I share Peter’s frustration/despair. With Cain’s impending implosion, I’m not looking forward to a month remembering all the reasons why a surging Gingrich shouldn’t be the Republican nominee. But I’m trying to look on the bright side:
1. If we define a serious presidential candidate as one who combines personal decency with reasonable knowledge of public policy, the percentage of serious candidates at tonight’s debate will be higher than zero. If we define serious as someone who combines personal decency with reasonable knowledge of public policy, firm principles, and the skills to be elected and then enact a reform agenda, then not so much.
2. It is still the silly season. This season has strarted earlier and lasted longer (climate change?) than anyone hoped. It has been bizarre beyond imagination. Who knew the Trump thing wouldn’t be the weirdest turn? But nobody has cast a vote that matters. As deplorable as some of the Republican candidates are, they haven’t won anything. Remember that Democratic presidential fields have included a guy who yelled “Viva Fidel [Castro]!” and who called New York “hymietown.” They have included an ambulance chasing narcissist turned senatorial nonentity. Those guys actually won primaries.
3. Maybe Perry shows improvement starting tonight. Maybe, after an initial Gingrich surge, Santorum becomes the non-Romney. Santorum isn’t running as any sort of scam. You don’t have to agree with every part of his smaller domestic government spending, socially conservative, hawkish agenda to notice that he is standing by his principles and he is serious about turning them into policy.
4. Well . . . I got nothing else.
5. Debate notes tomorrow or Friday.
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