Romney, the Republican Body Politic

“This inartfully stated dirty liberal smear is a truthful expression of Mitt Romney’s political philosophy and it is a winner.” Jon Stewart (in reference to Fox’s reaction to the 47% video)

Odd that the conservatives all hate Romney when he is such a beautifully representative “body politic” of their party, incorporating each of its squabbling factions into his arms, stomach, legs, etc.  Just like the medieval image, his arms are the barons, Ayn Rand’s “makers,” the legs are the small business people, and the stomach represents the tea party nutcakes and religious crackpots along with the “takers” too stupid even to recognize themselves in the characterization.  The different sections all have some hideous platform plank that they need to hide from the educated public while at the same time secretly signaling its presence to their own followers (that they want to put an end to Medicare and Social Security; that they want to cut all funding to the arts; that they promote biological illiteracy).  In other words, the Republican body politic is incarnated in Romney chuckling with his rich friends about the moochers and then getting back in front of the camera to drone on about personal responsibility setting us free.  It would take a skill far beyond what any normal person is likely to have to pull off such duplicity while appearing to be direct and honest.  That’s why kings spent so lavishly on ritualistic entries instead of going out to speak among the masses.

 I don’t understand why Republicans don’t just admit that what they have created together is precisely Mitt Romney and go from there.  Surely this “body politic,” that is, a shell built precariously over a set of incompatible groups all snuffling at the same trough, is better than the McCain version, a still visibly human face extended over those same factions, stretched to cracking and in extreme pain.  It was humiliating watching McCain’s humiliation at serving as the head of that body politic.  At least watching Romney is not humiliating.  The Republican party has found its perfect expression.