Quote of the Day: Gingrich Swift Boats Romney

For years Democrats have complained that in national and even more local elections Republicans would “Swift Boat” Democrats. And even in the most aggressive Republican contests, many GOPers would at least pay lip service to Ronald Reagan’s 11th commandment about making nice to other Republicans. No more (and why should that be surprising when many conservatives today reject some of the things Reagan did plus his willingness to reach across the aisle?) To wit:

There is an informal set of rules governing attacks in the presidential primary campaigns, so as to keep things within the healthy, winnowing spirit of Darwinian competition, and away from dangerous subversion of the eventual nominee. One guideline is that attacks from the flanks are more allowable than attacks from the center. (“Mitt Romney is not a true conservative” is fine, because it won’t be the Democrats’ theme this fall; “Mitt Romney will cut Medicare” is another story.) Another, more informal criterion is that the closer a candidate gets to wrapping up the nomination, the more gentle his opponents must be in assailing him.

By these standards, Newt Gingrich’s new message assailing Mitt Romney is a remarkable breach of protocol.

With the benefit of a $5 million infusion from right-wing casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, Gingrich is planning an assault in South Carolina that centers on Romney’s career at Bain Capital. At this point, Romney is a heavy favorite to win. What’s more, Gingrich’s Bain attack is indistinguishable from the themes that pro-Democratic groups are using to discredit him against Obama. (Compare Newt’s anti-Romney ad with this one from MoveOn.)

Politically, the ads are devastating to Romney, whose message against Obama is that he is a “job creator” who understands the private economy.

And keep in mind one truth about American politics and American political discourse:

Each time the bar is lowered on the thoughtfulness, seriousness, and issue-oriented nature of our campaigns and political discussion (and that includes comments on blogs and websites) it risks becoming the norm if it is accepted and/or enabled. If Gingrich is successful in damaging Romney this way and other candidates don’t denounce these ads then that’s the way it’ll be in future campaigns. The bar stays there — until it is lowered again. Which has been the trend over the past 10 years.

On the other hand, Romney has been so focused on talking points that it doesn’t come as any surprise that soon or later someone would almost brutally challenge him on that.

Of course, you’d assume that would be Barack Obama.

Now Obama will have a much easier job because he can perpetuate a charge and partisan narrative, not instigate it.