As far as I can tell Mitt Romney has been hoping that everyone will be fed up with health care reform by the time the primary season rolls around. That way perhaps people will forget that his Massachusetts bill – once much-praised by the Heritage Foundation and other conservatives – is not wholly dissimilar to the bill President Obama signed for the rest of the United States. Rick Perry ain’t about to let Romney forget this:
First thing to be said about this: it’s way cool. Second, let’s have ads like this in the UK too. Thirdly: Romney’s case is about pragmatism not principle. In a way, then, this ad makes that point for Romney too even as it argues he should be “unacceptable” to mainstream conservatives. Fourthly, if Romney’s weakness getting stuff done on healthcare then Perry’s is being pragmatic about immigration so there’s every reason for Romney to retaliate.
Should Romney do so, his ads will probably have more of an impact because a) Romney’s heresies are surely priced-in already and b) Perry’s the guy running as the more faithful kind of conservative and so his betrayals, as well as being fresh to most voters, will matter more Romney’s since Romney’s thing is all about betrayal in the pursuit of power in the first place.
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