Romney Heel

I was wondering when somebody besides moi was going to notice this:

Three years ago, Romney was heralded for his innovative effort to institute near-universal health care in his state. But now that the issue has emerged as a partisan fault line and the Massachusetts plan has provided some guidance for Democratic reform efforts, Romney finds himself bruised and on the defensive as the GOP rallies around opposition to President Barack Obama’s plans…

It’s not just Romney’s ballot box foes who are taking him to task over his signature accomplishment as governor. His health care program has been lacerated by prominent conservative bloggers and also by the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and National Review, the conservative magazine that endorsed him in the 2008 GOP presidential primary.

“It’s Obamacare with the public option not included,” said Michael Tanner of the libertarian-oriented Cato Institute. “It’s pretty indistinguishable from what the president is proposing.”…

Romney can rightfully boast that he got much what he aimed for, since less than 3% of Massachusetts citizens are currently uninsured. But critics insist that the cost of Romney’s program has far exceeded the governor’s estimates and have targeted the plan as a prime example of what not to do on the national level.

Even in Massachusetts there are signs of discomfort with the plan: A June Rasmussen Reports poll found that only 26% of Massachusetts voters thought the state’s health care reform was a success.

I do not consider Mitt Romney a serious Republican presidential candidate for 2012 for several reasons:

1) He failed spectacularly in 2008 despite having the best organization, the most dough, and the biggest head start - the latter of which proved to be putrid strategy, since he wore out his welcome in Iowa and New Hampshire and faded right as the caucus and primary, respectively, approached.

2) He didn't do well enough in the GOP primaries to secure the all-important runner-up spot, which in our dynastic party would have guaranteed Romney the '12 nomination even if he changed his name to "Mark Sanford". (And no, Huckabee didn't get that silver medal either; he stayed in the race longer, but was never a serious rival to Darth Queeg.  Thus, there is hope for avoiding a dismal repeat of the 1996 disaster)

3) RomneyCare.  After a second all-out Democrat maximum blitz to nationalize health care in fifteen years, a GOP candidate who was the architect of essentially the same policy while a governor can expect to attract the popularity of mange.  It frankly astonishes me that he's even contemplating another run after the events of the past several months.

4) After its experiences with George "compassionate conservative" Bush and the Hindenbergesque candidacy of "Sailor" McCain, the Republican Party is not going to nominate another RINO.  Period.  We want to win, and the lesson ought to have been pounded into us by now that tacking toward the party and candidate we're trying to oust and aerating our bedrock principles is the diametric opposite of a winning strategy.

If one is forced to take another Romney candidacy as a given, I would have to break with AP in that defending RomneyCare would be the worst possible step Mitt could take, both on substance and in doing so to a nominating electorate that simply is not going to accept such an argument.  Having another "growth" spurt like the one on abortion indeed would not boost public estimations of his policy OR political judgment, but it would be more honest and would show that he's capable of realizing his mistakes and learning from them.  If the GOP wants to offer a clear and genuine choice in 2012, nominating an arrogant, obstinate, ignorant "moderate" toDsaH to challenge an arrogant, obstinate, ignorant Marxist toDsaH would all but nullify the need for a general campaign.  It'd be far easier and more economical to just not field a candidate and concede Red Barry a second term.

Ditto Huckles, really.  And please, never mention Ron Paul in my presence evern again.  You can't convince me that there isn't ANYBODY else in this party who is actually Reaganian (and not a quitter) and possesses the ambition, fire, charisma, and resources to tear down the Obaidols and the "Ob" and the "k" out of Obamerika.

Re-run the 2008 GOP field minus McCain in 2012 and Obama wins, no matter how bad the economy is and how many mass-casualty attacks we've taken on our soil and how many nukes Ahmadinejad has fired at us and the Israelis and the EUnuchs and how far back into central Europe Czar Vlad's tanks have penetrated.

Romney won't change that one jot or tittle no matter what he does.  If we don't demand new blood and a return to the ideas and values that raised the GOP to a governing majority in the first place, we will be without excuse for the consolidation of Obamunist tyranny that follows.