There's more to GOP disarray than "we just can't find the right candidate"

Its been interesting to watch the implosion in Republican ranks since their latest hero - Gov. Perry - took a nosedive in the last debate and then proceeded to loose the Florida straw poll to Herman Cain. The line that keeps emerging is that if only they could find the right candidate - they'd sail to victory against President Obama. If you don't mind traveling into strange waters, this post at Red State titled I Need a Hero pretty well sums it up. That particular author seems to think his wish for a hero would be fulfilled if Sarah Palin would actually get in the race. And we know that Bill Kristol (speaking for establishment Republicans) sees Gov. Christie as the GOP savior.

But don't you get flashbacks to when everyone thought Gov. Perry would be the savior when you hear this kind of thing? Remember when Bachmann was all the rage? Or perhaps when Donald Trump was generating all of the excitement amongst the tea partiers? The Republicans are chewing up and spitting out every front-runner that seems to emerge. There's a pattern here.

It all starts with the fact that Republican primary voters have demonstrated that they're not interested in sanity...hence Jon Huntsman at 1-2%. Other than his last name - there's a reason why Jeb Bush decided to sit this one out. And when Perry gets slammed for his moderate take on in-state tuition for those who are undocumented, perhaps Christie should take note before heeding Kristol's call. How long would it take for these folks to seize on things like the fact that he believes global warming is real and actually likes FEMA?

The fact of the matter is that these folks have demonstrated that they embrace teh crazy. And when you do that - you get things like people who accuse vaccine's of causing mental retardation and go after birth certificates and think Social Security is unconstitutional. In that sense, perhaps Palin is the answer since we have already plumbed the depths of her insanity.

Trouble is, there are also enough Republicans who know that not one of these candidates has a prayer of a chance in a general election. And I suspect that haunts them. And so they keep looking for a hero that doesn't exist...unless perhaps its the guy who will say anything the crowd wants to hear in order to get elected.