Do you suppose he really does?
I think he's a "brand" kind of guy, and so are a lot of Americans. There's the Democrat brand and the Republican brand, kind of like Apple and Microsoft. I really do think and fear that to a lot of Americans, it's not much deeper than that, and yet the Republican brand is worth a nation's existence.
Conservatives need to gain and protect that brand. It's not a cheap imitation of using government to cure ills but with a different logo, as Romney would have it. Republicanism must be fundamental bent toward smaller government in a free market and more individual freedom and responsibility. The concept whisks over Romney's head. Same with Whitman and Schwarzenegger.
And you're right, you have to wonder -- do they actually think they're conservative?
I see him as the GOPs Tiger Woods. Not because of affairs, etc. But because he’s a creation of marketing. Who we’re told he is, and who he really is are two completely different people.