An election is a process, most times educational (good or bad), sometimes cathartic, at times shocking, and always repeating itself between a series of campaign peaks. Unlike previous election processes, this one as it concerns Republicans has turned wild and ugly... not to mention juvenile but that another story.
However, the next peak in the comes March 15 when Floridians and Ohioans respectively go to the polls and in the time until then, the Republican establishment is going to try desperately to repair a party, for which the conservative consensus is fractured. In the role of chief mechanic for these repairs, the establishment has brought back Mitt Romney who delivered a scathing rebuke of Trump the candidate and the businessman, to which David Brooks said it was about time. However, we would agree with former Dick Cheney adviser Mary Matalin who said it was the wrong messenger at the wrong time. What seems to have not sunken in for Gov. Romney and the establishment is that the Republican base understands that they are trying to be 'reasoned' with but it's not going to work because of all the empty rhetoric they've been fed for so long with nothing to show for it. The base is aware of all this and is rejected it.
Mr. Romney doesn't have a good answer when it comes to why he was so enthusiastic four years ago to accept Donald Trump's endorsement while now he calls him a scam artist or whatever. Mr. Romney, you reap what you sew...
The Detroit Free Press' Stephen Henderson pointed out that the Trump candidacy is the product of unfulfilled rhetoric, in which many Republicans systematically used coded language that reeked of bigotry. Remember Sarah Palin shouting about 'taking our country back' in trying to deny President Obama re-election to a second term? This kind of bigoted dog-whistle has been going on for the last 40 years. And when Mary Matalin says that she wants to choke Stephan Henderson because she thinks it's not true, furthers the point.
[For all this talk today about inappropriate comments and staying away from them on "Meet The Press," they sure had their own share. Ms. Matalin's was just one. The other was when Chuck Todd referred to a David Brooks analogy as "Trump Goggles." This term referencing "beer goggles," a sophomoric sexist comment in itself, and by the look on Mr. Todd's face when he said it, he knew it.]
Ms. Matalin explained that conservatives don't see themselves as racists and bigots using coded language, to which we would suggest that they step outside themselves and take a serious look because it's no accident that the majority of the country perceives the Republican base (not the establishment) that way. That may not necessarily be fair, but that's the way it is, and nominating Donald Trump doesn't help that perception. The time for reasoning, and reason, is over.
Mr. Todd showed a clip of a Trump rally where he had everyone raise their right hand to make a pledge to vote for him. They didn't reference him by name, but you know they were making the Hitler reference.
Scary.
But really it just more silliness in Mr. Trump's ultimate reality role - presidential candidate.
Panel: Kelly O'Donnell, NBC News; Stephen Henderson, The Detroit Free Press; David Brooks, The New York Times; Mary Matalin, fmr. advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney
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