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The Spectacle Blog
Health care may turn out to be one of the reasons why Mitt Romney is the early Republican frontrunner, but not the dominant one that Bob Dole and George W. Bush once were. Rich Lowry warns, “Masscare may be to Romney in 2012 what abortion was in 2008 —an issue where a critical mass of conservatives don’t quite buy his explanations (and I say this as someone who likes and respects Romney and wishes him well).”
Lowry suggests that Romney simply admit “that he flat-out made a mistake, that he tried an idea that ran off the rails.” Romney has found this difficult to do even on issues where he has ended up in a different place than where he began. On abortion, for example, he has vaciliated between forthrightly acknowledging that he changed his mind and implying that he was never really all that pro-choice to begin with. But I think turning against his Massachusetts health care reform law will be easier said than done for Romney for a couple of reasons.
First, by disavowing his health care reform effort Romney would keep himself from taking credit for a major policy accomplishment. In this economic and fiscal climate, maybe running as the candidate with the record of turning around financially troubled entities would be good enough and he won’t need health care. But Romney’s significant role in the Masscare debacle would remain a promising target for his rivals even if he repudiated it. He would simply lose his ability to run as a Republican with bipartisan health care reform credentials while, say, Tim Pawlenty would still be able to run as a blue-state budget-balancer with less liberal baggage.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, by disavowing his own health care reform law Romney may really turn this issue into a replay of the 2008 abortion controversy: It will reinforce Romney’s image as a flip-flopper and allow his opponents to replay countless clips of Romney defending the law, even touting it as one of his credentials. Romney has probably already dug himself in on this issue and made too many pro-Masscare statements similar to his pro-choice statements on abortion. For better or worse, he owns it now and may sound ridiculous if he tries to campaign against one of his own major policy initiatives.
View all comments (52) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by W. James Antle, III
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/04/12/can-romney-flip-flop-on-massca
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Siegfried X| 4.12.10 @ 11:00AM
Does Romney need to? It seems like the Republican Party only opposes socialist legislation when Democats sponsor it.
After all, McCain got the Republican nomination campaigning for cap & trade and amnesty, and there wasn't a negative word about it in the Republican media or talk radio. Yet when Obama pushes those two issues all hell will break loose.
Same thing for George Bush: he campaigned on and implemented two Ted Kennedy sponsored socialist programs, which McCain also voted for, and, along with a Republican majority congress, tried to slam amnesty through and was stopped only by a citizen's rebellion.
So even though it SHOULD matter that Romney supported socialist health care, I'm not sure it will. Many Republicans apparently don't care about issues, but will vote for anyone with (R) after their name.
Roy| 4.12.10 @ 11:25AM
Ah, but what will they(we) do when there is more than one person with an R after their name, the way there is in the primary?
Siegfried X| 4.12.10 @ 11:44AM
Primaries are good when the leadership lets us have them. Very often the leadership tries to force everyone besides RINOs out of the race.
In my home state the RINO senate candidate threw a tantrum, threatening to hold his breath and pull out of the race, so all the experienced conservative candidates pulled out of the race. No chance to vote for a conservative with political experience and enough campaign funds to make a fight out of it. Just another rigged primary, like McCain's nomination.
Grzmlyk| 4.12.10 @ 11:48AM
Great point, Siegfried. Not only do many Republicans not care, it's even worse - they're willing to let the tide of socialism rise farther and farther and farther and farther and farther and farther . . . .
The bottom line is that the mechanism of our political system is sucking money from every nook and cranny of the private sector and redistributing it for political gain. Nixon did it, Reagan couldn't stop it, Bush 1 thought it defined his precious sense of "service," and Bush 2 embraced it with his "compassionate conservativism." Which is simply a less overtly paradoxical way of saying "profligate frugality."
That's why it's irrelevant whether the tea party supplants the GOP - give them six weeks in power and they'd be doling out money hand over fist with the exact same frenetic abandon that the GOP does now.
No, the whole locomotive - left, right and center - is over the cliff.
kdizzydaze| 4.13.10 @ 7:20AM
McCain was a sacrificial lamb. The incumbent had an approval rating in the mid 30's. His VP was not running and had an even lower approval rating. His compliance with amnesty and cap and trade couldn't do much damage. And while people love to pick on his running mate, the fact that someone actually seemed to speak what their beliefs were, actually helped that guy. She disagreed on amnesty and cap and trade. And you can rag on her all day, no question, but man, you can also rail on Obama all day as that guy is a walking talking doofus. And a clearly socialist one at that. Give me the personal freedom loving doofus anyday over the socialist idiot in chief that actually thinks he knows how best to run all our lives.
