Black Box Report

Because the DNC stripped them of their delegates for moving up their primary date, Michigan Democrats wouldn't have had much to do today except stay inside with the TV turned off and the phone off the hook. Instead, Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas, noting a history of the GOP meddling in the open Democratic primary there, suggests they have some fun:

In 1972, Republican voters in Michigan decided to make a little mischief, crossing over to vote in the open Democratic primary and voting for segregationist Democrat George Wallace, seriously embarrassing the state's Democrats. In fact, a third of the voters (PDF) in the Democratic primary were Republican crossover votes. In 1988, Republican voters again crossed over, helping Jesse Jackson win the Democratic primary, helping rack up big margins for Jackson in Republican precincts. (Michigan Republicans can clearly be counted on to practice the worst of racial politics.) In 1998, Republicans helped Jack Kevorkian's lawyer -- quack Geoffrey Feiger -- win his Democratic primary, thus guaranteeing their hold on the governor's mansion that year.

With a history of meddling in our primaries, why don't we try and return the favor...Michigan Democrats should vote for Mitt Romney, because if Mitt wins, Democrats win.
......
If Romney loses Michigan, he's out. If he wins, he stays in. And we want Romney in, because the more Republican candidates we have fighting it out, trashing each other with negative ads and spending tons of money, the better it is for us.

From there, the idea caught fire. The Democrats for Mitt! organization, such as it is, even got themselves a fancy-schmancy campaign ad:

Democrats, do you want change? Mitt Romney has changed just about every position he's ever had! Mitt Romney is change! And keeping Mitt in the race means he can keep pushing for change in the Republican party, in this case from a far-right ideology to an extreme fringe rightwing ideology:

If Romney can stay alive in Michigan and Rudy takes Florida, the GOP nomination process will be a mess. The GOP convention is in September, which gives the candidate who tacks far enough to the right to win the nod about two months to recover for the general. Very tough to do.

Actual Republicans for Romney, however, are naturally not amused. Apparently they'll only accept help if it comes in the form of one of Mitt's checks:

Markos Moulitsas is an ideologue, not a strategist...A strategist would also know that tricking Democrats into backing a handsome, rich, well-spoken Conservative in a desperate ploy to beat the perceived Republican front-runner would backfire...Mitt Romney is an intelligent, articulate, likeable Conservative. Let Kos plan, it'll only hurt their chances in November.

Let's just say Romney does win Michigan due to his newfound support, procedes to run the table to win the GOP nod and somehow reverses every political trend since mid-2005 and wins the White House...all while penning a TONY Award-winning play and curing cancer, since we're pie-in-the-skying here...Some progressives think even President Mitt wouldn't be so bad, as he seems to be the least scary of the bunch:

Mitt Romney would be the least horrible President among the Republican candidates. Demonstrably, he has an IQ statistically significantly different from zero, isn't demonstrably bonkers aside from his narcissism, and doesn't actually believe in anything. That's a big improvement over much of his opposition.

Sounds about right. But it's all moot, as - Michigan win or not - there will be no President Romney. Consider that an official prediction, if you will, but...Ain't. Gonna. Happen.

Still, I would like Mitt to stay in, if for nothing else than to see the 5 Romney sons watch dad spend their entire inheritance.

Poor Tagg.