Mitt Romney and the GOP’s bad case of buyer’s remorse

Mitt Romney’s taking more heat these days from his own side than from Democrats. In Wisconsin, for example, U.S. Senate candidate Tommy Thompson is blaming Romney for his own rather-sudden collapse in the polls.

“The presidential thing is bound to have an impact on every election,” Thompson said. “You know, whether you’re a Democrat or Republican, if your standard-bearer for the presidency is not doing well, it’s going to reflect on the down ballot.”

As this case of buyers’ remorse deepens, though, disenchanted Republicans might want to remember the field of alternatives to Romney. It’s hard to believe, for example, that Rick Santorum would be doing any better than Romney. And Newt Gingrich? By this point he would have self-destructed several times over, although the entertainment value would have been considerable.

And then of course there’s this guy:

“(Herman) Cain told members of the media after the speech that Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s recent “47 percent” comment was a “non-story” being blown out of proportion by the media. But Cain said he would have been doing better if he was the nominee, saying that he’d probably have a “substantial lead” on President Barack Obama at this point.

“The reason is quite simple: I have some depth to my ideas,” he said.”

9-9-9, baby. Nein nein nein.

– Jay Bookman