It’s the consistency, stupid

David Steinberg has an excellent piece at Pajamas Media questioning the wisdom of Rovian political strategy.

Mr. Rove: the reason there is no frontrunner right now is that everyone is following Rovian strategy and is sending out feelers, which sounds disgusting. Nobody — excepting the GOP candidates wondering why they aren’t polling well — read your op-ed and felt relieved.

The self-evident truth regarding running as a conservative — an identity which overwhelmingly comprises America’s biggest voting bloc — is that conservatives do not care who wins the GOP nomination. They are happy; they are self-sufficient and will fight on their own. If the party gets onboard with the base, good for the party, but the base is aboard with the Constitution first and the GOP second or never.

This has been evident since the Founders; this was demonstrated truth during the 2010 elections. How can you not know this yet?

Rove’s basic preference for a candidate on wheels – move him to the right in order to get the nomination, then back to the center for the election – is, over time, too clever by half. It might be an acceptable strategy if all you’re interested in is electing a Republican; it won’t do to launch a revolution.

H/T: Ed Driscoll