As for Amnesty and cap and trade. Bush lost out on those issues - they didn't pass and he paid a price for pushing them. Quite a few politicians and pundits on the right side of the aisle disagreed with him. I also recall the education bill that Bush let Kennedy pen. Many on the right thought, "what in the hell are you doing?"
As for Romney - he has to flip completely and say nationalized or state run healthcare is a financial fiasco that no state can afford and actually leaves more people unprotected. Just because some bureaucrat says you have "healthcare", does not necessarily mean you have it when you need it. If he flops and tries to hedge his bet, he is toast.
As for republicans voting for anyone with an R next to their name, I don't entirely disagree, but spare me the faux intellect on that one because it is patenly obvious that the dems will vote for anyone with a D next to theirs.
And the telltale sign of the election is trunout - republican turnout was low last election becuase many were not sold on McCain - Maverick my a** - more like milquetoast.
DennisF | 4.13.10 @ 9:28AM
This is one of those issues that a candidate simply can't run away from. It was a signature policy initiative. He staked his legacy on it, and lost. And now it's become a national debate, and he's on the wrong side of it. I think his only hope is if the issue fades somewhat.
Jim| 4.13.10 @ 10:37AM
As a Massachusetts resident, I can personally attest to the healthcare debacle here. Romney is making a big mistake as he tries to justify his support of the program. All he has to do is say that he made a mistake and learned from it. He'll have much more credibility if he does that. His weak responses to O'Reilly's questions last night showed that he's incapable of telling the truth about the mess he helped create.
Jeff| 4.12.10 @ 11:30AM
heh sieg X ...
no word about McCain and cap 'n trade from talk radio ?
Maybe on Air America ... but on Rush and Hannity they hammered him about it ...
As far as repubs only voting for someone with an R after his/her name let me know when Obama's support among african americans drops below 95% and then you can talk about reflexive voters ...
Siegfried X| 4.12.10 @ 11:52AM
"Obama's support among african americans "
There's no comparison because unlike Republican politicians, Democrat politicians believe in what they preach and deliver for their voters. Democrats don't vote for "mavericks" who act like the other party.
Democrats favor the WRONG things, very bad things, but they fight for them. Today's Republican Party doesn't believe in anything except that the Democrats are bad.
President Bush was the first Republican President with an all majority Republican congress since the great depression. What did we get out of it? Two Teddy-Kennedy approved pieces of socialist legislation, along with some TEMPORARY tax cuts which have already started to expire. Then they tried to pass amnesty, and when a voter's rebellion stopped that, spent the rest of their time passing out pork like alderman.
Grzmlyk| 4.12.10 @ 11:32AM
Mitt, if you're listening, I know how you can solve your problem:
Get the hell out of politics.
Stick a fork in him, folks, he's done.
And that is as it should be. What the hell about Masscare is a "major policy accomplishment?" That's like treating arterial bleeding by opening up another artery and calling it a "major healthcare accomplishment.: It is a DISASTER.
Romney is no leader, he is no conservative and he is NOT going to be the nominee in 2012 if I have anything to say about it. The guy is a good manager, but a political hack.
And this is coming from somebody who, early on, backed Romney in 2008. But he led a tepid, feckless campaign and the guy doesn't have even one teaspoon of the zeal of the true conservative believer.
We need a true conservative believer to slay the multi-headed beast of socialism.
Cris Worth| 4.12.10 @ 12:41PM
Conservatives beware...history is on Romney's side. The GOP hasn't nominated a conservative since 1984 and Republicans tend to give their nomination losers a second chance. McCain (2000/2008) Dole (1988/1996), Bush I (1980/1988) and Reagan (1976/1980) the latest examples. Besides Romney has the experience of a national campaign, the money, the backing of the Republican liberal establishment and is already primed as the frontrunner. Conservative media giants Limbaugh/Hannity/Coulter backed Romney in '08.
Grzmlyk| 4.12.10 @ 12:51PM
I think you are right, Cris. I have been surprised that Romney has won all the significant polls - and won them big - so far this year.
How very, very sad.
Whatever the question is, Romney is NOT the answer. Another spineless RINO leads the taxpayer to slaughter.
