[GBA]

It's curious that he did so poorly.

It's not like he didn't want the job or that his ego didn't or that he didn't think he was up to it or that his ego didn't think so.

True, he wasn't a strong candidate and it's possible his faith got in the way of some voters and obama's skin color in the way of others, but the do or die, life or death sort of hard ball syndicates play makes me wonder if there wasn't some threat that made him lose enthusiasm.

John Clemens "Jack" Ryan knows something about that.

Another possibility is the GOPe is merely playing the part of the opposition and they win when they lose as much as when they actually win.

Whatever the reason, just like Crash McCain during his presidential campaign, Romney wasn't there for his personal race of a lifetime, either.

And I can't get the psychological math to check. Maybe my abacus needs new batteries, but Romney needs to retire.

[stephenjohnbanker]

” Another possibility is the GOPe is merely playing the part of the opposition and they win when they lose as much as when they actually win. “

Possibility? Try an ontological certainty.

[OneWingedShark]

Another possibility is the GOPe is merely playing the part of the opposition and they win when they lose as much as when they actually win.

This is, I think, the explanation that most fits the facts.
Even the highly incompetent, backed by some enthusiasm, would have gotten something done with all the items that've come to light — Fast & Furious, Benghazi, the IRS's political targeting, the NSA's domestic spying, the high unpopularity of Obamacare, etc — coupled with the open hostility of the Tea Party candidates, it shows that what they say and their true goals are utterly different.

That they are really aligned with the socialist/statist ideologies, and therefore have no interest in reducing or repudiating the power of the government, is the theory of best fit.