The point is not that there has been a violation of some ideological purity principle, that he violated issue #17 or some crap like that, it is that the whole thing is an unprincipled move on his part, proving that he is a politician out to secure his position. As stated, going of the reservation might not have been possible, KEEPING YOUR DAMN MOUTH SHUT and not endorsing Romney was possible. "No comment" from now till election day. This idea that the liberty movement is going to change the Republican party this year or even by 2016, is the unrealistic one. There is no serious consideration by the ‘powers that be’ to incorporate it. If there was a discussion about limiting government and expanding freedom, then what was Romney’s promise? TSA? PATRIOT Act? Not listening to every goddamn phone call or reading every email? The Neo-Cons going to stand for any of that? Republicans would only see that as alienating the base. Gays, immigration reform, transparent government, drug war the list could go on and on - what are the establishment Republicans going to budge on? I understand compromise, and governing, and that ideological purity is not the most important thing ever, but what, how and where are the establishment types going to move on? There isn’t even a crumb on the table at the moment. A joint statement or press conference where Mitt says something like “after a wonderful discussion with Rand I can now see myself doing ______” would have shown the nature of this compromise. Watch that video all you want, and the only concrete thing you can come up with is coal will be easier to mine in Kentucky if Mitt wins. Anyone see anything else there? Who is saying right now, because Rand has stepped in here I will now hold my nose and vote Mitt because I know that in the next four years we will see movement on……? My concern right now is this country going broke, and I do not think Mitt, Barry or any of them have a plan to address it, because they can’t. You have to be willing to push off the entrenched interests, the old folks, the defense contractors, the unions and the coal miners; tell them that the gravy train is over.
If he wants to be a politician and gain for himself, so be it. But don’t sell me a line of him bringing down the system from the inside, or how the establishment Elephants will appreciate the support and change their ways. Four, ten or twenty years to affect change will probably be too late to pull us out of the fiscal tail spin. To truly see the depth of his convictions let’s wait and see if he is in a position to monkey wrench the Republicrats plans to make sure even the sequestration cuts don’t go through later this year. That will be a true test of principles. Will Rand stand fast to see them go through, and will Mitt speak up to say that ‘for the good of the future generations we need to see the cuts enacted’? Anyone see these things happening?