I kind of agree with this. Although I actually liked the pre 2010 Romney and would seriously consider voteing for him, if he was still that guy.
The pre-flip flop on his origninal flip flop Romney? He's always wreaked of snake oil salesman to me. The guy looks like someone who should be playing a politician in a movie, from his artificial benevolence all the way to his gray patches of hair above his ears he purposefully forgets to Just For Men.
The pre origional flip flopper. Thats how he comes across to me now. He was a pretty moderate republican at one time who seemed to have a sense of social responsibility. Pandering to the extreme right to get his parties nomination seemed to make him out to be someone who will scrafice his beliefs and views to win. The republican party has been hijacked by elitists and religeous extremists. Standing up to that element would have won my vote, but its to late now.
It is interesting how pre-machine candidates are much better than the candidates they turn into once the machine gets it's hands on them. McCain pre-2008 was significantly better than 2008 McCain. I think had Romney been more like Huntsman, he would've been able to win the Presidency easily. Huntsman did fall into the trap occasionally, but all in all, he didn't turn into a conservative talking head. He was realistic, realized that science isn't the devil, put country first and not party first, etc. If they stayed true to what real republican values are, and not the "rich get richer" and 'the gheys are bad' republicans (who start wars and don't pay for them, give tax cuts and then complain about budget issues, announce that their main goal in government is to make a 1 term president out of Obama etc), they're actually candidates who make people want to vote for them. The Tea Party, and the Right wing of the Republicans has ruined the party for everyone else. You can't say the same for the super liberals, they're not powerful enough to control what the D's do (as for proof? Look at what Obama didn't do as President. Pot is still illegal, there is no single payer option, they stayed in Iraq far longer than the L base wanted, hasn't raised taxes (significantly or at all) to the levels of that communist socialist symp Clinton and didn't undo any of the things Bush did that really irked the L wing of the party). The funny thing is, Obama is more like a republican than Romney is. Same with Clinton, he was a great republican.
My dad's a registered Independent and isn't stuck in his ways. He, at one time told me that he'd vote for McCain a couple years before he ran. Come time to vote and voted for Obama. He said if he'd have stuck in his ways he'd of voted for him. He said the same thing about Romney. In order to ease the extremist base of the Republican party they have to change ideology. My mom on the otherside is a looney liberal like yours truly. I think the patriotic/religion theme that the Republican party has to live up to is the kiss of death for them during the past couple election cycles. Too broad a base they got to pander to. If that makes any sense.
As I see it, the tea party is the only hope for the republican party. The tea party platform isn't very radical at all: http://www.teaparty-platform.com/ I don't see anything in it about immigration, abortion, religion, or anything else that has tainted the republican party since Reagan finished his 2nd term. If all that is right wing radical stuff, then that's what this country is. Read the constitution some time.
IMO unless Romney totally stinks up the joint, the media will, by and large, declare him the winner. The reason is a close race drives up ratings. If it's clear a month in advance one contestant it toast, who's going to watch all the election specials? I'm going to watch at the local library, they are showing on big screen TV and the League of Women Voters (which incidentally includes men, so now sexism charges, OK?) is hosting a follow-up debate between local campaign reps. I can think of a few good questions to ask. Unless I have a really killer workday, in which case I'll watch at home in my Blazers pajamas.
I think the opposite. The media is unabashedly liberal and Obama is their guy. Add to that he's a tough, charismatic and eloquent person. He'll mop the floor with Mitt.
