In recent PEW polling examining the potential impact of GOP endorsements from a number of the prominent players, Trump's negatives were the highest. 20% of registered Republican and Republican leaning voters said his endorsement would make them less likely to vote for that candidate.
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The Romney camp had to have known that this information was out there.
That Mitt was willing to accept the endorsement at all, much less in person, speaks volumes about his fear of the Ailes media machine.
Frum frames it with a nod to Mencken:
"Having to appear on a stage with Donald Trump is surely degrading and embarrassing. But is it really so very much more degrading and embarrassing than the other things through which we put contenders for the presidency—and then in their turn, actual elected presidents?"
David Corn's jaw drops:
"A day after Mitt Romney was slammed from all sides for declaring he's not "concerned with the very poor" (because they enjoy such a swell safety net), why would he accept an endorsement from celebrity-birther, .001-percenter Donald Trump and appear at the magnate's Las Vegas casino to do so?"
The optics are indeed amazing.
Toby Harnden writes:
"Apparently, the Romney campaign actually sought Trump's endorsement. More's the pity.
Superficially and in the short term there might seem to be some advantages to getting the Trump nod. It steals Gingrich's thunder - he had assiduously courted Trump and looked mightily dischuffed that he had been rebuffed."
Philip Klein piles on:
"To start, Romney’s entire candidacy was based on the idea that he was the most serious and presidential candidate in the race. Publicly accepting the endorsement of a reality show tabloid figure makes him look silly. Remember, Romney didn’t do a joint appearance to accept the endorsement of Jon Huntsman, a former governor and U.S. ambassador.
Trump is also a loose cannon who will say anything for headlines. At this afternoon’s event, Romney shook Trump’s hand, said he was “honored” by his endorsement and said it meant a “great deal” to him. Now, any of Trump’s crazy statements, past or future, can be linked to Romney in a 30-second attack ad by showing footage from today’s circus."
One of the most entertaining developments is watching Romney water-carrier Jennifer Rubin's work over the last 24 hours or so.
Yesterday:
Today:
"On Thursday, Mitt Romney’s camp tried to solve two problems — foreclose the potential for a rogue Donald Trump and prevent any revival of Newt Gingrich’s campaign. In doing so by getting the Trump endorsement, it created other problems (e.g., a media backlash). Some perspective is in order here."
No. Not really. This is just the richest exposure we've ever seen of how fraudulent her column has become.
Over at RedState, Jeff Emanuel has a field day with Rubin's acrobatics:
"That’s right. When The Donald was expected to endorse Newt Gingrich, his support of a campaign supposedly proved that campaign’s unseriousness. Now that Trump’s endorsement has gone to Romney, it as all part of Mitt’s Master Plan. Got it?"
More RedState fun at her expense HERE.
As we mentioned before, many Fox figures are rallying around this development. Chris Wallace, to his credit, has expressed some alarm over this.
via Media Matters
Technically, this week still has two full more days in which Mitt can top the increasingly cartoonish series of gaffes and missteps which are coming to define him. For now, we'll leave you with the sage levity of Jon Stewart:
gee, i was really hoping for trumpistan...
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