Four hypotheses: 1) Republican elites are satisfied with the policies of the Obama administration; 2) Republicans are playing eleven-dimensional political chess; 3) Republicans want to avoid being blamed for a looming economic disaster; and 4) it just looks like they are throwing it - they really are as incompetent as they appear.
Discussion below the outline of the amorous arthropods.
If you had been the Republican elite, with control over how the election campaign played out, and you wanted to lose the 2012 presidential election, what would you have done differently? It looks to me like they have made nearly every possible mistake. Alienated women? Check. Alienated non-white voters? Check. Alienated young voters? Check. Alienated their own base? Check. Attacked Social Security? Check. Obstructed economic recovery for political advantage? Check.
They are getting ready to nominate former Governor Mitt Romney, but only after beating him to a pulp in the primaries. Is there a more perfect foil for President Obama's campaign team than a rich, awkward, transparently insincere, Mormon vulture capitalist? In a general election, he's toast.
So why are they doing it? By mining nuggets of wisdom from both leftblogistan and the wingnutosphere I have come up with four hypotheses:
1) Republican elites are satisfied with the policies of the Obama administration
OK, this is plausible at first blush. Trillion dollar bailouts for the banks, tax breaks for the rich, and no indictments for banksters, what's not to like? But I'm not buying it. The hatred the Republican elite harbors for our President is visceral, not rational, and no matter how much he caters to their desires they would still want him gone.
2) Republicans are playing eleven-dimensional political chess
They are biding their time, knowing they can't beat Obama even with the wind of a recession at their back, and they don't want to send the first string into the game. Better to concentrate on down-ticket races for now and wait for 2016. I'm not buying it, for the same reason as above. They hate him too much to make such a cool political calculation. Plus, their demographics get worse with every passing year, so patience isn't a virtue for them.
3) Republicans want to avoid being blamed for a looming economic disaster
This sure would make sense. If they have reason to believe things are going to get worse during the next four years then it would make sense to let the Democrats have to make the hard decisions and take the blame. I'm having trouble buying this one too. If they control one or both houses of Congress they are likely to share the blame if things go all pear-shaped.
4) It just looks like they are throwing it - they really are as incompetent as they appear.
This seems so unlikely. Republicans, even with candidates who were intellectually challenged, have kicked Democratic butt for decades. Maybe they don't always win, but they almost always give it a professional shot. They can afford the most expensive political operatives, seasoned marketing professionals, experienced polling outfits etc. They do not disdain the dirty tricks taught to them by Lee Atwater (though he repented and renounced his teachings before he died). They have the right-wing noise machine to drum their message into the gullible working class voters. It's hard for me to see how they could be blowing it so badly, unless they are trying to lose.
If anyone has another idea why they are doing everything possible to avoid winning the presidency, I would be interested in hearing it.