re: #299 lostlakehiker
Tactially, for this election, the reason is that Romney had to say stuff to win the nomination, and then he couldn’t unsay it.
Americans are not necessarily politically and ideologically conservative: they simply respond to people who are sincere or at least successfully project that image.
They want someone who will behave in a manner they can predict, someone who adheres to a clear set of principles, even if they do not agree with those principles.
Bush was able to successfully present that image in 2004, Kerry could not.
Mitt did not undersand that simple notion. His etch-a-sketch broke.