CNN political analyst John Avlon, the former Rudy Giuliani aide, was brought on to the network to cast stones as "wingnuts" on both sides, but he's always preferred to beat up on the "far right." That's what happened on CNN.com after Thursday's presidential debate. His commentary was titled "Are Republicans At War With Reality?"
Avlon did try to single out the more moderate Republicans. "Mitt Romney appeared positively presidential next to the seven dwarfs who stood beside him," and for a dwarf, "Jon Huntsman had a respectable, if subdued debut. He did not pander to the lowest common denominator. He did not flip or flop." But the rest were all wingnuts. He began:
So here's what I learned watching Thursday night's Republican debate:
States' rights should rule the day, unless you're gay.
Small government is the rule unless a rapist impregnates his victim.
Loyalty oaths should be the new normal.
Ten-to-one spending cuts to tax increases is an ideologically unacceptable compromise.
And refusing to raise the debt ceiling is a stand for fiscal responsibility even if it were to trigger an immediate default.
The action onstage in Ames, Iowa, on Thursday night provided a portrait of a grand old party that seems increasingly at war with reality itself. Responsible governance and philosophic consistency were endangered species in this political arena.
Avlon concluded that only his two favorites were "even vaguely presidential" in Ames: "At a time when America needs a strong and vibrant center-right, that once-core Republican constituency was almost entirely unrepresented on the stage Thursday night. And not coincidentally, the two candidates closest to that zip-code -- Romney and Huntsman -- were the only ones who appeared even vaguely presidential."
