The latest McClatchy-Marist poll finds that "69 percent of Republicans and right-leaning independents actually don't believe Cain should drop out of the race."
That percentage may seem shockingly high, but it's a trifle compared to the 100 percent of Democrats and left-leaning independents who agree. And the Democratic rooting for Cain -- or Perry, or Gingrich ... -- is what renders the far right's fiery accusations of Dem-machine skulduggery against their most immoderate candidates so amusingly pathetic.
The radicalized GOP base made possible these human jokes of political tawdriness and easy defeatability, yet somehow the base doesn't get the joke.
Take Herman Cain. Please. Support him, dear right-wing boys and girls. Send him cash, hoist him on your shoulders, and by all means nominate him. Or, you can go to Tampa's prom with Newt, or either Rick. The opposition isn't picky, it doesn't care, it's the very model of latitudinarianism when it comes to these things, these particular folks.
Just don't go with that man -- and who know who the Dem machine means. His silver tongue and wily, experienced ways will have independents -- those floozies and flakes of earthly temptation -- in the back seat and out of their skirts and giving it up in intemperate time.
Or at least that's the worry of responsible adults. The Unctuous One is the premiere Eddie Haskell of the silly season's opening of this GOP sitcom; he slinks, he slithers, he provocatively schemes and plots, he has only one objective in that squalid little mind. To quote from my childhood's favorite musical, "You'll find it in Balzac."
And the Unctuous One is the only one with the potential to screw us all.
Yet somehow, the GOP base perceives a comedy of arrows aimed not at all at its most feckless candidates. This phenomenon is really quite astounding -- even after all these years of the GOP base's fecklessness, too.