RJ| 4.12.10 @ 2:18PM
He is a spineless RINO
Cris Worth| 4.12.10 @ 2:21PM
Romney's objective is to neutralize the Tea Party Movement since this group is politically bona fide conservative and the health care issue is of prime importance. Successfully doing so minimizes RomneyCare concerns on his right flank bolstering his strength on the left and in the center making him a formidable GOP force in the upcoming primaries. He must be beaten in both Iowa & New Hampshire to stop him otherwise he will be the nominee. Not difficult to handicap this one. Continuing economic decline will be the key issue giving Romney the edge.
Margie| 4.12.10 @ 3:13PM
Grzzly Bear,
I'm not surprised at him winning these polls. He's the one putting himself out there like crazy. And besides, it's the party insiders that like him I guess. It's the usual.
But I'm not too worried though. Real conservatives, and I mean like you and me and others who liked Ronald Reagan and consider him a real conservative (I am right in saying this about you, right?) we aren't interested in Romney. I don't believe the tea partiers (again, us), are interested in Romney either.
I like what I hear from Paul Ryan so far. And DeMint and others. I'm not giving up! I'm paying attention and looking to back real conservatives who will be running in the Republican party. We still need to vote out the current Democrats everywhere, and especially in the 2010 elections, by voting for the conservatives that are running.
Was it Churchill who said~ Never, never give up.
Grzmlyk| 4.12.10 @ 3:33PM
Hi Margie:
Yes, I do consider Reagan a true conservative!
I hope you are right about Romney, but RINOs tend to get the nomination - Reagan's an exception. But if Romney's the nominee, we're screwed.
I think Paul Ryan is not quite ready - he just burst onto the national scene and he's in the House - very difficult to mount a presidential campaign from there. I think Ryan has a great future, however. I like him a lot.
I'm not sure why DeMint hasn't shown up in presidential handicapping, but I like him too.
I think a lot of things depend on how obvious it becomes to the casual observer how badly Obama's destroyed the country. If it hits average, non-politically active people square in the face, Obama's done; but they'll cook the books and declare the recession over and the press will lie to the public - and if Obama can hold off on inflation and make it look as though the economy is rebounding (look at the stock market's phony run-up!), well, we'd better have a nominee that's a lot better than Romney, who really sucked as a campaigner.
I DO beleive the locomotive is over the cliff already. But like those at the Alamo, that doesn't mean we should ever give up; someone is going to have to pick up the pieces!
Margie| 4.12.10 @ 4:50PM
Remember Yogi~"Smarter than the av-er-age bear!" Ok so I'm silly, what can I say? But I keep trying to place you in my mind somewhere.. like as adviser to the President maybe! You could be Dick Morris with a brain! Or I know I've said President. Okok I'm really NOT a groupie.
Just good to know we are on the same side!
We (most of us here) all want conservatism to win. If only we could convince the unwashed in time!
~Prayer.
God bless you, Grz!
Cris Worth| 4.12.10 @ 5:46PM
Coming out of the 1976 election Reagan was clearly the frontrunner for the 1980 GOP nomination. But the liberal element of the Republican Party did not roll over and play dead. Bush won Iowa forcing Reagan's hand in New Hampshire then Reagan faced a third party candidacy in the general election from "moderate" Republican John Anderson. Today the RNC has Steele as its chair and Romney as its frontrunner...two peas in a liberal pod. Constitutional conservatives like me are looking elsewhere for political reformation.
JP| 4.12.10 @ 1:11PM
For many of today's conservative and libertarians, it is what a politicians has done, not what is he says he will do. Mitt, is a very polished, somewhat straightlaced pol who actually ran a business. But that is not his problem.
His problem is, that given the 1 oppurtunity to govern he chose to govern as a liberal. Masscare is a financial and fiscal disaster for th folks in Massetchussets. But, it is a political disaster for Mitt. Like other GOP politicians, conservatives cannot trust him. Perhaps 20 years ago they would have been more forgiving. But after Bush41 and Bush43, the GOP has had enough of the kindler, gentler, let's all get along conservative. The current crop of GOP presidential wannabees include: Mitt, The Huckster, Tim Pawlenty, Sarah Palin, Newt (maybe), and Ron Paul. Not a very auspiscious group. But, it is still early and the mid-terms have yet to come to pass. If the GOP really cleans up this November, looks for all of these characters to race as far to the Right as they can.
Pingback| 4.12.10 @ 1:30PM
Eunomia » The Difficulty of Being an Unprincipled Scold links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
RJ| 4.12.10 @ 1:35PM
Romney no doubt loves massacres -- Mitt would flip on a massacre, a flip of joy.
