Looking Forward to The Primaries? I am.
by digby
I never thought I'd say that, but this sounds like a lot of fun to me:
Mitt Romney is the godfather of what Republican critics call Obamacare. Newt Gingrich is an adulterer on his third marriage. Tim Pawlenty is too green - environmentally, that is.
Jon Huntsman worked for President Barack Obama. And Haley Barbour has come off as dismissive of racial segregation.
Is any potential Republican presidential nominee without vulnerabilities that could alienate voters, especially those in the GOP primaries, and provide ready-made attacks for opponents?
Not in this crop.
The 2012 Republican field is deeply flawed, lacking a serious GOP contender without a personal misstep or policy move that angers the party base. Each of those weighing bids has at least one issue that looms as an obstacle to White House ambitions, and that could derail the candidate if not handled with care.
That explains why the would-be candidates are trying to confront their troubles early on, just as the nomination fight gets under way. They'll have to answer for black marks on their records - and insulate themselves from criticism - repeatedly between now and early next year when voters cast the first caucus ballot.
Their aides are trying to figure out how to weather the attacks likely to show up in mailings, online or in television ads; responses are likely to be included in media interviews, debate appearances and, perhaps, even in major speeches. Aides also are studying - and testing - the best ways to exploit their opponents' weaknesses. Already, Internet sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are magnifying their woes, and every embarrassing document, speech or utterance is certain to appear online.
The article goes on to outline all the ways in which all the presumed candidates are vulnerable and it's pretty clear that the problem is less them than the GOP base. They are demanding General Jesus Christ.
It's going to be the best primary campaign evah.