In a way, we all knew this was going to happen. Richard Grenell, Romney's National Security Advisor, has been forced to resign due to increasing pressure from the far right wing of the Republican Party.
From his statement:
I have decided to resign from the Romney campaign as the Foreign Policy and National Security Spokesman. While I welcomed the challenge to confront President Obama’s foreign policy failures and weak leadership on the world stage, my ability to speak clearly and forcefully on the issues has been greatly diminished by the hyper-partisan discussion of personal issues that sometimes comes from a presidential campaign. I want to thank Governor Romney for his belief in me and my abilities and his clear message to me that being openly gay was a non-issue for him and his team.
Of course, we all know where the "hyper-partisan discussion of personal issues" comes from. And while I do wish he would have explicitly mentioned the nutjobs his Party has become, he has mentioned that he was forced out because he was gay.
And what was some of the pressure like?
Pieces in two conservative publications, the National Review and Daily Caller, reflected the uproar by some social conservatives over the appointment.
In the National Review, Mathew Frank wrote late last week: “Suppose Barack Obama comes out — as Grenell wishes he would — in favor of same-sex marriage in his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. How fast and how publicly will Richard Grenell decamp from Romney to Obama?”
And this about a guy who was a top advisor to John Bolton?
Not even a Republican deserves that kind of treatment.
What does this mean politically? It shows that Mitt Romney will have a very hard time shifting to the center to capture independent voters unless he wants to risk a dispirited and unenthused base.
12:54 PM PT: From the Romney Campaign:
“We are disappointed that Ric decided to resign from the campaign for his own personal reasons,” said Romney campaign manager Matt Rhoades. “We wanted him to stay because he had superior qualifications for the position he was hired to fill.”
1:00 PM PT: A final thought: Think about this--he didn't resign because of his offensive tweets. No, those were perfectly acceptable to the rest of his Party. That should tell a person all he needs to know.
2:25 PM PT: Per Scott Wooledge, Bryan Fischer is beside himself with glee at this.