James Zogby, HuffPo: GOP Primary: A Fratricidal Embarrassment

[highplainsdem]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-zogby/gop-primary-a-fratricidal_b_1220779.html

I am writing this from Dubai one day before South Carolina voters go to the polls. While it might have been nice had I been able to wait until late Saturday night when the votes were counted, with deadlines being deadlines, I must write now. In a way, though, it doesn't matter, since the particular observations I want to make aren't dependent on the outcome.

It makes no difference whether Republican voters decide to give former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich's presidential aspirations a last minute boost or decide to end the party's agony and give former Governor Mitt Romney a decisive win, that might help him clinch the nomination. It makes no difference, because the story of this Republican primary contest has already been written. In short, it has been more of a fratricidal embarrassment than an election. And, in the process, real damage has been done both to the Republican Party and to the country.

It was clear from the beginning that the Tea Party and the religious right would cannibalize the GOP. But watching it play out has been ugly. Their first victims were the more solid and experienced "should've run" Republican governors who chose not to enter the race. Next in line were the "never should've run" half-baked candidates who were each, for a short time, catapulted into the lead of this lack-luster field only to be humiliated and forced to drop out when it became clear that they "were not ready for prime time."

-snip-

One final observation that I must make is how hurtful this primary has been to America. From my vantage point here in the UAE (where I am teaching a short three week course at New York University's Abu Dhabi campus), each of the GOP debates and the rather bizarre story lines that have shaped this campaign, have made the race for the presidency look more like a clown show than a serious contest to determine who will lead the mightiest nation on earth. Their marriages, their money, their irresponsible hawkishness, and Islamophobia, and what appears to be their willingness to say almost anything, no matter how outrageous, in order to court favor with the hardest of their party's hardliners -- has resulted in producing a long-running embarrassment that, unfortunately, the whole world is watching.

-snip-

[Happyhippychick]

1. I agree that it has done damage to the GOP. I DISAGREE that it has damaged the country, quite the

contrary. I think the GOP, acting like the GOP in front of tv cameras, is doing the country a huge favor. Better that their antics are caught on tape and witnessed rather than taking place behind closed doors.

[Quantess]

2. He might mean that it's been embarrassing for the USA internationally

and with that I agree. The rest of the world does get news about the republican primaries, debates, etc, and it reflects poorly on us.

But I agree with you that it's good that we get all of this out in the open, for our own sakes.

[EFerrari]

3. James Zogby is brilliant. He has his own show on LinkTV over the weekend

but I can never figure out the schedule.

[highplainsdem]

4. kick