Singing the Florida Blues

Oh, how we mourn this evening, under the shadow of the congealing mass of the Romney campaign solidified in a cocoon of PAC money, the corpse of the GOP and, tearfully, the pulverized body of Newt Gingrich.

$15 Million in negative ads buys 50% of the vote in Florida.

Get ready because it is only going to get worse.

I am no particular fan of Newt Gingrich.  Newt's GOP tried to impeach Clinton for lying after he was dragged in on trumped up charges in a witch hunt conducted by Ken Starr (animated pre-cursor of Big Dick Cheney).  Thus making impeachment a farce, just when our next President would drag us into a costly war under false pretenses.  But watching the GOP establishment jump and stomp on Newt Gingrich in order to bring forth the more "electable" Romney makes me deeply sad in the way it reflects on the soul of the GOP.  The Contract with America was political genius.  That wave in 1994 made the Republicans what they are, good and bad, as much as Reagan ever has.  It was energy and crazy up and down.  Newt's 1994, Libertarian anti-tax / anti-government insanity, talk radio, and some made up saint Reagan (who's record is selectively edited to support whatever the current conservative agenda might be) are the seeds of the Tea Party.

Yes - I know Newt's not fully in the room - be it Moon bases (which would be great if we could afford it) or shutting down the federal government in a hissy fit or using more hyperbole than a used car salesman, but he is was in the pantheon of GOP history in starting in the 80s.

That is, until Romney got real afraid that he might not get his shiny new Presidency, and used $15 Million to obliterate Gingrich.

It was so unnecessary, Romney is going to win in the end, so why?

The Tea Party, the religious vote, and the Ron Paul pseudo-Libertarians will all vote for Romney next fall.  Unlike the extreme left, which helped elect Bush in 2000 by giving electoral blow jobs to Ralph Nader, the extreme right will fall into line.

Again, so why?

So Mitt can buy the shiny new Presidency toy, because his Daddy was rich, and he has made lots of money, so he deserves it.

If Romney wins he'll be a better President that George W. Bush, but not as good as Bush I.  But he'll be 10x as insufferable as W.

At least Newt speaks his mind instead of spewing forth some carefully prepared pablum he thinks the "base" wants.  Romney "grew" more conservative with time because the wind blew that way.

So Good Bye Newt.  I hope it isn't permanent.  You deserve better - even though you would be a disaster.

Even if I have to agree with Sarah Palin to say it.