The GOP - Beautiful Plumage and Still Dead

from here. 

My friend Michael writes:

I still believe that Romney is a lot more Republican than Tea Party and that, in a sad, scary, Faustian-pact sort of way he just did what he had to do in order to get the nomination and save the GOP from the Goldwater-sized debacle that would have ensued had we nominated, say, Santorum, thereby leaving the party to roam 40 more years in the desert….

I think Michael's right about Mitt and Faust. 

from here. 

Michael's a Republican (and like I said, a good friend) and is still determining who he will vote for in the presidential election.  Michael's conundrum is that he hasn't found a way to accept that the party whose values he believes in is gone. 

(Michael, think parrot sketch in Monty Python. Your GOP ain't just stunned, they're expired and gone on to meet their maker. Beautiful plumage and all).

I too mourn the demise of the Republican party, not because I share their former or current values, but rather, because democracies work better with choices and this tea party crew's single consistency is that they would limit choice for most Americans and do so with a rather sickening glee. 

So is voting for Mitt a vote for the Devil?

Ladies, if Michael is right and Mitt Romney has sold his soul in some GOP Faustian drama, remember that in Goethe's tale, Gretchen still gets screwed.  Her life still ends and yes she may enter heaven, but she has all choice taken from her (sound familiar?).  

Folks, any man willing to sell his soul to the Devil to get to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has not earned your respect and surely not your vote.