MUTH'S TRUTHS 02/27/2014

THOSE 12 ANGRY MEN HAVE NUTHIN’ ON HUTCHISON

In their first televised debate – because moderate Republican lieutenant governor candidate Mark Hutchison objected to televising the first debate with conservative GOP opponent Sue Lowden in Elko two weeks ago – Hutch demonstrated a rather disconcerting McCain-like temper that should cause pause for any voter.

Hutch’s performance has universally been characterized in one word: Angry.

Immediately after watching the debate, I tweeted:

“@Hutch4Nevada was clearly angry & defensive.”

And Zach Hudson of the Nevada Dem’s tweeted…

“@Hutch4Nevada clearly can't keep cool under fire”

“@Hutch4Nevada came across as defensive & even angry Mon."

But the assessment that Hutchison could use a little anger management didn’t just come from me and the Democrats’ spokesman.  That was virtually everyone’s take-away. 

Even Nevada’s #2 liberal blogger, Jon Ralston – who has been carrying Hutch’s water for months and has practically served as his campaign’s press secretary – had to acknowledge his candidate’s red-faced performance! 

In fact, the headline of Ralston’s post-debate blog post pretty much said it all:

“Angry Hutchison and calm Lowden…”

But there was more…

“Make no mistake: If you were introduced to the candidates through Monday’s televised debate, you saw a nearly apoplectic Hutchison barely – I mean, barely – contain himself as the debate wore on. He began with his back turned to Lowden, never fully turned to face her even as he parried her jabs and his own visage soon became crimson with anger…”

By contrast, Ralston wrote that “Lowden seemed preternaturally calm, enjoying the to and fro,” adding that “There was a lot in the debate that you could miss if you were just looking at Angry Hutch and Smiling Sue.”

Sen. Mark “Angry Hutch” Hutchison.  Has a nice ring to it.  Kinda like Sen. “Moderate Mike” Roberson.  Thanks, Jon! 

Ralston also took Angry Hutch to task for claiming during the debate that he didn’t “propose” a massive new $600 million tax on rural Nevada’s mining industry…

“On Monday, Hutchison tried to parse, saying he didn’t ‘propose’ it. But he did, along with five other Republicans.”

That’s right, Angry Hutch DID propose it. 

In fact, Angry Hutch was standing right there on stage at the press conference when the surprise proposal (even Gov. Sandoval reportedly didn’t know about it beforehand) was announced at the beginning of the 2013 session in Carson City.

Angry Hutch then went on to “filibuster about the margins tax” and laughably tried to hide behind the fact that his proposal “didn’t come up for a vote.”  Whether it came up for a vote or not, the fact remains that Angry Hutch proposed socking it to the mining industry to the tune of some $600 million.

Angry Hutch better watch out for Angry Miners!

Ralston summarized his blog post by referring to Angry Hutch’s “nearly volcanic inability to contain his anger.”

Wow.

But it wasn’t just Ralston who wrote about Angry Hutch’s angry performance.  On Wednesday, Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Steve Sebelius inked a piece headlined, “TV debate leaves one candidate downright angry.”

Guess which candidate?

“…(Sen. Mark) Hutchison, now running for lieutenant governor, came across as defensive and even angry Monday while debating his Republican primary opponent, Sue Lowden…”

And as a side note, Sebelius is an expert at playing Angry Birds, so he knows angry when he sees it!

What’s interesting here is what Angry Hutch is angry about. 

Lowden isn’t attacking him personally; she’s skewering his voting record and performance in office.  She’s hitting him for supporting tax hikes, increasing spending, growing government, expanding Medicaid and implementing ObamaCare.

No wonder he’s Gov. Brian Sandoval’s (R&R-Advertising) hand-picked running mate!  Which is actually another reason Angry Hutch is so angry. 

It seems to me that Angry Hutch is starting to realize that he’s no longer his own man; that Sandoval and Sandoval’s handlers at R&R Advertising own him.  His entire rationale for running is the fact that Sandoval anointed him. Without Sandoval, no one would be taking his candidacy for LG seriously and coughing up so much money.

As Tennessee Ernie Ford once sang, “I owe my soul to the company store.”

Angry Hutch is also angry because, as hard as he tries to rationalize his voting record and pull the ol’ “everybody else did it” routine, he knows conservative Republican primary voters aren’t buying it.  Not this time.  And especially not in the rurals, where Angry Hutch’s mining tax proposal would be absolutely devastating.

Sandoval pulled the wool over the eyes of conservative GOP primary voters in 2010.  We won’t get fooled again.  Sandoval isn’t facing a serious challenge.  But Hutchison is.  No wonder he’s angry.