Minimizing Mitt

National Review/Corner ^ | 3/17/09 | Jerry Taylor

[JRochelle]

Cesar, if Mitt Romney is the political answer for conservatives, the question must be, "How might the conservative movement commit intellectual suicide in the quickest manner possible?" His ideas about health care are virtually indistinguishable from those offered by President Obama, save for the fact that Romney is more disingenuous than Obama regarding the reforms he has in mind. Regarding the auto industry, he is indecipherable, having taken both pro-bailout and anti-bailout positions (the former as a candidate, the latter as an ex-candidate in the New York Times, and yes, it's just another of the usual set of politically opportunistic Romney flip-flops). His alleged fiscal discipline was on vacation during his governorship in Massachusetts. And he is fond of making the case for protectionism and, as your post pointed out, tighter business regulation, asset valuation divorced from market realities, and industrial policy for any troubled sector with political support.

To be fair, one can't necessarily say that what Romney believed yesterday represents what he believes today, or that what he believes today represents what he will believe tomorrow (witness his incredibly well-timed flip-flops on abortion, gay rights, gun control, and a whole host of social issues). Yet the fact that this unprincipled political chameleon is being offered as "the last, best hope for conservatism" (to steal a phrase) speaks volumes about the intellectual and political wreckage on the Right at the moment.

[Vigilanteman]

The catfights between Huck and Mitt are so yesteryear now that we have Sarah Palin.

[GOP_Lady]

LOL!!!

[ari-freedom]

romney isn’t a fiscal conservative. He is a keynesian corporatist.

[stockpirate]

We need to make sure Mitt the RINO doesn’t win anything in the republican party, that includes the Huckster.

[Lou Budvis]

Romney is a big waste of time. To those who think he’d been better than McCain, look at both of their records. Whatever his other severe faults, McCain has always been fiscally conservative, good on national defense and anti-abortion. Romneycare is not conservative in any sense of the word.

[cripplecreek]

I would be happy as a clam to see a candidate who actually cared about America and didn’t see the economy as the only thing that matters.

[svcw]

Mitt be there done that, move on.

[Big_Monkey]

"His ideas about health care are virtually indistinguishable from those offered by President Obama,

Personally, I don't care about Romney one way or the other. But, I can certainly see the writing on the wall about health care in America and what impact it will have on the 2012 election.

Whatever number of Americans you believe are without health care coverage today (numbers anywhere from 12 to 40 million), the number will be much larger by election time in 2012. If the GOP doesn't have a reasonable counter proposal other than just "No to socialized medicine" by the fall of 2012, we will certainly loose another Presidential election.

History is clearly on the side of the DEMS. When there's massive unemployment and economic uncertainty, Americans want to be taken care of - right or wrong - that's the reality. One needs look any further than Roosevelt's sweeping social reforms to see what will happen if this economy continues to erode.

Whomever the nominee is, he/she is going to have to have some market-based solutions to health care that can be understood and supported by 50.1% of the country, or we're looking at another four years of Obama.

[fieldmarshaldj]

*ping*

[JRochelle]

I like Palin, but I LOVE Mark Sanford!

He is the one we have been waiting for. :)

[Norman Bates]

Well said.

[Norman Bates]

He who cannot say “Mitt Romney” is here.

[Diogenesis]

Romney is a danger and should wear a warning label.

"Hospital patients 'left in agony'"
"Patients were allegedly left screaming in pain and drinking from flower vases on a nightmare hospital ward.
Between 400 and 1,200 more people died than would have been expected at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust over three years, a damning Healthcare Commission report said.
The watchdog's investigation found inadequately trained staff who were too few in number, junior doctors left alone in charge at night and patients left without food, drink or medication as their operations were repeatedly cancelled.
Patients were left in pain or forced to sit in soiled bedding for hours at a time and were not given their regular medication, the Commission heard.
Receptionists with no medical training were expected to assess patients coming in to A&E, some of whom needed urgent care.
Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director of the NHS, said there had been a "gross and terrible breach" of patients' trust and a "complete failure of leadership".
The Healthcare Commission's chairman Sir Ian Kennedy said the investigation followed concerns about a higher than normal death rate at the Trust, which senior managers could not explain.
He said: "The resulting report is a shocking story. Our report tells a story of appalling standards of care and chaotic systems for looking after patients. These are words I have not previously used in any report.
"There were inadequacies in almost every stage of caring for patients. There was no doubt that patients will have suffered and some of them will have died as a result."
Julie Bailey, 47, was so concerned about the care being given to her 86-year-old mother Bella at Stafford Hospital that she and her relatives slept in a chair at her bedside for eight weeks.
She said: "We saw patients drinking out of..."

[GOP_Lady]

You could at least be honest and add a disclaimer that this article is about UK (that would be British) health care.

[definitelynotaliberal]

Why is Kennedy grimacing in that picture?

[Leisler]

Actually, I feel sad for Mitt. He tries way too hard, and doesn’t ‘get it.

Nice guy, lost.

[ari-freedom]

we just don’t have any money for all of this. Remember that all the baby boomers will retire very soon. They won’t be able to work anymore but they will get all this money from the govt.

[Reagan Man]

Looks like Jerry Taylor is reading this forum.

Hey Jerry, its unprincipled, two-faced political chameleon.

[fluffdaddy]

You can get a long way in American politics just by saying no. The Dems haven't had a useful word to say on any subject since the 1960s. They control all three branches of the federal government because they aren't the guys who used to do so. Much the same thing is likely to happen to the Republicans if Obama continues riddling his own feet with bullets.

I very much doubt that Americans are going to accept, let along clamor for, greatly expanded entitlements. We can't afford the entitlements we have now, and that will soon be widely understood. The brute force of bankruptcy is going to make us reduce the government's social welfare commitments. Obama’s health care proposals are DOA, as are any Republican proposals that would cost the treasury a dime.

The Republicans’ best move right now is to denounce the unfolding mess and blame it on Obama. It would be nobler to propose alternative policies, but it would also present a target to the enemy. If things go poorly (a percentage shot) the Dems will suffer badly in the next two election cycles. If the economy recovers Obama will be reelected and the Dems will be in power for decades.

All Republicans can do now is position themselves to exploit Obama’s failure. They just have to relentlessly criticize Obama and hope that circumstances bring most Americans to agree with their criticism. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.