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GAME STAYTHESAMER  12:13 pm May 1, 2012

Republican ‘Elders’ Hate Fun, Want Boringest Possible VP Candidate

by Josh Fruhlinger

Rob Portman with an unidentified associate

Are you sad because the exciting contest over which angry white fellow would take on Barack Obama in November is now over, and extra sad because the winner was the dude who was super awkward and boring, and not even super awkward and boring in kind of a fun way? Do you hold out high hopes that at least we’ll have some amusing drama when Romney has to make a “daring” VP pick who will connect with real Americans and also be a hateful moron? WELL YOU ARE WHAT’S WRONG WITH AMERICA. You probably enjoy guffawing and masturbating while watching those shows about the all the Kardashian ladies; meanwhile, the old people who run the Republican Party spend their time sipping red wine and watching communist PBS and plotting how to foist boring loser Rob Portman onto the 2012 ticket.

The Wall Street Journal is the official mouthpiece of the so-called ‘elders’ of the Republican Party, a shadowy cabal of actual old people who gather in darkened underground chambers to hail their dark lord Satan and have serious discussions about deficits and interest rates and whatnot. At their last meeting, right after the human sacrifice, they decided to let the WSJ run an embarrassingly glowing article about how awesome Rob Portman is and how he is clearly the best VP candidate Romney could pick. What sort of glowing endorsements do these ancient sages have for the man who combines experience in both the legislative and executive branches with a disciplined and dull public speaking style?

With polls predicting a tight race between Mr. Romney and President Barack Obama that likely will hinge on a handful of swing states, many Republicans are urging the campaign to choose someone who will, above all, “do no harm.” “It’s a no-brainer,” said Terry Holt, a Portman friend and Republican strategist who worked on the George W. Bush campaigns of 2000 and 2004. “People are looking for a certain level of seriousness.”

“Do no harm”! It is hard to describe the excitement that will grip the electorate when they’re presented with a nice middle-aged man from Ohio and told “Here’s someone who probably won’t fuck things up.” But what are the other alternatives?

Mr. Portman personifies a basic strategic choice facing Mr. Romney: Does he reinforce his own strengths, such as his experience and focus on bread-and-butter economic issues, or does he add a dollop of youth, diversity and star power with someone like Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida? Mr. Romney also could choose a woman, such as Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, who introduced him at an event in her home state Monday.

God, no, youth, diversity, star power, women and their vaginas, that all sounds terrible. Let’s go with Portman. We seem to recall that he had some sort of job at the White House, with the last guy who ran the place, what’s-his-face … what say ye, Wikipedia?

On April 18, 2006, President Bush nominated Portman to be the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; Portman was confirmed on May 26, 2006 … On June 19, 2007, Portman resigned his position of OMB director, citing a desire to spend more time with his family and three children. During his tenure, the US public debt increased by 469 billion dollars.

That’s like only $8.5 billion a week! UNIMPEACHABLE FISCAL CONSERVATIVE CREDENTIALS. Let’s just impeach Joe Biden and get this guy in there right now. Sorry, Rob Portman’s children, he is done spending more time with you. [WSJ]

Haha, just kidding, I've never earned anything in my life!

Oh, hi, everybody, it’s me, Josh Fruhlinger, your onetime political cartoon parser, come crawling back to your Wonkette after these many months! I quit my job because I wanted to write funny things full time/am insane, and our glorious new Editrix (not pictured) was kind enough to let me amuse you here a few times a week. I have missed you all terribly!

Hola wonkerados.

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{ 104 comments }

nounverb911 May 1, 2012 at 12:15 pm

Just as long as they pick one that can see Russia from their houses.

Barb May 1, 2012 at 12:15 pm

"Kardashian ladies?" That an oxymoron, emphasis on the "moron".

OneYieldRegular May 1, 2012 at 1:14 pm

Emphasis on the "oxy" and on the "moron."

Gratuitous World May 1, 2012 at 12:15 pm

Romney/Matlock 2012

YasserArraFeck May 1, 2012 at 12:18 pm

Romney/"Get Off My Lawn!!" 2012

MrFizzy May 1, 2012 at 12:17 pm

A mashup of Bobby Jindal and Nikki Haley is the real ticket. Can you imagine Jindal in a bra and panties? Wait, that's pretty easy to conjure now that I think of it.

nounverb911 May 1, 2012 at 12:19 pm

Needs more anchor babies.

