Etch-A-Sketch Anyone?

Oh, my goodness!  Etch-A-Sketch?  Really, Mr. Fehrnstrom?

In an attempt to explain away GOP hopeful Mitt Romney's perceived conservatism, Romney's senior campaign advisor Eric Fehrnstrom offered these words of assurance, "I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes. It's almost like an Etch-A-Sketch. You can kind of shake it up, and we start all over again."



So this is supposed to comfort and re-asssure us about Gov. Romney.

Ever hear the term Kinsley gaffe?  I hadn't until now, but I certainly think Mr. Fehrnstrom's statement could qualify.  A Kinsley gaffe is when a politician, in a moment of carelessness, accidentally tells the truth.  

Conservatives have been saying throughout the campaign that Gov. Romney is not a true conservative; and that he has shifted his alleged views too many times over the years to be trustworthy.  Now his campaign advisor has publicly agreed. 

The pundits are divided on whether or not it will make a difference.  Some say it will help, because Romney needs the moderate vote and will be more likely to get it after this statement.  If I was a moderate, I'd find that idea somewhat insulting.  It seems to imply that moderates have no opinions and are only swayed by the persuasive language of any given day.

Others have hoped it will crush him, and allow one of the more conservative candidates to ascend.

And still others have asserted that it will make no difference at all.  I tend to kind of agree.  Political and current event memory is often very short in this day of 24/7 news.  This is not to say that we are all wishy-washy and can only keep our mind on current things.  But it is more a result of the vast amount of news and information that is yet to come out  Many choice tidbits surrounding any candidate will continue to first trickle out and then eventually gush forth. This escalating flow of inflammatory soundbites and other derogatory information will effect all candidates (but especially, of course, the conservatives) between now and first, the Republican convention in Tampa Bay, in August; and later the eventual November election.

To see a time lapse Etch-A-Sketch of Candidate Romney, see artist, Bryan Lee Madden's cool Etch-A-Sketch blog.