Mitt is worrisome some of his views would do more harm to this nation, and he seems like a really mean person at heart.
The whole enhanced torture support Mitt gives is scary... the blog below outlines the support.
http://mittromney2012potus.blogspot.com/
Grzmlyk| 4.12.10 @ 2:11PM
Hey RJ: Just one question - did your insurance pay for yourlobotomy?
If not, get a refund.
RJ| 4.12.10 @ 2:16PM
Grzmlyk. you are out of date -- they don't do lobotomy any more, they went out with eugenics.
However, it they still were in style, I am sure you would have one.
Grzmlyk| 4.12.10 @ 3:33PM
ZZZZZZZing! Ouch!
Dai Alanye | 4.12.10 @ 2:43PM
Most of the comments on this thread strike me as both pessimistic and theoretical. I'm curious—has any of you actually got down and dirty with a political campaign? Have you worked on the precinct, city or county level not merely once but often over the years?
Although propaganda and publicity have their uses, whining about what the party is doing won't have much effect. Yes, the insiders do want to control policy and select candidates, and often (not always) succeed. If you want to stop them I suggest picking a local candidate you like, and helping by more that a donation. In effect, weasel your way into the hierarchy by working from within. Work being the operative word.
And keep slamming Romney, of course. That I can agree with.
kingsmill| 4.12.10 @ 4:23PM
Scott Brown, in local MA interviews, refuses to dis CommonwealthCare (aka RomneyCare).
While the program is drowning in red ink, Brown calls for ways to "get costs down".
Mitt will continue digging the hole deeper.
Caheunga| 4.13.10 @ 9:28AM
Scott Brown voted for Romneycare, so to diss it now would show him up to be a flipflopper like Romney. Brown also voted with the Dems yesterday to allow a vote on extending unemployment benefits. Expect more of the same. If Brown wants to be reelected in 2012, he's going to have to become the biggest RINO in the bunch.
JonH| 4.12.10 @ 6:37PM
Grzmlyk,RJ, & JP:
Have you spent much time looking at the political landscape of MA? A true conservative without his moderate camouflage clothing on CANNOT be elected in MA. So, if those who have a good knowledge of who Romney is beneath the "evolving moderateness" want him in a national election, they'll see him without his moderate emphasis.
Those who don't understand the segments of political structure in MA because you're living outside of MA need to do a little more homework about MA and Romney both.
Here's a little help....
-What % of the state legislature is reps___, dems___?
-What % of the electorate are reps___, dems___, and indeps___?
-Prior to Scott Brown, how long has it been since a republican was elected as a fed. senator--___years ago?
-What are the top 10-20 most liberal laws on the books in MA and how deeply are they supported by the electorate? What are a conservatives chances in getting elected statewide in MA if he fights an uphill battle to overturn anyone of those existing liberal laws (per the voice of the people)?
When you can answer all of the above questions accurately you'll start to get an idea about the difficulty a conservative has getting elected in MA and how he has to navigate through all the issues.
Right now, a conservative seen as moderate by some might actually be to his advantage nationally.
Many of us conservatives see in Romney a VERY Reaganesque guy with the management abilities and brain power to accomplish 4 times the change a Reagan could do. And a lot or all of the corrections following a socialist potus.
Pingback| 4.12.10 @ 9:34PM
AmSpec’s Antle Asks: Can Romney Flip-Flop on Massacre? « Si Vis Pacem links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Danielle| 4.12.10 @ 10:53PM
I think it's humorous that MITT has to buy every ounce of support he gets. He bought his way to the top of the best seller list. His bought his wins in the straw polls. That alone makes him dishonest. And please, enough of this "Paul Ryan isn't ready." nonsense. I believe PR is the only 'sure thing' against Obama – and I think Obama knowns it.
Pingback| 4.12.10 @ 11:00PM
Hot Air » Blog Archive » Quotes of the day links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Lori| 4.13.10 @ 12:58AM
You guys writing Romney's epitaph are funny. For one thing, Romney signed the healthcare bill his last year in office. It took effect after he left office. The whole thing has been adjusted and tweaked by big government democrats mandating coverages for in-vitro fertilization of all things and many others. Gov. Deval Patrick, implemented it and put it on a course for failure because he wanted to play to his constituents. Mass care depends on a thriving competitive insurance market. Romney saw to that. Patrick wants to burden the market and shrink the pool. Obama wants to eliminate the insurance pool entirely and get to single payer system.