YasserArraFeck May 1, 2012 at 12:17 pm

Don't know about you, but watching PBS and sipping red wine sounds pretty good to me….

nedbeaumontjr May 1, 2012 at 12:18 pm

I loved Rob in Black Swan.

nounverb911 May 1, 2012 at 12:20 pm

Which swan was he?

nedbeaumontjr May 1, 2012 at 12:28 pm

The boring one.

Radiotherapy May 1, 2012 at 12:19 pm

But maybe he was responsible for catching those "terrorists" in Ohio.

YasserArraFeck May 1, 2012 at 12:19 pm

What kind of animals can you shoot from a helicopter in Ohio?

Mahousu May 1, 2012 at 1:06 pm
YasserArraFeck May 1, 2012 at 1:31 pm

Hmmm…..raining full auto hell down on some African wildlife…..if that isn't a photo-op tailor made for a marginally evolved segment of The Base, I don't know what is.

SexySmurf May 1, 2012 at 12:19 pm

Want Boringest Possible VP Candidate

Romney/Romney 2012?

YasserArraFeck May 1, 2012 at 12:21 pm

"Romney Squared" 2012 – somewhat redundant

Radiotherapy May 1, 2012 at 12:21 pm

Mitt/Ann '12

BigSkullF*ckingDog May 1, 2012 at 12:20 pm

My only comfort us that every one of these "elders" will die long before me. Except Cheney.

IncenseDebate May 1, 2012 at 12:20 pm

This is scintillating.

BaldarTFlagass May 1, 2012 at 12:21 pm

Nice tits and a sweet ass would be a big plus for Romney's ticket.

Eve8Apples May 1, 2012 at 12:28 pm

How about that nice young lady tied-up on the platter pictured on Ted Nugent's Love Grenade album?
http://wonkette.com/471287/us-army-does-not-under

elviouslyqueer May 1, 2012 at 12:35 pm

But enough about Meg Whitman.

Generation[redacted] May 1, 2012 at 12:57 pm

When she's feeling kinky she makes you wear the sheep costume.

chicken_thief May 1, 2012 at 1:03 pm

Newt hasn't conceded yet, so why would he accept the 2nd Banana role?

Oh, you said "sweet", I read it as "sweat"…

Maman May 1, 2012 at 12:21 pm

Sounds like the Republicans are looking for a guy who will let Romney "sparkle".

Radiotherapy May 1, 2012 at 12:22 pm

That seals it. I am voting for Obama.

JustPixelz May 1, 2012 at 12:22 pm

There is nothing like the Repubican Vice-Presidential nomination to catapult someone from obscurity to being our next Spiro Agnew or Dan Quayle or Sarah Palin. Sure, occasionally a Dick Cheney gets the nod and smears torture all over America's reputation. But the odds are we'll get someone who provides hours of outrageous snark.

freakishlywrong May 1, 2012 at 12:22 pm

dollop of youth, diversity and star power with someone like Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida?
Oh, there's a dollop there alright, but I do not think "youth", "diversity" and "star power" means what they think it means.

Barb May 1, 2012 at 12:23 pm

“People are looking for a certain level of seriousness.”

OMG! Jessica Simpson just gave birth and Octomom has announced that she's making a masturbation video for money. "#ReplaceBandNamesWithRape" is trending on Twitter.

America is starving for a higher level of seriousness, seriously.

YasserArraFeck May 1, 2012 at 12:25 pm

Portman reminds me of John Major, one of the grayest, dullest humans ever to walk the earth

sewollef May 1, 2012 at 12:59 pm

Major's speaking voice cured me of insomnia.

My anger issues never went away though… they were peaking under Thatcherism. Don't know why.

sullivanst May 1, 2012 at 1:56 pm

they were peaking under Thatcherism. Don't know why.

Maybe something on this list?

In fairness to John Major, though, if he hadn't failed so massively to keep the Pound in the ERM, the British economy might be suffering even worse butthurt now than it already is. And we thought America was the land of opportunity – pretty sure no US Secretary of the Treasury ever quit school after flunking 10th grade math!

sewollef May 1, 2012 at 3:04 pm

OMG… I think I've just gone blind from seeing all that Tory blue on my screen.

And, and… being reminded of Keith Joseph. Keith f*cking Joseph. He's another asshole I hated. And Enoch Powell, there's another racist, pus-filled excuse for a human being.

There was a brief moment — a very brief moment — when I truly wished the Provos had succeeded in taking out all the tory cabinet at once, when they b0mbed their conference hotel.

Sweet revenge for the destruction she and her cabal of conservative terrorists inflicted on the people of the UK.

sullivanst May 1, 2012 at 3:22 pm

Yeah, I actually was going to put a warning about the colour-scheme but forgot. Sorry about that.

