Some conservatives pundits have joked that Mitt should bow out for a Romney/Rubio ticket. Recently, those suggestions have taken on a more realistic tone.

Mitch Daniels should have been the candidate.

That should read "bow out for a RYAN/Rubio ticket."

Would that be Ryan/Rubio? Like Obama/Clinton? Whatever...

I think Peggy is on to something.

But I also think much of this is inside baseball.

And obvious. Mitt was never going to get many votes from certain groups. Neither is Obama.

CNN has another intestine take.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/19/opinion/stanley-romney-chances/

A long way till November, er December, when the EC elects, or the House selects.

Several Republican friends are openly complaining in the same way about how Mitt's practically taken a dive on this election, and they tell me this because they know I'm a lifelong Democrat who doesn't automatically reject what they have to say. In this case, I definitely commiscerate with them, and I tell them "And now you know how we Democrats felt about Kerry, and Gore, and Dukakis, and Mondale, and McGovern..." They aren't happy, but at least they know I'm not mocking them.

Starting?

I'm with Mag on "Starting?" But I never think of Peggy Noonan's columns as "screeds." For two or three months now she has been writing as if she were trying to telegraph free advice through to Team Romney. Her increasing desperation shows with her naming of a key operative name.

They've run a terrible campaign, all of them, to the top.

I've been saying for a week now that Romney's running a "Producers" campaign, ala the old Mel Brooks money. 1. Raise hundreds of millions for your campaign. 2. Drive campaign into the ground, writing off swing states every other day.
3. Take leftover campaign cash for sunny trip to the Caymans.

Paul Ryan will either be elected Vice President in 2012 or President in 2016.

My theory still holding: Romney is a stooge to make sure Obama gets reelected.

OR

Romney knows he is going to win by either an October Surprise or outright vote fraud.

Great article. There are more and more sensible, moderate Republicans who are speaking out on the insanity that is going on in their party. If they could flush the Tea Party Right out and bring back more intelligent, thoughtful conservatives it would be a step in the right direction. I hoped after the debacle in 2008 they would. But Mitt decided to do a McCain and pander to the people who have no where else to go. Instead of tacking to the center and working with people across all party lines. Then he imploded. Horrible judgment on Ryan. Idiot remarks.Not every democrat is on welfare and not every republican is a gun toting bigot. But you would not know that by listening to the media.

My theory still holding: Romney is a stooge to make sure Obama gets reelected.

You know, I just heard related but wild theory from someone just the other day, namely that there are no partisan politics stalling the government, that it's a big show to accomplish... hold on... exactly nothing except more quiet giveaways to the handful of big corporations that have taken control of the entire federal government at the highest levels, that Obama was the chosen "front man" for the scam, and Romney is the current chosen "fall guy" to make sure Obama stays in ofice another 4 years while another plan gets worked out for the following two terms.

Tin-foil hat time.

Mr. Grumpy, might I share an appropriate comment from a fellow Texan?

http://youtu.be/KJPwM8nehkQ

I'm not conspiratorially minded as a rule, but lately I have been getting the sense that the tip-top financial elite has decided, albeit with some reluctance, that Obama/Biden are a safer bet to maintain a semblance of social stability (essential for continued wealth accumulation) than Romney/Ryan. As a Democrat I'm not used to seeing them on my side - despite frequent Republican rhetoric to the contrary, they hardly ever are - but I think that enough of them have grasped that Ryan in particular is just a bridge too far.

Semi - I think if Romney/Ryan could push through their budget plan, the protests would make OWS look tamer than Tea Party grammas with walkers. The financial elite need the illusion of stability to continue to rob this country blind.

"They’re jockeys who rode Seabiscuit and thought they won a race."

Pure poetry there.