“The GOP isn’t just spectacularly unlucky in its menu of candidates; this is what the party has been for decades. Rick Santorum isn’t someone out of left field; he’s always been what you see now, and he was a central figure in his Senate days. All that has happened now is that the mannerisms have finally gotten to the point that the pretense of a reasonable party is no longer sustainable.”

Paul Krugman

“Looking Back With Shrillness,” Feb. 29, 2012