During a phoned-in appearance on Fox News Wednesday afternoon, 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney dropped a big ole’ a dirty bomb on Donald Trump. Speaking to Neil Cavuto, Romney said, without any evidence, that he has “good reason to believe that there’s a bombshell in Donald Trump’s taxes.” As someone who suffered through every moment of Romney’s feckless presidential campaign, the first thing I thought to myself was “Where the hell was this killer when we needed him most?”
Listen, I have no issue with Romney dropping a dirty bomb, especially on a Donald Trump who is the master of launching these kinds of insinuations. Politics, especially at the presidential level, is not about Marquis of Queensbury. It’s about proving your skill as a campaigner, your ability to keep the other guy on defense. The fact that you might be offended by that reality does not change that reality.
So let’s stop for a moment and applaud Romney’s skills at pulling an effective “Harry Reid,” at being an effective McCarthyite dirty trickster 30 hours before Thursday night’s Republican debate, at giving Hillary’s DC Media Super PAC the anti-Trump talking points they are so desperate for.
No question, Romney pulled it off with skill and panache.
However….
Romney also reminded folks like myself that the Republican Establishment is a dumpster fire of incompetence, a group of elite stiffs genetically incapable of winning national elections.
When it comes to sticking a stiletto into a fellow Republican, suddenly Romney is Mitt the Machiavellian!
Unfortunately, when it came to beating beatable incumbent Barack Obama in 2012, Romney couldn’t even deal with Candy Crowley; couldn’t prosecute Benghazi; couldn’t competently handle the questions around his own taxes; could neither shun nor embrace his wealth; couldn’t comprehend that in 2012 maybe you should assume everything is recorded before writing off 47% of voters; couldn’t do one damn thing effectively to win even a single news cycle against a failed incumbent.
Oh, but look at Romney now — diving in the gutter and proving that Mr. Squeaky Clean is in fact quite capable of doing what it takes to win … against his own.
For America, Romney couldn’t do it, even as Team Obama accused him of murder.
To protect the Establishment Trough, though, suddenly he’s a Man willing to get his hands dirty.
You know who does not have this genetic defect? Donald J. Trump, and that is a very, very big part of his appeal.
Not that we needed it, but thanks for the reminder that the GOP Establishment needs to be burned to the ground, and its ashes tied to the roof a car that we bury in a luxury elevator.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC
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