What are Mitt Romney's actual political views?

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

I suspect that, deep down, he's still the same old 1994 Romney.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

The 1994 Massachusetts senatorial election did not take place.

[RogueBeaver]

Centre-right economically, social conservative (I'm basing that on Matt Bai's profile of Mittens' bishopric). The overriding theme is technocracy.

[perdedor]

Ironically, I think the 1994 Romney is the true fake. 2012's "I like to fire people", "dont hate me because I'm disgustingly wealthy" Romney is probably closer to the true man. Either way, he is completely devoid of any principle or integrity.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

RogueBeaver, can I have a link to this Matt Bai article? I'm interested in reading it but can't find it.

[tpfkaw]

Mitt Romney strikes me as someone not particularly interested in politics but very interested in being President.

[Person Man]

Centre-right economically, social conservative (I'm basing that on Matt Bai's profile of Mittens' bishopric). The overriding theme is technocracy.

I would say on economics issues, he's pretty much "Bush/Cheney" and their "Too Big to Fail" top-down Keynesianism (trillilons in wars, billions in corporate welfare set up as entitlement reform).  Think of further tax cuts, another small scale war or the risk of a bigger one, more grants to exploration and energy companies and a scaled back push to replace Social Security with a Retirement Account Mandate for workers who average $70,000 a since they were 26. ... he will probably do nothing about Obamacare if SCOTUS doesn't do anything and if the mandate is severed, he will probably try to pass some sort of HSA law and if the entire law is struck down, he will probably push something through that basically allows for the formation of one giant insurance monopoly that can form "high risk pools" based on whether your molecular risks.

On ethnic issues? I wouldn't be surprised if he is a bit like H W Bush (I think he will stop the feds from  buying condoms for villagers in Guatamala but I don't think he will push for the banning of stem cell research grants) Beyond that, he won't mess with gays in the military and will probably  appoint Souters when he can and Thomas's when he needs to give the dogs the "red meat". H W Bush, right?

[Person Man]

Mitt Romney strikes me as someone not particularly interested in politics but very interested in being President.

This.
He's just a rich douche who probably got laid a lot in college and just thinks he's entitled to everything. One could say the same about Obama, though... a lot of Business and Accounting guys hang out with the Political Science and International Studies guys. 

[Cobbler]

I think his political views are probably fairly similar to GHW Bush.

[perdedor]

I think his political views are probably fairly similar to GHW Bush.

Do you find it at all bothersome that a candidate who has been running for President since 2007 is describable in this manner?

[I'm JewCon in name only.]

He's obviously a communist guys What better way to destroy capitalism then through infiltrating it as a "free market" imposter? 

[Grumpier Than Thou]

Mitt Romney strikes me as someone not particularly interested in politics but very interested in being President.

Yep yep yep, this.

[Likely Voter]

I have no idea.


...and that is what scares me

[morgieb]

I'd say a libertarian-ish kinda person. Or maybe a Bush Snr.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Far right on economic issues, doesn't care so much about social issues, so he goes with whatever is politically convenient at the time there.

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

He's obviously a communist guys What better way to destroy capitalism then through infiltrating it as a "free market" imposter? 

Of course! Robots would be able to make Communism an actuality!

[5280]

Economically far right, socially moderate would be my guess. Similar to that of GHW Bush or Eisenhower.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Describing Eisenhower as 'economically far right' doesn't sit well with me, and neither do either of those descriptors applied to HW.

[Cobbler]

Economically far right, socially moderate would be my guess. Similar to that of GHW Bush or Eisenhower.

Eisenhower and 41 were economically "far right"?

[5280]

Blah....Im not thinking clearly tonight.

Not far right, but economically center right makes more sense.

[Purch]

Honestly, If there's one thing I hate it's flip flopper politicians and basically that's all we have this year to choose from (Santorum endorsing and calling Romney the only true conservative in 08 then completley changing his position on Romney in 2012 and even going far enough to say that he wouldn't be better than Obama). This of course doesn't include Ron Paul who's message has remained the same for over three decades. That's kind of why I can respect a guy like Chris Christie even though I don't agree with a lot of his views; with him you know what you're gonna get because he doesn't change his position when the critics come just  to gain support. I'd rather vote for a consistent politician than people like Romney/Obama who basiclly went completley against their original views on an individual mandate in the span of three years.

[BigSkyBob]

It all depends on where Romney is in the Etch-A-Sketch cycle.

[greenforest32]

You can purchase them for the right price

[Hash]

Mitt Romney strikes me as someone not particularly interested in politics but very interested in being President.

This is, of course, correct; but the few political views held by the Mittbots are whatever policies would favour a disgustingly wealthy man like him. He doesn't care about social issues, because rich people don't worry about the gays marrying or serving in the military. They have country clubs to go to instead.

[Politico]

Far right on economic issues, doesn't care so much about social issues, so he goes with whatever is politically convenient at the time there.

This.

Clinton infuriated conservatives with his politically-calculated triangulation on economic issues. Romney is going to infuriate liberals with his politically-calculated triangulation on social issues. You liberals won't know what to do when President Romney co-opts your popular social positions/rhetoric. Meanwhile, Romney is going to deliver the goods on the economic and international fronts.