Romney's Bipolarity

Never has a candidate for president said so much and meant so little. Never has a candidate spoken with two tongues from day to day, or even hour to hour. And never has someone run for president with less idea what he actually wants to do when he gets there. Mitt Romney has run one of the most bizarre campaigns for President of the United States in history, reminding me a little of Al Gore in 2000, who berated Bush in the first debate, then tried to appease in the second, before essentially arguing in the third that there was no difference between the two (leading to his "defeat"). But Gore essentially stood for the continuation of the Clinton/DLC policies. Sure he was pushed a little to the left and populism by Nader, but there was an agenda there. 

With Romney it is hard to know what he stands for. As governor of Massachusetts, he was a moderate who did some things (like healthcare reform) that would make democrats proud. Many thought that when he won the nomination he would move back toward the center, after appeasing the right wing base. Instead he picked Paul Ryan and has been digging further and further right ever since. And just as was the case from his very first campaign ad (which did some strategic redacting of Obama's speech about McCain from four years earlier), Romney continues to change his mind on a relatively regular basis. Yesterday, on NBC morning television, he argued that he would keep parts of Obamacare like ensuring that those with preexisting conditions get coverage. Later that same day came a clarification from a spokesperson that essentially offered the opposite message in clever newspeak: 

"In a competitive environment, the marketplace will make available plans that include coverage for what there is demand for. He was not proposing a federal mandate to require insurance plans to offer those particular features." (Mother Jones)

As the linked article above points out, we already have a competitive market for health insurance and people with preexisting conditions, but many of them cannot get health insurance. So, to put this in perspective, he went on national television and told millions that he would keep parts of Obamacare, and then told a few reporters later that day that he was kidding and screw the uninsured with preexisting conditions. This has happened so often since this campaign began there are only two possibilities: 1. Romney is a complete idiot who can't control what he says and must be reigned in constantly by his "handlers." 2. Romney will say anything to win and has little concern about how he gets the office. I think it is a combination of the two, really, and that disregarding the politics, the last thing we want in the White House is another person who comes in without any real plans on how to make our lives better, or any really plan at all (ala Bush II). We need leaders with conviction, who actually stand for something -- at least what they say!

Another example of Romney's double speak came in his assertions about taxes. On the same NBC’s “Meet The Press,” Romney dodged multiple questions about which deductions or credits he’d target, saying only that he’ll get rid of “some of the loopholes and deductions at the high end” while seeking to “lower the burden on middle income people.” Pressed by Gregory for one specific element of the plan, Romney said, "Well, the specifics are these which is those principles I described are the heart of my policy.” Is this guy for real? What does that even mean? Romney hopes to win the election by standing for absolutely nothing -- except tax cuts for the rich and less government intervention. But he won't even admit those two elements of his plan, claiming in another speech that he won't even give tax cuts to the rich a few months after saying everyone would receive a 20 percent cut (including the 1 percent). And looking on his website (which is really not terribly impressive), we find a five point plan that appears to do little to strengthen the middle class, while it does offer nice incentives for corporations, the oil and coal industries and the super rich. The funny thing about this election, except if he wins, is that Romney appeared to be the most stable among the collection of buffoons running for the chance to oppose Obama on the GOP ticket. Besides Huntsman, one after another imploded until Romney was the last man standing. But after little bump from the convention and with Obama increasing his lead, we know the only thing left to do is get ugly. And Romney's team will pull no strings there.