As I was driving home from work yesterday, I listened for a bit to Hannity on the radio, and he had as a guest former Clinton strategist and now hired gun Dick Morris. I like Dick Morris. He seems a little bit sleazy, but that doesn't mean he isn't smart. And his analysis of the Republican field was spot on.
The interview came shortly after a very fiery Newt Gingrich was Hannity's guest. Newt made it clear that he's taking off the gloves, and that he's going to come at Romney with guns blazing. Morris doesn't like that strategy, and he believes it will pretty much hand the nomination to Romney--here's why.
Morris believes Gingrich is the only guy in the field who can challenge Romney. He believes that Santorum's surge in Iowa was less a factor of his hard work/99 county strategy and more a reflection of Iowa voters having been through everyone else already--Santorum was the last man standing. By going at Romney--Gingrich essentially is doing the same thing Santorum will do--and they will split the "anti-Romney/non-Paul" vote--leaving Romney sitting pretty, fat and happy on top.
Morris believes Gingrich's strategic play is to go at Santorum--to get him out of the game, unify the anti-Romney vote and then make a real run at Romney. Put another way, Newt's emotional snit is causing him to focus on the wrong guy. I think Morris has this right.
I agree, going after Romney is probably a loser but it's all good for your boy. All of the flip flopping, all the bullshit moderate talk, all the kissing up to Massassassachuessettessettes liberals just might inoculate Mr. Romney during the general election. And if we're real lucky it might even piss him off enough and he actually grows a set of gonads.
ReplyDeleteI caught those segments too, though I had to turn it off for a while because I couldn't stand listening to Newt for more than a few minutes. He has just become completely unhinged. I agree with Morris that the strategy is poor, but no matter who Newt's target is, at this point Newt's anger is going to hurt only Newt.
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