Senate Candidate Jumps the Gun, Releases Four Different Responses to Obamacare Decision Before It Comes Out

Indiana Republican Treasurer Richard Mourdock stunned the GOP establishment in May when he defeated ancient incumbent Richard Lugar for the chance to become the GOP nominee for US Senator, in a reminder that the Tea Party is still very much alive and still a force to be reckoned with. Now, however, Mourdock has gotten trapped in an amateurish blunder that leaves some wondering whether he'll go the way of past Tea Party candidates Sharon Angle and Christine O'Donnell.

As most of our readers know, the Supreme Court's decision as to whether Obamacare is constitutional comes out this Thursday. Mourdock wasn't quite ready to be that patient, as he recently released four videos on his Youtube channel dealing with the case. The problem is that these videos aren't predictions. They're literally reactions to the decision - reactions that were filmed before the decision was even known - and the reason there are four of them is because he filmed four different reactions to four different possible decisions. Watch them compiled into one video below:

For more background, The Daily Mail reports:

Mr Mourdock, who is now the state’s treasurer but is hoping for a serious promotion come election day, recorded videos for if the court overturns, upholds, splits the decision, or reaches no decision on the contentious healthcare issue.

All of the videos were clearly shot on the same day as he is wearing the same striped tie and patriotic flag pin while sitting in front of a non-descript brick wall.

The videos were posted to YouTube using his ‘MourdockforSenate’ username, but his team has since taken them down in hopes of lessening the inevitable political fallout.[...]

‘Like the vast majority of Hoosiers, Richard hopes the Supreme Court strikes down ObamaCare, which our opponent Joe Donnelly dutifully supported,’ a campaign spokesman said in a statement.

‘But as the Boy Scouts say, “be prepared.”’

And no, before you ask, it's not just liberals who are criticizing Mourdock. Again, from the Daily Mail:

Some of the criticism is even coming from Mr Mourdock’s fellow Republicans, including a tea party activist who the IndyStar reports sent an email calling the release of the videos a ‘colossal blinder.’

Now, to be fair to Mourdock, it's not as though he meant for these videos to be given wide release. They were simply uploaded to his Youtube channel and unfriendly media sources happened to notice before he ever tried to promote them. Nevertheless, the videos should have at least been hidden from public viewing until such a time as Mourdock was ready to promote them - a very easy option to select on Youtube.

To make matters worse, the story has found its way onto the airwaves of the Colbert Report: