If Romney Didn't Exist

In listening to the passion of the Ron Paul supporters and the "anyone but Romney" non-supporters, I wondered: what if Mitt Romney had not run, and that nobody else entered as a consequence?  What if you were looking at this hand after the draw: Paul, Gingrich, Bachmann, Huntsman, Perry, and Santorum?

Every one of these candidates has some serious baggage, flip-flopping, or outright liberal positions, only some of which has made the papers in covering the debates.  Rest assured, a desperate Obama campaign will publish the rest.  I had thought ever-boring Rick Santorum was at least consistent, his one strike his huge Senate defeat in 2006.  But Jason Lewis last night spent an hour laying out what the Democrat ads will say, even on the abortion issue.  We got a taste of that yesterday, when Alan Colmes showed there is no line the liberals won't cross.

Maybe we're all a little braver promoting our more flawed candidates knowing we can always retreat to Mitt Romney.  He has some explaining to do, like Romney-Care.  He has his share of flip-flops, though nothing approaching the betrayals of John McCain and Tim Pawlenty.  Some say he's become more conservative, but we heard that baloney about George W. Bush in 2000.  Still, he's got money.  He's got people.  And he's got presidential hair!

So at this point, barring some late entry, I'm thinking not only is Romney seemingly inevitable, he is indeed our best candidate for President this fall.

Comments

[Hiram]

What baffles me is that the tea party=Republican Party is about to choose a candidate, Mitt Romney, who has no substantive policy differences with Barack Obama.

[Speed Gibson]

Then you won't mind if we replace Mr. Obama?

[Hiram]

Then you won't mind if we replace Mr. Obama?

The argument for Romney I make here at least, I think is strong. The fact is, I don't see how a Democratic president can govern effectively with the Republican Congress we are likely to have. On the other hand, we have a candidate in Mitt Romney, who doesn't differ in any significant respect from Mr. Obama, who can work effectively with Democrats and non tea party Republican to do things that the president simply can't. I can tell you don't have an easy response to that.

[J. Ewing]

Hmmm. How about the best of both worlds? A GOP WH and Congress could accomplish things that having any Democrat involved in simply could not. And that's a good thing.

[Hiram]

A GOP WH and Congress could accomplish things that having any Democrat involved in simply could not.

Sure, but Romney isn't that guy. He is the ultimate non-ideological pragmatist. His record has proven that. To get a president who is willing to exclude Democrats from governing, you have to pick someone else.

I see John McCain endorsed Romney. As if people needed any more establishment assurance that Mitt won't rock the boat.

[J. Ewing]

hiram, I agree with you. Fortunately this is a new year, so it is still only once a year. :-)

[Give2Attain]

It seems that Romney is a shoe in at this time. The hardcore Conservatives seem to resonate with the strong pro-lifers, but it seems to me that most folks want to vote about more than 1 issue when electing a President.

As for Ron Paul, he must have a very diverse base given the success he seems to have and his seemingly atypical opinions.

[Give2Attain]

An interesting read...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormons

[The Big Stink]

Romney would be an improvement over the current holder of the keys. What boggles the mind is how the media wants to know every thought process of Republican hopefuls, but are simply un-curious about Obama's deeper psyche.

[J. Ewing]

WHAT deeper psyche? It's all out there in plain sight. He is a hopelessly narcissistic, overindulged man-child who is in so far over his head he has to straighten out to contemplate his own navel. What is amazing is the media's apparent ability to cover this all up.

[The Big Stink]

I stand corrected, J. The big red nose will usually give away a clown.

[Hiram]

What boggles the mind is how the media wants to know every thought process of Republican hopefuls, but are simply un-curious about Obama's deeper psyche.

I often wonder why the media doesn't explore Obama's thinking more thoroughly. The practical reason is that they devote too much of their budget and too much of their talent on election as horse race coverage.