Get Ready for the Claw Fest

The quote often attributed to Ronald Reagan, but is actually attributable to then-chairman of the California Republican Party, Gaylord Parkinson is appropriate here:

“Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.”

And why is it appropriate? It’s appropriate because we are poised on the brink of the wholesale rejection of Parkinson’s Rule. Tonight is the first Republican Presidential debate to be held in New Hampshire and hosted by CNN, and others.

And why is this you ask? Well it is in the best interest of each candidate to let the voter know of the differences between them. This, for the most part has not been possible in the past because the Republican Party has been this monolithic organization that marches in lockstep. In the past, this makes Parkinson’s Rule possible.

Not so anymore.

I’ve always said that the Democratic Party is a big tent group. We are diverse and we come in many shapes and sizes. The Republican Party, by contrast has been the party in lock-step agreement. Not so anymore, not so. The Republican Party has become such a big tent organization that it might be better to pitch several small tents.

Which is what I think they are doing.

Several cases in point:

Tim Pawlenty, struggling to emerge out of obscurity, has hit pack leader Mitt Romney with the notion that his state healthcare plan was the model upon which “Obamacare” was based. He calls it “Obamaneycare.” Teabaggers are going to hate that.

Not that they are going to love Tim Pawlenty for making this observation.

Mainly because Pawlenty has also attacked their darling, Michele Bachmann, pointedly observing that it wasn’t Michele Bachmann he was talking about. How you do that is a mystery to me. The quote:

“I'm not speaking about Michele Bachmann here but I’m not running for comedian-in-chief or entertainer-in-chief. You know, if people want to have that be the main consideration, they should go to a Broadway show.”

Was he speaking about Michele Bachmann? You know he was.

And what will Newt do? Anyone’s guess. Newt is down for the count and he doesn’t even know it. His staff walkout has all but rendered him impotent. He could become the loose cannon that upsets the whole applecart.

Unless Michele Bachmann beats him to the punch.