Why do the Republicans keep running these airheads? Seriously, it's a disturbing pattern. Why?

[mahina]

I always felt that G.W. Bush was elected as a sock puppet for the powers behind him. It seems that the far right loves these kind of maleable chameleons. Christine, Sarah, Sharon, they are all one person.

Why can't the Republicans run solid conservative thinkers? Why do they need these fluffballs?
W. included; that is a gender-neutral term;)

Over here, the wingers run airheads too. Duke Aiona is a really lolo candidate, and so is Charles Djou. (Tax breaks! Reduce the Debt! Yay! No contradiction there!)

What the hell is going on with those people? Is being cognitively impaired some kind of criteria for candidacy?

[Warren DeMontague]

1. Same reason crack is so popular with crackheads.

You need to know your target market, and have a product that appeals to them.

[Taverner]

2. Yep - nail meet hammer

[opihimoimoi]

3. Aloha Mahina, re GOP mystery:any reasons for Lack of Reason Logic Common Sense

Negative Polarity

Eternal CYNICs

Fear

Hatred

Selfishness

Vanity

Exploitive Opportunists

Peer Pressure

Bullyism

[mahina]

4. Aloha Opihi!

[Nite Owl]

5. Without their base of nuts

and hypocrites they wouldn't be able to win, there wouldn't be a republican party.

[mahina]

6. Are there really enough airheads out there to elect these people,

even after W? I guess we'll find out next week. Prayers that more people are awake.

[WinkyDink]

19. This is America, Land of the Phenomenally Stupid.

[raven42]

7. all you need is someone who can avoid the press,

talk in sound-bites (less taxes, small government, reduce spending), and is willing to accept large sums of corporate money to use on attack ads. You can be an idiot and still fulfill those requirements very easily. And the conservative voters just eat it up.

[Old and In the Way]

8. Because smart, honest people won't degrade their integrity by running as Republicans?

Seriously, the RNC wants people who will deliver their vote without question. Character flaws like bigotry, racism, homophobia, general stupidity, hypocrisy, and deceit are valued attributes if you want to play for the GOP. Using your office for personal financial gain while stiffing the bottom 90% is conservativism that pays! Personally corrupted and compromised candidates are the best players because, should an elected 'Pub suddenly get thoughts of voting independence, it's good to have blackmail/extortion cards to play to maintain the vote for the corporate sponser.

[backscatter712]

9. SOP for the GOP is to put an empty suit in the top seat, then surround him with the real crooks.

Bush didn't run the country, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al did. Bush got to take all the heat while Cheney & his cronies take all the bucks!

[pnwmom]

10. They want empty-headed narcissists because they're easy to manipulate.

Flatter them enough, and they'll do anything you want.

[baldguy]

24. +1000

Do people really think Christine O'Donnell is in control of her campaign?

[Hamlette]

11. They don't think they are airheads. They thought Teri Schiavo was not brain dead.

To them, these air heads are rocket scientists.

[WinkyDink]

20. They are not gullible; the voters are. The Big Republicans had no illusions about Schiavo, e.g. It's

called "exploiting the ignorant masses for power and money."

Republicans all go to the University of Elmer Gantry.

[madokie]

12. the answer is in the first sentence

The powers that be like the airheads like ronnie raygun was. I believe the bush family is part of the powers that be too, not gw mind you but poppy and the other brothers. That whole family needs to be investigated and investigated seriously like.

[Turbineguy]

13. To destroy the government.

The 5th Column of the 21st century.

[Kurovski]

14. it certainly makes the old time screwballs like Schmidt, Gomert and the rest look normal

[Kurovski]

17. Actually, I take that back.

It just underscores what a hot mess the rest are, like jalapenos in salsa.

[KillCapitalism]

15. Times are desperate, that's why.

We're in a state of economic depression and people are blaming the current party in power.

When people are desperate, politicians with extreme views start to become attractive. Where have we seen this before? Oh yeah...

[mahina]

16. Is it that bad over there?

It's rough on us here but we're used to struggling, sorry to say. We don't spend much becuause just living costs so much.

[KillCapitalism]

27. What the economy?

Just read the threads here on DU about rising poverty levels, and rising numbers of people receiving food stamps.

Yep, we're going to see Weimar/Zimbabwe style inflation in the coming years, take a look at WHY crude oil prices have shot up recently and you'll see. It's not going to be pretty here when "billionaires" go hungry and without shoes.

[WinkyDink]

18. Billionaires don't want THINKERS in office; they want LACKEYS who will do their masters' bidding.

This has been true for AGES now. You think Angle and Palin are anything but inter-changeable mannequins?

[B Calm]

22. BINGO!

[deacon]

21. The entire party is now incompetent. n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

23. So the electorate can easily identify with the candidate.

Selling a candidate is not much more different than selling a product by Madison Avenue.

The vast majority of voters aren't interested in esoteric topics. They don't want to be led by leaders who come off as better than they are, you know, elite. OTOH, they respect a big mouth with populist jargon. That's on TV all the time, or Limbaugh/Beck, or the guy at the end of the local bar. And to let that guy make decisions on their behalf and let that guy take responsibility for those decisions.

[stray cat]

25. What does it say when they defeat the best democratic candidate?

[WVRICK13]

26. I Just Wish

I hadn't turned down that job in Canada in 2004.