There are people who matter in this process, the people who populate the mediating institutions of our politics in the Republican National Committee and in the media organizations that come up with rules for entry. And stupidly, these mediating institutions surrendered their own authority to that of opinion polls during a time when almost no one is paying attention to the election. They think it makes them look impartial and fair. It doesn’t. With 17 candidates, and so little mental energy to sort between them, any low-polling candidate could rip a memorable fart in the undercard debate and get enough free press and a subsequent polling bump to get into the top tier…

That Rick Perry’s candidacy was buried by early polling numbers is a travesty. It’s an over-worshipful deference to democratic-looking tools, like opinion polls. The result is a process that unnaturally favors electoral-curiosities like Ben Carson, or candidates who can only credibly represent one sect within the national party, like Mike Huckabee. Or free-media bonanza candidates like Donald Trump…

For the sake of the party, for the sake of honoring the success of Republican governance in a large state, Rick Perry’s presidential aspirations needed to be protected from the hurricane-season of stupidity. He didn’t lose because he is a loser. He lost the way great poker players lose at tournaments with too many players. Pure dumb luck.