The Hidden Meaning of Severely Conservative

Mitt Romney is severely conservative. He announced it at a CPAC meeting last week, perhaps trying to convince other conservatives that his conservatism was unbounded. In that context, it was an unusual use of the word ‘severe’ and one wonders whether there might have been a hidden meaning in that statement.

Webster’s 20th century dictionary provides several definitions for severe. 1) harsh or strict, unsparing, stern. 2) serious, grave, forbidding 3) conforming strictly to a rule or standard. 4) extremely plain or simple. 5) keen, violent, intense. 6) difficult, rigorous. Of all these definitions, the third may have been what Romney was trying to convey- his beliefs and actions conformed strictly to conservative standards. Or not.

Severe is generally employed to describe illnesses or injuries and perhaps this might be the covert subtext of what Romney was saying. He perceives conservatism as an illness and he’s severely infected with this disease. Of course, there’s no way of knowing whether this view of conservatism is conscious or buried deeply within his unconscious. It might even be seen as a psychosomatic condition or a mental health problem. We must also keep in mind that the Massachusetts Romney once tried to convince voters in that state that he was a moderate, or even a bit liberal, which is another form of illness. Could he possibly be harboring two different diseases, with each separately wreaking havoc upon his immune system? After all, antibodies to liberalism have no effect upon conservatism and vice versa. (We can dismiss the idea that Romney was using severe as a synonym for bad, such as having ‘a severe chest cold.’ It’s doubtful that Romney would want to voters to think that he was a bad conservative.)

Romney may have also been trying to evoke sympathy from Republican primary voters by telling them about his affliction. However, it’s not clear whether his conservatism is a chronic illness or an acute problem that will remit spontaneously or be cured with the proper treatment. Since we still see him on the campaign trail, we can assume that his health has not deteriorated to a point where he’s in extremis from his conservatism.

We will follow his future course carefully, hoping that he will be indeed be cured and be able to reach the healthy state of centrism. Unfortunately, this will not help him in his attempt to woo the Republican base, many of whom are afflicted with Romney’s current illness.

Resurrecting Democracy
A VietNam vet and a Columbia history major who became a medical doctor, Bob Levine has watched the evolution of American politics over the past 40 years with increasing alarm. He knows he’s not alone. Partisan grid-lock, massive cash contributions and even more massive expenditures on lobbyists have undermined real democracy, and there is more than just a whiff of corruption emanating from Washington. If the nation is to overcome lockstep partisanship, restore growth to the economy and bring its debt under control, Levine argues that it will require a strong centrist third party to bring about the necessary reforms. Levine’s previous book, Shock Therapy For the American Health Care System took a realist approach to health care from a physician’s informed point of view; Resurrecting Democracy takes a similar pragmatic approach, putting aside ideology and taking a hard look at facts on the ground. In his latest book, Levine shines a light that cuts through the miasma of party propaganda and reactionary thinking, and reveals a new path for American politics. This post is cross posted from his blog.