As they did last weekend with theWall Street Journal articlethe Romney folks sent around thisWeekly Standardarticle about Romney’s management style. On one level Romney remains an impressive figure who problem solves, handles a large volume of information and reaches decisions after hearing all sides of the argument. His intelligence and competence are on display. But sections like this are a two edged sword: “‘He’s super-pragmatic,’ says an adviser. ‘He’s an eclectic conservative.’ And this has alarmed several conservatives who have met with Romney. ‘He kept saying he’s a problem solver,’ says an economic adviser who believes this would put Romney at a disadvantage in Washington. ‘He may not be ideological, but Nancy Pelosi certainly will be.'” And touting his work with Ted Kennedy is not likely to impress GOP primary voters. (He says:”It’s time to have some people put the country first, and I think there are Democrats as well as Republicans who will do that. In Massachusetts my political and philosophical adversary has been Ted Kennedy. We disagree on almost all issues . . . but we were able to collaborate on the health care solution in a way that will be a step forward.”) I think the article raises two questions: 1) How do we jive the nonideological, no preconceptions businessman approach with the candidate trying to make an ideological appeal as the real conservative? and 2) If everything is a practical problem solving exercise will we get more Commonwealth Care type results? Will conservative principles take a back seat to pragmatism as the advisor quoted above indicates? For now the answers are not clear.
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