COMMENTARY | If you are a conservative and believe in their principles, you may be upset with Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry. Their vicious attacks on Mitt Romney and capitalism have been relentless, and the fallout is just beginning. Perry has lost a top supporter in Barry Wynn who hates the anti-capitalism rhetoric. Gingrich has garnered sharp criticism from Republican heavy weights like Rush Limbaugh and Rudy Giuliani.
Who loses in this mud fight? Conservative voters are the big losers. While Gingrich and Perry make themselves irrelevant, Santorum is not financially able to take their places. This leaves Mitt Romney and Ron Paul; both are unpopular with Gingrich and Perry voters. Since all three conservatives are staying in the race, South Carolina voters will have no choice. They must split the conservative vote, and risk a Romney win, or bolt for fiscal conservative Ron Paul.
Who wins from the Republican chaos? President Obama wins because the GOP candidates are destroying each other. His re-election campaign must be rolling on the floor and grateful! Romney wins too, but only temporarily. He will be dirtied up in South Carolina, but some Gingrich and Perry supporters have already jumped to his side. I think Paul wins from all of the back-stabbing. He is the only one that consistently gives his message. The fiscal side of his speeches draw raves, and voters have expressed that the economy is their chief concern.
Candidates bringing out faults of other candidates is not the problem. Differences can be discussed with civility. The problem comes when the discussions turn to attacks that in turn cause flat out war. Gingrich was bombarded in Iowa with Romney PAC attack ads. The ads understandably made Gingrich irate. It was then that people wondered if the new and improved Newt would respond, or would the old Newt rear his head. Gingrich is on a crusade to bring down Romney. It is not about beating Romney; it is not about what is best for the country. It certainly is not what is best for the GOP.