Shorter George Will: Vote For Obama

Not really, but he trashes Romney and Gingrich, while trying to pump up Perry (yes, really) and Huntsman.  His praise for Perry includes making the case that being able to debate (or, apparently, think) is not really important for a President.  His case for Huntsman, whom I personally find to be the most reasonable Republican in many ways, trumpets many of Huntsman's positions I hate while criticizing the things I like about him.  I really found Will's column opening interesting:

Republicans are more conservative than at any time since their 1980 dismay about another floundering president. They are more ideologically homogenous than ever in 156 years of competing for the presidency. They anticipated choosing between Mitt Romney, a conservative of convenience, and a conviction politician to his right. The choice, however, could be between Romney and the least conservative candidate, Newt Gingrich.
Romney’s main objection to contemporary Washington seems to be that he is not administering it. God has 10 commandments, Woodrow Wilson had 14 points, Heinz had 57 varieties, but Romney’s economic platform has 59 planks — 56 more than necessary if you have low taxes, free trade and fewer regulatory burdens. Still, his conservatism-as-managerialism would be a marked improvement upon today’s bewildered liberalism.

Does Will actually believe that conservatives were equally conservative back in 1980?  I don't think that is possible.  Conservatives were attacking a tax system in 1980 which had a top marginal rate of 70%.  Today they are attacking a system that has a top marginal rate of 35%.  In 1980, the idea that a major political party would run on the concept of dismantling Social Security and Medicare was laughable.  Today, it is actually occurring.

Likewise, I chuckled at the part where he claims that Romney's economic platform should be low taxes, free trade and fewer regulatory burdens.  What the hell does he think we have right now, in the worst economy since the Great Depression?  Taxes as a percentage of GDP at 60-year lows? Check.  Hands-off regulators? Check.  Free trade?  Well, judging by imports, check (especially since the only way to force other countries to accept and buy our exports are by using trade restrictions).  So Will thinks the solutions to the economic problems we find ourselves in are the exact things that got us in this mess.  Superb.  And he's the "intellectual" public conservative?