Re: GOP/White House disowning McGrumpy & Winky Mooselini [View All]

What's going on here?

George Will, David Brooks, David Gergen, Ed Rollins, Kathleen Parker, David Frum, John Weaver, Christopher Buckley, Karl Rove, Stephen Foley, Tommy Thompson, Lincoln Chaffee, Fergus Cullen, Michelle Laxalt, Ray LaHood, Andrew Sullivan, Gov Milliken, etc.

All of these conservatives have openly criticized Mccain in the last week or two. Brooks said Palin represents a fatal cancer to the Party (anti-intellectualism). Meanwhile, William Kristol allegedly was behind the push for Palin in the first place, and yet he just called on Mccain to "fire his campaign" on Monday. For a Party whose signature is to circle the wagons and never to break ranks during elections, this is astounding.

They are "Monday Morning Quarterbacking" 3 weeks ahead of the game.

This is much more than "backlash" from the GOP towards Mccain & Palin's recent campaign behavior. As we know, many Republicans are campaigning with "independent" in their ads, not marketing themselves as Republican. In at least one case, a Republican has latched onto Obama saying to vote for both of them.

Something else is happening...

In the last few days, we've seen a couple cases of hints that the White House itself doesn't like Palin.

Kathleen Parker has not only been dissing the Sarah Palin pick, but she's been actively announcing that she's received EMAILS from White House officials saying they feel the same way. This isn't an accident. Watch her on http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=187637">Monday's Colbert Report joking about this. This isn't a lone soldier, folks. She's just putting a face on something bigger. Yesterday, Huffington noticed that Bush strategist Matthew Dowd was http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/14/bush-strategist-mccain-kn_n_134570.html">saying similar stuff. Do we believe in coincidences?

http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=187637
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/14/bush-strategist-mccain-kn_n_134570.html

The message is crystal clear.

Not only are moderates engaging in total mutiny and positioning themselves for post-election "i told you so" warfare with the social conservatives. It looks like party insiders are picking up a similar narrative: "McCain was forced to pick Palin without vetting her." Hang the scapegoats.

Tonight is the last debate.

Tomorrow will start the massive 2 week wave of endorsements and final positioning. If Mccain cannot mark out a path for success tonight, the RNC and GOP are going to start cutting their losses. The seeds are already being planted. Within a week, don't be surprised if Fox themselves are pushing stories about hanging Palin from a tree for being questionable and pushing how Mccain was irresponsible for not vetting her.

The GOP is much better served on Nov 5 by directing outrage at Mccain/Palin, than at the evil democrats & ACORN. If they are facing an undeniable backlash and landslide among the population, they have to save face. They have to begin putting their house in order for 2010 and 2012. One side will push for reinventing the GOP as a more moderate, anti-populist intellectual movement. Another side will simply say Mccain was incompetent and a bad conservative. Both sides will be served by turning on Mccain.

Rove wanted Romney, instead of Palin. Others wanted Lieberman, Tom Ridge or another moderate. They will all hang Palin.

Bet on it.