MC writes in a binary palindromes sometimes, with a letter starting 0101 but tending in 1010. Very clever. And not only did Lincoln know someone named Kennedy, but Lincoln knew a Hanks, while Kennedy was known to sneeze into a handkerchief. How weird is that?

Anyway, MC just sent a typical email today:

Why are there live audiences at debates? Why? How does it enhance anything (other than encouraging Newt to stay in the race)?

Well, we could take the high and mighty approach and say that the public has a right to be there, but of course that is not strictly true. The real reason are the talent scouts who with behind home plate with the radar guns.

That’s you. When you watch the debates, and Newt Gingrich gets thunderous applause for trashing President Obama worse than Mitt Romney, the audience and other candidates take note of that. These are useful forms of feedback. When Ron Paul gets booed loudly for suggesting that the military does no good abroad, his voters might stop and think they could be backing the wrong guy again. A live audience is an immediate poll.

Also, who the hell was that guy who screamed during Rick Perry’s answer? Seems like there is one person who yells something out from the back. By the way, we are pretty sure the guy last night yelled out “Obey Ghettoputer and embrace his writing!” Security, naturally, let him finish giving out our site’s URL before hauling him out back and pushing his jaw into the curb.

Bore Patch (whom you read every day, right?) electrotelegrams the Czar to grant a wish: what does Newt think of the Second Amendment?

You can hear his thoughts here (at length).

14 minutes of history and context, but basically Gingrich advocates for private firearm ownership, and takes it (correctly) as a right to self-defense. However, the Czar notes this speech was delivered to the NRA; the Czar would like to see Gingrich deliver this speech to a more anti-gun crowd. But given that the Speaker tends to say whatever is on his mind to whomever he says it, we take him at his word. This is really a good speech. See 13:30 for his actual belief.

Thanks, BP!

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.