I ask this question because David Broder sees nothing but boredom on the part of the various Republican candidates. I see real vitriol against McCain by rank and file Republican operatives; against Romney by the other candidates; against Huckabee by pretty much every one; and against Giuliani by voters. The Republican Party is splintering and collapsing before my eyes, yet Broder can only stir up enough to yawn. I don't get it.
Broder is, of course, silent about "Straight Talk Express" McCain's bald face lie the other night, at a candidate's forum in Boca Raton. Par for the course; Russert didn't either. Nor do any of the candidates get challenged when they claim that tax cuts increase revenue. This claim, disproved over and over again, never once gets challenged by the fact that it is wrong (I think heads all over Washington would explode if that happened).
This, too, is a part of the "bland, boring" Republican primary - an overflowing of rhetorical effluence, enough bullshit to heat New York for a year. Yet, one hears crickets chirping from those covering the race. On the other hand, a mild dust-up between the leading Democratic candidates is a thing to shake one's head at, and wonder over, and admonish both candidates for.
The whole thing is a bit like looking reading about some other set of primaries. Not the one's currently going on.
Virtual Tin Cup