Fortunately for me, my parents were wise enough to live abroad for most of the Thatcher years. I had no idea who Keith Joseph was. I did know enough to hate the then-living shit out of Enoch Powell, I hope he's now perpetually drowning in rivers of blood.

freakishlywrong May 1, 2012 at 12:25 pm

Romney/Any old Curmudgeon '12. Hi Josh! Welcome back!

Mumbletypeg May 1, 2012 at 12:26 pm

From the wsj:

He has a résumé bristling with government experience. He is from a crucial swing state. And he is a disciplined public speaker.

"Bristle" Palin will surely be sounding off on her blog at the suggestion Portman's 'résumé' stands "in stark contrast" to Grizzly-mom's.

During his tenure [as OMB Director], the US public debt increased by 469 billion dollars

Maybe the folks at WSJ should concentrate more on finding the Ideal Candidate who's shown "disciplined gov't experience" and let the public speaking take care of itself; it is impossible for Portman or any other sideshow to take the spotlight from the Gaffe-Master.

freakishlywrong May 1, 2012 at 12:40 pm

Sort of like "Future to the Back". Let's go back to those halcyon mid-aughts Bush days.

sullivanst May 1, 2012 at 1:44 pm

Maybe the folks at WSJ should concentrate more on finding the Ideal Candidate who's shown "disciplined gov't experience"

Unpossible, since for the WSJ, "ideal" == "Republican", and that excludes everyone (at least everyone living) who's ever shown "disciplined gov't experience".

thefrontpage May 1, 2012 at 12:26 pm

According to a source with the Romney "campaign," these people are among the leading candidates for Romney's vice president pick: Ted Nugent, Dan Savage, Elton John, Kirk Cameron, Victoria Jackson, Anthony Wiener, Mark Foley, Meghan McCain, Bristol Palin, Michael Palin, John Cleese, and RuPaul.

Schmannnity May 1, 2012 at 12:27 pm

"May 26, 2006 … On June 19, 2007" He was at OMB half as long as Palin was governor.

nounverb911 May 1, 2012 at 12:29 pm

And did more damage.

elviouslyqueer May 1, 2012 at 12:36 pm

UNPOSSIBLE.

hagajim May 1, 2012 at 12:28 pm

“People are looking for a certain level of seriousness.”

If we're that serious then I would suggest Paris Hilton – because nobody says serious like her. Fuck. The worst candiate in the world (as Huntsman said – this is the best we can do?) might as well pick the biggest fuck-up – for entertainment.

Jus_Wonderin May 1, 2012 at 12:35 pm

Sarah?

Callyson May 1, 2012 at 12:28 pm

Maybe Romney will make a joke about putting Portman on the ticket and then firing him. The lulz never stop with Mittens…

Also–Rob Portman, yawn…

ratcityrebel May 1, 2012 at 12:28 pm

Romney/Slender Man 2012

Jus_Wonderin May 1, 2012 at 12:28 pm

OHIO. Wasn't that the mantra of The Wicked Witch of The West's flying monkey hench-mammals?

not that Dewey May 1, 2012 at 12:38 pm

I thought that was "Doritos — and Oreos"

Blueb4sunrise May 1, 2012 at 12:41 pm

That was
Academi—previously known as Xe Services LLC, Blackwater USA and Blackwater Worldwide

SayItWithWookies May 1, 2012 at 12:32 pm

I hope he picks Portman — because then I'll be able to find out if I can remember his name (instead of just calling him The Other Tim Pawlenty like I've been doing) before election day.

And welcome back, Josh! How I've missed the horrible right-wing cartoonists you've featured, not to mention Danziger, who always rocks.

Bluestatelibel May 1, 2012 at 12:46 pm

I'm looking forward to Rmoney trying to remember the guy's name. What was it, by the way?

Eve8Apples May 1, 2012 at 12:32 pm

What's the difference between a pitbull and Rob Portman?

A pitbull could kick Rob Portman's ass.

el_donaldo May 1, 2012 at 12:32 pm

Romney/Kanye and/or Allen West 2012!!!!

SoBeach May 1, 2012 at 12:33 pm

Republicans are urging the campaign to choose someone who will, above all, “do no harm.”

Proof Sarah Palin was the gift that will keep on giving for years and years to come.

SorosBot May 1, 2012 at 12:34 pm

"Does he reinforce his own strengths, such as his experience and focus on bread-and-butter economic issues, "

Since when are "bread-and-butter economic issues" one of the man's who has been a multimillionaire his entire life, and has constantly shown he has no clue what life is like for normal people, strengths?

