Reading David Brooks atypically insightful column today, one wonders what Mitt might have done had he cast himself as a problem-solving non-idealogue.
Brooks writes:
So the race will move on to New Hampshire. Mitt Romney is now grievously wounded. Romney represents what’s left of Republicanism 1.0. Huckabee and McCain represent half-formed iterations of Republicanism 2.0. My guess is Republicans will now swing behind McCain in order to stop Mike.
It’s remarkable that a man who argued that he was more pro-life than Ted Kennedy, got elected governor of the Commonwealth, and passed a good attempt at universal healthcare can reasonably be painted as the posterchild for old-guard Republicanism.
Of course, Brooks elides the fact that Huckabee can only be the anti-establishment candidate because he’s no threat to the religious wing of the party. But, still and all, this could have played out much differently.
If you look at the IA entrance polls, voters were skewed very conservative.
<
p>No chance to win that crowd as a moderate.