Bring in the Clowns

Dear Madame L,

Do you ever get the feeling that the Republicans who are claiming they might consider running for President in 2012 are just making the most of a conservative media frenzy for sometimes-fake news? 

Do you see any difference between some of these clowns and, say, Charlie Sheen?

Signed,

Just Wondering

Dear Wondering,

Answer to second question: Not much. 

Answer to first question: Yes. Let's review the clowns currently in the big tent:

---Newt Gingrich, whose second wife (yeah, she's bitter, but she's more believable than he is) says she thinks he keeps teasing the public with the idea of running just to keep piling in more money (check out his just-launched "exploratory Web site," with its "Donate Today" button the most prominent feature); 

---Mike Huckabee, who still can't give up playing the race and hate cards when he talks about Barack Obama, insisting President Obama was raised in Kenya by a family that hates all things Western;

---Donald Trump, whose name alone produces gales of laughter in political circles;

---Sarah Palin, who has made up a fake Facebook persona to "Like" everything the real Sarah Palin says;

---Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey, who says he could win the nomination right now even though he has no chance of winning the actual election;

---Mitt Romney, who presided over the best state-sponsored health plan ever in the U.S. but now backs away from it to please the super-conservative party leaders;

---Buddy Roemer, whom Madame L has never heard of, either;

---David Petraeus, who as far as Madame L knows hasn't expressed any actual interest in the job;

---Jeb Bush, about whom Madame L can think of nothing positive to say, except he's not George W;

---Rudy Giuliani, in his dreams;

---Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, whom Madame L will always remember for thinking that volcano monitoring is not very important; 

---Charlie Crist and Lindsey Graham, oh, puh-leeze, give Madame L a break.

Sincerely, while channeling Bobby Dylan ("Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right..."),

Madame L