Coming off a triple loss earlier in the week, and tarnished with the image of a soulless consultant/financier unable to incite even a minimal level of passion among the base of his party, Mitt Romney faced what was arguably the most important speech of his presidential campaign today at CPAC.
Could he convince died-in-the-wool conservatives that he is one of them? Could he lay the groundwork that will stimulate high enough turnout in November to defeat Obama? Could he come up with something BIG?
Romney thanked Obama for his skill as a community organizer – in this case organizing the conservative movement – and laced into the president with abandon. He described this administration as “liberalism’s last gasp,” called the president “the poster child for the arrogance of government,” and then contrasted Obama to the founding principles that unite conservatives, saying, “Mr. President, we conservatives cling to more than our religion and guns…we cling to our constitution.”
Perhaps more importantly to those needing to be convinced that he has the heart and soul of a conservative, Romney spoke at some length about his personal path to conservatism, saying he has lived it through his upbringing, his family, faith and experience in business, where, he said “if you are not fiscally conservative, you go bankrupt.” And he chose unusual language in describing his governorship in Massachusetts as “severely conservative.”
He did not unveil any big new initiatives.
It was during Romney’s speech – though not in the auditorium where he was speaking – that Occupiers stormed into the DC hotel with shouts of “we are the 99%,” to which the gathered CPAC attendees replied “get a job…get a job.”
Given his mixed record, and that oratory is not his strong suit, one was left with the impression that Romney had said and done all he could say and do to convince the faithful of his conservative bona fides, that there is little more left in his quiver to convince the right wing base that he has their backs.
It is now up to conservatives to decide if he is one of them. And what to do if he is not.
