Molly Ivins: And they're off!

[Dudley_DUright]

Anyone who is not enjoying American politics at this point is missing an important gene and a sense of humor. Whee, we're off! Like a dirty shirt, like a herd of turtles, it's the 2004 presidential campaign.

My friends, the media have not begun to overuse the horserace metaphor. The candidates are rounding the first turn, into the backstretch, a leader breaks from the pack. He stumbles, he falls! Now the long-faced gray from Massachusetts moves up, the showy palomino from North Carolina hangs in, and the General drops out. It's muddy out there. Splat! Splat! Splat!

My favorite campaign document of recent days is from a conservative email newsletter, Talon (you can't make this stuff up). In the Feb. 13 update, Item One is a nasty piece of gossip about a Democratic contender, whereas Item Three (I swear) is, "Gutter Politics to Get Uglier: Reacting in part to the relentless questioning of the President's service record, RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie said Wednesday that despite being so early in the campaign season, the Democrats have made clear they intend to run the dirtiest campaign in modern presidential politics."

I think we need a rule calling for at least two paragraphs between spreading nasty gossip and then decrying the spreading of nasty gossip. On television and radio, 24 hours should be required. Standards must be maintained here, team.

more...

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=16451

[fjc]

1. Ya gotta love Molly!

[Bridget Burke]

2. Speaking of sports metaphors...

This week's Hunter S Thompson column for ESPN covers gambling on sporting events, final words on the super bowl, etc.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=thompson/040211

But he closes with this promise: "Next week, we will talk about politics. Yes sir, high-dollar, big-time politics. We'll have some Fun with that one. Get braced for some dirty pool. We will march on a road of bones. Mahalo."

[Mixxster]

3. Molly rocks!

Kick

[Andromeda]

4. She makes me laugh...

what she says about the horserace metaphor is soooo true. Just watch CNN's Inside Politics and pay close attention to the music.

I swear that after the elections the pundits are going to be so BORED.