President Romney Would Not Remain a Conservative

[cali]

By Conor Friedersdorf

Jul 13 2012, 8:30 AM ET 36



So often in history, the Republican and Democratic standard-bearers in presidential elections have shaped their respective parties. So far, that isn't true of Mitt Romney, says Francis Wilkinson: "He has not shaped the party in any noticeable, let alone significant, way. The party has shaped him. To win its nomination, he has embodied the values of its most powerful and ascendant wings."

This is most evident in the realm of health care. The approach that Governor Romney implemented in Massachusetts is regarded by Republicans as an abomination because of its resemblance to Obamacare, and so Candidate Romney has pledged to take a different course if elected president. On foreign policy too, Romney has followed conservative orthodoxy rather than articulating any unexpected or unique insight. And he has embraced the Paul Ryan budget, signalling that if he's elected a major part of his domestic agenda will have been formulated within the House of Representatives.

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The only "real" Romney that matters is the Republican standard bearer currently running for president. There is no mystery about what this Romney stands for: low taxes on the wealthy, large cuts in entitlement spending (for rich and poor alike) and, as post-1980 Republican history and the Romney-endorsed Ryan budget plan both suggest, deficit financing of these and other efforts.

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What I wonder is how long Romney would represent that incarnation of the Republican Party if elected. To be more precise, I am confident that Romney will only remain loyal to Republican orthodoxy so long as doing so maximizes his popularity and the prospect of his being reelected. The guy just shape-shifts when it's convenient. There can be no doubt about that. So if elected, how long would it be advantageous for Romney to be closely allied with the base?

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http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/07/president-romney-would-not-remain-a-conservative/259779/

[hobbit709]

1. Want to buy a bridge? He'll become worse.

[nc4bo]

2. Shapeshifter.

If Bain-gate is the final nail than this should be a shovel of dirt on the casket.

What is W. Mitt Romney willing to do or say to win? Anything.

A DUer said that Mittens is a collector of titles, something I never really thought much about but there may be some truth to it.

Born into wealth but is out to prove he's his own man of title and importance. I'd think he behaved like the typical spoiled lil rich brat bastard when he was younger. Perhaps he's just an empty shell inside, maybe worse.

POTUS would be the ultimate job title on anyone's resume.

[Curtland1015]

3. Romney is a big time slime ball, but he's no tea bagger.

He'll pander to the far right to squeeze every vote out of them he can, but I doubt he believes even a fraction of the lunacy they do.

...not that I'm defending the entitled prick.

[Frank Cannon]

5. He's not suddenly going to become caring and compassionate.

He's a pathological liar and sociopath.

He's Patrick Bateman without the charm.

If he were elected, we would pine for the relatively carefree Dubya years.

[Curtland1015]

6. I'm not claiming he would.

But I do think we tend to caricaturize whoever the current repig dujour is as "the worst possible choice".

Pick Dubya over Romney? Not a chance in hell.

But again, please don't get me wrong. While I'd certainly choose Romney over Bush, I'd still pick a diseased rat over Romney.

[lovemydog]

4. I think he'd support

the same abysmal policy of failed trickle down economics he does now. Along with transnational mega corporate outsourcing & gibberish. Domestically he'd support the social conservative right wing. And demonstrate complete disregard for the poor, immigrants & non-caucasians. To try and please his base to get reelected.

[FarLeftFist]

7. All he'll be is a puppet for the billionaires who backed him, such as the Koch Bros. which means

Kiss the environment goodbye, kiss education goodbye, and kiss 75 yrs worth of civil rights gains goodbye.

[Spazito]

8. The 'real' Romney is...

the man who idolizes vulture capitalism, believes outsourcing, offshoring IS the American way, thinks the destruction of American businesses in order to generate gross profits for vulture capitalistic corporations is perfectly fine.

All the things I iterated are what the 'real' Romney believed and acted upon BEFORE he was a lying candidate.

Bain IS the REAL Romney.