jasencomstock:

cnjspeaks:

southpol:

Jonathan Chait:

Longtime readers know that I’ve been continually puzzled by the Washington press corps’ insistence on treating Haley Barbour as a plausible presidential nominee. The idea of nominating the physical embodiment of the worst stereotypes of the Republican Party strikes me as so…

Just clarify for me: Could he be worse than Palin?

Haley Barbour is literally boss Hogg in a white suit.  Hes a corrupt-esque Southern good ol’ boy ready to give you a lecture on the difference between white and black graft. He has way way too much time pressed up against really corrupt pols, as a corporate lobbyist, not to mention he is very old and fat and cracker.

Unlike Palin, Barbour is actually a gifted administrator and a talented politician in the Republican vein.  Because of that I think Barbour knows he is not a possible presidential nominee.

Damn, this actually answered my follow-up question (the sincere part, anyway. Still fails to address whether or not I underestimate the crazy constituency).