His reputation as a RINO is due to social issues entirely. Fiscally he is a lot more conservative than Romney and probably Gingrich too. He was not a bad governor of Utah. I’d be fine with him, and I do believe he would be a decent competitor for Obama with the independents and moderates.
A socially LIEberal country will never, can never, have a conservative fiscal policy. To think otherwise is mere placation of the socialist and wishful thinking. It is a losers hand.