Romney's trap

The inevitable divorce of the tea party loonies from GOP establishment forces is getting nastier, which is to say, more delightful, every day.

Tea Party Nation's Judson Phillips, for instance, calls a Romney nomination a "nightmare scenario" in which Judson would "push the button for him; I’m going to hope he’s better than I think." How much better? "He is better than Obama, but not necessarily by a whole lot."

Well, now there's an endorsement that should turn out Judson's troops on Election Day.

Even nastier -- albeit refreshingly blunter -- is Dustin Stockman, of the tea-partying Western Representation PAC: "As much as we can’t stand Barack Obama, if the Republicans choose to nominate Mitt Romney, it’s up to them to get him past the finish line."

There's no mention in The Hill piece of a third-party formation, but partisan disaffection that runs as strong as nose-holding and brutal ultimatums virtually cinches a formal, tea-partying contender, which, in turn, should decimate the Romney vote in swing states such as Virginia, North Carolina and Nevada.

Should Romney attempt to placate the loonies (which, in any event, he probably cannot), then he'd lose the independent vote.

He's trapped. Although he has two ways to turn, both are decisive losers.