“[T]he 2012 presidential election is effectively over right now,” suggests political science professor Thomas Schaller in a provocative new Salon column this week. Despite the twists and turns of the GOP primary, he argues, “All of the available data indicate that Romney will be the Republican nominee by end of spring, and Barack Obama will be the victor come fall.” So what is at stake in the GOP primary in Schaller’s eyes? The identity and future prospects of the Republican party.
Schaller’s latest Baltimore Sun column focuses on Rush Limbaugh’s remarks about Sandra Fluke and his later apology to her, following the loss of several show sponsors. Schaller writes, “What the talk show host should apologize for is his obvious and rather profound ignorance about contraception.”
