Throughout the long GOP primary — as Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum took turns hazing Mitt Romney — few Republicans fell in love with the former governor from Massachusetts. But they mostly agreed that he was the most “electable” candidate.
This meant, in short, that he was wax-museum handsome and connected enough to raise the billion dollars needed to compete with the President. But it also meant that he was “moderate,” or could play moderate on TV.
During the Tea Party moment, “moderate” — and even worse, “Massachusetts moderate” — had practically become a synonym for Kenyan Muslim anti-colonial socialist. Suddenly, it was the GOP’s only hope.
And while Gingrich and Santorum all took cheap shots at the guy they knew would become their nominee, they never went “there.” They never pointed out that Romney was the guy who was still pretending to support abortion rights well into the second season of “Two and a Half Men.”
“I have iPods older than Romney’s pro-life beliefs,” Newt could have said.
Maybe they decided that their party’s go-to wedge issue, on which it had relied for purification rituals for a generation, wasn’t relevant? After all, the former governor of Massachusetts had eagerly signed all the same personhood and pro-life pledges they had. Or maybe they figured Romney’s former sanity on abortion would actually help him.
Aha. There’s the rub.
Mitt Romney’s secret sauce — the thing that makes him “electable,” in the eyes of a Republican Party that’s been repudiated in the minds of millions — is his unprecedented willingness to toss aside any belief or stand he’s ever taken.
That’s why when Democrats point out that he’s a flip-flopper or even a barebacked liar, they’re telling the truth. But they’re also helping Romney.
In 2011, the liberal SuperPAC Priorities USA conducted focus groups about the Paul Ryan budget. When they were told the GOP’s plans for gutting Medicare, slashing Medicaid and education while cutting taxes for the rich again, the respondents simply refused to believe any politician would do such a thing. It’s that disbelief that makes Romney the perfect GOP candidate in 2012.
If you’ve been paying any attention to the liberals this year, “Mitt’s Mendacity” has been a constant theme. MSNBC’s Steve Benen carefully chronicles Mitt’s lies weekly, and whenever Romney repeats one of his widely debunked lies — like “the President has not signed one new trade agreement” (in fact, he’s signed three) — you can practically hear the fact checkers and liberal bloggers firing up their MacBooks.
But every time the media repeats the meme that “Mitt lies,” what they’re also suggesting is that you don’t have to believe he’ll do what he says — or actually listen to his 17 foreign policy advisers from the Bush administration.
He won’t really slash tax rates 20%, paying for that and a huge military spending hike by revoking unspecified deductions that don’t, can’t, add up.
He won’t really appoint justices who will overturn Roe v. Wade.
He won’t really deregulate Wall Street, though that’s been part of his platform since the start of the race.
He won’t really drop coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Get it, swing voters? He’s not sure what he actually believes, and he’ll probably agree with you — eventually.
Call it strategic confusion.
Republicans understand that their plans to cut taxes for the rich, deregulate the big banks and reregulate uteri aren’t popular. But after picking Paul Ryan and scolding President Obama in the first debate, Romney doesn’t need to worry about winning them over anymore.
This is the phase where Romney can tell anyone anything he wants, as long as he beats Barack Obama. It’s like the Bible to many of us: We stick with the parts we like and use the rest to convert nonbelievers.
The GOP’s RoveKochtocracy has bigger things in mind.
Anti-tax cult leader Grover Norquist said in February, “We just need a President to sign this stuff. We don’t need someone to think it up or design it.” Romney adopted most of Ryan’s budget in the primary. As President, that budget will be his agenda, whether he likes it or not.
Especially if the GOP keeps its gains in the House.
Anyone who doubts that Romney will say anything to be elected isn’t paying attention.
Anyone who thinks he won’t govern from the extremes of his party doesn’t understand how the fear of a primary challenge drives every Republican — from the House to the White House — further and further to the right.
