Laughing Your Way To The Election

Dan Savage — the man who redefined “santorum” — weighs in on Rick Santorum’s defeat:

But there’s a smidgen of credit I will take: I did help to make Rick Santorum into a national laughing stock—an international laughing stock (the new definition of “santorum” is known overseas)—with an invaluable assist from Rick Santorum, of course.

There’s a reason why monarchs and despots used to lock up political cartoonists and satirists. Being made to look ridiculous, being turned into the butt of a joke—that’s politically disempowering fairy dust. It’s hard to rule when you’re not taken seriously, and it’s hard to be taken seriously once you’ve been reduced to a punch line. Indeed, the power of satire should never be underestimated.

Absolutely. One-hundred percent agreement. I read somewhere once that the real tragedy for an American is not to die, but to become a laughingstock. (Some of us, like me, have decided to buck the system and simply become jokes early in our lives.)

So what am I trying to say here? Basically, the next time you read a stupid headline joke, don’t get angry. I’m merely trying to take down Boss Tweed.

Rick Santorum [The Slog via Philly Future]

Leftovers: Bill Clinton Slums It

• Bill Clinton hit Bristol’s Mill Street yesterday, stumping for democrat Patrick Murphy. He also called Murphy’s opponent, Mike Fitzpatrick, a “mangy dog” in a really, really weird metaphor that I can’t figure out. [Bucks County Courier Times]

• The American Highway Users alliance did a report on the safest cities to evacuate from, and — surprise! — Philadelphia got an F, much like almost every other city. (Only Kansas City got an A.) Gee, what shocker. It’s hard to evacuate from cities with a million plus people in them. Who knew. [KYW 1060]

• Stop the presses! Dan Savage said something wild! Those alt-weekly editors/sex columnists! Who knew they’d say outrageous things? (Okay, okay, saying Carl Romanelli should be drug behind a car is a little out there.) [DP's The Spin]

• The infamous “Smiling Bank Robber” has been caught after robbing an Upper Darby bank. He said he moved to the suburbs because he had run out of banks to rob in Philadelphia. Guhwha? [KYW 1060]

• Berks County judges and their staffs may soon have to face random drug tests. Ha! [AP/NBC 10]