Three Awful Choices

Yesterday was primary day in a number of states (and the District!), and the Tea Party is on the rise. Yes, it looks like Tea Party candidates are winning GOP nominations all over the place, which means one thing--the Democrats are being handed easy victories in November.

Now, don't get me wrong--the Democrats suck and clearly deserve to lose and lose big, because they're completely clueless when it comes to the economy and pretty much everything else. Their "stimulus" bill was a joke, as were its component parts (cash for clunkers, cash for houses) that only ensured more debt for this country down the road and a more complicated tax system than ever before. When faced with a chance to genuinely reform and improve health care coverage, they passed this monstrosity that's only going to require serious reform later while it both drains the treasury and hampers businesses. And what they call "financial reform" is code word for "we really don't know what we're doing, stop us before we hurt ourselves and we're not allowed to use the sharp scissors". If there was one group that deserved to be tossed out of office, it's the Democrats and their "Nobel Prizewinner" arrogancy of a President.

But then, the Republicans--oh, Dear Lord, the Republicans. These aren't your grandfather's Republicans! The "balanced budget" and "moderate, responsible governance" Republicans. These corrupt jackals raided the treasury under Bush II in ways that would have made an Argentine colonel blush. And their craven pandering to the worst instincts on social issues was galling. Had they stayed in power much longer, they might have imposed a "religion test" as it was only the natural progression. The GOP of the past couple decades was no group that deserved another turn in power.

Then, there's the Tea Party. On its face, the Tea Party should be something worth supporting--a group of people pissed at the way the political class has run things, and a movement for reform. I know I'd like to throw the bums out! But then, when you look at the details of what this group is calling for--and what its candidates are proposing--and you realize they're no more serious than anyone else. No tax increases, no cuts to the popular programs (defense, social security, medicare), somehow finding the money to seal up our borders--you begin to wonder if they ever took power how quick it would take to run this country into the ground. To the extent they're just channeling anger, I suppose it's better that they do that peacefully with rallies than to start storming the local post offices. But they're not a serious alternative and these candidates just lose credibility when they let Sarah Palin get near them.

So what's left to do, besides petition the British to take us back as a colony and tell them we had a good run, but time to go back to living above their garage?