2016 Election Starts Now: Hog Wild

The 2016 Presidential Race is on, and at least on the Republican side, anyone you thought might run has decided to run. Sure, Romney bowed out, and we haven't heard anything out of Palin, but yeah, otherwise, they're in.

I haven't spent a lot of time on election '16, somewhat because of time constraints but also because of lack of real news or motion.

I do feel incumbent to mention Joni Ernst's Roast and Ride.

I have spent a lot of time here talking about Ernst, who comes off as an adrenaline version of Palin, taking the guns and leather jacket meme to logical and illogical extremes. It's the kind of' Merica F--k Yeah meme, that say you were head of a White Supremacist group that Dylann Roof would want to be part of, you might want to give her thousands of dollars to run her campaign. (Ernst and Steve King have since distanced themselves from Mr Sasse)

There have been plenty of fundraisers and will be many more, but Ernst's Roast and Ride is going to be one of the Top 5. It did occur before the landscape got crowded with the addition of Jeb, Donald, and Christie, but they aren't the types of candidates that would be appreciated at a place like this anyway.

A landmark fundraiser in Iowa had always been Harkin's Steak Fry- a key moment to fundraise as presented by longtime Democrat Senator Tom Harkin (and sadly, not a steak fry, but a catered meal).

Whereas Ernst promised the candidates would ride 38 miles on their bike and then roast a pig.

Some big names came and here is what you need to know (I was hoping to get some of this info out before the Ride, but know that it's happened, my sources will include pre- and post- coverage)

-Marco Rubio doesn't ride bikes. "I need a sidecar", he joked.

-Rick Perry does ride, and he did with Navy Seals in tow. So, here's the payoff you were waiting for



-Ernst gave each candidate 8 minutes to speak and a 10x10 tent

-Oh, and it should probably be mentioned, no candidate has spent more time in Iowa than Perry, and he is ranked 8th in popularity on a good day.  Oh well, those Perry on a bike photos are totally worth it.

-Besides Perry and Rubio, guests were Lindsey Graham, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, and Scott Walker

-Huckabee and Carson also rode 'hogs', though they preferred blazers to Perry's all-black biker gear.  Fiorina made her arrival on a John Deere

-The event was enough of a success, it will probably be back, but things look bad for the Ames Straw Poll (last won by Michele Bachmann if that tells you anything) with Huckabee and Graham dismissing it vocally.

-Walker is the front runner and this was the first event where that has been the case.  Walker might have otherwise skipped an event like this, but he can't afford to.  At this point, it sounds like everything is civil, but at some point, everyone is going to come gunning at him

-If you are looking for a storyline thus far (and there have been a handful of these 'big' moments already) it seems to be Fiorina.   She got good buzz at the Iowan GOP's Lincoln Dinner.  I see a lot of social media buzz on Carson, and I suspect Trump may try to go for similar minds who are looking for either a "Washington Outsider" or a "Established Corporate Leader".  Still, it sounds like Fiorina might win converts with her oratory.  All I have read sounds like she is targeting Hillary, but don't count out conventional wisdom.  If Fiorina is indeed dazzling audiences, at some point that should translate to the polls.

-No big news, I suppose (Those Perry biker photos tho) but pointless controversy.  The two major colleges in Iowa sent their mascots.  Iowa's Herky the Hawk showed up, which led to "We didn't know this was a partisian fundraiser.  We thought this was just a thing" apologies.

Herky, the school wants everyone to know is non-partisian.  Cy the (Iowa State) Cardinal similarly was popular (the event took place near the Ames school) and did not appear to engage in any untoward behavior.



I can't say I have a problem with it, and the media spent attention on the outrage that probably did not exist in the first place.  It's hard to argue that an event where more than 1500 people attended and made national event, that some could be a bad thing.

Comics Review: Mostly Garth Ennis edition

18 Days #1- written by Grant Morrison (Graphic India)- Around 2010 or so, Morrison brought 18 Days as a Graphic Novel via Dynamite Comics with backing from Deepak Chopra. He returns to 18 Days again, telling the Sanskrit epic poem the Mahabharata. Morrison promises epic story telling along the lines of Lord of the Rings or Star Wars.

18 Days is epic, and I can't help but think a bit of Game of Thrones along with Lord of the Rings. The artwork is epic, bright and sharp. There seems to be a push in the last few years to bring the Indian mythologies and stories to comics (Hey, it worked for the Norse, right?)

18 Days is a dollar ($10 for the exclusive limited edition covers). It is worth a shot, though the first issue seems to do little more than set the stage. The artwork is beautiful, but in some ways distracting. The story complex, though Morrison does a pretty good job of explaining. This is probably one I would skip, but I tend to pick up all of Grant's stuff, and it's a story I don't know, but maybe I should.




All Star Section Eight #1(DC) by Garth Ennis  The Ennis and McCrea gang are back with this comeback from the characters from Hitman.  There's Six Pack surrounded by a umm. nontraditonal bunch of heroes like The Bator.. who umm.. shots white liquid balls that dry up and well... so there's that. 

Ennis and McCrea have been a lot of fun over the years.  This comic is probably hardly necessarily.  Still, it's Ennis making the usual jokes.  So if you like your comic on the profane side, and jokes about the Batmobile getting a parking ticket.  Well, I love that stuff, and this is actually pretty good.  Still, on the heels of the second issue of Robinson's Airboy, it seems pretty lightweight.  Airboy gives you a blow job from a transvestite in a public bathroom, but also makes you think indepth about comic writers and their current role in their industry, and really artistic endeavors in general.  Still, Batman jokes are good too.



We Stand On Guard #1 (Image) by Brian K Vaughn-  I am a big fan of Vaughn and this book just really blew me away.  The plot centers around a Canadian invasion of America (or vice versa), and that has been done, and there's a lot here that has been done (I am reminded of Image's The Red Star comic which is a good 15 years old now and I am also reminded of the TV series of Revolution, but really, any kind of similar story like Red Dawn or any 'wilderness survival' story)

But WSOG feels really fresh.  It's all been done before, but rarely does it get done this well.  The comic might not be as successful without a great artist, and in this case it's Steve Skroce, whomade his name by being storyboard guy for the Wachowskis (of Matrix fame).

It's the sharp art that helps, but I trust Vaughn who gives us a strong first issue.  I like the Universe's setup and i like the characterization.  This is supposed to be a 6 issue miniseries, though it feels like it has longterm potential.

Image has a lot of great and very good titles right now, so I am afraid this might end up lost in the shuffle, but for someone looking for something new, or have a wild hair to pick up a comic and haven't done so in awhile, this would be a good one.



Where Monsters Dwell (Marvel) by Garth Ennis- Not only does Ennis have a DC title on the racks now, but also a Marvel one.  I was sort of afraid of this one, but it was actually a pretty enjoyable story.  It's a bit of a WW2 story which Ennis has made a living writing, but it seems to be less 'gritty war' and more Steve Canyon.  There is also an aspect of Dinosaur Island.  So, the result is a bit of a pulp ride, with some of the Ennis's trademark humor (there's a character named No Balls, for example).

I actually enjoyed this diversion quite a bit and am glad to see Marvel take a chance on a comic like this.  It does kind of fit Marvel canon, and it's Ennis writing, so that's probably the only reason it got the green light.  It is similar to some of Ennis's other work, but does seem to draw an unique path.  I am not sure what the readership of this be, but I do like he has this platform.  Though, i sometimes don't always get excited about his WW2 titles, this has a fun pulp edge which makes it worth a read.