“Romney’s Daunting Challenges” is the title of a new post on the PJ Media homepage by Jean Kaufman, whom you may also know as veteran blogress Neo-Neocon:
When the 2012 GOP presidential contenders first announced themselves it was unsettling. Who among the declared candidates had a truly realistic chance of unseating an incumbent Obama? The uncharismatic, emotionally volatile, baggage-ridden, and long-in-the-tooth Newt Gingrich? Rick Santorum, who could easily be painted as a religious fanatic out to control our lives? Rick Perry, who seemed to implode before he began? Herman Cain, who had no political experience and who turned out to have an exploitable past? Michele Bachmann, prone to gaffes and not unlike Santorum in her weaknesses?
Mitt Romney seemed the best of the available lot. But it was always clear that his road to defeating Obama would be hard (especially in the Electoral College), as it almost certainly would have been for any Republican candidate — perhaps even for the reincarnation of Ronald Reagan everyone has been looking for, and who has somehow failed to materialize. This is because any candidate in 2012 would not only have to be super-humanly squeaky-clean and gaffe-free, he/she would have to know the best way to circumvent and override the MSM’s determination to be Obama’s cheering squad by finding gaffes where none existed in the GOP nominee and boosting Obama whatever he might do.
The events of the past week and a half have brought this all home with great force and clarity. Who would have thought that the Arab street could explode with anti-American riots and violence, an ambassador could be murdered on 9/11, Obama could say Egypt was neither enemy nor ally, the U.S. embassy in Cairo could condemn a film, the Benghazi consulate could be found to have had woefully inadequate security, our UN ambassador could deny a well-coordinated attack featuring rocket-propelled grenades was pre-planned, and it would be Romney who would draw the media’s scorn for criticizing the Cairo embassy’s statement? And that the polls would not fall significantly for the man who had presided over all of this?
Could there be any better demonstration of the power of MSM propaganda and the unwillingness of so many voters to abandon Obama no matter what? Although most liberals and the left were already disappointed in him for various reasons, it doesn’t seem to matter. Like the woman who’s madly in love with the guy who neglects her but still can bring her some flowers and sweet-talk her into anything, they’re standing by their man, and any Republican candidate would have an uphill climb to overcome it.
I also recall reading the D-Word as it appeared around this time four years ago in a post by Steve Green, our friendly neighborhood Vodkapundit. Specifically in an October 3rd, 2008 post where Steve wargamed the Electoral College and concluded — rightly, as it turned out — “The word McCain fans are looking for is ‘daunting.'”
As I’ve said before, I want to believe — particularly given the multiple gaffes and disasters that President Dukakis and his current administration are wracking up, as reality re-entered their world via an angry 3:00 am phone call this past September 11th. But I’m having bad feelings that I’ve seen this movie before.
Tell me I’m wrong in the comments; I still want to believe.
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