Nice wins, Mitt, but there's a problem...

 

Aw, you kids!

Well, Mitt, you may have finally done it.  Your victories tonight in Wisconsin, the District of Columbia, and Santorum's own next-door neighbor state, Maryland, might just mean that Republicans are coming home to roost.  Santorum made some defiant noises in his remarks tonight, but I wouldn't let it worry you.  He's fading.  Everyone can see it.  In the end, he didn't make the sale.  The koo-koos weren't convinced.  They were never really for him, anyway.  No more than your supporters are for you.  Republicans aren't for anything.  Republicans are against.

It's smart to be out doing events with Paul Ryan.  He's as close to a rising star as exists in the GOP.  Young, reasonably photogenic.  His relative youth is a great accent to the gray at your temples.  Give you that distinguished air of savoir-faire.  He dresses like you.  Nothing says "vice-president" better than a kid who's smart enough to dress like the boss.  He's got a budget problem, of course.  And he's an Ayn Rand disciple.  But at least he comes across as intelligent.

There are other problems, though, Mitt.  You may have won over the rednecks, but you pissed off a whole lot of everybody else while you were doing it.

Women, for example.  It's bad enough that you wouldn't stick up for Sandra Fluke, the young woman whom Rush Limbaugh called a "slut."  It's bad enough that you had nothing to say about that sickening, monstrous "vaginal probe ultrasound" legislation that they tried to pass in Virginia.  But stating that you'd "get rid" of Planned Parenthood, the country's largest provider of reproductive health services, blows the top off it.  That kind of "show her who's boss" crap plays well with the rednecks, but it'll have women stampeding to the ballot box for Obama come November.

Then, there's Latinos.  Senator Marco Rubio can say whatever he wants to try to reassure them that you didn't mean it when you said you'd veto the DREAM Act.  Or when you called that oppressive Arizona legislation which allows local police to demand immigration status papers from anyone at anytime a "model for the nation."  But, you know, no matter what Marco says, people get touchy.  Especially when you suggest the Federal government should start deporting their families.

So, okay, tonight's your night, Mitt.  Congratulations.  These primaries have been a dog fight, and it looks like your dog is the only dog that's still breathing.  But, man, we got a good look at your ugly side.  And it is ugly.