The Long, Stupid Defeat Of Willard Romney, Part 2

Via John Cole, ABC's Jonathan Karl discovers the entire problem with the GOP, and that is what the party leadership will do if Mittens can't win Michigan ten days from now.

A prominent Republican senator just told me that if Romney can’t win in Michigan, the Republican Party needs to go back to the drawing board and convince somebody new to get into the race.

“If Romney cannot win Michigan, we need a new candidate,” said the senator, who has not endorsed anyone and requested anonymity.

The senator believes Romney will ultimately win in Michigan but says he will publicly call for the party to find a new candidate if he does not.

The mystery GOP senator goes on to say that Santorum and Gingrich would lose 35 states to President Obama, and that the person the party needs to turn to...is Jeb Bush.

To recap, the Big Idea to save the party is talking the bother of the man who destroyed the economy into running as their party's savior.

The train wreck is fascinating.  Epochal, if you will.  Cole's right though.  They're terrified of Santorum as the nominee.  They know it will mean a generation of wilderness for them.  If Santorum wins Michigan and does as well as I think he might on Super Tuesday, the Conserva-schism I've been predicting for two years will rip the party in half.  Over the river in Ohio, Attorney General Mike DeWine switched his endorsement from Romney to Santorum this week, completely throwing the Romney camp for a loop.  They had no clue it was coming.

"To be elected president you have to do more than tear down your opponent. You have to give the American people a reason, a reason to vote for you," DeWine said. "Rick Santorum has done that. Sadly, Governor Romney has not."

DeWine was originally a Tim Pawlenty supporter, but Pawlenty dropped out of the race last summer and DeWine later endorsed Romney.

The damage could be so bad, the Democrats might actually take the whole ball of wax.  If Mitt survives this, he'll be so weakened and so far to the right he'll never recover.  If Santorum wins this, the GOP may implode in November.  And if Jeb Bush enters the picture after Super Tuesday, the GOP leadership's credibility will be totally shot with their base.  It'll be a bloodbath.

This is starting to look better and better for the Dems daily.