Mitt Made-to-Order
The Boston Globe has snagged Mitt Romney's secret campaign strategy, and the contrast with Ron Paul's (or even John McCain's) relative straight talk is sharper than one of Moroni's golden plates.
The plan, for instance, indicates that Romney will define himself in part by focusing on and highlighting enemies and adversaries, such common political targets as "jihadism," the "Washington establishment," and taxes, but also Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, "European-style socialism," and, specifically, France. Even Massachusetts, where Romney has lived for almost 40 years, is listed as one of those "bogeymen," alongside liberalism and Hollywood values.
Indeed, a page titled "Primal Code for Brand Romney" said that Romney should define himself as a foil to Bay State Democrats such as Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John Kerry and former governor Michael Dukakis. Romney should position himself as "the anti-Kerry," the presentation says. But elsewhere in the plan, it's clear that Romney and his aides are aware he's open to the same charge that helped derail Kerry's presidential campaign in 2004: that he is a flip-flopper who has changed positions out of political expediency.
Cue cartoon horn sound effects: Wah-wah-waaaah. So can we assume that when Romney was puffing out his aerobicized chest and denouncing Hillary Clinton for wanting to deal with Iran, he was playing that "jihadism"-bashing play? Does… anyone think this is a good starting point for a president's foreign policy?
The Hotline notices some anti-Bush giggles in the memo, too. So Romney isn't just a flip-flopper; he also hates freedom.
