What I find really difficult to understand is why the GOP act as if there is some major party to the right of them they have to constantly worry about losing votes to. As if somehow, if they waver in their support of nutcase Tea Party views, the voters on the extreme right will abandon them and flock...where exactly?
Who knows how many votes this Mourdock fiasco cost Romney nationally. Why was the response so weak? Why was there lukewarm condemnation, but no pulling of the Romney ad endorsing Mourdock? Remember, this is a guy who in the end had more than 10% fewer votes than Donnelly and lost the damn senate election anyway? Was it really worth it?
Why not come out really strong and give him a choice of either a full, grovelling, unconditional apology, or being kicked out of the party? I know it's late in the election, I know GOP allegedly believes in the freedom of conscience for their members and all that jazz, but if you really believe a member of your own party has said something so hateful and ridiculous(and is then trying to justify it), why would you want him in your party?
Why was it so important to support a local candidate who according to polls at the time stood little chance of winning anyway? Why is one single senate seat in Indiana more important than the national image of the party? Again, I understand what a mess it would've been to withdraw support to one of your own a week or two before the election, but was it worth not doing it in the end? Romney lost(not that I'm for a second suggesting that was the key reason or even that big of a reason, but it was part of a trend) and in the end, Mourdock lost, too. All that was gained from this was the reinforcement of the image of the GOP as a party of old, white, Christian men who think women are receptacles for sperm.