Face it. The general public doesn’t give two hoots right now about who the GOP puts up for president in 2012. Many people, even in Iowa, loathe what is about to happen to them. They don’t want to hear another commercial for Mitt Romney already. For some, when Mike Huckabee crowds their Pizza Ranch with TV cameras, it just irks them. And nobody wants another pollster interrupting supper to ask about Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, or Rick Santorum’s favorability.
But that doesn’t mean some people aren’t getting ants in their pants. People who make themselves blood brothers to politicians (until a better job comes along!) can hardly hold their water three minutes. They are restless. The country is falling part and needs them to fix it. “Them”, meaning the operatives – not the candidates. The latter are as expendable as last week’s HyVee grocery bag.
Eric Woolson, who has supported Republicans and Vice-President Joe Biden in the past, had this to say to Huckabee: “As you look at the monumental task of unseating an incumbent president, Republicans need to get about the business of getting that job done….And I want to get on with the task of getting that done.”
One anonymous Huckabee “loyalist” (Hah!) told Fox News yesterday “I love the Governor and I’ll wait as long as I can, but everyone wants to be part of the 2012 campaign and at some point all the jobs will be taken.”
Does anybody really think there are only 10 people available in the country to help run a campaign? And if a job is open, there will be plenty of applicants, some with fresh ideas, unthought-of in 2007. I think the insiders flatter themselves.
Another group that can hardly wait is the press corps. They need a story they can sink their chompers into. Last weeks’ announcement about Woolson was a non-story. Tim Pawlenty hasn’t offered him a job because Pawlenty hasn’t even announced he is announcing his announcement of his decision to consider exploration of a presidential exploratory committee yet (a la Gingrich!). Has anybody else noticed that with all the complaining that Huckabee has gotten for not “getting in”, nobody else has gotten in, either?
Big donors can’t give a dime, yet. And a simple examination of the public record shows that donors sometimes give to more than one candidate (and sometimes to two parties!). There is no hurry. Relax. Mike Huckabee said it this way, “My race, my pace”.
If all these people can’t wait, who will? Those who are loyal to a candidate will wait. Those willing to work the ground game, and stay out of the limelight, and who aren’t looking for a job or a story will wait. What’s the rush? Voting in Iowa isn’t for another 300 days or more.
