In 2008, Romney was more conservative than he was by 2012......Rush never said that in 2012. In 2008, Romney was more conservative than McCain. In 2008, the people who ended up supporting Romney in 2012 were bitching about him being “too Republican” and “too conservative” versus McCain.(Fox News, WSJ, etc).
Dude, timing is everything. Romney was not nearly the centrist pussy in 08 that he became in 12.
By most accounts, Romney was more to the right than 08. Rush talking up Romney was to undermine McCain. Because he thought Santorum and Newt were more conservative than Mitt, suddenly Mitt no longer fit the defnition. It was all about pushing an outcome vs a true reading of ideology.