Brooklyn Broadside: In the Republican Primary, Obama Was the Real Winner

March 9, 2012 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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By Dennis Holt

Brooklyn Daily Eagle

BROOKLYN — There were two major winners in Tuesday’s Republican primary election and one lesser victor. The two major winners were President Obama and the Democratic Party. Mitt Romney was the lesser winner.

Obama was a big winner because the Republicans continue to play in an electoral sandpit that is not doing them any good. Obama can run for president, but all the others have to run for candidate, and that’s a big difference.

The Democratic Party was a winner because the election results continue to show that 30 to 40 percent of those Republicans who vote are social and political extremists. Repetition of this dynamic continues to expose this group and continues to drive away independents.

This will impact Republicans in the congressional elections in the fall.

Despite the apparent indecision of Republican voters, Romney took a big step toward a convention victory. He continues to pull away in the numbers game for convention delegates. He has more delegates than everyone else put together, and he has the financial resources and organization to slug it out in this type of political game.

The game won’t be pretty for the Republicans, and it will leave a mess. The only way to avoid that is for the others to throw in the towel somewhat soon. But I don’t think that will happen, because Santorum wants to be the vice-presidential nominee and has to continue to push Romney so that he will have no choice. A Romney-Santorum ticket is almost a sure thing.

Obama was also a big victor in the growing drumbeat for war with Iran. The Republicans look like playground bullies and trigger-happy gunslingers. Obama’s solidness and dignity is showing what being a president means and what being responsible means. He put it quite right when he said, “This is not a game.”

No, the game is still in the political field, and so far, Obama is looking quite good.