Don't think that all is well in GOPer land. The Weekly Standard has an article by Bloody Bill William Kristol that almost sounds like it could be written by a Kosak. Here's the first couple graphs:
THE WEEKLY STANDARD’s official reaction to last night’s Republican presidential debate: Yikes.
Reading the reactions of thoughtful commentators after the stage emptied, talking with conservative policy types and GOP political operatives later last evening and this morning, we know we’re not alone. Most won’t express publicly just how horrified—or at least how demoralized—they are. After all, they still want to beat Obama—as do we. And they want to get along with the possible nominee and the other candidates and their supporters. They don’t want to rock the boat too much. But maybe the GOP presidential boat needs rocking.
The e-mails flooding into our inbox during the evening were less guarded. Early on, we received this missive from a bright young conservative: “I'm watching my first GOP debate...and WE SOUND LIKE CRAZY PEOPLE!!!!” As the evening went on, the craziness receded, and the demoralized comments we received stressed the mediocrity of the field rather than its wackiness. As one more experienced, and therefore more jaded, observer wrote: “I just thought maybe it’s always this bad...they’re only marginally worse than McCain and Bush.”
Well, at least someone's watching. [insert the orange squiggly of schadenfreude here]
You should go read the rest of the article. Generally, it makes these points:
1. These guys suck.
2. Some suck worse than others.
3. They're barely Bush-lite.
4. Seriously, is this the best we can do? Gag!
Rick Perry's performance was "was close to a disqualifying."
Romney is a "technocratic management consultant whose one term as governor produced Romneycare."
In the end, he pines for the intellectual heft of Mitch Daniel, Paul Ryan and (as it sounds) his main squeeze: Chris Christie.
A third e-mailer Thursday evening, watching the debate, was reminded of Yeats’s “The Second Coming:”
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
There’s some truth to that. But I can’t help wondering if, in the same poem, Yeats didn’t suggest the remedy:
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
Sounds like Chris Christie.
Yeah. Yeah, Kris. It does sound like that [snicker]. Da peeps just luvs them some Chris Christie. What are you down to now...Plan Z?
Note to Republican Party: PLEASE follow Kristol's advice. After all, he was right about a) WMD in Iraq, and b) that Sarah Palin would be a peachy VP pick!!! I'd go with Kristol on this and do a complete reboot.
Discuss.