Wouldn't It Be Ironic?

Were Mitt Romney to lose the GOP nomination to Herman Cain, it would be despite Mr. Cain having used the term brainwashing.

For those too young or of faint memory, here is the short reason it would be ironic.

It is because Mitt's father George Romney, the then sitting Republican governor of Michigan and front running candidate for the 1968 GOP nomination, fell from his perch for using the term.

"Brainwashing" was the headlines in the political news at about the same time in the nomination cycle (Sept 1967) as it is now in 2011. (At the link, Time Magazine had a field day with the story, and hardly could hide their glee.)

After Mr. Cain's critically equating black voting preferences to brainwashing, what transpires this go-round remains to be seen. I and many other conservative thinkers wish Mr. Cain much success, and that would of necessity come at the cost of Mr. Romney's ambition.

However, at the same time, we all ought to recognize the human element here too. I would recommend that we all retain at least a tinge of sympathy for the Romney family because of what would have to be bitter irony.