I’m not sure what’s worse here: that the GOP’s “inevitable” candidate, touted by the GOP establishment and their lapdogs for his “electability,” is now on record as praising the economic portion Bush presidency; or that he is now on record as claiming that it was TARP — supported by Obama and rejected by conservatives — that saved us from a depression.
— Which, I guess once you’ve decided that we’re in a recovering economy — and that the economy is recovering under the stewardship of your presumptive presidential opponent — you have no choice but to try to give the big government, GOP establishment credit for the genesis of that recovery.
And as a reminder, here’s how they did it:
And this is the guy our Party is choosing to run against Barack Obama? — a guy who at every step it seems fundamentally agrees with him on policy?
I honestly feel sorry for all the Romney boosters still trying to promote his conservatism. Because the very idea has become absolutely laughable. Which in turn means the defenses have necessarily become increasingly strained and surreal.
But no worries. Once we get to the general election, Romney can just hit the reset button and slide into more familiar territory — one where, despite his being the most conservative candidate in the GOP primary race (I know, because millions of dollars in attack ads keep telling me so), he’ll be saved from being pushed too far rightward by the happy fact that he has no real principles to begin with!
Which, before you purist Visigoths start your ideological barking, just means Mitt Romney is flexible!
WHY DO YOU HATE FLEXIBILITY?
(h/t Mark Levin)
Why am I always the first to comment today?
So Romney is saying that it is Obama’s economy unless it seems to be getting better, then it’s just Bush’s policies acting on a 3+ year delay?
Wow. That’s pretty stupid.
I honestly feel sorry for all the Romney boosters still trying to promote his conservatism. Because the very idea has become absolutely laughable. Which in turn means the defenses have necessarily become increasingly strained and surreal.
Some of them, sure. But most of the ones I run into have consistently pooh-poohed the blaring klaxon evidence that the man is a streetcorner Rolex fraud.
The response is to turn into mini-Death Stars blatting out how awful Santorum is. It’s not so much surreal as unremittingly hostile.
It makes sense, though–the positive case to be made for his candidacy is scanty, and the electability argument is an exercise in wishcasting and presuming that gasoline goes to $5 a gallon. In other words, they’re mini-Mitts following the template.
Try sleeping in, McGehee. That way the early risers will comment before you.
Remind me again, why are we supposed to prefer Romney to Obama?
let me check
my etch-a-sketch.
brb
nope.
now checking
my Ouija Board.
O
Boy this whole Romney thing sure has been enlightening, hasn’t it? (I mean for those of us who didn’t get it the first time with McCain — Palin sorta clouded our judgment)
Basically, if you vote this year at all, it’s like cattle fighting over which rancher should own them. Doesn’t matter, they’re both gonna load you on the train eventually.
B
low
me.
For further reference, on page thirteen in today’s dead tree Chicago Tribune, an article headlined “Numbers, time against Santorum” features a quarter page picture captioned:
In said picture, Jeb Bush sports a “Charlie Crist Governor” button on his left shirt pocket.
For those of you keeping score at home.
Not if you all conspire to hold off on commenting until I have.
I’m watching you.
In said picture, Jeb Bush sports a “Charlie Crist Governor” button on his left shirt pocket.
Ah, remember the halcyon days of compassionate conservatism? Those days of a shrinking, less intrusive government?
Or would you prefer to become an unperson?
Mittens in 2006 via The New Republic:
Curiously overlooked, though, is just what a shift this rhetoric is from the approach that Romney took on the issue of gas prices while governor of Massachusetts. Befitting his profile as a moderate Republican who cared about the environment, Governor Romney responded to price spikes by describing them as the natural result of global market pressures and by calling for increases in fuel efficiency—the same approach that he now derides Obama for taking as president.
At moments, Romney went so far as to make high gas prices out to be a welcome reality for the foreseeable future, one that people needed to learn to live with. When lieutenant governor Kerry Healey, a fellow Republican, called for suspending the state’s 23.5 cent gas tax during a price spike in May 2006, Romney rejected the idea, saying it would only further drive up gasoline consumption. “I don’t think that now is the time, and I’m not sure there will be the right time, for us to encourage the use of more gasoline,” Romney said, according to the Quincy Patriot Ledger’s report at the time. “I’m very much in favor of people recognizing that these high gasoline prices are probably here to stay.”
Severely conservative, bitches.
linky to above
http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/101946/mitt-romney-massachusetts-governor-gas-prices-renewable-energy
New post coming.
“He never takes anything at face value; he can argue any side of a question. And sometimes you think he’s like really believing his argument, but he’s not. He just flushes the whole thing out and figures out the whole picture.” — Ann Romney
http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/5/22/90847.shtml
I think we conservatives are about to get flushed.
If I cared enough about Coulter, I might try to see if she came to Limabaugh’s defense with the same alacrity she has about DeNiro and his “white First Lady” remark.
Severely connected, she is.
Or would you prefer
Mules, donkeys, whichevers.
Backing scat, the eyebrows are key.
[…] Research On Republicans Jim Geraghty: Our Recent History – The Undiscovered Country Protein Wisdom: Romney Says W And Henry Paulson Saved Country From DepressionCategory: Live at FiveComments /*STEVEN ERTELT: Texas Planned Parenthood CEO arrested 'for indecent […]
[…] -Jeff Goldstein on Willard’s praising of George Bush’s and Hank Paulson’s economic policies in 2008 [tip of the fedora to Wombat-Socho's Live At Five]: I’m not sure what’s worse here: that the GOP’s “inevitable” candidate, touted by the GOP establishment and their lapdogs for his “electability,” is now on record as praising the economic portion Bush presidency; or that he is now on record as claiming that it was TARP — supported by Obama and rejected by conservatives — that saved us from a depression.– Which, I guess once you’ve decided that we’re in a recovering economy — and that the economy is recovering under the stewardship of your presumptive presidential opponent — you have no choice but to try to give the big government, GOP establishment credit for the genesis of that recovery. […]
In said picture, Jeb Bush sports a “Charlie Crist Governor” button on his left shirt pocket.
Attention to detail department:
The referenced picture is credited, “Joe Burbank/Tribune Newspapers Photo 2006.”
We apologize for any confusion we may have caused.