Generation[redacted] May 1, 2012 at 12:52 pm

Typical librul misinfurmation. Mitts is knows all about the well-bred and butler issues.

MissTaken May 1, 2012 at 12:34 pm

Wow, Portman just broke my personal best for induced coma…and I thought no one could beat my Pawlenty snore time of 13.6 seconds.

Arken May 1, 2012 at 12:35 pm

Romney should do what Bush did… Get Dick Cheney to form an exploratory committee to pick a VP and then pick himself. After all, the constitution doesn't say you can't serve more than two terms as a co- VICE president.

mavenmaven May 1, 2012 at 12:38 pm

I'd prefer to see Natalie Portman over Rob Portman. I don't care what office, I just would like to see her.

SayItWithWookies May 1, 2012 at 1:10 pm

This is still one of my fave (NSFW) SNL Digital Shorts.

sullivanst May 1, 2012 at 2:08 pm

She's so Professional.

Guppy May 1, 2012 at 2:24 pm

Alas, she's too young and about as "natural-born" Juan McCain.

Jus_Wonderin May 1, 2012 at 12:38 pm

In an effort to find out the shortest length of universal time to a bashed windshield, I will be adorning my vehicle with an Obama sticker…today.

Honestly though, I have thought about setting up video cameras so I can post the vandalism on youTube. If only…I could monetize this.

freakishlywrong May 1, 2012 at 12:42 pm

I'm surprised. I live in fucking Floriduh and I'm starting to see them..I live in what could be considered a librul part I guess, (we went blue in 2008).

Generation[redacted] May 1, 2012 at 12:53 pm

The whole state went blue in 2000.

SoBeach May 1, 2012 at 1:43 pm

I live in a tiny speck of blue in a DEEP red Florida county. Amazingly enough, my town is the one all the local tea-nuts hope they can move to one day. They want to live somewhere nice, but they don't understand the only reason it's so nice is because we have a lower asshole to human ratio.

Oblios_Cap May 1, 2012 at 12:39 pm

I really don't give a good goddamn who he picks. Willard will never get my vote(s).

freakishlywrong May 1, 2012 at 12:41 pm

The enthusiasm gap is strong with this one.

Hera Sent Me May 1, 2012 at 12:41 pm

Natalie Portman would be a good choice.

Generation[redacted] May 1, 2012 at 12:54 pm

Jar Jar Binks would be a good ambassador to all those low lying island countries that will be underwater soon.

WhatTheHolyHeck May 1, 2012 at 1:27 pm

Hell Rachel Portman would get my vote. At least the campaign's theme music would be pretty.

anniegetyerfun May 1, 2012 at 12:41 pm

Why are Dubya's teeth the same color as his face? I thought it was Cheney would feasted on the blood of infants.

b[redact]opple May 1, 2012 at 12:42 pm

Oh please please PLEASE pick Ayotte! She is VERY STUPID.

It seems like yesterday that she got promoted from deputy AG to AG in New Hampshire when her boss had to resign after grabbing a lady's ass at a sexual harassment convention in the North Country. Then the very next week she had to argue a case before the SCOTUS, and she was SO BAD that barely five minutes into her oral the justices started feeling sorry for her (she was dropping her papers, forgetting where she was, etc.) that they started helping her out. New Hampshire Republicans are a Special group of people.

BTWBFDIMHO May 1, 2012 at 12:43 pm

What? When did we invade Kardashian?

metamarcisf May 1, 2012 at 12:44 pm

"it's a no-brainer" said candidate McCain when asked about his VP choice in 2008.

Jus_Wonderin May 1, 2012 at 12:47 pm

I think I see what you did there.

Wilcoxyz May 1, 2012 at 12:46 pm

Meghan McCain! Youthful vagina-American who relates to conservatives who don't have to "work."

chicken_thief May 1, 2012 at 1:12 pm

Satisfies the "nice tits" prerequisite also too.

imissopus May 1, 2012 at 12:47 pm

Well, the GOP had wanted sparkling Mitch Daniels, who was for a time the director of the OMB under C-Plus Augustus, to run for prez, but the pint-size Hoosier terror said no thanks. So now maybe they will at least get a former C-Plus Augustus director of the OMB for vice-president, which I guess is some sort of consolation prize? Point is, there are a lot of colorless former directors of the OMB under W out there whom the GOP is for some reason desperate to have represent the party in this election.

