I don't know if I can face another Enemedia debate

TONIGHT: 8pm ET on CNN Location: University of North Florida in Jacksonville, FL  Sponsor: CNN, CNN en Español, The Hispanic Leadership Network and The Republican Party of Florida Participants: Romney, Gingrich, Santorum, Paul  Live Stream

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Here's a bit of today's Morning Jolt, to keep our interest from flagging[?]:

 

.... On Wednesday, Jonah observed:

Elliot Abram's piece on Newt's attacks on Reagan is an interesting read. While it does muddy Gingrich's claims that he was sort of Reagan's junior partner, I'm not sure everyone will see it as an all-out indictment. As Josh Treviño writes on twitter: "I'll take '80s Gingrich attacking Reagan from the right over '80s, '90s, and '00s Romney attacking Reagan from the left."

But my question is, Why are we hearing this from Elliot Abrams now and not from Mitt Romney weeks ago? Seriously, Romney spends a lot of money on consultants. They couldn't prep the boss to mention a floor speech by Gingrich excoriating Ronald Reagan?

And when Romney goes off message, he needs a GPS to find his way back. Charlotte Hays is left slack-jawed:

Who on earth is advising Mitt Romney? Somebody should have stopped this:

"Romney blasts Gingrich over attack on debate moderators, news media"

Yikes!

Note to Mitt advisers: Republicans hate the news media. Got it? And that goes double for debate moderators who try to entrap conservative candidates with trick questions. Indeed, it was partly Newt's attack on these scoundrels that catapulted him into first place in South Carolina. There's absolutely no reason for Romney to say this.

 

We've had almost 20 debates, and it feels as if a hundred of them, not even counting Romney's debut on the national stage four years ago. He's had chance after chance to make his sales pitch and close the deal, and he has, so far, largely failed to do so.

On paper, this is the best environment for a Republican presidential candidate in decades:

A president who many Republicans see as the breathing embodiment of liberalism sits in the Oval Office; an energetic grassroots movement to fight back spontaneously formed in the tea parties; the 2009 races in New Jersey and Virginia, the special election in Massachusetts, and the 2010 midterms all showed that Republicans can win (and win big) almost anywhere when they tap into that passion; the president's record consists of enormously unpopular nationalized health care and a stimulus that didn't make a dent in high unemployment. Throw in scandals such as those involving Solyndra and Fast and Furious, and Obama's presidency represents the nightmare that every Republican would presumably be highly motivated to end.

If you can't get people excited in an environment like that, you can't get excited....

 

{sigh}

Comments

[yeshiva son]

Heh: http://www.theonion.com/articles/romneymania-sweeps-america,27155/

[Mannie Sherberg]

I don't remember when I've heard such a cacophony of kvetches and oy-veys as I've heard this week -- all directed at Newt. This is good. It means that the GOP establishment is scared stiff Newt will be the Republican candidate -- instead of the clone of Bush-41 that they're all praying for. For my money, any candidate that gives the GOP bigwigs conniptions is a candidate worth voting for. If the elite starts purring contentedly at the very mention of Newt's name, my heart will be broken.