Thoughts on Mitt Romney

Mitt is the favorite Republican candidate of most of my conservative friends.  Which makes sense- he's from Massachusetts, he governed the state competently, he was a good businessman (the background of all my conservative friends- they really respect good businessmen), etc.

So what about now, as Mitt runs right to attempt to appease the wingnuts who don't trust that he's really one of them (because he really isn't)?  I hear he's having a campaign event as a Tea Partier.  He is fully in favor of austerity during our jobs crisis.  He professes belief in magic Laffer effects to tax cuts.  He will take most any position that will win him votes, and seems to have no core beliefs.  My favorite example of this was during the 2008 primary debates when the subject of Guantanamo detentions came up, and Romney famously said "I'd double Guantanamo!".  This from a guy with no particular hawkish bent previously.

So he talks like a wingnut.  But the wingnuts don't quite believe it.  And of course his moderate supporters don't really believe it either, which is why they still support him even though his positions are identical to those of Rick Perry at this point.

Another way to look at it is this: many mainstream conservatives support Romney because they assume he is lying about his beliefs to pander to the nutters.  These people hope that he is actually pandering. 

There's character for you!