Stephen Colbert candidacy could cut into Ron Paul juggernaut, and Kinky Friedman is selling cigars

Joshua Green of theatlantic.com thinks Ron Paul should be worried if TV satirist Stephen Colbert makes good on his promise to run for president in the South Carolina primary next year:

I put Ron Paul in a separate category of “protest candidate,” but he should be sweating, too. Paul’s supporters are among the most passionate and committed this cycle. But their profile is similar to that of the voters Colbert might attract. (“Pot smokers,” a Republican consultant called them.) Anonymous presidential advisor: “If Colbert wants to do it he’s got to convert every young, semi-liberal Ron Paul supporter to the Colbert cause. If a young white male is going to vote, watches Comedy Central, and is internet savvy, chances are he’s a Ron Paul supporter.”

That, of course, is a gross caricature of Ron Paul's supporters, but could one really expect much more from a "Republican consultant" and an "anonymous presidential advisor."

Good Lord, look at the fine mess the Republican status quo (consultants and advisors) has gotten us into! We're mired in an unpopular war on the other side of the globe, the economy is in recession (or about to be), we're in hock up to our arses to the Red Chinese and millions of our young people are hooked on crystal meth!!

All of which makes the impending candidacy of Stephen Colbert more annoying. We attempted to avoid over the last few days all media coverage of the Colbert announcement, but failed when "Meet The Press" popped up on Sunday morning per the DVR instructions the telly had been given. Yes, even Tim Russert is in on the fun.

We're all for fun, but ROME IS BURNING.

Meanwhile, over the weekend, Kinky Friedman appeared on "Book TV," the weekend C-Span show devoted to authors talking to book readers.

He was addressing a packed house at the unfortunately named Olsson's Books and Records in Washington, D.C., hawking his new book, which apparently is a memoir of his spectacularly unsuccessful race for Texas governor (which, of course, we predicted, more or less, would be the upshot of his campaign.)

He remains bitter over the whole experience and said some ridiculous stuff, including the assertion that Texas is a "much more progressive state" than anyone realizes. Have you been to Wal-Mart lately, Kinky?

But what proved to be more interesting was his mention of the thriving cigar business he conducts as an offshot of kinkyfriedman.com, the Web from which he once conducted his quixotic race for governor.

Still blowin smoke up our bee-hinds, just like Colbert will be doing after his hilarious candidacy ends.