Romney’s potential nomination is not a laughing matter…

…But I’m tempted to laugh regardless – at both the GOP establishment and the uninformed Republican primary voters who yet again are making a big mistake.

A few recent headlines:

Humor can help candidates, but it can backfire

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitt Romney hit an off note when he told a “humorous” story about his dad shutting down a factory.

Yes, Mitt really is that stupid.

As Romney nears nod, GOP base nods off

Pledges of support from powerful Republicans last week may have edged Mitt Romney closer to the GOP presidential nomination, but the former Massachusetts governor still struggles to fire the imaginations of most in his party — even the coveted endorsements from former President George H.W. Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida seemed underwhelming in tone.

Mr. Rubio and Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, who also endorsed Mr. Romney last week, focused less on his qualifications for the presidency than on the vulnerabilities of President Obama.

“[Mr. Romney‘s] challenge, assuming he gets the nomination, is to create more enthusiasm among the Republican base,” said Frank M. Newport of Gallup. “Obviously, he needs a Herman Cain injection of charisma.”

And an injection of honesty. I’m not sure what kind of injection would help rid him of the creepiness.

Romney’s next big crisis

The former Massachusetts governor’s most serious problem going forward– one that the Wall Street Journal called attention to in early March — is that his negative rating exceeds his positive rating by double digits.

[…]

Put bluntly, it is very difficult, if not impossible, for a presidential candidate to win an election with an overall negative rating of 50% when facing an incumbent whose favorability is above fifty percent. And President Obama’s favorability rating in the Washington Post/ABC News Poll is almost as high as President Bill Clinton’s 56 percent favorability in June 1996.

Way to go GOP! In a country of 310 million people, let’s nominate someone Americans don’t like.

Record Number See Romney Negatively; Obama Outpaces Him in Popularity

Mitt Romney trails Barack Obama by 19 points in basic popularity as the 2012 presidential contest inches closer to the main event, with a record 50 percent of Americans in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll now rating Romney unfavorably overall.

Thirty-four percent hold a favorable opinion of Romney, the lowest for any leading presidential candidate in ABC/Post polls in primary seasons since 1984. His unfavorable score is higher than Obama ever has received; it’s been exceeded by just one other Republican candidate this year, Newt Gingrich, and by only one top candidate in 28 years, Hillary Clinton in 2008.

Just keep telling those funny stories, Mitt! Ha ha ha ha ha ha…

Dope.