The Case for Crazy: What the GOP Would Learn by Picking Rick Santorum

[cynatnite]

I’m talking about a nominee so far to the right that conservative populists get their fondest wish—and the Republican Party is forced to learn from the result. Namely, that there is such a thing as too extreme.

The dangerous groupthink delusion being pushed in conservative circles over the last few years is that ideological purity and electability are one and the same. It is an idea more rooted in faith than reason.

If Mitt Romney does finally wrestle the nomination to the ground, and then loses to Obama, conservatives will blame the loss on his alleged moderation. The right wing take-away will be to try to nominate a true ideologue in 2016.

But if someone like Rick Santorum gets the nomination in an upset, the party faithful will get to experience the adrenaline rush of going off a cliff together, like Thelma and Louise—elation followed by an electoral thud.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/16/the-case-for-crazy-what-the-gop-would-learn-by-picking-rick-santorum.html

[Demeter]

1. As if that would make any difference

It would be entertaining, but not educational.

[MarianJack]

2. I've ben saying something like this for some time.

The repubs did something like that after Goldwater (who would be considered a downright leftist by today's rethugs) in 1964,

The Dems did it after the 1972 McGovern Debacle.

The big difference is that little ricky santorum could never be the man that either McGovern is OR Goldwater was. Barry Goldwater would have the same contempt for little ricky that he had for the religeous right in general.

PEACE!

[lonestarnot]

3. Either way, sucks to be them.

[Warpy]

4. One of their coalitions with devils will break down this year, I think

If Romney gets the nod, he won't win Dixie, and the Nixon southern strategy that made the deal with the country's bigots will be dead.

If Santorum gets the nod, then the even worse Reagan coalition with the religiously insane will be destroyed.

I don't think either man will win, they've just damaged themselves too much with rational people in general and women in particular.

In any case, whoever wins will be defeated and this will lead into the race in 2016 and that will be when the real bloodbath happens.

[jillan]

5. Every election cycle they outdo themselves from the previous election....W *almost* seems normal now

but not Cheney. Cheney will never be normal - altho he has become an advocate for lgbt issues.... but still. Not normal.

Then Palin.
Then the teabaggers.
And now the 3 stooges.

How much lower can they seriously go????