More "Conventional Wisdom" From "Genghis" Cohen

While Roger Cohen of the New York Times isn’t quite as bombastic today about Super Tuesday as he was here, he still managed to sneak in some unsubstantiated freeper propaganda today on the Democratic and Republican presidential primaries, to wit…

The longer the Democrats duel, the more Republicans benefit. McCain could shore up his conservative, religious and southern base by picking the buoyant Huckabee as running-mate. That looks powerful.

I swear, it simply never stops (Proof? Anywhere in sight? Hello??).

And of course, Cohen is hardly alone when it comes to manufacturing this notion that, somehow, those coveted “independent” voters will become inclined to side with the Repugs as they watch those crazy feminist, tree-hugging, terra-loving li-bu-ruuls club each other over whether or not their presidential candidate will be a black or a woman, as noted here also (being tongue-in-cheek on my end, I assure you).

The problem, though, is that, as usual, that narrative utterly flies in the face of reality; as noted here…

Democratic voters’ strong enthusiasm for their presidential contenders led to record-high numbers of primary and caucus participants for the party on Super Tuesday, while Republicans saw a spotty mix of increases and dropoffs for their own party’s presidential nominating contests.

Overall yesterday, some 14.7 million voters cast Democratic ballots in the 15 states holding primary contests — compared to just 7.1 million in the 2000 contests in the same states. Turnout for Republican contests in those same states was 8.9 million in both 2000 and this year.

And as Daily Kos blogger smintheus notes here…

In only two states, Utah and Arizona, did the Republican winner yesterday get more votes than the leading Democrat. And in the former, Barack Obama got more than four times as many votes as presumptive frontrunner John McCain.

It's nearly the same story when you compare total votes cast in the Republican and Democratic primaries. Republican candidates attracted more total votes than Democrats only in three states, UT, AZ, and AL.

And as far as this notion of naming Mike Huckabee as a vice presidential candidate with presumptive nominee “Senator Honor And Virtue,” I say go ahead. Let’s hear him tell us once more about how he favors the death penalty because, as far as Huckabee knows, Jesus didn’t oppose it (I favor it also with reservations, but I consider that reasoning to be evasive at best), as well as the fact that Antonin Scalia is Huckabee’s “own personal hero.”

And let Huckabee tell us once more about how Roe v. Wade is the reason why this country is currently dealing with the issue of 35 million illegal immigrants at last count (here - and by the way, should I get started on the Wayne Dumond case again?).

Oh, and there’s also that matter of Huckabee telling Imus he looked “emaciated” because he had “just come out of six weeks at a concentration camp held by the Democrat (sic) Party of Arkansas in an undisclosed location, making a hostage tape,” and this was followed by an interesting non-apology to Jewish leaders (here).

And did I note Huckabee’s little gift registry fandango at the expense of Arkansas’s taxpayers, as well as his mindless 23 percent “Fair Tax” which would be ruinous to the poor and middle class of this country (noted also in the prior link)?

Actually, now that I think of it, Cohen may be right, but not the way he realizes – a McCain/Huckabee ticket could be “powerful,” in that it would encourage more independents and somewhat moderate Republicans (yes, they’re actually out there) to vote for Democrats in the general election than they would otherwise.

Update 1: By the way, great "leadership" from "Senator Honor And Virtue" here; the stimulus bill the Repugs stalled in the Senate also would have extended unemployment benefits and provided home heating assistance, as noted here, yet Dubya is asking for more money to reward al Qaeda captures here - bastards.

Update 2: Everyone who doesn't like McCain, please control yourselves from self-combustion - tee hee.