A Transactional Case For Romney
I've been on the hunt for Mitt Romney defenses that are persuasive. Jonah Goldberg's column today makes a point about Romney that I find at least worth discussing. He says that some conservatives are sold on Romney and some merely think he has a problem articulating conservative principles. A third group just doesn't buy that he's conservative at all. We have all three groups here at Ricochet but it's the last group that Goldberg addresses:
First, let me say: I feel your pain. The Tea Party arose in no small part out of a delayed allergic reaction to the rhetorical and, to a lesser extent, policy problems of George W. Bush’s presidency and the deep resentment that came with having to vote for John McCain in 2008. These disappointments were visited upon the conservative base by something the naysayers (often problematically) call “the Republican establishment.”
After what seems like an eternity under Obama, and with the raised expectations from the Tea Party’s earlier successes, conservatives are extremely reluctant to settle or compromise simply on the say-so of the establishment. For good reasons and bad, Romney seems like a compromise. And no matter how begrudgingly a conservative comes to accept the reality of Romney’s nomination, the diehards immediately proclaim any support for Romney to be proof of membership in the establishment. In fact, it seems like the best definition of a Republican-establishment member these days is simply someone who has made peace with his disappointment prematurely.
I love that last line. Goldberg goes on to say "It is better to have a president who owes you than to have one who claims to own you." A President Gingrich would "wander off into trouble" within 10 minutes:
If elected, Romney must follow through for conservatives and honor his vows to repeal Obamacare, implement Representative Paul Ryan’s agenda, and stay true to his pro-life commitments.
Moreover, Romney is not a man of vision. He is a man of duty and purpose. He was told to “fix” health care in ways Massachusetts would like. He was told to fix the 2002 Olympics. He was told to create Bain Capital. He did it all. The man does his assignments.
So, what do you think about this transactional case for Romney? I can buy it, although I wonder if the pro-choice progressives who elected him in Massachusetts would argue differently about his vows (I guess he stayed true enough to them while in office, only becoming more pro-life and conservative after he left?).
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Comments:
Oct '10
Re: A Transactional Case For Romney
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
BThompson: You're a smart lady, Mollie. ..You and others like you are bright enough to be able to assess the candidates at this point and figure out which one can win and deserves your support.
I don't feel compelled .. to persuade those who should be able to see things for themselves. If you ... can't figure it out by now,...
I don't think I'm smart enough to know if this is a compliment or an insult....
Jan '11
Re: A Transactional Case For Romney
Neither, it's an observation and something of an exhortation.
Dec '10
Re: A Transactional Case For Romney
Mollie, you can't have a transactional basis for choosing a course of action if there is no transaction. If Romney is the nominee and he is confident Conservatives will vote for him to block Obama's reelection, he won't agree that he's obligated by any transaction: he will regard the votes of Conservatives as a no-strings-attached offering aimed only at stopping Obama. If Romney is the nominee, the only way to create a transactional basis for supporting him is to offer him a plain deal: we will vote for you if and only if you publicly commit in advance of Election Day to adopt some of our key priorities as your Administration's declared policies.
May '11
Re: A Transactional Case For Romney
I'm not the first to say this . Romney is like a car with a bad alignment, unless he's constantly pulled to the right he will continually drift to the left. That's why we're all luke warm about him. We're just waiting for him to go 'McCain' on us and kick us in the groin once again just to please the New York Times. .
Oct '10
Re: A Transactional Case For Romney
I know. It's just kind of funny, though, when people say, "Now, you're a smart fellow/lady" what they really mean is, "I thought you were smart, but if you continue holding this view, I will have to reconsider"
Edited on February 5, 2012 at 5:01amSep '10
Re: A Transactional Case For Romney
BThompson
Me?! You're the one who keeps on asking the Romney supporters to woo you even thought you insist on posting "this is why I can't stand, Romney" posts time and again.
:p · 24 hours ago
I had a joke all set to spring here and now I've forgotten it.