John Hinderaker of Power Line Blog wrote an endorsement of Mitt Romney on Tuesday. It was about as good an endorsement as I have seen, but kept coming back to one theme, electability.
I don’t think we can judge electability just yet because no one really has challenged Romney in the primaries. Several million dollars of negative ads and the weight of the entire conservative and Republican establishments were thrown against Newt, and it hurt him. Romney has gotten off easy so far.
Earlier in the fall when Democrats gently started going negative on Romney, Romney’s numbers dropped, but then the Democrats pulled back. There is every reason to believe that once the Kennedy-like attacks on Romney start in earnest, his electability will be in doubt.
But other than that fundamental flaw, I thought John wrote a good endorsement. The comments were surprisingly harsh.
In response, John wrote a follow up yesterday, Squishes for Romney, defending himself by pointing out that non-squish Ann Coulter also endorsed Romney.
LI reader Rick forwarded me this comment by one of the readers at Power Line:
Scott J. Brooks · Top Commenter · Minneapolis, Minnesota
A lot of us wondered if our friend, Ann Coulter had lost her sense when she’d maintained that our country is doomed unless we recruit Chris Christie for Prez. I love Ann Coulter. But we know she loves to call attention to herself. Remember when she’d been fired at National Review for her reaction to 9/11, that we should begin the carpet-bombing of the Islamic World? I love Ann Coulter, despite her boney legs and her hyperbole.Hate to tell you gents, but Legal Insurrection has overtaken your influence in the conservative blogosphere. Still, you rock.The point about Coulter is dead on. In February 2011 she told us at CPAC that Romney was a certain loser against Obama, now she tells us he will win. Her excuse was that she was “sick” at CPAC. She also played the birther card on the Tea Party in making the case for Romney. Inexcusable and unforgivable. Coulter’s endorsement of Romney does not a case for Romney make.
I don’t know if Romney can win, but I do know that his electability prospects are overblown at this point because he hasn’t been tested.
As for the comment about influence in the conservative blogosphere, I’m flattered, even if it is as overblown as Romney’s electability.
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