A few random thoughts as I look forward to another crisp and cool fall season — this time unspoiled by the noxious noise pollution of unending political ads:
Can we all just agree to leave political sloganeering off our car licenses? It’s one thing to support the Green Bay Packers through our plate fees (if it rankles Illinoisians, that’s all the better), but recent proposals to add pro-life and pro-choice licenses to the list of specialty plates can only make our roads less civilized.
If you want to advertise your personal beliefs to every tailgater (the obnoxious kind, not the fun-loving kind) in the state, you can buy a bumper sticker. If you want to donate to pro-life or pro-choice causes, write a check.
Your license plate is not the place for political expression — it’s the place for letting people know you appreciate the sublime, ineffable grandeur of nature and like to shoot at ducks.
Anyway, Rep. Andre Jacque (R-De Pere) has proposed adding a specialty “Choose Life” plate to Wisconsinites’ many currently available options, with the proceeds going to Choose Life Wisconsin. Meanwhile, Rep. Chris-Taylor (D-Madison) wants to add a pro-choice or pro-Planned Parenthood plate.
When will it end? I’m a strict vegan. Can I get a plate that replaces the familiar “America’s Dairyland” slogan with “Drink More Almond Milk”? No, I don’t think I can.
Still Cruz-y
The Tea Party may have finally jumped the shark with Ted Cruz’s 22-hour obstructathon on Wednesday, which aimed to … well, I’m not sure. What was he doing? Something about making sure large numbers of Americans can’t see a doctor unless their livers look like week-old baba ganoush and bile is gushing from their eye sockets.
Even Republican Sen. John McCain rebuked Cruz, taking particular exception to Cruz’s comparison of congressional non-time-wasters like McCain with Nazi-appeaser Neville Chamberlain. So that would make universal health care the equivalent of Adolf Hitler’s unrealized dream of a genocidal thousand-year German reich? Ted. Seriously. I know you had 22 hours to fill, but did you really have to go to the Nazi/Obama well? It’s 2013. At this point, that’s the equivalent of a standup comedian riffing on Michael Jackson’s nose. It’s over. Give it a rest.
The only conceivable reason for Cruz’s late-night tirade is that he plans to run for president and wants to solidify his Tea Party/no-preexisting-condition-having/Obama-hating base. In other words, he’s really, really hoping Obamacare fails (i.e., he would like our health care system to remain an expensive mess and wants young people to continue foolishly risking their lives by refusing to buy insurance).
Ryan vs. Walker?
Speaking of political daydreaming, a recent Public Policy Poll found that Wisconsin Republicans prefer Paul Ryan to Scott Walker by a wide margin in a hypothetical presidential race.
I happen to think both are unelectable (see here and here), but who knows? I once thought an African-American liberal whose name rhymed with “Osama” had zero chance.
(Continued)
According to the poll, state Republicans prefer Ryan to Walker by a 27% to 14% margin, with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie garnering 12%. Marco Rubio was favored by 10% of respondents, and assorted nuts Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Rick Santorum all registered in the single digits. Jeb Bush, who probably would have been president by now had his older brother decided to stick to beer and baseball instead of greasing the skids for the Apocalypse, got 8%.
Maybe Wisconsinites picked Ryan because they’d rather keep Walker in Wisconsin, but Ryan also does better against Hillary Clinton among all voters, tying her 46% to 46%, whereas Clinton leads Walker 49% to 44%.
We’ll see. Personally, I think it will be a long, long time before a Badger makes his or her way to the White House. Tammy Baldwin, anyone?
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