Whither The Choice Election? | TPM Editors Blog

This is an excellent poost by   by TPM's Brian Beutler.  Romney went rogue last night: by bailing out on his Republican primary commitments and back-flipping to being the Governor of Massachusetts (which conservatives always feared).  And the etch-a-sketch caught Obama off guard.  If this is the new, "real Romney" who showed up it is a fundamental change in strategy - that could change the momentum in the race! - gwc
Whither The Choice Election? | TPM Editors Blog: 
by Brian Beutler

"As barefaced as it was I honestly don’t think Mitt Romney’s live-action Etch-a-Sketching Wednesday night should have come as such a big surprise. Yes, that’s easy to say with the benefit of hindsight. But this wasn’t a stump speech to base Republicans, it was his great entree to the full spectrum of voters, most of whom like President Obama pretty well. What is a big surprise to me — and what I think has the real potential to shake up the nature of the campaign — is how hungrily all the conservatives who’d crapped on Romney for being a moderate squish lapped up all that mushy centrism. Think about it. Romney talked up Romneycare, disavowed the central tent pole of his tax plan, downplayed his radical Medicare plan, claimed he wouldn’t reduce education spending, lauded key parts of the Wall Street reform law, and was silent about every potential budget cut except his bold plan to eliminate public broadcasting subsidies. And today his typically absolutist base couldn’t be happier."

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