Observations on Current State of GOP Primary

1) If nothing else, this is at least entertaining. Remember boring, quick primaries such as 2004 when (snore!) John Kerry "wrapped it up" after the Iowa caucus? Or Al Gore was basically annointed in 2000? This train wreck at least gets far more voters involved, and gives the media plenty to write about.

2) Which brings me to the idiotic argument floated by Newt Gingrich and his supporters. (Or should that be supporter? Is anyone really thinking he is ever going to sit in the White House? Maybe if he changed his name to Lars Reckingson, and grew a mustache) This idea that "the media elites want to claim that Romney's inevitable, we'll show 'em!" I just am not seeing any love for Romney from the media, and more important, the only thing the media really wants? A good story. Romney winning quickly means a longer lull before the fall campaign heats up. The media love every bit of Newt and Santorum messing things up for Mitt.

3) Romney's pandering--talking about eating grits, or driving American cars--is more embarrassing than a rapping Granny. It's reminiscent of John Kerry going hunting or eating cheese steaks (again what's with these crazy Massholes and their inability to fake being regular? Weird state, or commonwealth, that place is). News flash--southerners aren't going to say "hey, he eats what we eat! He's got my vote now for sure!" Just say "look, I'm really rich right now. I could lose $100 million tomorrow and still have more than any of you ever will. But being down home isn't going to make a bit of difference in the Oval Office." They'd probably respect him more for his honesty.

4) I don't really buy the "evangelicals won't vote for Romney because he's Mormon" theory. I'm not denying that there are Christianists who are prejudiced against Mormons--as there are also whites prejudiced against Obama for being black--but I think politics trumps all that. Remember, the hard right was perfectly willing to back Herman Cain who they saw as a conservative savior against Socialist McTeleprompter (or Obama, for the noncrazy). If Romney was seen as far right relative to the rest of the field, they'd be backing him, and people would be asking if it's because evangelicals won't back Catholics like Gingrich and Santorum.

5) Much as I find everything else about Santorum's candidacy nauseating, there is something almost touching about the fact that the two deepest-South states (Alabamippi, I call them) voting to nominate a Catholic grandson of Italian immigrants. That sort of goes to point 4). Last time an Italian Catholic was nominated his name was Al Smith, and he got Hoovered in the South.

6) Newt Gingrich would probably be a lot more appealing to mainstream voters if he lost his voice for a while, and had to just humbly nod along at the podium, using finger puppets to convey his key points. It's much harder to be an arrogant, pedantic jerk with finger puppets. And if it is possible, I'd really like to see that.

7) There was talk--at least during the Michigan and Ohio primaries--of Democrats voting in the Republican primary for Rick Santorum, basically to make November a cakewalk for Obama. Advice to Democrats--before you congratulate yourself on being so clever, keep in mind that as strong as the president looks now for the general election, many things can happen between now and November that can rapidly shift the polls. And while you may not like what Romney's pretending to believe right now, in Santorum you'll get a guy who actually think God favors his insane agenda.