CAN YOU SMELL WHAT THE BREW IS COOKIN'?

(Zandar here, poking his head in this weekend.)

Steve mentioned Arizona GOP Gov. Jan Brewer on Thursday, saying that Brewer's "deer in the headlights" debate meltdown on Wednesday night wasn't going to hurt her at all.  I said he was right then, and I know he's right now given this.

Gov. Jan Brewer (R) has put the kibosh on all future debates with her Arizona gubernatorial opponent Terry Goddard (D), after her rather embarrassing display at Wednesday's debate. "I don't believe that things come out in proper context in an adversarial atmosphere," she defended herself.

According to the Arizona Daily Star, Brewer says she only partook in the debate to try qualify for the $1.7 million-plus public funds for her campaign.

So after her poor showing, which involved a flubbed opening statement that made the internet rounds yesterday, Brewer has had enough: "I think it's pretty defined what [Goddard] stands for and what I stand for."

And this is a perfect example of why Brewer is turning this into a complete win.  She's pivoted wonderfully on this.  It's Sarah Palin's hand all over again.  This is the shining example of IOKIYAR:  It's OK If You're A Republican.  The right has too much invested in Jan Brewer to see her defeated.  She's become their immigration Latino-hate pointwoman for 2010 and if she crashes and burns, the GOP plan to demotivate Latino voters will be in real trouble.

But right now, the Democrats have put a number of issues on the back burner due to the economy (gay equality, civil rights, the environment, energy, immigration reform) and surrendered the discussion on those issues completely to the Republicans.  That's actually a much, much larger problem and explains the enthusiasm gap rather nicely, but in context of Jan Brewer the right has simply invested too much national attention to see her lose.

So, the debate choke, which in any rational race with any rational actors would finish Brewer, is now being held up as her reasons for petulantly pulling a Palin. The mean ol' media is picking on our fair Jan, and she told them what for!  Ha!

Can you imagine the endless howls that would ensue if a Democrat pulled this stunt (particularly a female Democrat ?)  I can.  And that's exactly what the Republicans are accusing Democrats of doing even before they've said anything.

Nope.  Sarah Palin showed the GOP exactly how to win this, and Jan Brewer is following the playbook to a T, along with Nikki Haley in South Carolina earlier this year and now Christine O' Donnell in Delaware.  Sharron Angle in Nevada, Michele Bachmann in Minnesota and to an extent, Joe Miller in Alaska and Rand Paul in Kentucky are doing this too.

Play that "victim of a mean, unfair liberal media" card and you can't lose, no matter what your other foibles are.  This isn't the end of Brewer folks, it's the beginning of a clinic.  Pay attention.