… or better yet; Why Herman Cain Must Be a Performance Artist. … or even better yet; Why the Republican Nomination Must Be Performance Art.

Many a time, when confronted with an individual who’s actions I find completely ridiculous and unbelievable, I resort to the Andy Kaufman reading of human behavior. Not only does it help explain truly outlandish behavior, it also helps me enjoy what would otherwise be an excruciatingly embarrassing experience for whoever is (now) the artist of the moment. C/O Jezebel, Rachel Maddow asks Is Herman Cain a Joke, For Real. Here’s the clip:

These are all true facts, and I find it persuasive, but part of me wonders what stops someone from saying the entire Republican nomination is a piece of art. We have a Rick Perry who quotes satire from Canada, and who can’t remember crucial planks of his own platform. There’s a Tim Pawlenty (no longer running) who made the worst “race card” joke ever, Michelle Bachmann, and in all of this Ron Paul no longer has the honor of wackiest platform… Remember when people thought Sarah Palin was the craziest Republican pick ever? Evidently, they were wrong.

I never thought of the Republican Party as the political party of High Art, but lately I’m starting to doubt that. Maybe Herman Cain isn’t so special after all, he’s just following the trend.