GOP says GOP candidates are falling over each other to pander to base . Granderson pulls `` Washington '' card ; Washington calls Obama a snob on education , he says . Gingrich : They 'd rather push to the edge of lunacy than offer real reasons to vote for them . In November , a Pew poll showed then-front-runner Romney was leading Obama 53 % -41 % among independents . Strategy of proving tea party cred in extreme ways is backfiring , Granderson says .
GOP says GOP candidates are falling over each other to pander to base . Granderson pulls `` Washington '' card ; Washington calls Obama a snob on education , he says . Gingrich : They 'd rather push to the edge of lunacy than offer real reasons to vote for them . Strategy of proving tea party cred in extreme ways is backfiring , Granderson says .