Be Nice to Romney -- At Least for Now!

Willard "Mitt" Romney is just returning from what many regard as a calamitous trip to Europe. He gratuitously insulted the Brits, he pandered to the Israelis, and in Poland, his handlers told reporters to "Kiss my ass!" Over the course of his campaign, his tendency toward mendacity has been well-documented. Willard seemingly lies whenever he opens his mouth. And most charitably, many of his statements are simply regarded as flip-flops. Who can forget his vow in 2004 that, on the subject of gay rights, he would run to the left of Ted Kennedy? And let's not even get into the subject of tax returns ... What I'm suggesting is that Willard Romney is perhaps the weakest candidate that the Republican party could have conceivably chosen, and that this view is held by many Republicans, as well. I would also observe that the Republican National Convention has not yet convened. Is it possible that Republicans might come to their senses before the Convention and reconsider their choice? It's certainly likely that more gaffes will continue to occur. Willard has not yet names his running mate; a choice that is fraught with peril. Will he choose Creationist Bobby Jindal? Or misogynist Robert McDonnell? If he's worried that Pennsylvania's or Florida's Jim Crow laws will not be enough for him to carry those states will he turn to Rick Santorum or Rick Scott? Even if he selects a relative moderate like Jon Huntsman he risks enraging the Lunatic Fringe that has seemingly overtaken the Republican leadership. In short, there's plenty of time between now and the Republican Convention for Romney to make a fatal error. And there is no shortage of Republican wannabe candidates who would gladly step on Willard's corpse to get to the nomination. SO ... when Democrats correctly point out Romney's many failings, we may be inadvertently encouraging Republicans to replace him at the top of their ticket. Not that other prospective candidates might not be equally amusing (or terrifying, depending on your perspective), but aren't we better off dealing with the Devil we know?