Remember when former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty about-faced on a promise not to throw elbows during the 2012 GOP Presidential Primary campaign?
But then he turned around and linked fellow Republican Mitt Romney with the enemy -- with the GOP's prime target, President Barack Obama -- and in so doing, crossed a very distinct line?
Fatal mistake.
In June 2011, on an edition of "Fox News Sunday," Pawlenty announced, "President Obama told the world that he designed Obamacare after Romneycare and basically made it Obamneycare. What I dont understand is that they both continue to defend it."
Obamneycare.
Brrr. Sent shivers down the spine of many a GOP leader.
The Grand Old Party's 11th Commandment, oft repeated by President Ronald Reagan -- "thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican" -- was crushed like a cracker. Next thing you know, Pawlenty had slipped in the polls, registered a dismal third in the Iowa caucus, and two months after he kicked Romney in his GOP behind, the Minnesotan dropped out of the race.
Skip to Thursday, two days after the Florida primary, and here comes Michael Krull, Newt Gingrinch's campaign manager, trying to gain traction with the same offensive term:
Newt Gingrich is the only candidate who has the experience and fortitude to repeal Obamacare, Krull insisted. Speaker Gingrich has shown a lifelong commitment to advancing the conservative movement and as a historian he understands just how critical it is to repeal Obamneycare now!
There's that word again.
While it's true, Rick Santorum, who is running a distant third in most polls, chalked up points last week in Jacksonville by comparing Obama's health care plan to Romney's, the former Pennsylvania senator never quite crossed the 11th Commandment line. Almost, but not quite. He never convoluted the names and connected them up -- their guy and our guy, bad guy and good guy. He never, ever made them one and the same.
"But even Santorum is playing with fire," said Washington, D.C., political strategist Roland Haywood. "Here's a guy who lost in 2006 by 700,000 votes. He gets 41 percent of the vote to Bob Casey's 59 percent. It's the largest margin of defeat for an incumbent senator since 1980, and the largest losing margin for an incumbent Republican senator ever. Never mind that he's been mentioned as a possible vice president, it ain't gonna happen.
"If Santorum crossed the line like Pawlenty, I don't think anybody down at Republican National Headquarters is going to cut him a break.
"And," said Haywood, "I'm even more sure they're not going to do it for Speaker Gingrich."
The former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, like Santorum, marches to his own drummer.
But Gingrich is a real historian. He's got the bona fides to prove it and he should know better how to be a smarter politician. He should figure out it's time to give his campagin manager a history lesson. Not only is "Obamneycare" not a party pleaser, it well could wind up a slippery slope to nowhere, Pawlenty-style.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
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