What Was He Thinking? [Fred Barnes questions Romney's conservatism]

The Weekly Standard ^ | February 19, 2012 | Fred Barnes

[Cincinatus' Wife]

...Romney’s embrace of insuring the minimum wage increases, currently at $7.25, was surprising for a candidate who insists he is a reliable conservative. It was major mistake on his part for three reasons.

First, from an ideological standpoint, what was he thinking? Has he missed the decades long discussion among conservatives about the disastrous impact of the minimum wage? It has eliminated jobs – hundreds of thousands of them – for young persons on the low rungs of employment. The ill effects have been felt especially by African American youth.

Not only that, but the minimum wage represents a government intrusion in the economy. Free market economists, most notably Thomas Sowell, have been making this point for years.

Any self-identified conservative should be aware of this, even if the media has given it minimal coverage. And Romney’s support for jacking up the minimum wage annually only makes his apostasy worse.

Second, his timing was, to be charitable, politically clumsy. The day before, Romney had been trounced by Rick Santorum in two caucuses and one primary. This was more than an embarrassment. It showed once more that Romney has failed to persuade most conservatives he is indeed one of them. Instead, his message is one conservatives continue to find unconvincing.

.....Is Romney more conservative than he sounds? That’s been the belief of at least some of his defenders, including me. Now I’m not so sure.

[Ann Archy]

Thanks for the info. I didn’t think Santorum could ever win anything again, but I think something has shifted, and people want a MORAL CONSERVATIVE.......neither Mitt or Newt are that combo......but it will take some time for the vast majority to come to that conclusion.

[9YearLurker]

I’m inclined to agree with you. (!!!)

Newt would have to be something of a Clintonian proposition to voters: he’s a rogue, but he seems to have some real competences and there’s hope that he’ll do well for the economy. That may be the best we have this year.

[Prospero]

I'm not sold on Romney, but Fred Barnes' Conservative "cred," so to speak, is Dee Cee-tainted, too. Probably better than than most of the Beltway Bombers over at the Billy the K's Standard (and much improved the past few years), I'll admit.

[RoosterRedux]

If Romney cannot see the inherent damage to the economy and to employment of the minimum wage act, I question his understanding of economics in general. Just because Romney made a lot of money DOES NOT automatically mean that he understands how the economy works (and should work).

Micro IS NOT macro! The economy is macro!

[xzins]

Romney doesn’t think like a conservative, does he, Fred?

[Buckeye Battle Cry]

How cute. Fred Barnes actually trying to sound like a conservative.

He’s just trying to get some distance between his milquetoast moderate magazine and the coming flameout of the Romney campaign.

[philman_36]

I haven't watched FOX in over two years. I don't like carrying dead weight.

It's now coming to their (at least Fred Barnes' -- so I expect others) attention, that Mitt is NOT more than he sounds and perhaps, just perhaps, even LESS conservative than they'd hoped.
No, his political ideology has been on display for years. They don't see it because they don't want to have to admit they see it and knew of it all along. Barnes is a perfect example.
The blind sheep are supposed to follow the blind sheperd.

[philman_36]

His support is a mile wide and an inch deep.

I love that! How apt.
And he's being carried across lest his $1000 shoes get damp, much less wet.

[driftless2]

Romney is the ahem conservative who would manage the welfare state better than any other conservative. Santorum and Gingrich want to tear down the welfare state. That is the difference between the candidates.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!