Stories Conservatives Tell Themselves

Betsy Newmark discusses a wonderful piece by Michael Medved in which he demolishes the position taken by many on the political Right that John McCain lost in 2008 because he was too moderate and that the 2010 mid-terms proved that a "true conservative" would mobilize large numbers of voters. It just ain't true, folks, no matter how often Rush Limbaugh says it is. She goes on to predict that Mitt Romney would be a much stronger candidate than any of his rivals.

There are reasons to oppose Mitt Romney, but being unelectable is not one of them. In fact, if electability is your criteria, I have to believe that Romney would be much more appealing to moderates than Newt Gingrich. Gingrich might have taken many moderate positions, but his image among the electorate is as a conservative opponent of Bill Clinton. Most people aren't aware of his more moderate stances and, if they are, regard them as his pandering to elites to resurrect his standing inside the Beltway. And if what people are searching for is someone with executive experience, Mitt Romney has it all over Gingrich whose Republican lieutenants in the House were unhappy under his leadership and are notably missing from his support in this election.

Read the whole thing here.

She's right. The anti-elite bias of many rank and file Republicans, however justified [and it is], is misplaced and should prove to be electoral poison come next Fall. Romney may be all that movement conservatives say he is, but he at least is electable. The "Buckley Rule" still applies -- vote for the most conservative candidate that is electable. Newt, Perry, Santorum, et al. don't fit the bill.