Thursday's Tab Clear-out

Thursday's Tab Clear-out

I'm Ames info-overloaded to the point that the browser is slowing down from the sheer number of open tabs. Here's the highlights:

First Rick Parry steps on the straw poll, now we have Sarah Palin doing it too. At least the Platypus is actually doing something; Palin is just engaging in her usual self-indulgent pot-stirring. The real losers there are the second-tier contenders who just lost their TV cameras for their Friday event.

Speaking of the second tier, I'd long been betting that Rick Santorum was the candidate most likely to vanish Sunday morning. I'm revising that; The Frothy Mix has an appeal to exactly to sort of social issue folks who'll walk on hot coals for an event like Ames. And pretty much no one else.

My new bet: make that pizza to go, Herman. You may not be last, but Newt and McCotter are pretty much on their own trips and not likely to be deterred by a bad result. They're Duncan Hunters, not Tommy Thompsons, and Cain's Flavor Of The Month, May Edition raised the expectations bar a little too high. (Is Bachmann The Real Deal or Flavor Of The Month, July Edition?)

It's debate night and here's a handy checklist. While you wait, the Ryan Lizza New Yorker Bachmann profile is a must-read. If you're in a hurry, the tl;dr version.

And after this weekend, look for caucus date warfare to heat up...