The whole Republican infrastructure seems hellbent on self - destruction. The anointed Romney blundered dramatically by changing his position on a foolhardy Republican Senate Amendment that would have, in effect, allowed employers to decide what medical coverage their employees could have. Pivotal to this amendment was whether contraceptive coverage for women would be included in insurance packages.
Simultaneously, the chief Republican media mouthpiece, Rush Limbaugh, released a sustained vitriolic attack on a female student that illustrated his position on contraception coverage. The Republican leadership barely responded to his diatribe. All of this adding up to the perception that the Republican thrust in this electoral cycle is on social issues - particularly contraception.
FOOLS RUSH IN
THE Republican radio mouthpiece, Rush Limbaugh, attacked a 30 year old female student, who gave evidence to a Congressional Committee. She maintained that a friend of hers had lost an ovary because the Georgetown University plan had failed to pay for her hormonal therapy - birth control pills. (Limbaugh's audience is 20 million on 600 radio stations). Limbaugh called her a slut and a prostitute. He ranted that, ".. she was having so much sex that she is going broke." In addition, he stated that if the taxpayer was to pay for her sex she should put it on the internet so this could be watched by all. He did not back down for 4 days repeating and elaborating on his bile till he finally apologized for his "choice of words". He had maintained that the issue had become an attempt by the left to shut him up.
Now nobody, who is anybody, in the Republican family attacks Rush. However, this was too bad to be true and House Speaker Boehner was forced to issue an insipid statement that the remarks were "inappropriate"! However everyone else was strangely muted on what has to be the most extreme outburst of grossly crude gutter sexism attributed to an acknowledged Republican Party or any Party standard bearer.
The responses of Romney and Santorum were banal and at best cowardly. If they really believe the trash they spoke - ".. not the words I would have used" - Romney and "... he is entertainer" -Santorum, there is really no hope. Better believe they are just cowards who are too scared to take Rush on than believe that they don't recognize that Limbaugh is a bigot that has no place in public discourse.
The student, Sandra Fluke, has become a poster child for opposition to the current Republican position on contraception and Women's Rights. Obama contacted her and has come to her defense and the Democrats have used the whole issue as a vehicle for raising money.
So Romney, once again, has missed an opportunity just to stick to his position on women's rights. In fact after reaffirming it, he one hour later changed it to the Party line. (All this recorded in back to back videos played and replayed on TV). To add to his problems he is now coupled with Limbaugh. Both of them, in sync, with the party line, thought the choice of Limbaugh's words were "inappropriate"
WHY OH WHY?
All of this begs the key question as to why the Republicans are focussing on social issues that have been dead in the water for 50 years? Every poll shows these issues to be loosers and the contraceptive debate heads the list. The only plausible explanation for this sustained lapse from sanity is they don't want to talk about anything else. They obviously prefer to focus on these issues rather than discuss their fiscal, job and tax policies. They caved in on the poll tax issue and would rather not be seen defending their position on not raising taxes for the rich. No - one in the Republican Party would rather take on Grover Norquist, to whom they pledged not to raise taxes, than defend outdated social issues.
Also the only really interested sector of the party in the Primary race are the Conservative base. Hence the frantic race to mobilize them. In the process, however, they are distancing themselves from main stream America and as the Primary Process goes on they look worse and worse.
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the primaries continue - ten of them on March 6th. Mitt has three in the bag - Virginia, Massachusetts and Vermont. Two caucuses are not really competitive as only Mitt and Paul have organization there - Idaho and N. Dakota. Three Southern States, Georgia, Tennessee and Oklahoma, where the Republicans are strongest, Romney is the weakest. He is rated without a chance. Nobody seems to recognize or care that in the States, which are regarded as the Republican base, Romney has no meaningful support.
Ohio, the midwest state, is regarded as the contest that the pundits are going to make all their prognostications on. One out of 8 people in Ohio earn their living from the motor car industry that Obama bailed out. Romney is more associated with attacking the bail out than Santorum. Only money seperated Romney and Santorum in Romney's home state of Michigan. So we are in for another nail biter in Ohio.
Whatever way you look at Super Tuesday, nothing can happen that can shorten the Republican Primary misery. The "anything but Romney" vote will still be above 50%. If Gingrich looses Georgia he may bow out and that is about it. Unless Romney wins some Southern states or Ohio is convincingly won by one or the other leading contender, there is no change. Sadly, this is not a battle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party. Romney has conceded that to the far right long ago. The battle is between two very mediocre politicians- one is so unashamedly ambitious that he will say anything to be the nominee and the other is so irrelevant and not respected that not one of his sitting Senate colleagues have endorsed him.
This is now the party of Rush Limbaugh, Grover Norquist, Donald Trump, Bill O' Reilly, Sarah Palin and the Koch Brothers. The line is, trust us - Obama sucks, is a Socialist and a disaster and the opposition wants us to pay for their fornication!
Unless something dramatic happens Romney will continue to lead but the "anything but Romney" candidates will have about 60% of the vote leaving the possibility open of a brokered Republican convention.
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