Romney? Really?

Mitt Romney was accused in the news recently - I saw it in a guest editorial credited to the Concord Monitor in the Nashua Telegraph - of influencing Nevada's decision to change the date of their caucus to before the NH primary.  Actually, 'members of his staff' are accused.  The Romney campaign was allegedly contacted, and offered no comment so far.

I have heard it suggested that Romney, and the Republican leadership, would like to get the nominating process over with as soon as possible.  Some say no, because a protracted battle keeps it in the headlines, and therefore on people's minds.  This is possibly why Huckabee and McCain went down to the last gun fired in '08.  But the party leadership never liked McCain anyway, so they didn't mind hanging him out to dry a little while anyway.

I believe they are clearly behind Romney, and want very badly for him to be the last man standing.  He has consistently polled around 25%, usually between 20 and 30, since the '08 exit polls started handicapping the '12 race.  They know his real support will never be more than that, and they fear like death anyone stepping out of the pack and getting the rest on their bandwagon.  I don't honestly think they're worried about Cain, because he doesn't have the organization or experience to go the distance. 

But if Bachman, or Perry, or Santorum start to get traction, they could blow the rest of the second tier out of the water.  Anyone who coalesces the wandering 75% will run over Romney like a truck.  At one of the debates, somebody - maybe even Romney - said that anyone on the stage would make a better president than Obama.  I would take that a step further; anyone ELSE up there would make a better one than Romney.  Well, maybe not Huntsman.  He's Romney in a cheaper suit.

Let's face facts; is there anyone out there, anyone at all, who honestly believes that President Mitt Romney would actually change anything?  The Republican party leadership knows it is, and always will be, the minority party, and they believe they can best hold power by holding the ship of state on a steady course.  Just don't rock the boat.  Obamacare?  Well, yeah, it's bad, but it's there now.  Nothing we can do . . . since we're willing to do nothing.

Barack Obama has learned the harsh lesson that George W. Bush learned; the best way to make enemies in politics is do something.  That's the one thing I actually like about Obama; he's actually trying to do something.  I think he's got a long-term vision for the country and he's busy every day trying to lock it in.  Even he would rather see Mitt Romney than Bachman, Perry, Santorum, or Cain.  They would actually, probably, do something, and then he'd have to start over.

Here's what I'm seeing through the haze; Romney wins, then dithers for four years trying to please everybody and winds up pleasing nobody.  But he's the incumbent, so no Tea Party candidate can get the nomination.  They'll raise one hell of a stink and get it all over Romney, but he'll be the nominee again.  Obama comes back, gets nominated again, and goes on to his second term a la Grover Cleveland.  At this point, unless a miracle happens, it looks like Romney's got the nomination.  Then, unless unemployment somehow drops back to seven or eight percent, he's going to be President.  And we're set up for The Resurrection in '16.

I have a suggestion; if Romney gets the nomination . . . let Obama win.  Tea partiers, stay home on election day.  Prove once and for all that the Republican party cannot win without us.  I'm not saying I recommend this, but it's going to be in the back of my mind until things shake out.