GOP Insiders Preparing for Obama Win?

The Fiscal Times ^ | 2/3/12 | BRUCE BARTLETT

[Nachum]

Just before the Florida primary on Tuesday, a wag predicted that it would be won either by the guy everyone hates or the guy no one likes. It was an easy prediction because the election was guaranteed to be won either by Newt Gingrich or Mitt Romney. However, although Romney won a crushing victory over Gingrich, whose victory in South Carolina boosted his campaign enormously, it did not erase doubts about his viability as the GOP standard-bearer this fall.

This is not to say that anyone really believes that Gingrich would run better against Barack Obama in the general election than Romney. Exit polls made clear that electability was a key factor in Romney’s victory. Most political professionals think Gingrich would lose so badly to Obama that he would endanger Republicans all the way down the ticket. That’s why what is left of the Republican establishment has gone all-in for Romney.

However, while almost all Republicans believe that Obama is easily beatable and many believe that any Republican can beat him, political pros are more sanguine. Among the factors:

Incumbent presidents are always hard to beat. The trappings of the presidency go a long way. Also, Obama will be very well financed and has the luxury of husbanding his money while Republicans deplete their contributors’ pockets trying to defeat each other. Republicans are doing a lot of Obama’s dirty work for him. Gingrich’s attacks on Romney’s work at Bain Capital, where he made a vast fortune by downsizing businesses and outsourcing jobs, will be echoed by Democrats through the general election campaign.

[bgill]

Either the GOP insiders have 1) given up already, 2) are RINOs to the core, or 3) are supporting Soros’ destruction of the US.

[butterdezillion]

If that’s really that the GOP-e thinks, what planet are they living on, anyway?

I am so sick of idiots being our leaders.

[GoCards]

I knew this was coming. pussies.... Can I say that?

[TSgt]

Yeah well it's hard to be confident when this is your candidate.

[Shadow44]

The Quisling wing of the GOP is always ready to be the puppet opposition of the Dems.

[Old Sarge]

I pick both 2 and 3...

[snowrip]

GOP insiders are predicting an Obama win either way: Obama is the best hope the Marxists have for implementing their agenda, and Wrongney is the second-best.

[Obadiah]

Or,

4) All of the Above

[Sybeck1]

Got to give Willard his turn on the merry-go-round, you know.

[Maceman]

This is not to say that anyone really believes that Gingrich would run better against Barack Obama in the general election than Romney.

Excuse me? I think Gingrich would run a great campaign against Obama, and I think in a full-blown one-on-one general election, a lot Gingrich's negatives will evaporate.

What's more, I think that Gingrich will inspire higher Republican turnout.

[Sprite518]

Now you know why they wanted Romney. Until people wake up our Republic will continue to drift to the left.

[TADSLOS]

The GOP conceding to Obama. Whatever it takes to stay in the power mix of D. C. The GOP will kiss Obama’s ring with bended knee to stay in the club of influence peddling.

[ScottinVA]

It’s been fairly evident for awhile now the establishment types aren’t pushing for a victory over Obama. They’re hoping, by fielding Romney in the general election, they’ll avoid pissing off too many of the sainted moderates and indies so as not to lose the House and maybe eke out a tiny majority in the Senate.

Maybe I’m just old-fashioned, but I still subscribe to the notion that being on OFFENSE is what brings victory, not playing to lose gracefully.

So... since the establishment Repubs are conceding the election already to Obama, I’m doing a 180 on the third-party option. If they don’t have it in their spine to win, why should I support such a piss-poor strategy as planned defeat?

So... Allen West, Sarah Palin, Rand (NOT Ron) Paul and other strong conservatives.... if you’re out there and entertaining any notion of breaking with an already broken GOP and running as an indie... you’ll have my vote! I think Allen West and Rand Paul would be a great ticket, myself. At least, could we make it interesting???

I’ve had it with the chicken-sh*t GOP Rockefeller types. And for the record, it wasn’t me who left that party... the party left me.

[ZX12R]

One commonly-heard scenario is that the party’s right wing will blame the party establishment for forcing Romney upon them, a moderate Democrat-in-disguise who so dispirited Republican activists that they just stayed home on Election Day, handing Obama an easy victory. The activists will resolve to work even harder to nominate a “real conservative” in 2016. Alternatively, what’s left of the establishment may conclude that it erred by not uniting behind a candidate more in sync with the party’s conservatives

[ScottinVA]

GOP quislings. No guts, no glory.

[tophat9000]

It like watching the WWF..who wins loses is set in the back room before they start..then they split the rubes money after

[ilgipper]

I don’t agree with this huge advantage for sitting Presidents. We have not had three presidents in a row re-elected since the founders. Jefferson, Madison and Monroe.

If things stink...and right now, they stink....most Presidents do not get a second term. Carter, Ford, Bush41, etc, etc.

It is amazing how when a Democrat is in office, the President just naturally is supposed to be reelected, but the same people always think a Republican will get beat at their reelection.

[mo]

The GOP would rather see Obama than Gingrich... anyday-

[Christie at the beach]

I hope Palin reconsiders and joins with Newt.

I know her family is important but she always has said she would wait to see if we got the right candidate. Well, we are definitely being forced with the wrong person as the nominee. Even if she doesn't want the VP slot, she can endorse, leave Fox, and get the message out. Our country is burning and we are about to give the green light to a liberal republican/democrat.