And any Democrat who says Mitt Romney is “liar” or a “flip-flopper” without explaining what Republicans would actually do is probably just helping Mitt Romney.
This meant, in short, that he was wax-museum handsome and connected enough to raise the billion dollars needed to compete with the President. But it also meant that he was “moderate,” or could play moderate on TV.
During the Tea Party moment, “moderate” — and even worse, “Massachusetts moderate” — had practically become a synonym for Kenyan Muslim anti-colonial socialist. Suddenly, it was the GOP’s only hope.
And while Gingrich and Santorum all took cheap shots at the guy they knew would become their nominee, they never went “there.” They never pointed out that Romney was the guy who was still pretending to support abortion rights well into the second season of “Two and a Half Men.”
“I have iPods older than Romney’s pro-life beliefs,” Newt could have said.
Maybe they decided that their party’s go-to wedge issue, on which it had relied for purification rituals for a generation, wasn’t relevant? After all, the former governor of Massachusetts had eagerly signed all the same personhood and pro-life pledges they had. Or maybe they figured Romney’s former sanity on abortion would actually help him.
Aha. There’s the rub.
Mitt Romney’s secret sauce — the thing that makes him “electable,” in the eyes of a Republican Party that’s been repudiated in the minds of millions — is his unprecedented willingness to toss aside any belief or stand he’s ever taken.
That’s why when Democrats point out that he’s a flip-flopper or even a barebacked liar, they’re telling the truth. But they’re also helping Romney.
In 2011, the liberal SuperPAC Priorities USA conducted focus groups about the Paul Ryan budget. When they were told the GOP’s plans for gutting Medicare, slashing Medicaid and education while cutting taxes for the rich again, the respondents simply refused to believe any politician would do such a thing. It’s that disbelief that makes Romney the perfect GOP candidate in 2012.
If you’ve been paying any attention to the liberals this year, “Mitt’s Mendacity” has been a constant theme. MSNBC’s Steve Benen carefully chronicles Mitt’s lies weekly, and whenever Romney repeats one of his widely debunked lies — like “the President has not signed one new trade agreement” (in fact, he’s signed three) — you can practically hear the fact checkers and liberal bloggers firing up their MacBooks.
But every time the media repeats the meme that “Mitt lies,” what they’re also suggesting is that you don’t have to believe he’ll do what he says — or actually listen to his 17 foreign policy advisers from the Bush administration.
He won’t really slash tax rates 20%, paying for that and a huge military spending hike by revoking unspecified deductions that don’t, can’t, add up.
He won’t really appoint justices who will overturn Roe v. Wade.
He won’t really deregulate Wall Street, though that’s been part of his platform since the start of the race.
He won’t really drop coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Get it, swing voters? He’s not sure what he actually believes, and he’ll probably agree with you — eventually.
Call it strategic confusion.
Republicans understand that their plans to cut taxes for the rich, deregulate the big banks and reregulate uteri aren’t popular. But after picking Paul Ryan and scolding President Obama in the first debate, Romney doesn’t need to worry about winning them over anymore.
This is the phase where Romney can tell anyone anything he wants, as long as he beats Barack Obama. It’s like the Bible to many of us: We stick with the parts we like and use the rest to convert nonbelievers.
The GOP’s RoveKochtocracy has bigger things in mind.
Anti-tax cult leader Grover Norquist said in February, “We just need a President to sign this stuff. We don’t need someone to think it up or design it.” Romney adopted most of Ryan’s budget in the primary. As President, that budget will be his agenda, whether he likes it or not.
Especially if the GOP keeps its gains in the House.
Anyone who doubts that Romney will say anything to be elected isn’t paying attention.
Anyone who thinks he won’t govern from the extremes of his party doesn’t understand how the fear of a primary challenge drives every Republican — from the House to the White House — further and further to the right.
And any Democrat who says Mitt Romney is “liar” or a “flip-flopper” without explaining what Republicans would actually do is probably just helping Mitt Romney.
