There is probably no better way to understand the trials and tribulations of public life than to study the experience of the British monarchy. When the Duchess of York first landed in hot water due to her highly imprudent personal life, the Court correspondent of the BBC penned one of the most famous story punchlines in history: “The knives are out for Fergie at the Palace”. This phrase has kept coming back to me at every stage of the ongoing campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Clearly the GOP establishment is out to stop Newt Gingrich at any price with a highly damaging whispering campaign. In many cases, they don’t even bother to whisper- they shout. No slouch himself, Mr. Gingrich has been busy handing the Democratic party a freshly burnished class warfare sword to do battle with the GOP should Mr. Romney prevail. The circular firing squad. Again.

How did we land in this mess? We need to look at the whole planning process for the primary season. There are too many debates, moderated by mainstream media types who always seek to portray the GOP in a bad light. There have been too many candidates at those debates, whose candidacies seemed to be grounded in nothing more than personal vanity, and who were reduced to competing for “Gotcha” moments before the MSM luminaries. And there has been far too much tolerance for gamesmanship, above all the media hit squads who took out Herman Cain, possibly abetted by some in the GOP. And inquiring minds would like to know who those people were! And, of course, there is too much emphasis on the early contests and too many non-Republicans who get to vote in them.

As in 2008, we have not been well served. We deserve better, and should insist upon it, and use the power of the purse until we get it.