Read the article by Ross Douthat linked below. It ends with the truthful thought that Republicans are just too cowardly to face up to the disaster the nominating process has become. There’s wishing for Mitch Daniels, but there’s no going over to his house and dragging him out to do his duty.
Neither Romney nor Gingrich can win against our president. Gingrich doesn’t deserve to, and Romney just has too many issues when it comes to campaigning and presenting himself effectively. I’m pretty certain that endorsing Romney can’t be the ticket now for responsible Republicans. It may be too late to bring a better candidate into the race, but it only ma ybe too late. And what’s the alternative?
Meanwhile, seemingly the effective means of stopping both Newt and Mitt is vote Santorum. But he’s not catching on in Florida and came off in the debate last night as not quite a serious alternative.
Overall, the debate changed nothing but to vindicate my impression that it’s just not in Mitt to be a personal, negative campaigner. Newt decided not to go all dramatic again. Good call: That stuff stops working if used too often, and Romney wasn’t formidable enough to be treated with a huge amount of fake indignation. Romney tried hard and got Gingrich to scowl some. But the scowling was caused by Newt’s prudent decision not to explode. Newt was hit by Mitt’s best shots, and he was still standing. That doesn’t mean that Newt couldn’t be taken out by others working on both the Freddie Mac and open marriage fronts; in both cases the truth is just what Gingrich’s enemies say it is. Ron Paul may have hurt Newt most by confirming, as an objective, informed observer, that Newt was forced out by his colleagues as Speaker.
While I have your attention, let me remind you that Ross Douthat is speaking at Berry College on Thursday, February 16 at 7 p.m. Contact me for further details.
