Steve Benen on The End of Retail Politics

Steve Benen at Washington Monthly today takes up my theme of yesterday's post the end of retail politics.

He notes that the Des Moines Register poll,which is conducted by the Iowa Caucus guru Ann Selzer, has Gingrich in the lead, followed by Ron Paul, and then Mitt Romney. This despite the fact that Newt had not opened a state office there until a few days ago,and hasn't aired an ad. Mitt Romney is competitive there, despite avoiding the state much of the year and openly downplaying the Caucus to dampen expectations. Even Ron Paul, who does have an active organization in the state, has rarely appeared there.

Benen quotes Jeff Zeleny, the New York Times reporter,that the natura of retail politics may be a "thing of the pass" since candidates are replacing in-person visits to the early states with media interviews and debate performances. Benen concludes that at least for Republican politics the change occured with "the Fox effect" where the channel news station acts like a perpetual townhall of the Republican candidates.

I share Benen's view--wish--desire that the Republicans wake up after New Hampshire and wish they had spent more time actually shaking hands and kissing babies. The tenure of the whole Republican process has run counter to this and therefore you can have the strange circumstances of a Herman Cain "suspending" his campaign as a business decision, so as to allow him to take his money and create a PAC. Even though he defiantly "suspended his campaign, observers still conclude he has a political future.

Benen argues that this "post-retail politics" undercuts the case Iowa and New Hampshire have traditionally made that people can kick the tires of candidates and that this ritual is one which benefits the nation at large. If Newt can simply air-drop in and win, what is the purpose of the Iowa Caucus?

It's that time--Time to check the Intratrade betting board. 45.3% say Romney will win the nomination; 34.5% say Gingrich and strangely Huntsman has pushed up to 6%, perhaps because establishment figures are beginning to sing his praises.

Obama wins re-election at 50.8%.