In the mid-90s cult hit "Swingers", protagonist Mikey heads out to Vegas with playboy buddy Trent for a night of debauchery, starting with the blackjack tables. Trying their best to look like whales, Mikey changes out $300 at a table...not realizing it's at $100 minimum. When the cards are dealt, he gets 11...and Trent urges him to double down, because you always double down on 11. Mikey is unsure, because $200 is "blood money". He doubles down, loses, and ends up at the low stakes table with the rest of the dregs:
Doubling down is playing out in our Presidential campaign, except this time, Mitt Romney is playing the Mikey role, and Trent is Paul Ryan, the Tea Party, movement conservatives, etc., urging Mitt to push all his chips to the center.
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