Look the whole thing is complex and I think the only way to have the public gain understanding is to have Romney give a speech similar to his George HW Bush Library speech, "Faith in America". In it he can explain his views and how many of the costs and burdens he vetoed but Massachusetts overrode him. He preferred an opt-out provision to the individual mandate but Massachusetts democrat legislature refused. It was not perfect from the beginning but it certainly was workable until Gov. Patrick entirely let it get out of hand.
Big R| 4.13.10 @ 1:46AM
Yeah look at the Hucksters comments bashing Romney on Romney Care. Huckleberry Hound uses the same lines that Obama has in critizing Mitt on his health care Massachusetts program. Huck you are full of hate towards a great man who could of been our President had you not thrown your false barbs at him. Thanks in a big part to Huck we've got a President intent on taking on taking control of everything. Huck and Obama must be in cahoots with each other, they sound alike.
Big R| 4.13.10 @ 1:49AM
Hey Guys, Here’s my take on all this. I’ve read the many comments up to this point and truly see all sides and can understand your viewpoints.
I have followed Romney for a few years now and don’t believe he personally is for abortion. I know he loves his church which by the way is called, “The Church of Jesus Christ of latter days Saints.” He loves the Bible and loves the man who walked along the shores of Galilee.
Mormons are firmly against abortion except in extreme cases where the mother may die by having the child and in cases of rape and incest. I know of unwed pregnant teens who sot the council of the Mormon Church to give birth to the baby and with the assistance of the Church adopted the babies into loving families. Thus the sin was not further added upon by the killing of a child but became an added joy into the lives of adoptive parents.
Had Romney stood against abortion when he ran for Governor we would not be having this discussion today because he would have never got elected which means he most likely would not be in the political spotlight that he’s in today. With politics like many things you very often have to work the system to get yourself in a position where you can really make a difference. I agree this may seem like Romney’s a hypocrite that can’t be trusted but how many of you ever worked for a company a boss that had standards or practices they wanted followed that didn’t necessarily conform with your own ideas or beliefs? So, you say to yourself I’ll play the game, show this company what I kind do and then work myself into a position where I can start calling the shots. Have you ever had to do that? Romney the businessman that he is I believe thought along these lines when he ran for Governor.
Romney is a proven master in getting positive results. Look what he did with the 2002 Winter Olympics. Those Olympics were ridden with bribes and corruption and on the verge of becoming a total failure. Romney was selected to take over the mess which he did and totally turned it around into becoming one of the most successful and respected games in Olympic History, which made America proud instead of shamed.
Romney knows how to streamline and make things efficient. He’s done this in business and he turned Massachusetts financial crisis into a big financial State surplus. Mitt Romney also knows the world stage better then most in that he’s worked in the International arena with his many business dealings. He has a very unique perspective on how we can make this great Country of ours strong and competitive against the likes of China and the emerging India. etc.
And lastly, Romney’s a Hawk when it comes to National Defense. He knows that the only true respect we will get from the World is to be Militarily strong which commands the respect of these thug dictators throughout the World. No Apologies from this guy, not after all the good AMERICA has done in the World.
I like Romney alot. He’s a moral man with a great family. I would hope that he would inspire this Country to get back to higher moral standards that we had several years back, before immorality, sexual perverseness and pornography had penetrated many facets of our society. I long for the day when I was a kid and you could turn on the TV and watch all channels (3 at that time) and see nothing but good decent shows and programming. Now I panic whenever I see a kid turn on a TV not to mention the unbelievable pervasive acts that are available for all to see on the internet. This, my friends concerns me more than any Economic downturn or Terrorist threat because the soul of our Nation and the Souls of our Children are being poisoned by this evil.
May God Bless this Great Country of ours and may he Bless Mitt Romney….
sheryl| 4.13.10 @ 2:14AM
Flip flop and RINO are used so often anymore the use the terms connotes more intellectual laziness on the person using it more than anything else.
Tired stuff indeed.
Romney is the only GOP that can effectively challenge Obama in 2012 and win.
RJ| 4.13.10 @ 3:06AM
Ha!Ha!HA! Romney is the only person with 'hate' towards others. Romney does a lot of projecting.
http://mittromney2012potus.blogspot.com/
Camron Barth| 4.13.10 @ 4:26AM
The headline of this piece is so unfair and misleading.
Mitt Romney is not a flip-flopper, Barack Obama is.
During the last presidential campaign, especially during the debates against Senator Clinton, he made it crystal clear that he strongly opposed individual mandates.
