This is just a general observation, so please don't take it as an endorsement of Mitt Romney, or even a defense of him. The reaction to his "$10,000 bet" offer to Rick Perry has been just plain stupid:
The other longer-term danger for Romney in the $10,000 bet is that it reinforces a narrative already swirling in the political world: that his wealth makes him out of touch with the economic concerns of average folks.
Please. You don't get to this level in politics -- to the point where you're trying to add "president" to your resume -- by staying in touch with the common man. All of these people -- Barack Obama on the one side and all those who want to replace him on the other -- have been divorced from ordinary American life for a long time.
