Mitt Did Us a Favor

From “Paul Ryan’s disappearing act,” Jonathan Martin, Politico:

“Last year’s It Boy of the graying Republican Party has been bigfooted by the GOP’s new twin heartthrobs, Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Rand Paul of Kentucky.

“Ryan is actually hurt by having been on the ticket last year.  Many Republican activists had heard of the smart young Wisconsin conservative but not actually seen him up close.  And when they did, well, it didn’t send their pulses racing.

“‘He fell flat out here,” said Sam Clovis, a conservative talk radio show host in northwest Iowa.  ‘He just didn’t measure up to the hype.'”

Just as McCain showed us that Sarah Palin is empty-headed, Mitt showed us that Paul Ryan is empty-hearted.  Ryan had his moment, and he won’t be president.

As for Rubio, he’s very slick, but not very bright.  All he really has going for him is that he is Cuban-American, but the GOP will figure out that Cuba-Americans don’t identify with other Hispanics and, more importantly, vice versa.

Rand Paul may be less weird than his father, but he’s still way too weird to be president.

Jeb Bush has that fatal last name, Scott Walker is arrogant and dumb, John Kasich is arrogant and obnoxious, Bobby Jindal is simply goofy…  I’d go with Christie.  Sure he’s over-the-top Jersey to GOP Southerners, but what are they going to do, vote for Hillary?   He‘d keep red states, swing purple states, and put blue states in play.

Arrogant Over-Reach of Walker and Kasich Doom Mitt

You reap what you sow.  GOP Governors Scott Walker and John Kasich went too far, and now Mitt won’t be able to go far enough tomorrow.

Here’s Evan McMorris-Santoro at Talking Points Memo:

“The fights picked with organized labor by the Republican governors of Wisconsin and Ohio are coming back to haunt Mitt Romney in the final days of the presidential race, unions say.

“Labor groups say their internal polling shows labor support for President Obama in the all-important battleground state of Ohio and the electoral vote cash cow of Wisconsin is as high or higher than it was in 2008. They attribute the numbers to residual fallout from the 2011 SB5 collective bargaining fight in Ohio and the Wisconsin battle between labor unions and Gov. Scott Walker.

“The biggest effect may be in Ohio, where Democrats and labor beat back SB 5 at the ballot box following the anti-collective bargaining law’s passage by the Republican-controlled state legislature and Gov. John Kasich.”

Kasich and Walker really behaved like petty tyrants.  I can’t wait to see their lost swagger and chastened punims tomorrow night.

In Ohio, None of the Above

From “For President and Romney, Ohio Hurdles,” Sabrina Tavernise and Jeff Zeleny, NYT:

“The battle for Ohio is on, but for many voters here choosing between President Obama and Mitt Romney is like trying decide between liver and brussels sprouts — a selection they would rather not have to make.

“But putting together a winning strategy in Ohio will be a mighty challenge for both men, given that more than half of the state’s electorate…is white and working class, a group that both Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney have had a particularly hard time connecting with.

“Many have not felt the effects of the modest recovery that has lifted the economy here in recent months, leaving them unenthusiastic about the president.  At the same time, Mr. Romney is seen as awkward, unsympathetic and distant, a fundamentally uninspiring alternative.”

I predict President Obama will win Ohio again, maybe not by the four percent he did last time, but a .4 margin would still give him those 18 electoral votes.  I think the unpopularity of Gov. Kasich, an arrogant, obnoxious over-reacher, helps the President and hurts Mitt by association.

I’m glad the author referenced liver and brussels sprouts to capture the unappealing choice.  After the Supreme Court arguments on Obamacare, we really need to give the broccoli growers a break.