Politics as reality TV

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I guess I was wrong. I thought

Republicans surely would have come to their senses by now. Instead,

they seem to be rushing deeper into madness.

With less than

a month to go before the Iowa caucuses, Mitt Romney, the candidate

shown by polls to have the best chance of defeating President

Obama, evidently remains unacceptable to most of his party. He has

spent the summer and fall playing second fiddle to a series of

unconvincing “front-runners” who fade into the shadows once their

shortcomings become obvious.

The latest is

Newt Gingrich, a man with more baggage than Louis Vuitton — and

the taste for fine jewelry of Louis XIV, judging by his Tiffany’s

bill. Be honest: Is there anybody out there who believes

Gingrich would make it through a general election campaign against

Obama without self-destructing?

Far from

settling down, the Republican contest keeps getting wackier. I can

think of no better illustration than the fact that a Dec. 27

candidates’ debate – the last before voting actually begins with

the Iowa caucuses – will be moderated by Donald Trump.

Romney, Ron

Paul, Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman have had the dignity and good

judgment to decline participation in what is likely to be an

embarrassment for all involved, except Trump, who lives in a world

beyond shame. Paul’s campaign noted that the planned event would

create an “unwanted, circus-like atmosphere” that is “beneath the

office of the presidency.”

Gingrich,

apparently lacking dignity and good judgment, will eagerly

participate. He will be joined by Rick Santorum, who has nothing to

lose. Michele Bachmann has not decided whether to join the freak

show.

“I’m surprised

that Mitt Romney said no,” Trump told MSNBC. “Frankly, I’m

surprised, because he really wants my endorsement. I mean, he wants

it very badly.”

Really? Before

associating themselves too closely with Trump, I’d suggest all the

candidates look at a Fox News poll from September. While 10 percent

of Republicans surveyed said they would be more likely to vote for

a candidate if he or she were endorsed by Trump, nearly twice as

many – 18 percent – said Trump’s backing would make them

less likely to vote for the candidate.

And that’s

nothing compared to the potential impact in the general election

against Obama. Among all voters, the Fox poll found, only 6 percent

said a Trump endorsement would make them more likely to vote for

the endorsee, while a stunning 31 percent said they would be less

likely to do so.

Doesn’t bother

Gingrich, though. He seems to see participation as a matter of

courage. “I think if you’re afraid to debate with Donald Trump,” he

said, “people are going to say, ‘So you want me to believe you can

debate Barack Obama but you’re afraid to show up with Donald

Trump?'”

Gingrich thus

casts his lot with the likes of Sarah Palin, who claims that if she

were running for president, she’d definitely take part in the Trump

debate. She says the encounter will be “a positive thing” because

Trump “will be able to attract a diverse demographic that maybe has

not been as interested in this horse race thus far.” I suspect

Palin is just showing solidarity with Trump. Reality-show stars

gotta stick together.

Do you suppose

Trump will ask Gingrich about the ethics violations he committed

while he was speaker of the House, or the $300,000 penalty fine he

had to pay? Do you think he’ll press Gingrich on the lucrative

lobbying-by-another-name he’s been doing on behalf of clients such

as the government-supported mortgage giant Freddie Mac? Do you

imagine he’ll read Gingrich his Dickensian quotes about child labor

laws?

No, no and no.

This show can have only one star, and we already know who it is. No

matter which candidates show up, Donald Trump’s debate will be

about Donald Trump. I’m betting that at some point during the

event, Trump will actually utter the phrase “You’re

fired.”

And from the

direction of the White House, you’ll hear the sound of

high-fives.

Eugene

Robinson’s email address is

eugenerobinson@washpost.com.

Politics as reality TV

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