sully finally starts to notice romney's "mormon problem"

Writing today:

I am a little [puzzled by elite dissatisfaction with Romney] as well. He's been the best debater and the best campaigner so far. He has executive experience. He's from a blue state. He ran last time. He's got the money. Could it be they worry that Mormonism really could depress the Christianist base a little? Or that Romey would be so weak a president vis-a-vis his party he couldn't truly govern effectively? Since the GOP elites seem to have stopped caring about government a long time ago, I suspect it's the sectarian prejudice that's gnawing at them. Hey: feed the tiger and you have to ride it. A political party not based on religious dogma would not have this problem.

You heard it here first.

base: how low can you go?

Three weeks, three Republican debates, three disgusting outbursts from the audience.

They've cheered executing the innocent and letting the uninsured die. Now they are booing a soldier in Iraq.

Every time this happens, apologists try to parse it. It was just one person. But nobody on the stage saw fit to condemn it.

If this is "real America", then seriously, fuck America.

reality check

Beyond the speechifying and debates, the pundits and the polls, it's really good to remember that the only thing that really matters in a presidential election is the number 270.

Fair or not, the election is in the hands of less than 1/5th of the states. Here in the Evergreen State, it's all academic. Pass the popcorn.

(Map by Larry Sabato, via Sully)

There is nothing quite like a pro-life audience cheering for death.

larry flynt, please call your office...

"I can assure you that there is nothing in my life that will embarrass you if you decide to support me for president."

--TX Gov. Rick Perry, speaking to a group of evangelical voters last weekend.

If that doesn't sound like a challenge, I don't know what would.