The Cain boomlet owes to two factors. One is that while his economic ideas may be crazy, they are specific and bold. The other candidates mostly confine themselves to saying their policies will be different from Obama’s — without specifying how they might be different from, say, those of George W. Bush. Cain gets points for effort and likability.

The other factor is that the conservative wing of the party really doesn’t like Romney. He may be the eventual nominee, but for now, the search for an alternative will continue. When Cain’s rocket fizzles — and it is quite likely to — perhaps the well-financed Perry will make a comeback as the anti-Romney, assuming he finds a way to survive those danged debates.

So enjoy the flavor of the week while you can. Ice cream does melt.