Lineup of Loonies

Juan Cole, proprietor of Informed Comment, the best site I know of on what goes on in the Middle East and North Africa, seems to be leading the effort to keep some of the generally good guys, namely the progressives, liberals, and the like, from getting their noses bent too far out of shape on the U.N. air operations in Libya, as with this message, addressed to the Left.

Today he has another good post on Libya, in which he summarizes what Obama said in his speech to the American people about why he ordered U.S. forces to take part in that operation.   And Cole follows that up by giving the decidedly shaky reactions to the speech by five of the Republican lineup of loonies who have been testing the 2012 Presidental waters: D.Trump, N. Gingrich, S. Palin, M.Baumann, and M. Romney.  The contrast demonstrated how, for all his sometimes questionable stands, B. Obama is still head and shoulders above anyone that the Repubs can throw against him, and how, in a sane world, no one would have a chance of unseating him in 2012.  But I know how rarely the word "sane" applies when it comes to the world of human affairs.

In the title to the post Cole seemed to promise posting the reaction also of a sixth loonie, named "Carrot Top," but I was unable to find that in the post.   Maybe I have missed the reference there.   Anyway, as a result, I still don't know who he meant by "Carrot Top."

Also strangely, in the summary that Cole gives, it doesn't seem that Obama made any points that he hadn't already made clearly and in detail on the day that he ordered in the cruise missiles and then the planes.  But I guess he felt that at the time too few Americans were listening.

In general the failure to keep one's eyes and ear flaps open is even worse than the failure to communicate.

I doubt that very many will be mollified -- or edified -- even now.   When people get on an out-of-kilter kick, it's hard for them ever to straighten their nostrils or to lend an ear.  It must be a physical thing.