Mr. Gingrich will pander to everyone and lecture the media (photo: Gage Skidmore via Flickr)

I’m still a bit shocked that people are still surprised that the GOP Presidential Clown Car could roll through South Carolina — the state that gave us nullification, the Civil War, John C. Calhoon, and a hundred and fifty year succession of secessionist, racist politicians  — and have it captured by a dog-whistling practitioner of the ugly art of racial and classist demagoguery.

What did anyone expect? Newt knows his history when he needs it, and history tells him that you can be an absolutely horrible person there, blame the liberal media, and win big.

Poor Mitt.  He honestly thought he could con today’s GOP Tea Party Zombies into believing he was one of them, while retaining the trust of the remaining 25% of non-Zombies in his party by convincing them that it was all a lie.  His campaign consists of making everyone believe in fairies and once he has the nomination nailed down, he’ll start talking sense and expect you to believe that, too.  Alas, a man that has that much trouble just being normal can’t act worth a damn either, let alone be spontaneous in a debate.  And these Tea Party people can at least keep score; they’ve now got Mitt’s number: a double-dyed in the wool non-believer in everything they care about.  Mitt can’t resurrect himself with this crowd, so his only weapon is to tear down Newt.

Today, Romney thought he’d regain the ground he’s lost to the GOPs longest-running con man by reminding the poor voters of Florida that Newt Gingrich is a scoundrel who was thrown out of the Speakership he so proudly brags about by his own Party members — and it wasn’t just for being erratic; it was for unethical behavior.  You have to be really unethical to get thrown out by that bunch. But this historian’s personal history has been conveniently forgiven, while his public history has a way of becoming forgotten unless voters are reminded every other week what a scoundrel he always has been.

Tonight this odious group continues its relentless assault on American history, the American character and psyche, and America’s future by assembling once again to blame the media for the fact they’ve made themselves the victims forever.   Why Brian Williams and NBC agreed to even be on the same stage with these unprincipled charlatans is a mystery.  He’ll be lucky to avoid a John King standing O for asking any question that imply how unprincipled this unprincipled lot is.

Tonight’s subject for revisionism will be their positions on Social Security and Medicare. The entire Party endorsed the Ryan plan to get rid of Medicare as we know it — that’s a fact — and every one of these guys would privatize Social Security for at least the next generation if not all, if they thought they could get away with it.  How many lies will they have to tell to avoid admitting it in front of a Florida audience?

So enjoy the show.  I think I’ll watch a rerun of Downton Abbey, because I’m really worried about the youngest daughter, who’s done everything right, unlike her other sisters — though they’re doing better now — and Mary was truly admirable last night — and yet there’s no man truly worthy of the younger sister on the scene.  If they’re following the Jane Austen model, among others, this story is in trouble.  The writers will have hell to pay if they don’t fix that in the next episode.

The comment thread is yours.

WATCH ONLINE