The Coming GOP Fratricide?
Reason contributor Terry Michael conjures the ghosts of 1964 and warns about the coming GOP fratricide:
The bitterness with which Mr. Obama is bludgeoned reflects a tunnel vision that shouts the third reason Republicans are in danger of blowing a serious chance: They're losing touch with the sensible center—independents and leaners watching the spectacle from the sidelines.
When Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Santorum assert that only they are conservative enough to provide a winning contrast to Mr. Obama, both reflect willful ignorance of how you must campaign for November, focusing on persuadables. Possibly learning from his own fruitless pandering to social conservatives in 2008, Mr. Romney uses language that addresses independents as well as his own right flank. (On a libertarian mission, Ron Paul is fighting for a philosophy, not a nomination.)
Meanwhile, as the Republican cage-fight continues, Mr. Obama recently paid a YouTube-winning happy 90th birthday tribute to Betty White and performed a brief but crowd-pleasing rendition of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together"—something the four warring wings of the Republican Party might want to consider.
Michael, an open "libertarian Democrat," wrote about why a former DNC press secretary is considering voting for Romney. Check that out here.
