Sunday, October 7, 2012

The Etch-a-sketch in action

Romney definitely deserves credit for political shrewdness here. He properly understood that he could say anything at this debate without fear of retaliation from his base.

Witness his full-throated endorsement of regulation, his claim that we need more teachers., and his utterly incoherent defense of Romney care (it's fine to have government take-over of health care at the State level!). Why hasn't the Tea Party leapt on him for these deviations from orthodoxy?

Because he was beating Obama. All along, all he had to do was win, and they would forgive him anything. Once he gets the lead, he will be free to remake himself as a moderate to win the election; the Right won't hold him to what he says, since they will assume he's only saying it to win. It was never dishonesty that bothered them; it was just defeat.

Fortunately, it's too late; there isn't enough time left for Romney to convince the low-information voters of his secret new plan, and Obama's team has enough money to keep people reminded of what Romney has been saying for the last year.

Just to remind you what's at stake, here is a quote from a Republican congressman, "a physician by training, sits on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology:"

“God’s word is true,” Broun said, according to a video posted on the church’s website. “I’ve come to understand that. All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and Big Bang theory, all that is lies straight from the pit of hell. And it’s lies to try to keep me and all the folks who are taught that from understanding that they need a savior.”

Oh, and more credit to Romney: apparently we're never going to see his taxes after all, and apparently that's OK. Romney refused to release the taxes, then kept bringing it up in the most maladroit way, and it doesn't matter; it's been two weeks and the media/electorate has totally forgotten about it.

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