[I]f a really famous clown shows up and pretends to be running for president a year before Iowa and scores some decent poll numbers, what we want to know is which counts more: the numbers, or that he’s a clown? I’m quite confident that the clown part – the objective side of the clown part, starting with the lack of elective or other high government experience – is far more important.

– Jonathan Bernstein, May 2011