The wait is over. Sort of...

"Never can say goodbye
No no no no, I
Never can say goodbye

Even though the pain and heartache
Seems to follow me wherever I go
Though I try and try to hide my feelings
They always seem to show
Then you try to say you're leaving me
And I always have to say no...
Tell me why
Is it so

That I
Never can say goodbye"

I bet republicans are all singing that song Clifton Davis wrote for the Jackson 5 back in the day. Sorry folks, it's not going to do you any good; Governor Krispy Kreme officially told you goodbye, today. (What's FOX News going to do,now?)

And what a long goodbye it was. Honestly, the only thing bigger than the Governor's ego is his waist size. I swear at one point he said that it was all about me.

But the question remains: why can't republicans find a good populist when they need one? Now they are stuck with Mitt Romney, a man so buttoned down and stiff that he can't even lose his dress shirts when he is at a barbecue. The guy is right out of central casting, but I am thinking that republicans don't want Hollywood right now, they want Main Street.

“What people are really looking for today is authenticity, and they like bold and brash, especially on the Republican side right now,” said Mark McKinnon, a Republican political strategist who has worked for George W. Bush and John McCain and was among those encouraging Christie to run. “That’s why there was an initial attraction to Rick Perry. And Chris Christie is bold and brash.”
Romney, by contrast, “is seen as more cautious and safer,” McKinnon said.

David A. Keene, president of the National Rifle Association, said Christie’s clashes with unions and budget cutting in New Jersey “has made him something of a folk hero” -- a term that would not likely be applied to Romney, a former venture capitalist.

“A lot of the establishment Republicans like the idea of Chris Christie because he appeals to the Tea Party types without being one of them, and therefore they see him as somebody who can grab the popular imagination,” said Keene, the former chairman of the American Conservative Union, who had endorsed Romney during his last bid for the presidency but has not backed any candidate this time." [Source]

Poor Mitt must feel like the pretty girl at the prom who can't get a  dance because all the boys know that she will hold out at the end of the night. Better to hook up with the not so cute girl who will give up the goods if you know what I mean. Christie would have given em the goods. Red meat galore. And the kind of populist talk that right wingers love. Mitt, not so much. He is too programmed, too robotic. He won't get in Obama's face and stare down the uppity little Ivy Leaguer.  

And then there is the M word. One of the beautiful things about having a blog is that some folks consider popular is that I get books sent to me from publishers all the time. I was recently sent a book called, "Can Mitt Romney Serve Two Masters?" by a former Mormon named Tricia Erickson. The outline of the book reads like this:

"The information in this book goes much deeper than the unveiling of Mitt Romney's political record. For the first time in history, we could see a Mormon President at the helm. Do you have any idea what this possible next President believes? Why should his religious beliefs matter to you? When you get through Part I of this book, these questions will be answered. This is NOT a Kennedy Catholic moment. Mitt Romney's beliefs and convictions are so uncanny that you will most assuredly question his judgment to be in charge of the highest office in the land. If Part I does not shake you, Part II will, by exposing the reality of what Romney has "done" in his political career, versus the conservative façade that we are led to believe. Will his rhetoric match his deeds as President? One look at his record herewith will cause great concern."

"Great concern"? They won't say it, but a lot of the republican evangelical voters have "great concerns" about Mr. Perfect.

Oh well, it looks like the republicans are stuck with Mitt, Rick, Newt, Michele, Herman, and the rest of the gang to take on O in 2012. (BTW, Governor Perry, it might be time to consider heading back to Texas) Mitt and his handlers are all high fiving each other tonight. You would be high fiving too if the only man with a shot beating you in the primary just said good bye, and the man you are trying to beat is looking more and more like a one and done president.

Good luck Mitt, just don't party too hard; you still have a year to go. A lot can happen in a year. Just ask Governor Christie.