Perry’s Solvable Problem

Mickey Kaus Columnist
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This is the argument against Perry and Santorum? Nate Silver thinks that “for [Mitt Romney] to fail to win the nomination, someone else has to, and it’s hard to see who that is.” Really? Here is his argument that Perry is “too flawed“:

Rick Perry is in something of a parallel position in Iowa. He’s someone who could look wholly different to voters with a strong finish there. But for now he’s stuck splitting the evangelical vote with Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum and hasn’t been able to build up much momentum.

OK. But if Santorum and Bachmann drop out then Perry won’t be splitting that vote anymore, right? Same for Santorum if Perry and Bachmann drop out. Since the role of Iowa is to force people to drop out, it’s hard to see how this is a very strong argument against Perry or Santorum’s chances going forward. It’s a soluble problem! … At least it’s not an argument against them winning enough delegates from Romney to make the Republican convention look for a savior from outside the current field.  That’s a recurring fantasy, I know.  Still. My money is on “long hard slog” for Romney, not “glide path.”

P.S.: Is that the same “glide path” to victory Newt is on? …

P.P.S.: Taraji P. Henson made me write this.

Mickey Kaus