The Base, Santorum And Meltdown

Feb 8th, 2012

As many have noted, the GOP base is losing it over the perception that the establishment has pre-ordained the outcome of the primary and caucus season. Although I thought that Newt was going to potentially take one or two of the three states in play yesterday, I clearly underestimated the depths of the insanity to which the disgruntled have descended.

Santorum took them all.

Yes, the same Rick Santorum we've covered HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

The powers that be in the GOP are likely nearing a breakdown. An openly Dominionist, anti-contraceptive, Birther-appeasing whack-doodle has mopped the floor with the only candidate who might have a chance in the general election.

Santorum gloats last night


For the next week, Santorum is the face of the GOP. His message will be their message. He wasted no time getting that out.

Appearing on Morning Joe today, he stuck to his script downplaying the economy and stipulated that the real crisis in America is the Obama administration "oppressing" the country. His big idea to stop this horrible encroachment? End the Head Start program.

A number of observers are now hurriedly penning missives about the re-emergence of the "culture war" as the 2012 election's big issue (examples HERE and HERE).

Although I find this dubious, let's hope the GOP base agrees. If they want to repeat the bruising rebuke of 1992, they are more than welcome to continue digging this hole.

As for Romney, Paul Begala sums up just how bad this all is:

"Romney has more money, more national experience, more consultants, more staff. Heck, he even has better hair. His super PAC outspent Santorum's by a 40-to-1 margin. Forty to one. And yet Mitt Romney lost. He lost to a guy who lost his home state by 18 points the last time he was on the ballot there. There's a technical term in political consulting for a performance like that: it's called sucking. If Romney can't beat Rick Santorum, he needs to find another party to run in."

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On a side note, there was some unintentional comedy from Ron Paul in Minnesota:

"We had a very, very strong second place... and it's going to continue!" he said.

I do enjoy his twisted optimism.