s in the semifinals with McCain. Part of that is luck — a centrist-heavy field to which he’s a natural alternative, the surprising incompetence of Fred and Rudy — and part of it is owed to his team’s fundraising, but yeah, part of it is the fact that he can afford to write himself checks when he needs to. Now that he’s running against a guy whose name is an epithet to the conservative base he can expect to have his right to do so defended. But I wonder what would have happened had the final two had come down to him and ol’ Fred. Now there’s a counterfactual.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: « 1 [2]
Didn’t Chuck Norris recently sue that “Chuck Norris Myths” book because it “hurt his reputation”, and then use those same myths in TV propaganda for Huckster?
Dr B on January 29, 2008 at 4:37 PM
It was a profit issue.
Spirit of 1776 on January 29, 2008 at 4:43 PM
Doesn’t that make him a hypocrite? One of the main characteristics of a radical liberal is thinking the common people are stupid. Chuck things the common people are to be bought with TV commercials, that they can’t think on their own. And besides that, he’s shown he’s a hypocrite with profit issues.
Dr B on January 29, 2008 at 4:45 PM
Excellent point. Mitt won’t be beholden to anyone but the electorate as a payback for donations.
And even if his dad’s money helped start his businesses it couldn’t have made them successful. I’m sure we’ve all known someone who inherited a windfall and blew it on fancy dinners and toys.
NTWR on January 29, 2008 at 4:50 PM
If a wealthy candidate can buy an election, it’s McCain-Feingold that made it possible.
TX Mom on January 29, 2008 at 4:50 PM
Now that I’m here the cradle will rock (again)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohafxmy1Q50
apacalyps on January 29, 2008 at 4:56 PM
He doesn’t object to ALL of the “Chuck Norris Facts,” just the dirty and blasphemous ones. He had no creative control over the book and didn’t want them including “Facts” like, “Jesus can walk on water, but Chuck Norris can walk on Jesus.”
Kevin Bacon had input into “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.” Why does it make Chuck Norris a hypocrite if he wants editorial say in the “Chuck Norris Facts”?
SteakRules on January 29, 2008 at 4:58 PM
Let’s not portray him has some Horatio Alger story. He was the son of a very wealth man who was a governor and who ran for President himself. Hell, he was named after hotel magnate J. Willard Marriott, his father’s best friend. Mitt was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Sure, he turned that silver spoon into a gem encrusted platinum spoon, but it is a hell of a lot easier to make money when you already have a ton of it and don’t ever have to worry about it.
tommylotto on January 29, 2008 at 5:08 PM
I don’t think money can buy the Presidency if a candidate is unappealing like Ross Perot, but in this case I do think Chuck Norris is absolutely right in that Romney’s fortune has allowed him to run a dishonest ad campaign against his rivals, especially against Huckabee. There is no excuse for Romney to attack his fellow conservatives with [dishonest] ads. But he did it. Romney did lie in his 30 second ads to get your vote.
apacalyps on January 29, 2008 at 5:13 PM
How dare he be successful. That’s just unfair.
We want a miserable failure completely incapable of producing any measurable income as President.
Bring on the failures.
gekkobear on January 29, 2008 at 5:20 PM
I admire someone who makes a lot of money more than someone who marries it
guess Chuck thinks diferent
windansea on January 29, 2008 at 5:21 PM
but it is a hell of a lot easier to make money when you already have a ton of it and don’t ever have to worry about it.
There have been many a rich men who died paupers…
kcd on January 29, 2008 at 5:24 PM
I watched this segment and have to admit I came away really, really disliking Chuck (and by extension Huck.)
Not that I needed any more reasons to dislike Huck : )
I think the fact that Huck can’t raise money speaks for itself. He is left to “media stunts” like unleashing Chuck and attacking Hannity for a supposed “insult” to keep him in the news cycles. Nobody is begrudging Huck these obvious and lame ploys.
IMO If he can’t handle Mitt and whatever Mitt can throw at him he should shut up about it and quit trying to hit above his weight.
America1st on January 29, 2008 at 5:33 PM
Huck can’t handle who?? Oh, you mean the main steam media, and the Republican money-cons…. hmm, you got a point there.
apacalyps on January 29, 2008 at 5:40 PM
I cant stand Chuck Norris. His movies were horrible crap. he goes on Howard Stern and plays tease me with Stern about his sex life…and then he acts all spiritually uppity as he politics for the clown that has a fixation on fried chicken skin.
Roger Waters on January 29, 2008 at 5:48 PM
Huck can’t handle who?? Oh, you mean the main steam media, and the Republican money-cons…. hmm, you got a point there.
apacalyps on January 29, 2008 at 5:40 PM
At first I thought Huck might be the man, in the beginning. However, I looked at ALL of the candidates records, rhetoric, etc. and he just didn’t practice what he preaches. (No pun intended). You obviously stopped listening after “FairTax”. As much as I would love to see the FairTax implimented, I am not willing to vote for a candidate like Huckabee. I was disappointed, but moved on to someone I think holds better conservative values. You need to look a little deeper man..
kcd on January 29, 2008 at 5:50 PM
Would it kill you to see a girl in person?
She’s kind of cute.
“IM argument.” Sheesh.
Professor Blather on January 29, 2008 at 6:24 PM
Why do we care what Norris thinks? Has he been known for his political saavy in the past? Has his resume of political experience justified even asking him any question on politics? No.
Why do we lend legitimacy to celebrities who endorse a candidate? It’s pointless.
Luckedout on January 29, 2008 at 6:47 PM
Ummmm,I dare say,with respect
but wouldn’t Chuck Norris be better off
in Ron Pauls camp,with “buying the
election”, “special interests” comments!
canopfor on January 29, 2008 at 9:18 PM
I just realized how repulsive Chuck is. Just throwing that out there like it wasn’t some cynical plot thought up beforehand.
I see the Huckataint is infectious.
amkun on January 29, 2008 at 10:54 PM
Chuck might not be Dick Morris but he is basically correct. Romney has spent around $62 million….look at how much he spend on the Iowa Straw Poll……he has no real values as he was one thing as Gov. of Mass and another thing as a candidate in a race without a “full 100% conservative.” Is there such a thing? What would some of the people on this board say about Barry Goldwater? Please, Romney might be a good man but he is a joke as a candidate and never would win the election. Huckabee is as well known today as Romney and Huck has raised less than about $2 milliion. McCain and Huck are not perfect, but at least they have real beliefs…..Romney…which way I guess the wind is blowing.
How much did he pay off the people on this board who are for some reason forgetting his past views.
arizonateacher on January 30, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Comment pages: « 1 [2]