4TheTurnstiles May 1, 2012 at 12:51 pm

Good to see Fruhlinger back since Jeopardy

SheriffRoscoe May 1, 2012 at 1:04 pm

I wonder why they don't want him to pick Condoleeeeeza Rice. She's smart, attractive, "speaks well," and wouldn't come across as a political calculation at all.

Guppy May 1, 2012 at 2:27 pm

Qadaffi's spank bank hasn't surfaced yet. It would be "inconvenient" in the middle of a campaign.

Dashboard Buddha May 1, 2012 at 1:10 pm

"a dollop of youth"

That phrase produced a dollop of vomit in my mouth

Bonghits4Jesus May 1, 2012 at 1:12 pm

Thurston Howell, III for President!

Extemporanus May 1, 2012 at 1:16 pm

Welcome back, Rob Port…er, Josh Fruhlinger!

Above all, do harm.

OneYieldRegular May 1, 2012 at 1:18 pm

I guess this rules out Orly Taitz (speaking of whom, I just received my California primary sample ballot ornamented with Orly's brief "why you should vote for me for U.S. Senator" statement, which starts out almost like something a rational human being might write, but by the third line has devolved into ungrammatical gibberish, and ends, predictably, with completely insane sputtering about Obama's Social Security number and Indonesian citizenship).

Wile E. Quixote May 1, 2012 at 2:51 pm

Aside from her batshit insanity and bad dye job Oily Taint isn't qualified for the office of the Vice Presidency because she's not a naturally born US Citizen. As an amusing aside I think that everyone in California should be demanding to see her long-form birth certificate and her naturalization papers.

lulzmonger May 1, 2012 at 1:35 pm

Is it just me or does Dubya have some Meth-Mouth going on there?

For the RNC, embracing the banality of evil = WINNING!

*** Romney/Human Tapioca 2012 – SEVERELY GENERIC ***

Biel_ze_Bubba May 1, 2012 at 1:36 pm

"many Republicans are urging the campaign to choose someone who will, above all, “do no harm.” “It’s a no-brainer,” said Terry Holt"

Well there's your problem right there, Terry: Looking for a no-brainer in the GOP doesn't narrow down the choices much.

sullivanst May 1, 2012 at 1:39 pm

Yeah, I'm sure when Romney aides are already admitting that their economic agenda is the Bush economic agenda, that picking the guy who wrote Bush's budgets as running mate will "do no harm" because the economy was so fucking wonderful under Bush, amiright?

Chow Yun Flat May 1, 2012 at 1:50 pm

“It’s a no-brainer,” said Terry Holt, a Portman friend and Republican strategist who worked on the George W. Bush campaigns of 2000 and 2004.

Of course it is. Don't want to waste brains on something as unimportant a choosing a vice-president.

ttommyunger May 1, 2012 at 1:54 pm

Nice to see that Dubya's still brushing his teeth with Cheney's jism.

Allmighty_Manos May 1, 2012 at 2:19 pm

Boring, white and a veteran of the Bush administration (his trade guy, actually during when we lost more manufacturing jobs then we've had in any ten year period). I'm sure the Obama campaign is petrified.

Slim_Pickins May 1, 2012 at 2:23 pm

I am enjoying this "bum of the day" contest, but Kim Kardashian for VP is going a little far isn't it?

DemonicRage May 1, 2012 at 2:30 pm

Romney/ Portman….could the charisma level be any higher?

Wile E. Quixote May 1, 2012 at 2:49 pm

Romney/Portman 2012 – Guys Gone Mild!

DemmeFatale May 1, 2012 at 2:56 pm

Maybe Josh, (JOSH!!!), can draw Portman with grey skin and his underpants on the outside of his trousers!
(Remember Steve Bell's cartoons of John Major?) http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ar….

sewollef May 1, 2012 at 3:14 pm

Oh yes, I remember. What a brilliant cartoonist Steve Bell was [is]!

But then, they [the Tory government] were such an easy target for his sharp-tongued satire.

Thanks for reminding me!

barto May 1, 2012 at 3:49 pm

Hey Josh welcome aboard the USS Wonkette!

fuflans May 1, 2012 at 3:59 pm

josh is back! yeah!!

i look forward to witty coverage of the furrins and apt 3g.

(ok, maybe not so much apt 3g, but still…)

elburritodeluxe May 1, 2012 at 4:02 pm

Joe Biden would eat this man alive in a debate.

fuflans May 1, 2012 at 4:03 pm

so what we're saying is the burden of comedy for campaign 2012 is going to fall squarely on joe biden?

gurukalehuru May 1, 2012 at 4:59 pm

I'd vote for Natalie Portman, but not her dork brother.

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