Joe McCarthy would be proud

After spending a small fortune, Mitt Romney yesterday bowed out of the GOP presidential nomination contest. It is particularly ironic that the republicans rejected a religiously faithful, enormously successful businessman, with a good suit and beautiful family. In many ways he is the embodiment of what republicans stand for. Unfortunately for Mitt, he came off as smug and pandering. He should have run from his strengths instead of acting like a rabid social conservative. But he felt that GOPers wouldn't trust a Massachusetts governor no matter hope competent at business. So instead of emphasizing his business acumen he acted like an ideologue. So it goes.
As if to emphasize his rejection of pragmatism, he offered up a screed for the Conservative Political Action Committee:

If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. . . And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.

Joe McCarthy would be proud. This is probably a signal of the republican campaign to come. Fearmongering over terrorism worked well in 2004 and the republicans seem to be banking on that tactic again. Nevermind that Clinton, Obama, and the democratic Congress are not interested in a quick withdraw from Iraq, it is electorally rewarding to foment fear. So Romney goes out in an embarrassing redux of Red Scare hysteria. We once feared communists in out midst now we are being baited into fearing those who would surrender to terrorism. I am deeply embarrassed for Romney if he actually believes this nonsense.