Our Endorsements: The Election Plays Itself Out

* The New York Times has written your new favorite song.

* Trump's tweets get schooled.

* The real Romney video, from Jest.

* Mitt Romney breaks down the American pie.

* Wow. The criteria for becoming a politician has gotten really low.

* Maybe we should give the entire Middle East a film class, from Hahajk.

* If politics was like NASCAR…scratch that. Politics is exactly like NASCAR.

* Both Conan and Fallon use late night to make light of Romney's secret tape.

* Only one person can save Romney from looking like an Objectivist cretin: Ron Paul.

Tags: Conan O'Brien, Daily Links, Donald Trump, Jimmy Fallon, Mitt Romney, NASCAR, Ron Paul, The New York Times

Quote Unquote: Romneying

In response to Mitt Romney's latest self-inflicted wound, Slate's David Weigel coins a term…

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This is what we can now call "Romneying" — unforced references to one's own economic success.

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Synonyms: Kerrying, Thurston Howell the Thirding, being an awful candidateing.

Tags: Mitt Romney, Money, NASCAR, Primaries, Quote Unquote, Republicans

Some of Mitt Romney's Best Friends Own NASCAR Teams

There he goes again. Blatantly pandering to the all-American, regular guy, blue collar owner of multi-million dollar sports teams…

Mitt Romney went to the Daytona 500 NASCAR race Sunday for what should have been a chance to show he's one of the guys. Instead, in casual conversation with an Associated Press reporter at the Florida track, he reminded people once again that he is not exactly a regular Joe.

Asked by the AP reporter if he follows NASCAR, Romney responded, "Not as closely as some of the most ardent fans. But I have some great friends who are NASCAR team owners."

"Yes, baby, those stars up in the sky sure are beautiful. Have I told you? I have some great friends who own some of those planets."

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Tags: Mitt Romney, Money, NASCAR, Primaries, Republicans, Sports

Michele Bachmann and the Lyin' A$$ B*tches

Unless you spent last week hiding in a turkey carcass, you probably heard about Michele Bachmann's entrance song on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last Monday.  The show's band (AKA The Roots) played Fishbone's "Lyin' Ass Bitch" as Bachmann walked onstage. For the 99% of you who are unfamiliar with late 80s ska/punk/funk, let the 1% who are occupy your ears with this stone cold jam.

While the band didn't actually sing the offensive title, there were enough notes for discerning listeners to name that tune.  The show's band intended the prank to be tongue-in-cheek. In fact, the drummer Questlove even tweeted for his fans to look out for that night's "snark." But it was hard to find anyone willing to call the stunt a Swiftian satire. It was more Jackassian.

Bachmann then went on a media blitz, stating…

"This is clearly a form of bias on the part of the Hollywood entertainment elite," Bachmann said. She added, "This wouldn't be tolerated if this was Michelle Obama. It shouldn't be tolerated if it's a conservative woman either."

The band has been reprimanded and Bachmann received a personal apology from both Fallon and NBC's Vice President. Only the Vice President of NBC? Was their President too busy high-fiving everyone behind closed doors?

It's valid to ask if it could have happened to Michelle Obama. The Hollywood entertainment elite is undeniably more left-winged then, say, the NASCAR audience that booed the First Lady the day before. But while Bachmann gets to cry elitist, Mrs. Obama doesn't have that luxury. Calling NASCAR audiences "elitist" would be a little like calling NASCAR audiences "elitist."

And if booing is too tame a comparison, don't forget the pundit who actually called Hillary Clinton a "bitch." The Secretary of State most likely checks her mailbox every day waiting for that apology letter to finally arrive.

There's a lesson here for Michele Bachmann: Women in power should never have to tolerate being called a "bitch." Also, all women in power will always have to tolerate being called a "bitch."

Photo by Steve Pope/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Tags: Glenn Beck, Jimmy Fallon, Men and Women, Michele Bachmann, Michelle Obama, NASCAR

From the Pork Barrell: Two Girls, One GOP

* Is there room for more than one misinformed, xenophobic, hyper-partisan woman in the GOP primary race? Let's hope so.

* Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) somehow manages to get by on only $174,000 salary, but you don't see him complaining about waking up every morning and trying to cut pay for public workers who aren't him. What a trooper.

* Rick Santorum gives a compelling reason why abortion is so evil: It detracts from the pyramid scheme that is Social Security.

* The Tea Party is going to have its own NASCAR. Unconfirmed, but I hear it'll be running on unleaded hatred.

* Fox News editor admits to lying about Barack Obama on cablzzzzzzzzzzzz… zzzzzzzzzzzzzz… zzzzzzzzzzzzz…

Tags: Abortion, Fox, House of Representatives, Michele Bachmann, Money, NASCAR, Pork Barrel, Primaries, Republicans, Rick Santorum, Sarah Palin, Sean Duffy, Social Security, Wisconsin