I can't think of any possible scenario where he might have thought that was a good idea to say??? He managed to insult his grandmother too.

Still, not as bad as this comment from one of our more classic Democrats:

"There are white niggers too" - Senator Byrd

That's a strange statement coming from Bauer.  He's one of those calculating politicians that appears to always be thinking two or three moves ahead of everyone else.  Strange statement, but it won't stop me from voting for him.

Seems like if Bauer wins the nomination he will fit in with the recent great Republican governors who have come out of that state. 

Seriously creepy.  Reminds of stuff people used to say during the eugenics movement back in the early 1900's. 

I agree it's a poor way to state what he was trying to articulate, but I agree with his statement when it's given proper context.  From The State:

In a phone interview, Bauer said he regretted the remarks "because now it's being used as an analogy, not a metaphor.

"Do I regret it? Sure I do. I wouldn't have to be taking this heat otherwise."

 . . .

Bauer, 40, later said his intent was to explain the government is "breeding a culture of dependency" with its social program, which he said has grown out of control and "amounts to little more than socialism, paid for by hardworking, tax-paying families ... against their wishes."

I can agree with that

Ronald Reagan was my ideal Republican president. He was so great that even a huge portion of Democrats liked the guy.

I tend to think... WWRD? When I compare this quote with something that Reagan would say, it just sounds absurd. Part of being a good president is being able to communicate appropriately. Reagan was very charismatic and that's what helped encourage people to follow his policies and agenda. It's also why the media got very little respect during that time too.

André Bauer is a champion we can believe in . . .  I urge you to support Andre Bauer in his campaign for Governor.

Todd, people are going to misspeak on the campaign trail.  It happens. 

Reagan was no Messiah.

Hahah, Stephen, that's what made Reagan so great... he was a REAL person.

The kind of person who had experience, but also had enough wisdom not to make stupid mistakes like "You Lie" outbursts, or making stupid comments about homeless people being animals.

He was by NO means anything but a smart man. But that's what makes him the perfect guy to judge all other Republicans by.

I don't want a president who's going to make ridiculously stupid comments.

Bauer coulda condoned the impotent democrat policy of eugenics

"I don't want a president who's going to make ridiculously stupid comments."

Who said anything about him running for president?

Todd, why is it so easy for you to get excited over a RINO like Scott Brown who is a good speaker but who is self-proclaimed pro-choice, but a true conservative like Andre Bauer is a bad politician because he misspeaks ONCE on the campaign trail?

Stephen, when I read a few of the links about his comment, a few people had mentioned he was a potential future presidential candidate.

You're putting words in my mouth though:

1 - I never said I was so excited over Scott Brown. I am thrilled that he won over the Democrat runner in a heavily Democrat state. How can you not be happy about this? My happiness is not about him as a senator, but more what it represented for the president's agenda. The fact that it's now forcing him to rethink his agenda and focus on things that both sides of the isle agree with.

2 - I never said Bauer is a bad politician. I know nothing about him other than this comment. Some of the articles I read referred to this as relatively common for him.

By the way, as of right now, the ONLY legislation that Scott Brown has voted on, has been Pro-Life. He has yet to actually vote for anything Pro-Choice.

Stephen, Bauer effectively compared people on welfare to stray animals.  One of the reasons, among many, that I find this so offensive is because this is exactly the kind of thing eugenics proponents did in the early 20th century.  It's disgusting.  It shows an immense callousness towards the sanctity of human life, something I take very seriously.

I'm going to venture out on a limb and say Todd, like most of us who don't live in SC, don't know too much about this guy.  So when this guy makes national news because of something incredibly stupid or ignorant as this, he's going to have to take his licks. That's just politics.  Right now most of the country only knows who Bauer is because of these comments.

What's funny is that I heard this guy get creamed on conservative radio yesterday by multiple hosts because of this quote.  He was being scathed so badly that I thought a Democrat had said this.  I didn't realize a Republican had said this until this post. 

As for Scott Brown, the reason why so many conservatives, including myself, were excited over his upset victory in Massachusetts is because, though he might be a RINO, he replaced what was probably the third most liberal senator in the Senate.  While Brown might be pro-choice, and more liberal than I would like, he represents a far more conservative legislator than his predecessor and is probably the most conservative legislator we could expect to get out of Massachusetts. Among other things, he is far more likely to confirm a pro-life Supreme Court Justice appointee from a pro-life president than his opponent would have.

Matt, that's exactly what I was more or less trying to say, but less eloquently.

So are you saying that Bauer saying (but not meaning) the kind of thing eugenics proponents were about in the early 20th century is worse than supporting abortion rights?  Because it seems pretty equally disgusting to me.  Besides that, the man misspoke.  He clearly was not advocating early 20th century eugenics.  Get over it. 

All you're saying is that bad politicians can be justified when it's a good speaker campaigning in a liberal state.  But when you have good policies and are generally a good speaker, but misspeak ONCE, it's time to get thrown down the stairs.

Sorry, unlike Todd, I'd rather have a candidate who makes "ridiculously stupid comments" every once in a while but has awesome policies, than a candidate who never misspeaks but has "disgusting" policies.

Stephen, I don't want to come over wrong on this. I'm not as emotionally charged on this topic as someone who lives in SC might. I know very little about the guy, but from everything I have seen (breifly) has been more or less that this is rather common for him to make poor comments (like Joe Biden, for example).

There's a lot that I would be saying, but I don't think this little box for my comment on this particular post is the best place for me to do it.

Suffice it to say, my ideal candidate would be someone who PRIMARILY is a fiscal conservative that supports capitalism and business. I don't want you to take this out of context, I don't support bailouts, I support the "free market system", with minor regulation. Secondly, I would want the candidate to be morally sound, pro-life, and scientifically supportive (IE: supports the space program in it's entirety). If you're wondering why I want the fiscal conservative first, it's because abortion means nothing when the economy and the entire infrastructure has collapsed.

So, DO I want a person to represent me who feels that homeless people are animals? No, I do not, because that's not how I feel.

What I like about Todd is he says fiscal conservatism is the most important issue to him and moral issues are second.  Andre Bauer is both fiscally conservative and conservative on moral social issues, but Todd says he wouldn't support him.  Scott Brown is neither fiscally conservative nor conservative on social issues, yet Todd went crazy for the guy, or mayb e just crazy in general.  I wonder what Ronald Reagan is telling Todd to do next.

Hahah... but Stephan, here's the thing... on C21... my opinion of what's most important are different than those of what I feel personally. In politics, the government has no right, really... with respect to morals. That exception comes in the case of life or death, and criminal judgement.

Fiscal conservatism is the most important thing right now because lets be quite honest... if the government collapses, how important will the issue of abortion be if it can be neither supported or enforced?

You have to think logically, not just emotionally. That's what puts Republicans apart from Democrats... but apparently not Conservatives from Liberals.

Good call, Todd; look out for the CHINO's too

How would pointing out one's many inconsistencies be thinking emotionally and not logically? 

You can point out whatever you want... that's TOTALLY cool. I'm saying that by NOT voting for someone because they don't meet 100% of your criteria would be silly if you know the alternative is someone who disagrees completely with 99% of your criteria.

uh-huh . . . and using that same logic, Todd . . . you would also support Bauer

What logic would that be, Stephen? That I should NOT vote at all if the person I voted for in the primaries loses because the winning candidate for the party doesn't follow my views in lock-step? Thereby giving the election to the other person who has even LESS in common with me? That's about as sensicle as a child having a tantrum because he can't get his way.