Michael Barone is unquestionably the sharpest mind in political punditry.  Starting as a liberal Democrat he appears to a casual observer, or a typical Democrat, if that’s not redundant, to have drifted to the right side.  He has argued that his views are consistent and that his views have grown more conservative from experience while the Democrat Party has veered sharply left when driven by Progressives.

In his Townhall Magazine column today ( Obamacom) Michael offers a a bit of insight, in a way he does best, by digging into polling and explaining his analysis so clearly that even a student of the Punahou, Occidental, Columbia and Harvard Law should be alarmed.

Of course, the Democrat Party assault on “private equity” can be summed up simply: “Democrats love [union] employees but hate employers.”

If Mitt Romney’s team were not comprised of the keen minds who gave us Presidents Dole and McCain, we could be confident of victory.  Instead, the masterminds in Romneyville wring their hands and lament that “private equity is hard to explain.” It isn’t: You tell the boys that their favorite cigar store, sports bar, and strip club are all funded with “private equity.”  You tell the girls that their nail shop, hair stylist, and Starbucks are all creations of “private equity.”  You tell Democrats, Progressives, and Metrosexuals that their Priuses, Birkenstocks, and contraceptives are all products of “private equity.”

Alas, this should be a classic ass-whuppin’ . . .