The First Honest Republican Criticism of the Kinder Debacle

While I've certainly enjoyed watching Republicans taking shots at Peter Kinder's disastrous gubernatorial campaign, it also has been more than a little exasperating watching so many of them pretending to be shocked that a Republican politician went to a strip club 17 years ago. Let's get serious here people.

So kudos to the conservative Missouri Record for actually offering an honest assessment of why many Republicans want Kinder to go:

Kinder's real sin, however, is not what he did 17 years ago, but that in this race he was never in danger of actually defeating Governor Nixon. Everything is forgivable in politics—except losing. The top of the ticket is viewed as so weak that Republicans are hesitant to run for Attorney General or Treasurer.

I do disagree with Patrick Tuohey on this last bit, though:

Kinder's choice is between leaving at the height of his career with the gratitude of many, or to risk becoming a liability to the very causes and candidates he holds dear.

Tuohey's trying to present this as if Kinder can still save face by leaving the race now. I have a hard time seeing that, considering how embarrassing the scandals of 2011 have been for him. And if he drops out and (as most people predict) Republicans lose anyway, he'll still get much of the blame.