Pun Salad

… announcing the latest album from my band:

At least according to the algorithm described here. (Via Atlantic Avenue. Original photo here.)

I believe we are a techno-emo band, and manage to incorporate the most annoying characteristics of both genres. Our lead singer only sings in Spanish, which he doesn't know very well.

Sigh. My favorite candidate dropped out of the race yesterday.

• Pejman Yousefzadeh does a nice summary of what he, and I, liked about him:
  Thompson was the only candidate in the GOP race who consistently advocated a small-government, free market, federalist message and his departure leaves a hole in the race for the GOP nomination. Neither one of his competitors articulated the message of Reaganism as closely and as eloquently as Thompson did.

• At NRO, K-Lo is eloquent:
  What his campaign may have lacked in organizational luster and ambition it made up for in authenticity and charm. You knew his greatest dream in life wasn't to be president. You knew he'd be happy living life with his family, advising those who wanted his opinion and expertise, talking federalism with Beltway friends on weekends. When he was on Meet the Press a while back, Claremont's Seth Leibsohn said, admiringly, "Fred came off like his hour there was not the most important thing he had to do that day." There's something attractive about that. And that it won't get you elected president is today's reality, it's a reality to reflect on.

• At Classical Values, Eric sounds a similar theme:
  Those who most want to be president are those who least deserve to be elected. The best presidents are those who are forced or persuaded by others into accepting the job.

  All the more reason he would have been a great president.

  Don't expect me to throw my support to anyone right now. (Not that it would make much difference.) Before I supported Fred I supported Guiliani and I guess I can do that again, but that's not the point of this post.

  The whole thing is just a damned shame.

  Not only for the present, but for the future, I'd add.

• Eric links to Patick Cox at Pajamas Media, who is looking for the pony:
  His clout and connections in Hollywood put him in a unique and valuable position. If the good Senator chooses to do so, he can do for the entertainment business what Rupert Murdoch did for television news. Just as a monolithic leftist media bias opened a hugely profitable door for Murdoch to walk through, Fred Thompson can use the door created by a a leftist and exclusionary Hollywood. In the end, he may be able to use his increased respect and visibility to create a pro-freedom, pro-American studio that teaches the principles of the Enlightenment not just to Americans but to the world. If he does, he may actually accomplish more than a Thompson presidency could have.

  Yeah, maybe. Stranger things have happened.

• Jim Geraghty opines (using Frank J's semi-famous rhetoric) that Fred shoulda punched more hippies. Specifically, he remembers Fred's masterful video rebuttal to Michael Moore's offer to debate health care issues, and wishes he could have done more of that. Me too.

• And at Fred's website:

  

  You're welcome.