January 19 Re-Run

By this morning,Mitt Romney signaled he was about to accept not winning tomorrow's South Carolina primary. On Morning Joe, there was again talk about a brokered convention by the Republican establishment. The present field of candidates is now drawing dangerously high negatives, even among Republicans themselves. Romney has seen, according to Gallup, a collapse in his favorability rating.

Even if Romney should win tomorrow, it will come at a high price. Internal polls show that the attacks by Newt Gingrich on Bain Capital have done lasting damage, even though conservatives are upset Gingrich went after Romney's business experience. It was the sole qualification he was banking his candidacy on. If Romney doesn't win, it will throw the race up in the air. It would mean one of the candidates will have won one and Ron Paul will probably have come in second in three.

The day after reports confirm what some of us felt last night--Romney was beaten badly last night by both Gingrich and Santorum. Even his surrogates like Chris Christie are appearing everywhere pleading with him to release his tax returns. The longer this goes, there is more speculation on what Romney is hiding. This now ranges from the Cayman Island accounts, to his tax rate, to the contributions he has made to the Mormon church and , more nefariously about the nature of the Cayman Island trusts themselves--why there, why not Switzerland and other straight tax havens.

Newt's attack on moderator King may have drawn a standing ovation and the zip he needed to win the debate and maybe the primary. But is it really he Howard Dean Scream, the moment that sinks him later on. The Interview with Marianne actually let her hide the devastating thing should knows about Newt--while Speaker he had a nervous breakdown and his colleagues in the House demanded an intervention. If that actually gets discussed,and we have not advanced that far in accepting psychological distress, it will destroy his chances more than the rather pathetic attempt to have an "open party". By this morning, the Evangelical leaders said that their voters were the forgiving type. So, it's alright that Family values Newt had lapses along the way.

But if you are the party establishment, you now have a man sinking because of the perception about how he acquired his wealth and where he keeps it and another man known for serial marriages and affairs and having a nervous breakdown in a position of high authority and power. Then the war between the two men continue with Romney today challenging Newt to release the ethics report from the 1990s.

You supposed to be offering an alternative to Barack Obama. Instead, Mitt Romney looks like he can't handle pressure by his little tantrum with the Occupy demonstrator. He looks like he is melting down and this is only the third primary. And in the other corner, Newt says that Sarah Palin would play a major role in his administration. He would order out troops not to obey Supreme Court rulings. He would fire all liberal federal employees. And that was before he walked on stage last night. GOP insiders have voiced concern that the details of the FBI investigation into Newt in the 1990s will come to light.

Romney has been sidetracked by the Bain attacks. He is forcing up his political calendar like pulling down his celebrity endorsements like Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell before it is necessary. McDonnell has been rumored since the beginning to be on Romney's short-list for Veep picks.

Of course, the DNC has enjoyed Romney's discomfort at the Cayman Islands news. Since Romney's slogan is "Believe in America", it is rich that he holds his wealth on a tropical island.

Romney is looking toward Florida where he has had an operation since the last election. But in the Tampa Bay newspaper, the front-page story yesterday was about Bain's bad record in the region.

It's clear that yesterday's debate did nothing to advance the Republican positions for the fall. No one can remember what anyone really said. The impression left is of all four men fighting against themselves. The only positions I remember was that Mitt finally embraced Romneycare and listed all the qualities of Obama's health play he would not abolish; and the other was that all candidates want to deport by the millions all illegal immigrants--i.e. Hispanics. The first free primaries were fought in states largely white and only in South Carolina with a sizable African-American population. But no Hispanics. Florida should be an interesting challenge.

I thought it was funny that some blogger thinks Ron Paul should release his tax returns. I guess if he had a chance he should.

As of today, the Republican race looks like a bigger shambles than ever. If South Carolina produces a Newt victory, there will be a lot of internal debate whether to push forward another candidate. It is almost too late.