Polls [again with the polls - they're like barometers of idiocy] appear to show that Gingrich has now surged passed Cain into second behind Romney and in some cases a virtual tie with Romney. So does this mean all the hand wringing by types like me viz Cain was misguided or over stated? Possibly - but a shift to Gingrich could also show that the right is definitely in the grips of a fanatical obsession with a vague yet strongly felt ideological urge that may have entirely detached itself from coherent thought altogether and consequently has little to do with the actuality of candidates themselves - except when it comes to Romney and I guess Huntsman whose caricatures, as fashioned by the uber right, seem to represent the forces of the anti-urge [demi-urge you say?]. I mean, when it comes to ideological purity Gingrich probably carries as much if not more baggage than Romney - plus he has significant character issues - so how explain a swing to Gingrich? Easy - he's not Romney and in all the debates he argues with, scolds in fact the moderators who are all generally members of a press so reviled by the ideologues - with this dyspeptic role now assigned to him regardless of any objective reality [as at various times it has been given to Bachman, Perry, Cain] Gingrich satisfies the uber right's need to be purged of its fear and loathing through an angry mimesis - very Aristotelian I guess, other than it's complete divorce from logic.
And so it was in this sense that Cain disturbed, still disturbs actually since his poll numbers remain high enough to cause worry - it may be unlikely, but I still see a real potential here for a great Obama-like wave of fatuous emotion sweeping some inept, ill-suited for the job cretin [although Gingrich nor Obama for that matter are cretinish in the sense of being 'dumb' - Cain, on the other hand...] into the White House - well, actually, it's hard to see any of the not-Romneys beating Obama - I mean, Newt's closet is just bursting with skeletons and he has a very well earned reputation for putting foot in mouth - and Cain - still a year removed from the election! - has already spilled enough toxic waste to make a serious nurturing of a presidential bid seem highly dubious at best.
I will say though, if forced to pick my poison, and it would be poison of a sort, if Obama's ineptitude actually ends up enraging people so much that the doors open for the likes of a Cain or a Gingrich - I guess I gotta hope it's Newt. It almost makes one wish Sarah would jump into the race - and wouldn't surprise if she's thinking the very same thing - after all, if the base is so agitated that it's actually willing to consider the absurdity of Gingrich, then imagine how they'd respond if she came in - she'd shoot to the lead by ten percentage points [not that I'd necessarily consider that a good thing understand - but what circus isn't improved by a pretty girl on a tightrope?]
