The current Republican party is so crazy. They are legitimately behind someone (Herman Cain) who has no chance at all in an actual election, when they’ve got a real candidate (as douchey as Mitt Romney might be) who could potentially hold his own against President Obama.
I suppose that this dalliance with Cain is just the GOP’s way of showing Romney some tough love (like an abusive boyfriend). Drag him right, so he basically becomes unelectable. It’s a good strategy.
In the short-term, though, the GOP gets to push someone who thinks this tax plan is something that middle American can get behind. (Graph from On the Economy). Stay crazy, GOP.