On that point I agree. But we’re comparing campaign 08 Romney to campaign 12 Romney where Newt and Santorum drove him further right than McCain ever did in 08. Yet Rush praised him as being the three legs of the conservative stool in 08. His more conservative 12 campaign (because of Newt and Santorum driving him there) according to Rush didn’t meet the three legs. Rush only wanted to stop McCain in 08 from getting the nomination. He wanted to stop Mitt in 12. His meeting conservative principles is predicated on who he wants to advance and who he wants to stop.
Newt and Santorum might have driven his campaign to the right in short bursts, but overall, he was far less conservative in 12 than in 08. Remember, he was the estab’s boy in 12, but NOT in 08.
He went from right of McCain in 08 to left of McCain by 12.