COLUMBUS – “I’m sorry, I just can’t do this anymore,” said Joe McIntire, speaking from his Columbus home Thursday morning. McIntire, a local small business owner, and the GOP’s last remaining moderate supporter, announced Wednesday that he would no longer be voting for the Republican presidential candidate. “Honestly, I thought Romney would be a pragmatic, dispassionate problem solver, with a good understanding of business and management. Turns out, he’s just kind of a dick.”

McIntire’s exit comes a day after a video was released showing Romney telling guests at a $50,000 a plate fundraiser that the 47% of Americans who pay no income tax are an entitled drain  on society. “That video was the last straw,” continued McIntire. “I only wanted someone to fix our nation’s finances. Was it too much to ask that that person not shit all over retirees, veterans, and the unemployed in the process?”

“Jesus f*cking Christ”. Joe McIntire reflects on the 2012 election at his home Thursday – (AP Photo)

The slow drain of mild-mannered, nice people from the Romney camp presents a significant challenge leading up to election day in November, thinks LSU political scientist George Simmons. “What you’ve seen over the last 12 months is the evolution of Romney’s base, from ‘pleasant, enjoyable folks with whom you may have subtle political differences’ to ‘total assholes who think you’re a lazy, government-dependent welfare queen’. It may not prove to be a compelling narrative.”

Romney resumes campaigning Thursday, when he’s expected to continue saying things that most undecided voters will find anywhere from awkward to demonstrably offensive.

(L&B)