READERS RESPONSES
Mr. Campion,
Your assessment of the Iowa Caucuses and the fallout of Reince Priebus’ drinking problem in the wake of the weak showing of a weak candidate in Mitt Romney was plain irresponsible (HAWKEYE HOODWINK – Issue: 1/11/12). While true, Priebus’ wild man act has worn thin on Republicans. It speaks volumes to our concerns that trolls like Newt Gingrich might entertain the slightest chance to be president of the United States. Gingrich scares the living shit out of those of us who want this election to be entirely about the record of Barack Obama and not a lunatic idiot. The Democrats learned the lesson of making it about the incumbent or go home in 2004 and we must not go down that road.
It is time a serious study is done on Priebus’ meth abuse and then we’ll be at the core of this Republican mess.
—Mac Lucas
There is no way a dweeb like Priebus was power drinking over Romney’s poor showing in Iowa! This is hilarious. Has anyone ever seen this whiney dork? Despite his almost perfectly suited name, he is right out of central casting for the eternally picked-on in a teen flick! The guy even looks like he’s not old enough to drive, never mind drink. What is going on over at The Desk these days? Has this election year taken all clarity from your considerable kitbag of political analysis?
You have taken liberties before, but this one takes the cake.
I am still laughing!
—Zane Zane
As a former drinker myself, I must say that I enjoyed the whiskey wafting from “Hawkeye Hoodwink.” I cannot describe how refreshing it is to find someone who can cut through the crap and present what’s happening in a finely crafted, condensed and extremely readable column.
Personally, I believe that you are the new road manager for the lords of karma—and the baddies better watch out.
I am very much digging your work, and I just wanted to say thanks.
—Scott MacKenzie
Magnificent! Reince Priebus chugging whiskey and pushing around interns in a loutish fury is so completely antithetical to his nerdish demeanor it bares a striking resemblance to the famous Hustler piece about Jerry Falwell’s first sexual experience with his mother in an outhouse. This is the kind of grit journalism and intense scrutiny that keeps me coming back to this column and reading the alternative voices in the Aquarian. Yours, of course, is so unique because it keeps alive the distracting but poignant call for order somewhere in this process that is sorely needed today. Hurrah!
—Dawn Saber
Next you’ll be reporting on Mitt Romney doing blow off teenage strippers in Bangkok.
Um, please do that.
—Rogneyk2753
You’re calling this for Romney already? I know the math does not add up for anyone else in these upcoming primaries, but I fear he’s going to be one of those bland characters the history of America’s runner-ups are littered with. There has to be someone who can do something about this abomination. Maybe if Santorum and Gingrich team up they would have the votes to stop it!
Mitt must be stopped!
Otherwise, it’s four more years!
—The Radical Tooge
James,
It doesn’t matter. The Party will continue to ignore us conservatives, impugn us at every opportunity and then expect us to hold our noses as we vote for another in a long line of dogshit candidates. Why can’t the establishment get it through their thick fucking skulls??? We don’t want the GOP version of Obama. We want the GOP version of Reagan (or at least as close as we can get). The time of voting for party sake is over. The GOP has taken us for granted for far too long and we are rebelling. Get used to it, Reince…. we ain’t going anywhere and in fact, we will still be here fighting the good fight as you move onto your next vaunted K Street job.
—Bill Roberts
Mitt Romney has to be Citizen Romney, business tycoon, master of industry! How can he run on social issues? He is quite literally all over the map! And wait until people start honing in on this Mormon thing. Holy moly, that stuff is so off-the-wall the very thought of someone buying into any of it past the age of eight and expecting to govern is insane! Got news for you folks—you’d rather have a fantasy Muslim than a real Mormon. Take the time to look that cult up and see if this sits well with your Christian values!
My favorite is that Romney’s wife’s parents weren’t allowed in the building when their daughter was married because they weren’t Mormons! That, and they couldn’t afford the magic underwear!
—Wallla***99
Great breakdown of this Romney fiasco (CITIZEN ROMNEY – Issue:1/15/12). As a registered and lifelong Republican, it pains me to see the party continue to usher in one cookie-cutter moderate after the other. Not since Reagan, and I know you have issues with many of the myths surrounding Ronnie, but you must admit he was the true insider maverick that was told, “You can’t win!” and then went and did it resoundingly twice, but since then what??
Bush Sr. was a moderate—detached Ivy League rich guy Rockefeller elite type. Then we ran Bob Dole, an old-time lifer and then Bush Jr., who ran as a Compassionate Conservative and I think aside from his tax cuts, would have likely governed from the middle (as he campaigned) if not for 9/11 and the Cheney/Rumsfeld crew, who were all lackeys of his father anyway. Then we get John McCain, who wiped out every conservative in the race in ’08. I mean did anyone even know Fred Thompson was around? Hell, it was so bad Mike Huckabee kept getting votes long after he was finished, and then we were straddled with a cartoon character for a vice presidential candidate, which predictably sunk the election.
So now we have to endure another guy who is exactly like the guy in the oval office—health care, cap-and-trade, social liberal. He runs any campaign that suits him. Romney is as phony as any politician you’ve ever seen Hollywood lampoon.
And think about this; I, of course, will vote for Romney to boot Obama, and then he is so bad he plummets the Party and God knows what comes after him!
—TC
To claim, as the candidate repeatedly has, that this corporate chop-shop activity resembles a ‘job creating’ enterprise stretches credibility until it screams for mercy.
That says it all, and says it well.
—V.
James Campion is the Managing Editor of The Reality Check News & Information Desk and the author of Deep Tank Jersey, Fear No Art, Trailing Jesus and Midnight For Cinderella.
