Monday, August 13, 2012

Return of the Mythical Horse Race

There's been angst from liberals and conservatives with a modicum of sanity and exultation from the far right over Mittens' choice of Paul 'Sarah Palin with a Penis' Ryan as his running mate. Lots of hopeful pronouncements from the American media about how this radically shakes up the race.

This is, not to put too fine a point on it, bullshit.

Mitt Romney's speech introducing his new running mate was was his concession speech. This was Mitt Romney being told by the Grey Eminences of the GOP to write off his shot at the White House and simply provide Ryan with his entry point for the 2016 race.

But.. but.. Obama is only a few points ahead of Romney in the polls and the jobs situation in the US is still dismal (Due to Republican obstructionism but they have Fox News to blame it on Obama 24/7) so how can you say that?!?

Remember what we all learned over the last few American election cycles; the popular vote isn't what selects the President, it's the Electoral College vote.

And in the Electoral College vote polling Obama has an all but insurmountable 84 vote lead over Romney and Mittens would need to get the equivalent of multiple Royal Flush hands on election night to beat him. There is virtually no path to victory to the White House left for the Republicans.

Demographically the current old, white, mean and male GOP is a dead party walking. They've spent the last few years spitting on women and Latinos, alienating independents and watching their constituency die off and not be replaced. They are, in a word, screwed. This was about the last Presidential election that the current iteration of the Republican Party had even half a chance of winning and that chance evaporated over the last couple years as income inequality, traditionally not on the American political agenda became item number one.

Of course it isn't in the Mainstream Media's interests to admit that short of something absolutely cataclysmic and unprecedented Obama is going to romp to a huge victory on election day so expect the drama to continue, just don't make the mistake of thinking its based on reality.

Democrats and commentators should use this mythical horse race meme over the next several months to argue that a defeat of Romney/Ryan in November is an ultimate and decisive repudiation of the Republican agenda. 

And then act like it when it happens.

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