***UPDATE: The DNC just released a video that makes my case perfectly. CNN asks a series of dumb questions that have little to do with the important issues of the day and the DNC exploits this with a viral-video mocking  our candidates for ignoring the most important issues of the day.

If you think this is by accident, you haven’t been paying attention:

—–

ABC’s Jake Tapper sees through this but unfortunately there’s only one Jake Tapper.  END UPDATE

Laugh at Democrats all you want but their decision during the last election to stay away from Fox News’ debates was brilliant. No one at Fox would’ve been unfair, but they most certainly would’ve asked tougher questions than anyone in the MSM. That’s not a cowardly decision on the Democrats part, it’s a tactically brilliant decision. Why would anyone interested in winning an election willingly put themselves in a less than ideal situation? Unfortunately, the only people who can answer that question are those currently running for the GOP nomination.

Nothing is more important than getting our failed president out of office in 2012 and therefore nothing is more important than nominating someone who can win. This is why the number one quality we should be looking for among our otherwise superb field is someone who understands that when it comes to removing Barack Obama from office, the MSM is the existential threat of 2012 — not the President. In a just world, Obama would have almost no chance of winning re-election, but we don’t live in a just world. We live in a world where Obama’s MSM Palace Guards have set their phasers to kill and intend to take out any threat to Their Precious One without prejudice.

And so last night when I saw our esteemed candidates voluntarily lined up like so many ducks in a MSM shooting gallery, I died a little bit inside.  It’s a trap, GOP!, and you can laugh at moderator John King’s questions all you want but I’m guessing that’s exactly what the MSM wants us to do. That way we don’t see the Matrix of what they were really up to. Ed Morrissey writes at Hot Air:

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It’s the morning after and along with guests Jonah Goldberg and the WSJ’s Bill McGurn, we tackle what it all means, what the future may hold, Paul Ryan’s plan, Barney Frank’s victory speech, the repudiation of Time Magazine, and of course, a gratuitous Star Trek reference.

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By popular demand, it’s our heavy hitter edition of the podcast with guests Mark Steyn and Jonah Goldberg. We cover the surprising Noble Prize selection, one last look at the view from France, the sorry states of New York and California, our panel’s view on the “legalize it” debate, and a whole lot more. Listen, then discuss it here.

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We’ve got a star driven panel this week as Pat Sajak, and Jonah Goldberg join the show. It’s a fascinating conversation as they talk polling and how they ask the delicate questions, movie marketing, why Obama’s agenda polls terribly, but he himself doesn’t. Also, dogs, liberal economics, Jonah Goldberg’s unintentional impression of a Cylon, the predictable (and gratuitous) Star Trek reference and much more. All this, and Ethel Merman bringing up the rear. Yes, you read that right. Listen in!

For links mentioned in this episode, or to comment, please visit us at Ricochet.com.

*Recently Jonah Goldberg as the question:  When Did the Rules Change? Today, I offer this explanation . . .

American politics today is said to be rather partisan.  Perhaps we do live in what could be called The Divided Era of American politics.  Although, it should be noted that we have lived in far more partisan eras such as the time Federalists and Anti-Federalists engaged in a far more fearsome battle than today with noble results.  But even if we do live in The Divided Era, perhaps the most important dynamic driving American politics today is not a philosophical divide between Republicans and Democrats, or between Conservatives and Liberals.  The dynamic driving politics today is the simple belief that government is so far out of control as to completely defy common sense.

Recently, I spoke to someone who told me he was a Democrat years ago when he lived in Pennsylvania.  Until recently, he thought of himself as a moderate Republican.  Now, however, he has been having thoughts that he is a “right winger.”  I asked him what in particular was making him think that way.  The answer was simple: government spending beyond rationality.

Note the issue driving him was not a fight over spending priorities as we used to know.  It was not a question of guns or butter nor a tension between education funding and law and order.  His concern was that government spending was so far past what common sense could justify.   Countless Americans think just like that former Democrat turned potential right winger because of examples like this:

• Obama says that he inherited a trillion dollar deficit (not true) – yet he forged ahead with a trillion dollar “stimulus” spending bill which featured far more spending than stimulus.
• One day Obama says we must get spending under control yet the month before he pushed a new trillion spending program – the Health Care Bill.
• Nancy Pelosi claiming that unemployment checks create jobs.
• Nancy Pelosi claiming that millions of dollars for condoms should have been in the stimulus bill because that spending would have a stimulus effect.
• Nancy Pelosi demanded the passing of the Health Care Bill so we could “see what was in it,”
• Obama saying “my policies that got us out of this mess,” and, of course
• Trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see adding to a national debt already 5 or 6 times larger than yearly federal revenue.

On a more local note of irrationality, there is city manager of a town of 36,000 people near LA making $800,000 per year while the police chief of that same town makes nearly 50% more than the police Chief of Los Angeles – a city more than 100 times larger!  When asked about it, the City Manager “was unapologetic, saying he could earn just as much in private business.”

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The band is back together this week as James Lileks, Jonah Goldberg, Mickey Kaus, and John Hinderaker discuss everything from how to handle rude emailers, using obscure Star Trek references to describe the President, ponder whether Mickey Kaus is a closeted Tea Partier, an insider on Pawlenty’s chances in 2012, and a better than decent Nixon impersonation from a most unlikely source. All links discussed in the show (including the explanation of the name of episode) may be found in the podcast discussion thread at Ricochet.com.

Now, here’s your patented Ricochet Run Down™:
00:00 – Open Chat with James Lileks
06:15   – Jonah Goldberg
31:05 – Mickey Kaus
49:40 -  John Hinderaker
Questions? Comments? The conversation continues at Ricochet.com or write us at podcast@ricochet.com.

This marks the 150th episode of Coffee and Markets, featuring The New Ledger’s Francis Cianfrocca. It’s been our pleasure to grow from a few hundred to a few thousand listeners over the past two years, and we’d like to thank our sponsors, Stephen Clouse Associates and Andrew Breitbart’s BigGovernment.com. Today we’re talking about Obama’s “Recovery Summer,” China, Tyranny Day, and why Leaders with Plans are smarter than you.

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Related Links:

TNL: On the Recess Appointment of Donald Berwick
The Hill: Economy Not Cooperating With “Recovery Summer” Storyline
Politico: On the White House Anti-Business Agenda
WSJ: Where’d You Get The Idea They’re Anti-Business?
Goldberg: See You Next Tyranny Day!
TNL: The Coming Credit Takeover