A Stitch in Haste

Let's check in on the bigots running for president in 2008:

The main race to the bottom contest for the hearts, minds and souls of radical social conservatives, between Mitt Romney and Sam Brownback, had a preliminary skirmish recently:

Romney[,] son of a Michigan governor, reminded the crowd that he grew up sharing the Automotive News each morning with his father, George, who headed American Motors Corp. before serving as Michigan's governor from 1963 to 1969.
...
"He got Michigan moving again," Romney said, before running through his stands in opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage and in favor of tight controls on illegal immigration. "It's time for Republican principles to come back to Michigan again."

Brownback, of Kansas, running as the conservative heart of the party, earned a warm reception with his pledges to protect life and the traditional family.

He also called for wiping out cancer in 10 years[.]

It's interesting that, while both candidates appear to be staying on-message regarding Redstate Redneck issues, they also appear to be turning down the volume a bit, even when addressing a friendly audience. Gay marriage is yesterday's issue (and for Romney, yesterday's flip-flop); anti-immigrant bigotry is the new cause célèbre, and abortion -- which is not even really a "presidential issue" outside of judicial appointments -- is reclaiming the social conservative spotlight.

In any case, there was a time when "Republican principles," to used Romney's term, meant leaving people alone and not ramming Jesus down their throats. Once upon a time.

As for Brownback's warm-fuzzy-feeling, and medically ignorant, call to eradicate cancer (but not AIDS of course), someone should remind him that a previous Republican president already tried that -- and pretty much failed.

Bottom-line, it's still early enough for Romney and Brownback to play nice together in public during unimportant pep rallies. But the gloves will come off eventually, and it will brutal -- and so much fun to watch.

---

Meanwhile, the also-ran among the bigots, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, continues to tap dance around his no-gay-marriage antipathy:

"Taking on a new definition doesn't make sense right now," Huckabee said in an interview with The Associated Press after speaking to business leaders in New Hampshire.
...
But when pressed, he said the historic definition of marriage has worked for so long for a reason.

"People have a right to decide how they live their lives. But they have to respect not changing the definition of marriage," said Huckabee, who served as a pastor in Baptist churches before becoming governor in 1996.

Of course, "traditional" marriage doesn't work so well for excluded gays. Details, details. And if "traditional" marriage works so well, then why push his antediluvian "covenant marriage" gobbledygook? In any case, subjecting insular minorities to oppression by the mob is apparently the goal of "Christians" like Huckabee and their vision of "the American way." Go figure.