Well, Barack Obama won the Republican primary in Michigan on Tuesday night and he wasn't even a candidate.
Mitt Romney got the most votes - barely - in the state he grew up in. But, in the course of the campaign, the two Republican frontrunners - Romney and Rick Santorum - committed enough gaffes to fuel a whole season of "Saturday Night Live." And, in the process, elevated Obama's re-election chances.
To show Michigan's autoworkers he identifies with them, Romney said his family drives American cars. He has a Mustang and his wife has two Cadillacs. Wow, now there's your typical blue-collar family facing hard times. It is really tough choosing which Cadillac to drive on any given day.
Santorum, of course, couldn't wait to put his foot in his mouth day after day by saying things like:
"I don't believe in America the separation of church and state is absolute." (Oh, good, whose church rules - yours or mine?)
"President Obama once said he wants everybody in America to go to college. What a snob." (Yeah, boy, there's nothing snootier than wishing a higher education for a fellow citizen.)
The president's comments on the subject in 2009, incidentally, referenced college or vocational training past high school. What a snob!
In any event, one would think from the campaign surrounding this week's primary that we have no housing crisis, no unemployment, no national debt, no wars, and no nuclear nuts in the Middle East.
No, we're too busy talking about our wife's various Cadillacs and how snooty those folks are who want a better-educated populace.
One can only hope that at some point the adults in the GOP will let their presidential candidates know there are real issues to discuss.
* Editorials reflect the opinion of the publisher.
