Crazy GOP Talk

Is it just me, or do you agree that all four top-tier GOP presidential candidates seem to be out to prove that Republicans can be far more flip-floppy and spineless than even the worst Democrat? I was just thinking about this when I read this from Mr. Straight Talk Express:

I admire the Islam. There’s a lot of good principles in it. I think one of the great tragedies of the 21st century is that these forces of evil have perverted what’s basically an honorable religion. But, no, I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles…. personally, I prefer someone who I know who has a solid grounding in my faith. But that doesn’t mean that I’m sure that someone who is Muslim would not make a good president. I don’t say that we would rule out under any circumstances someone of a different faith. I just would–I just feel that that’s an important part of our qualifications to lead.

Which was followed up by this:
“McCain contacted Beliefnet after the interview to clarify his remarks: ‘I would vote for a Muslim if he or she was the candidate best able to lead the country and defend our political values.’”

WTF? And this is dumb, because you just can't put that genie back in the bottle. As George Allen showed us, once you make a bigoted comment, any correction will be ignored by the people you offended and will offend the people you were talking to. So anyone McCain didn't offend with his initial remark about how non-Christians don't have the "qualifications to lead," will certainly be offended by his remark that he thinks a Muslim could be a good president. And anyone who remembers how non-religious he was in 2000 will just laugh out loud at this latest turn of events. I know I did.

And the only people who won't be offended by either statement are the diehard McCain supporters who would have supported him even if he had kept his big mouth shut. So the whole thing was a big lose-lose for him. But then again, I have a hard time imagining that there were any diehard McCain supporters in the first place.

But it's not just him. It's all of the prime candidates, and it all just shows why the Republicans are screwed in 2008, and probably 2012 as well. Because as I mentioned before, the only way you can be considered one of the "top-tier" candidates of either party is to be mainstream and have a broad level of support. And for the Democrats, that's pretty easy.

Ah, screw it. You already know what I'm saying, and I really do need to go to bed. So I'll just let you fill in the rest, about how hard it is for Republicans, because of the crazies in the party...which is quite a lot of the party. And the more the top-tier have to bow and scrape to the rabid base, the less they'll look like top-tier candidates.