I’m going to quote Steve Benen at length because you need the whole context of his remarks to understand what we’re seeing in the Republican nominating contest. We’re not seeing a real competition, but something more akin to an attempted coronation.
I thought, for example, the GOP field would be apoplectic when we learned that Romney had promised center-left activists he would “act as essentially a sleeper agent within the Republican Party, adopting liberal stances, rising to national prominence, and thereby legitimizing them and transforming the Party from within.” But the other Republican campaigns let it slide.
I also thought the GOP field would go berserk when we learned that Romney’s health care program in Massachusetts uses taxpayer money to provide medical care to undocumented immigrants. But the other Republican campaigns let this slide, too.
I also thought the GOP field would pounce immediately on revelations that Romney’s policy team advised the Obama White House on how best to shape “Obamacare.” But, again, the other Republican campaigns said nothing.
I thought Romney would be slammed repeatedly for his support of health care mandates. And his support for gun control. And his record supporting gay rights. And his belief in climate change. And now his support for taxpayer-financed abortions. Sure, he’s flip-flopped on all of these issues and more, and has become something of a far-right extremist, but at one time, Romney was practically a liberal — a detail that might matter to some Republican primary voters.
And yet, with fewer than eight weeks to go before the Iowa caucuses, there are no attack ads targeting Romney airing anywhere in the country, and in last night’s debate, no one even tried to lay a glove on him.
When Rick Perry tried to point some of this out in a debate, this was the result:
As Mitt Romney responded, “Nice try.”
You will see some criticism of Romney in the debates, but nothing like what you would expect if any of the candidates were serious about winning the nomination. Rick Perry is too stupid to be effective, and the rest of the field is backing off in anticipation that Romney will be their candidate and wield considerably power within the GOP throughout next year, and maybe beyond.
So, yes, I am basically accusing the Republican field of candidates of colluding with Romney at this point rather than being actual candidates for the highest office. And, yet, even a joke candidate like Herman Cain can’t seem to blow up his campaign fast enough to make way for Mitt. Mr. Cain is ahead or tied with Romney both nationally and in most of the early primary and caucus states. The problem is that Republican voters, versus their Washington overlords, actually believe the bullshit they’re shoveled, and they don’t want a fake conservative. And they’re trying to do something about it:
Some conservative activists have already picked sides. A group of Republican strategists, bloggers and commentators this week launched a web-based anti-Romney organization called nottmittromney.com.
The website is dedicated to halting Romney’s progress by highlighting claims that he’s switched positions on such issues as abortion and gun rights, illegal immigration and the causes of climate change.
Their problem is that they can’t agree on whether to coalesce around Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain. Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul, or one of the other also-ran candidates. You can’t beat someone with no one, which is why we’re seeing some ferocious push-back on the sexual harassment accusations against Herman Cain. Cain, after all, is showing enough strength (on paper, anyway) to beat Romney. Without him, they’d have go to Newt, and we saw in the 1990’s what happens when Newt goes up against a charismatic Democratic president. It ain’t pretty.
The Republican field is laying down for Romney, and there doesn’t appear to be a damn thing the Republican base can do about it. Maybe they should find some Ross Perot to back as an independent. That would be sweet.
