and, no, it isn't Mitt Romney. Empty suits can be properly sold and even grace the chair behind the HMS Resolute desk. See the previous administration for example.
No, the GOP's big problem right now consists of about 10% of its membership, who have played by the party's state rules and are being denied their elected delegates to the national convention in Tampa.
You know the candidate these delegates support, so I won't bother giving him more internet fame by naming him. What you may not understand is how grievously pissed these people are.
In my own state, as in many others, this candidate's adherents have carefully studied state party rules and Robert's Rules of Order and made efforts to elect slates of delegates supporting their man. In Louisiana this week, they decided, after much internal debate, to allow Mssrs. Romney and Santorum their allotted delegates, so as not to have their elected slate rejected by the state credentials committee.
Didn't do 'em a bit of good, as the state chairman, Roger Villere, telegraphed early in the state convention meeting that the cred committee was going to seat who it damned well pleased.
The following video, in which the candidate's adherents respectfully and properly told Mr. Villere that the fellow he was introducing as chair of the rules committee had been voted off that committee the night before and that they had the power to vote him out as chair of the state party convention, is one small example of what these rebellious 'Pubs are up to around the country.
(For their troubles, these renegades lost their new rules chair and new convention chair to broken fingers and a shattered hip, courtesy of the Shreveport police; yes, lawsuits are pending).
The really, really big problem the GOP is making for itself will not be clear for another couple of months. Because these state-level supporters of a certain candidate are scrupulously following state party rules, they believe (rightly, imo) that their delegate slates are properly elected and should be seated at the national convention in Tampa. They are renting hotel rooms (5 night minimum reservation, paid in advance, no refunds). They are making travel arrangements.
And they will be rejected by the national credentials committee. The GOP establishment, understandably, wants no televised chaos like Chicago or Miami.
While the national party operatives may forestall such a show (not certain, as the week proceeding the convention will be dominated by a multi-day rally/rock concert by the renegade's supporters), they are likely to end up in a scene not unlike Madison Square Garden 1980, when a candidate sought to free another's delegates from their committments, leading to a long spat of bad blood, in which the Democratic Party saw one of its most popular figureheads at odds with its nominee.
Having talked to a number of these self-styled "revolutionaries," my back of the envelope figgerin' is that about half of them will not vote for Mitt Romney in November. That number could well increase, depending on whether they get the same treatment in Tampa they are getting in state conventions like Louisiana last weekend.
Keep that in mind as you hear pundits handicap the horse race: five per cent or more of registered Republicans who cared enough about the process to vote in their party's primary will NOT be voting for their party's nominee in November.
Almost makes me like the old coot, actually.
Hey, I said, "almost."
Please note: I don't think this big problem is insurmountable for the GOP, nor do I claim the party "done" or "dead." Though I'm on a job right now, I will read all comments as I can.