Poor Mitt Romney. After spending six years and a billion or more bucks, he was so confident of winning the Presidency that come election night he didn't even have a concession speech ready.
His GOP handlers patiently coached him throughout the primaries to take the most extreme conservative positions possible, first to ward of the real extremists on the far right, and then to contrast himself with the moderate and reasoned progressive policies of President Obama. "Go out there and shill for the 1% wealthiest folks" they whispered, and he did. "Go after Planned Parenthood and endorse Senate candidates who say atrocious things about women and rape", they chided, and he did."Tell the Hispanic community that anyone without the correct papers should self deport", they demanded, and he did. I could go on but I think you get the picture.
Within hours of his overwhelming loss in the electoral college and the popular vote, these same GOP handlers pounced. "What on earth were you saying Mitt? You can't trash every electoral demographic except old, angry, affluent white conservatives and expect to win. We have to start reaching out for these folks to have any chance of winning another election. Mitt Romney, you are no good. Just go away".
For the last two weeks, we've been hearing comments like that without letup. And Mitt? If we listen real hard we can hear him muttering in his luxurious hideaway, "Don't shoot the messenger".
