Howard Fineman on Ed Show a few minutes ago, on what happens if Romney loses Michigan:
I asked a couple . . . former Republican Senators: "Do you embrace Rick Santorum if Romney loses the next round?" They said no. I said, "Does that mean you double down on Mitt Romney one last time?" One guy said yes, the other guy said no.I predict that what happens is that the establishment, such as it is, will make one more bet on Mitt Romney, that he's somehow going to use his money and his clout to do well on Super Tuesday. If he doesn't do well on Super Tuesday, on March 6th, then forget it. The race will be on to find somebody else, whether it's Mitch Daniels, whether it's Chris Christie in New Jersey, or even -- and even though he's said a million times he's not interested -- Jeb Bush in Florida.
Jeb Bush is the one that the insiders here [D.C.] really want. That's the one they dream of, Ed. Whether they could get him, I don't know.
Ed's response: Yeah. I was in Florida this weekend, and I heard that a few times as well. This makes no sense to me. Can someone please help me understand it?Maybe it's just because I'm a teacher and I know that Jeb Bush is Ground Zero of the Ed Deform movement. So I have particular reason to fear and loathe him.
But, really?? Is my perception so distorted by being a teacher that I am really unable to see reality on this question? Do well-connected Republicans actually believe someone whose surname is Bush could win the White House?
What do they know that I don't I know? Have they reached critical mass on the Diebold machines, so that it no longer matters who we actually vote for? Is Jeb Bush secretly a wizard who will put a spell on the American voting public? Do they figure that most of the military has had a C-in-C named Bush for so much of their professional life that they will ignore the real C-in-C and obey Jeb's orders to start blockading access to the polls on Election Day for anyone whose skin is darker than a designated shade of beige?
And it's not like this is the first time I've heard this. But it's the first time I've heard it recently, after witnessing the utter humiliation of so many other Republican candidates, none of whom were handicapped by the particular dynastic burden that Jeb Bush carries.