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The Spectacle Blog
If you’re familiar with our friend Phil Klein, whether through his work at the Washington Examiner over the past year or here at AmSpec in years past, you know that he’s long been one of Mitt Romney’s most dogged and incisive conservative critics. In his new ebook, Conservative Survival in the Romney Era, Phil takes a detailed look at how the right should relate to Romney as a nominee and (if he wins) as president — how, in other words, to support him over Obama without giving Romney a pass. Phil considers how the CEO-like Romney responds to ideological pressure, examines the Bush-era votes on Medicare Part D and No Child Left Behind as a cautionary tale of a dynamic to avoid, sketches out an ambitious domestic policy agenda to serve as a yardstick for success, and, in anticipating the charge that he shouldn’t be criticizing the GOP nominee during a critical election seasons, lays out a philosophy of ideological journalism as a distinct enterprise from partisan activism.
At 14,000 words, this five-chapter mini-opus is a great use of the ebook format, presenting ideas that are a bit too complicated to fit into an article with an immediacy that wouldn’t be possible in a full-length book. Buy the Kindle edition here.
View all comments (13) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by John Tabin
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/05/21/phil-klein-on-keeping-romney-i
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Derek Leaberry| 5.21.12 @ 11:01AM
Expect the worst from Romney. He'll agree to some amnesty immigration deal with McCain, Graham and Reid. He will place a moderate on the Supreme Court to replace Kennedy. Liberal Republicans will run most of the bureaucracy. The culture wars will be surrendered. Romney will accept the timidity of the Ryan budget's discretionary spending "cuts." Spending will be much higher in 2016 than it is today. American troops will continue to be scattered in scores of countries we have no business being in.
Romney will destroy his won party just as the two Bushes did. Some odious creature like Andrew Cuomo or Martin O'Malley will win the presidency in 2016.
Derek Leaberry| 5.21.12 @ 11:02AM
Romney will destroy his OWN party
FeFe| 5.22.12 @ 6:27AM
Get out of my head.
9thID| 5.21.12 @ 11:27AM
We The People had hoped with the rise of the Tea Party and the 2010 "shellacking" that the GOP could be reformed, but we were wrong. Mitt Romney is ever farther to the Left than John McCain. So be it, and let the chips fall where they may. We are at the brink thanks to the Progressive Establishment that control both parties. Just hope and pray that conservatives can hold the line in the House and Senate. Barring that, prepare for the worst...
crazy| 5.21.12 @ 12:23PM
you beat me to it...
aware| 5.21.12 @ 5:07PM
9th DUDE! I knew you would see it my way eventually. One Party, 2 wings. It's the only way it all makes sense.
We are now entering the time when it will be obvious that no political solution is possible. Our government will take the same cowardly way out all others have when their mirages and lies catch up to them, they will print.
No honest repudiation of promises and the debt that props it up. They will destroy the middle class with inflation and taxes no matter which "party" is in charge. They will print the dollar into extinction. Watch.
It's just a question of how long. Not if.
crazy| 5.21.12 @ 12:21PM
Romney epitomizes the politician who runs for office in order to be somebody rather than to do something. Conservatives would be wise to focus on holding the republican leadership's feet to the fire because they are the only restraining force on Romney's poll-driven presidency.
hook| 5.21.12 @ 1:27PM
Romney compared to Obama will be a Reagan combined with a Lincoln. Obama destroyed the economy in his first term and if given a second term he will destroy what is left of our standing in the world and weaken us unimaginably. This naive president with very strange attractions when it comes to foreign countries could end what was exceptional about America which was the best intentioned country in the history of the world.
If we won't protect the Western Democracies from tyranny, who will?
Lawrence| 5.21.12 @ 3:33PM
An argument against Obama isn't exactly an argument FOR Romney, and I don't think it's enough for Romney to be Somebody Other Than Obama. He must cut government down to size -- significantly AND soon -- to avoid the Steynian catastrophe, and I don't think he has it in him.
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 5.21.12 @ 4:17PM
There hasn't been a conservative principle instituted in government in the last century. Even the heralded welfare reform was a failure.
aware| 5.21.12 @ 4:52PM
I'm sure you will be just as successful holding Romney's feet to the fire as you were with Bush.
You'll probably be "standin' up" for him like Bush, as he grows the State. Do you ever feel like whores?
fiscal| 5.22.12 @ 8:01AM
Romney and McCain are both the result of the Republican party being held hostage by the extreme right social ideological conservatives. Half of Republican voters understand that it is non-social conservative independents who will decide this election. Hence, we get Romney and McCain -- just right enough to get a plurality of votes, but not extremists. With Romney, the extremists on the social right pushed him into positions that may well cause him to lose even with Obama being so weak.
The solution is a single minded focus on fiscal responsibility leaving issues like abortion, gay marriage, contraception, etc., to each individual -- i.e., not trying to force your religious will on everyone. In addition, a real understanding of military spending is necessary, not just spending dollars, but understanding that we spend money on weapons programs the military doesn't want, we spend money on outside contractors when we could be using unemployed young people to do these jobs, and having way too many bases.
A single minded focus without threatening the personal liberties of the people in the middle would completely defeat Obama. But alas, most of you really do want this country to turn into a Christian theocracy.
I understand that most of you will make comments about how we can't be a good country if we are not Christian and bible thumpers, but I have this fundamental belief that most people -- the silent majority -- are basically good no matter what religion -- or non-religion -- they adhere to.
Remnant| 5.22.12 @ 10:49PM
If someone who didn't like you and wished you'd never been born came after you and tried to kill you, would you fight for your life? If your answer is yes, then I guess you're an "extreme social right bible thumper," too. Welcome to the club!