Romney has (or at least had through the first half of his term as governor) kept his values as a businessman and politician in a separate compartment from his values as a leader of his ultraconservative church. Romney thinks like a businessman, and, if you’re running a business, social issues are important only if they have an impact on the bottom line. It doesn’t matter if an employee is in a same-sex marriage, or is a philanderer or a single mother, has had an abortion, or holds radical political views. The only thing that matters is whether he or she is productive. That’s how meritocratic societies are supposed to work, and it’s why appeals to voters’ prejudices and fears were so repugnant to those liberal Republican dinosaurs. That stuff is distracting and inefficient. It cues up emotional reactions. It gets in the way of sound management.

Read more http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/a ... z1pRA5qF7a

Nice piece in the New Yorker on Romney. Isn't this the first thing we all want from electeds? You want them to be able administrators first, right? If they're Christian, Muslim, Jew or Mormon, that stuff doesn't matter, just as long as it doesn't get in the way of the ability to administrate on behalf of all.

The other guys, I don't think have administered anything but their own political careers. It amazes me that Romney hasn't run away with this thing by now, but perhaps that says more about the current state of the Republican party than anything about Romney.

The piece is interesting. I think Romney would govern differentlythen he appears as a candidate. His term in Massachuseetts being strong evidence of his practicality. Unfortunately for Mitt his term as governor also works against his strengths...Or what he's putting out are his strengths.
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David Axelrod mocked Mitt Romney's characterization of himself as an "economic heavyweight" on CBS's "Face The Nation" on Sunday."I do watch him parading around the state calling himself an economic heavyweight," said Axelrod, referring to a new line in Romney's stump speech in advance of Tuesday's Illinois primary. Romney has compared himself favorably to rivals Rick Santorum and Obama, referring to the other two as "economic lightweights."
"It's the same pitch that he made in 2002 to the people of Massachusetts and what happened? Massachusetts went from 10th in the nation in job creation to 47th. Their debt went up 16.5 percent; government jobs grew at six times the rate of private sector jobs. If that makes you -- if he thinks he's an economic heavyweight, he must be looking in a fun house mirror," Axelrod said

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And his practicality is the central problem the hard right base of the Republican Party has with Mitt.... Its why they aren't enthusiastic about him. They suspect he wouldn't burn all the witches in the first year.

Yeah, he won't burn witches, that's a good thing! And most Republicans believe that, or at least I'd like to think that.

I had a discussion with my gaming group and one guy was like, "man if Santorum wins, Obama's got it made. He'll win in a landslide" And I was like, you can't want Santorum to win because he'd be easier to beat, 'cause if he actually won it would be a complete disaster. Romney is not a bad choice, if you believe in a technocratic government. Santorum is the exact opposite: more faith-based economics, governance, and policy. Thankfully, it looks like he's fading, but there hasn't been a candidate who scared me more than Santorum, maybe ever.

geo

Romney is not a bad choice, if you believe in a technocratic government.

That really depends on which Romney it is...the reasonably practical governor or the fellow who's been campaigning with an economic platform based upon wishful thinking and an irrational belief that the lessons of the. 08 crash have nothing to do with deregulation of financial markets or the need to better regulate Wall Street.
Is it the fellow who believes in the markets or the guy who has trouble accepting market driven oil prices? The guy who was willing to let individuals make important matters of conscience like abortion a private decision between a woman and her doctor or the guy who wants to defund and get rid of Planned Parenthood because some on the right call it a hot bed of abortion?
Romneys' economic record as a governor was stinky and his own management record at Ban doesn't describe a hands on manager who built companies....or cared much about creating anything other than personal profit.
Romney the governor, for all his faults, might be electable. Romney the 7 year candidate probably isn't.
Since Mitts given to disavowing much of his record as a governor...I think the electorate is stuck with the candidate Mitt.