I don’t want to offend any of my friends or colleagues, all of whom I have a great deal of respect for, who are positing various theories on why Nancy Pelosi or David Axelrod are saying things about Romney or Newt.

Everyone seems intend on making it a conspiracy or about reverse psychology or something.

I don’t see it that way. I am perfectly happy to admit I could be wrong, but I don’t see it that way. I do not think the Democrats are intentionally trying to bait us into picking their preferred candidate by attacking that candidate now and I do not think Nancy Pelosi is bashing Newt with gnostic knowledge of prior bad deeds because she fears him as the nominee.

For starters, Republicans have largely concluded that America’s Mother-In-Law is a bit daft. Consistency requires that we not now view her as machiavellian enough to suddenly angle the GOP nomination in Newt’s favor or let slip some level of fear about him by attacking him.

The simple answer seems to me to be the right one — Nancy Pelosi just can’t help but run her mouth on stuff like that. It also fits a long recurring pattern about Nancy Pelosi mouthing off about various matters when asked by reporters. For the first time this year she finds herself the center of attention. Additionally, because the events must be kept confidential and because the events are long forgotten, raising it now gives it time to start percolating with the press.

As for the Democrats continuing to bash Mitt Romney above all others, I really and truly do not think it means they are scared of Romney. I really and truly do not believe it means that they really want Mitt Romney as the nominee and think bashing him will make the GOP support him. If anything, that sure has not worked yet.

No, I think again the simple answer is the right answer. The Democrats are convinced Romney is the nominee and they are going to go on now and define him, consistent with how his Republicans rivals are defining him, so when he gets to the general they can shift their attacks on him and any backtrack will be viewed through the prism of a known flip-flopper.

It is largely what the GOP did to John Kerry in 2004.

I am largely tired of the conspiracy theories that the Democrats took out Herman Cain or what not. No they didn’t.

The Democrats of 2011/2012 are the most arrogant they have ever been. They absolutely are convinced they will be able to win re-election next year. They learned nothing from 2010 and see the Occupy crowd as a superior intellectual match to the tea party movement. They have no reason to try to pick or kill any Republican nominee. They think none of them can beat Obama.

And that, by the way, is precisely why the GOP will beat Barack Obama in 2012.