OK. Let’s say you’re running for the Republican nomination for president. And, let’s say you’re doing this in an era when getting the nomination requires that you be uber-uber conservative. (Well, radical right wing actually since conservatism has nothing to do with current right wing politics – oh, but that’s a different rant.) And, let’s say you’re the former governor of a liberal state where you helped institute a state wide compulsory health care plan and seemed to support all manner of liberal initiatives to keep the local voters happy. And, let’s say people question your conservative bona fides, and some even refer to your conservative conversion as flip-flopping.
What’s a candidate to do to prove that he really is uber-uber conservative? Well, of course. Find the most conservative person in the room and accuse that person of being “too liberal.” That was the tactic grabbed by Mitt Romney on Fox News . When asked about possible vice presidential running mates, here’s what Romney said about Santorum,
“Well, that would preclude, of course, Rick Santorum. Because, I mean, look at his record. I find it interesting that he continues to describe himself as the real conservative. This is the guy who voted against right-to-work. This is the guy who voted to fund Planned Parenthood. This is the person who voted to raise the debt ceiling five times? … Rick Santorum is not a … conservative to my right.”
Do these people ever wake up in the middle of the night and realize they just might be too silly to be president?
Contributor, aka tidbits. Retired attorney in complex litigation, death penalty defense and constitutional law. Former Nat’l Board Chair: Alzheimer’s Association. Served on multiple political campaigns, including two for U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield (R-OR). Contributing author to three legal books and multiple legal publications.