The Pushy Pundits Forced Romney Out

A fellow conservative policy wonk commented to me that he had quit reading many of his favorite columnists; he just didn’t want to read their constant “harping” that brooked no alternative to their position. This is a smart, educated, sophisticated conservative; he reads all the pundits; but those in his camp – with a few exceptions like Victor Davis Hanson, Michael Medved and Ed Morrisey – forgot their role as dispassionate, objective analysts and commentators. Instead, they became consumed with a doctrinaire political agenda and tried unsuccessfully to throw their supposed weight around. The public didn’t buy it; they rejected the “know-it-alls” and simply didn’t vote for the favorite candidate of the movement heavy-weights.

Romney has plenty of time to fight other political battles and to wage future campaigns. In the meantime, the pundits on his bandwagon ought to insist that he prove his conservative credibility. It is not enough for them to just declare that his current stance on the issues is legitimate. Many grassroots conservatives doubt his rhetoric on some key concerns –– especially abortion and so-called “gay marriage.” The voting public has been burned before by trusting too soon. Now Romney has an opportunity to win over the skeptics; by being tested, he can prove that his new commitment on the social issues is real. He can surround himself with people that conservatives trust and, over time, he can win over the people who currently doubt his conversion. In the meantime, the conservative pundits can work to restore their credibility, too.