Fascinating

In the Editors’ endorsement of Mitt Romney at National Review, the word ‘Iraq’ is mentioned once — in reference to John McCain. And the word ‘Bush’ is mentioned a scant three times — once to indicate his tax cuts, once to indicate his incompetence, and once to indicate that, in the judgment of the Editors, Romney has his virtues and not his flaws. I’ve said for many moons that Romney has been the only top-tier Republican — indeed, the only one, really, besides Ron Paul — to pitch himself in the slightest as a change candidate. Back then I said more, please. Every inkling Romney gives that he’ll repudiate Bushism works to his advantage. Shouldn’t be a mystery as to why. What the Editors hint but do not announce is that Giuliani and Huckabee would pull apart the Republican coalition because each man is roughly one half the man that Bush is — the mean half and the nice half, respectively. Maybe a nicer way of putting this is that each candidate stands, so to speak, on one of Bush’s shoulders — Mike with a little halo and Rudy with a little pitchfork. I hope Mitt can make something of this, but at the same time, I think a Rudy/Hucky ticket would beat Hillary and whoever her non-Obama running mate is doomed to be. Sigh.