Yes, I know: fish in a barrel. Still, Mitt Romney’s latest reflections on his failed non-campaign for the presidency last fall (if you lived anywhere but a battleground state, you missed it) is worth noting. As Bob noted below, in an upcoming interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace this Sunday, the scourge-of-Newt-Gingrich-turned-putty-in-Candy-Crowley’s-hands had this to say about the experience:
It’s like riding on a roller coaster. We were on a roller coaster, exciting and thrilling, ups and downs. But the ride ends. And then you get off. And it’s not like, oh, can’t we be on a roller coaster the rest of our life? It’s like, no, the ride’s over.
And there it is: the perfect distillation of the difference between the Republicans and the Democrats. For Romney, as for John McCain before him, running for president is just something you do, win or lose — and if you lose, you can always go home to your beachside mansion in La Jolla or your sinecure Senate seat in Arizona. No harm, no foul.
Not for Democrats: They never stop, they never quit, they never sleep. Just think: The Clintons alone have been with us since 1992 and show absolutely no sign that they’ll disappear any time soon; why, Hillary 2016 is just getting rolling! Term-limited though he may be, Barack Obama still has his campaign organization operating full-time. “Our work didn’t end on Election Day,” it promises. “Organizing for Action will support the legislative agenda we voted on, train the next generation of grassroots organizers and leaders, and organize around local issues in our communities.” O frabjous day! Callooh callay!
For the erstwhile GOP standard-bearer, though, the ride’s over — and the party’s leaderless. A few more candidates like McCain and Romney and the party will be over too.