"More Circus Than Zoo"

The sight of him is "disconcerting to say the least: he is not white but mired a filthy brownish grey colour by the mud and dirty pools of water in his enclosure." So much for his leadership on his signature issue (the environment). One eminent observer calls him a "psychopath." Rejected by his disturbed former circus performer mother, addicted to the treacly affections of a rabid base, divorced from nature, impotent, embroiled in allegations of financial impropriety surrounding a $3.5 fundraising vehicle promoted in his name, with rumors circulating about his sexuality—in other words, discredited totally—Nuremberg Knut has become . . .

. . . "a problem bear".

Time for your candidate to give up the ghost, Spencer. Knut brought up some good issues in the campaign, and he continues to draw support from white voters. But the cuteness primary is now clearly a two-bear race. And to that end, I give you a montage of images set to a pop soundtrack of the candidate that promises change:

(Polar bear opp research courtesy Sommer)

UPDATE: Knut faces an "uncertain and lonely future" indeed if this is the best his advocates can muster in his defense. Forced to acknowledge Knut's critics, Spencer resorts to a Bush administration–minded refutation of the zoological community and the animal rights–activist grassroots alike. To a polar bear, white is black—and up is down. Spencer draws attention to Knut's captivity, a tragic state of affairs for all bears, and an issue on which Knut has shown no leadership. Indeed, he seems more interested in distracting from the real issues by fetching a plastic toy for the pleasure of the crowds.

Spencer's further smears barely warrant a response. The notion that the koala doesn't pass some essentialist test is one that any American should find repulsive. As for Spencer's personal attacks, driving a wedge between my associate and me is the strategy of a campaign that can't stand on the merits. Is this what Knut stands for? That's not the sort of bear I want to cuddle.