Donald Trump’s ego trip is finished, Mike Huckabee has wisely decided that he’s better off with millions from Rupert Murdoch and as only Newt Gingrich could do his presidential campaign imploded in record time. The race for the Republican nomination looks like a Marx’s Brothers movie.

I suspect the beltway Republican power brokers now realize it is unlikely they can defeat Obama in 2012 – yes, they too have looked at the likely candidates and indeed have an amazing grasp of the obvious.  Their real problem is they have a chance to take back the Senate but only if the party does not nominate a lunatic that will negatively impact the down ticket races.  But the Republicans  have spent a few decades building a base that likes lunatics.  So they have to find a candidate that will appeal to the 27 percenters of their base but won’t offend the other 73 percent of the voters, many of which might not vote Republican at all if a lunatic is nominated for president.  Enter Mitch Daniels – the equivalent of Bob Dole.  He can’t win but he really won’t offend too many people.