Mitt does not view Capitalism as a positive. His Olympic effort is totally irrelevant and has been fluffed up.
To see how Mitt views government vs free-market you have to look at his ACTUAL record in MASS.
Everything Mitt did in MA was carried out to enhance the Power of the State over the Individual. Mitt's actual record in MA pushed his state far down in economic performance.
Mitt's actual record in MA is a direct example of someone who worships at the Alter of State Power. It is utterly delusional to think Mitt will be "pushed" at all to Conservatism.
Mitt and his vile supporters are most excited when they are out utterly destroying Conservatives. Starting in mid-Sep 2008 Mitt and his vile staff and supporters started with a scorched Earth policy against Sarah and any other Conservative who could be a threat. To have him expect to receive my vote is an insult to everything I believe in. I will not vote for rabid Statists -- whether they be Rats or GOP-e.
Ansel12's post #6 perfectly explains Mitt's political DNA.
But that said, let's look at what Sand 88 says:
Mitt does not view Capitalism as a positive.
What do you think "Bain Capital" is all about? Do you actually believe that a man who has made immense sums of money via Capitalism; who says he favors our free enterprise system, over & over again, is actually planning to sabotage it? Why?
His former Left-leaning social policies in Massachusetts can at least be explained--though not to his credit--as offering the people what they seemed to want. To his credit would have been to try to lead them to want something different, of course. In short what I propose should be our (Conservatives at Free Republic's) role, in the immediate future.
But, anyway, the flat out rejection of the genuineness of Gov. Romney's apparent move to the right, accomplishes nothing but to undermine the possibility that we can gain ground both with Romney & with the broader public--the sort of move that is always the key to many politicians, who usually follow, seldom lead.
William Flax