1988 and 2012: The Seven Dwarfs Redux?

Much like the state of the GOP field today, the democratic nomination was equally wide open in 1988 and many contenders threw their hat in the ring -- and much like today, none were considered heavyweight contenders at the time, which earned them the unflattering nickname of the "seven dwarfs". The candidates included Richard Gephardt, Al Gore, Joe Biden, Jesse Jackson, Gary Hart, and little-knows Bruce Babbit and Paul Simon, and of course, Michael Dukakis, who proved his meddle against them all. 

With Huckabee and Trump out, dissatisfaction the the GOP field has reached an all time high. Unsure of Mitt Romney's liabilities, Newt Gingrich's gaffes, Ron Paul's so-called un-electability, Michele Bachmann's oft-factually incorrect remarks and Sarah Palin's hesitation, many on the right are hoping to draft alternate candidates who can unite the party and lead them to victory against Obama. Potential "white horse" candidates include Mitch Daniels, who is flirting with a run, and Chris Christie, who has rebuffed all efforts to enter the race. 

While no-one has yet labeled the field the "seven dwarfs", now might be an opportune time to resurrect the label. After all, there are seven "serious" contenders, give or take a few:  

1. Rick Santorum
2. Tim Pawlenty
3. Newt Gingrich
4. Ron Paul
5. Mitt Romney
6. Michele Bachmann (assuming she runs)
7. Jon Huntsman

Obama Reelection Merchandise "Made in the USA"

Another thing Trump can take credit for besides pushing President Obama to release his birth certificate -- "Made in the USA" merchandise: 

Sawing Off the East Coast, Barry Goldwater Style

An addendum to my below blog post -- below is the end of a LBJ 1964 campaign ad that showcases Barry Goldwater's desire to "saw off" the east coast of America, complete with a striking visual representation. Brilliant fun: 

Gingrich & Goldwater's Foot in Mouth Syndrome: To Backtrack or Not?

Known for his fiery rhetoric, Newt Gingrich is often the strongest voice when it comes to criticizing Democrats. Whether it's his "Kenyan Anticolonial behavior" comment, or calling Sonya Sotomayor a racist, or comparing Ground Zero Mosque supporters to Nazis he's proven that he's unafraid of alienating the left. However he has recently bucked this trend and is now taking heat from the right for his Meet the Press comments last weekend for referring to the Ryan Plan as "radical right wing social engineering". Whether he's trying to moderate his positions or really believes his own statement, it seems counterintuitive to run to the middle in advance of the primary season. 

 

Another former candidate who often put his foot in his mouth? Barry Goldwater. His famous 1964 "extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice" quote scared moderates and conservatives alike and his comment about sawing off the (liberal) east coast was clearly a campaign faux pas. However, he never backed down. He also took positions that were contrary to the Republican platform: he was pro-choice and he supported Clinton's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. 

 

Gingrich is by no means similar to Goldwater on most policy issues, but his political approach is clearly different. Goldwater may have lost, but he never backtracked his statements.