But just a year or so later the healthcare overhaul legislation he signed into law is built on a foundation of individual mandates.
Mitt Romney supported them at the state level; he has never supported a national plan. Obama is the flip-flopper, not Romney.
Who is not smart enough to understand the difference between a state government and the federal government?
Ella| 4.13.10 @ 5:45AM
Mitt Romney had the right to mandate state care but not the right to mandate national? How naive...he has flipped on abortion, gun-laws and now mandated health care.
TomH | 4.13.10 @ 11:12AM
I am amazed at how far some Republicans here and other forums will go to save their incoherent and really dumb arguments about health care reform.
Obamacare is NOT government run health care. Unless you think that all laws regulating commerce results in government run commerce. However, we could argue that Obamacare is a STEP CLOSER to government run health care. But, some here and others elsewhere just can’t help themselves to make that leap, because they are unskilled to form better arguments.
The MAJORITY of Americans want for health care reform. Do you get it right-wing conservatives? The majority of us are for REFORM. Do you hear us loud and clear?
Obamacare is Obama’s version of health care reform. Romney continues to criticize Obamacare, not because he’s afraid of right-wing Republican conservatives you can’t distinguish between Masscare and Obamacare, but because Obamacare is bad legislation.
We can still be against Obamacare without creating a RIDICULOUS claim that Obama is a socialist. Wake up Republicans! This is a very bad argument. The majority of Americans are NOT going to buy this claim because it is fallacious.
The three worst things about Obamacare are:
1. Half of the Obamacare law is financed with 500 billion dollars of cuts to medicare through efficiencies such as limiting procedures, and paying doctors less money.
2. Obamacare will expand the number of patients covered to 30 million, but there is no expansion plan for the number of doctors. This will significantly ration care.
3. Obamacare will raise taxes in the middle of a recession to pay for the other half. He’s talking the top in tax rate from 35 to 42.4%, cap gains tax from 20% to 22% and medicare from 1.9 to 3.3%
Without these requirements, Obamacare could not exist. Masscare containts NOTHING like these laws in its plan.
HOW COULD THEY BE SIGNIFICANTLY SIMILAR? See the problem?
For the record,
Romney didn't "flip-fliop" on Abortion but he did change his political position in 2004.
Romney didn't "flip-flop" on gun-laws.
(Take ANY Republican candidate, and you'll find in their history THAT THEY CHANGED THEIR POSITIONS. Oh the horror!)
More record,
Romney doesn't want Masscare to replace Obamacare.
Romney is VEHEMENTLY against Obamacare.
Romney supports states suing the government to end Obamacare.
Romney is supporting candidates for 2010 who will repeal Obamacare.
Now right-wing conservatives, can you please tell us all about the REAL solutions that Huckabee, Palin, Paul or (name your candidate) have proposed or actually passed regarding health care reform?
Remember, these candidates are at a disadvantage to criticize Obama on health care – they’ve never proposed anything or faced health care reform challenges before. Why should a majority of Americans listen to them?
This is why Romney is the ONLY credible, experienced, and competent Republican to address and directly CONFRONT Obamacare. Romney is the only potential candidate one who has actually been in the health care trenches.
I echo what Sheryl said:
Romney is the only GOP that can effectively challenge Obama in 2012 and win.
TomH | 4.13.10 @ 11:27AM
What if Romney just campaigns against Obamacare and rejects the MSM's claim that Masscare and Obamacare are similar?
Romney can still tout the GOOD things of Masscare health care reform that he helped pass while rejecting Obama's version of health care reform.
This not difficult and is an easy path to win over conservative and moderate Republicans, moderate and conservative Democrats, and Independents.
Romney can take the BEST of Masscare and reject its mistakes to strengthen health care reform in America.
As Mr. Antle above pointed out, Romney has the advantage to run as a Republican with bipartisan health care reform credentials.
Because of Romney's experience, he'll be able to pin Obama to the floor in a debate about health care.
The MSM has already given Romney the advantage in the months to come. They have claimed (erroneously) that Masscare was the "blueprint) and that Romney is the "father" of health care reform.
We all know that the plans are different but now Mitt can go into a debate, as the "father" of health care reform and the "expert" and put Obama in his place.
He can say, "listen, son, you got it all wrong. Here's why, in my expert opinion."
What can the MSM say then? They are the ones who have crowned Romney has the "father" and "master" of health care reform.
Ah... sweet justice.
Sally| 4.13.10 @ 11:30AM
Taxes during the Bush years were still "redistribution of wealth" in some form.
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