Talking heads have been pointing out that, if Santorum wins the nomination and runs in the general as the whacky, extreme candidate he is, this is good for the GOP in the end, as the wingnuts can be exposed for their extremism, disinfranchised and banished again from the party as happened 50 years ago (it's basically the same John Bircher redux)
If Romney wins the nomination, the wingnuts will stay around, blaming Romney's electoral loss to Obama upon Romney being too moderate, thus empowering them to try for an even more extreme conservative, and ruin the party in 2016, too.
So some are postulating that the GOP would prefer Santorum just take it, give up this electoral cycle, and come back strong with a Jeb Bush in 2016. And the more extreme wingnuts gone.
Paul Ryan, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, and Mitch Daniels have all, so far, refused to jump in at the GOP convention, and ruin their brand for their future presidential aspirations.
Interesting take. It is true that Nixon and Reagan would be considered RHINO by todays wingnutters. The GOP "brand" is teetering on the edge.
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"Have the clean racing people run any ads explaining that giving a horse a Starbucks and a chocolate poppyseed muffin for breakfast would likely result in a ten year suspension for the trainer?" - Dr. Andrew Roberts
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02-29-2012, 06:15 PM
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