In which we explain why the RNC is so nervous about Donald Trump.

So, you’re convinced that an extended primary process in 2012 doomed your candidate in the general election. Not your policies, not bad polling, not stupid comments by your candidate, and not demographics shifting away from your party, with your base literally dying off.

Okay, granted, the drawn out primary schedule didn’t exactly help Romney’s chances in 2012, but as I explained in a previous post, it wasn’t really the calendar but conservative and libertarian stalwarts simply refusing to concede in a timely fashion to a more moderate crown prince that was the real crippling factor.

Any so-called “establishment” candidate who manages to thread the needle this time around and win the nomination can expect the same treatment from those in the right wing of the party trampled upon. The bad blood is just starting to boil out there and the pot will be seething once the voting and caucusing starts.Read More »

Clare Malone over a fivethirtyeight, takes a look at the ground games in Iowa. Though they are not making any headway to speak of, those who have won it before are the most heavily invested in the retail end of things there. Most events held and most days on the ground? Santorum. Runner-up? Huckabee. They understand what it takes to win…but don’t have what it takes to win.  Note photo at left of one of Santorum’s meeting with three–count ’em, three, voters. To be fair this was taken last June when interest in the caucuses was non-existent. Still, for a guy who’s had over 200 events in the state and been on the ground himself there longer than anyone else, you’d think he’d at least be able to poll over 5%.

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