COMMENTARY | Mitt Romney, while campaigning in New Hampshire, called President Barack Obama a "crony capitalist" for trying to manipulate economic forces he does not understand, according to the Washington Times.
If the phrase seemed familiar, it should. None other than former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been inveighing against crony capitalism for months, even since a speech in Iowa in early September according to the Wall Street Journal. At that time Romney had made the factually true but politically risky suggestion that corporations are "people too," which they are for legal purposes.
If it seems strange that Romney, who boasts of his corporate financial acumen, has suddenly taken up a populist cause against too much government interference in business, it should not. Palin has gotten a lot of traction in attacking the Obama administration for scandals like Solyndra. Romney, who has been described as a human weather vane, has gotten the message and has followed suit.
Will it work? It can, unless someone discovers that Bain Capital, the company of which Romney was in change for so long, was the beneficiary of government largess.
Romney's joining the charge against crony capitalism not only demonstrates the potency of the issue, but also the outsized influence of Palin, former office holder, former national candidate, and private citizen. While Romney did not acknowledge the inspiration for his charge, he did not have to. It is unlikely he would have taken up the issue to start with had Palin not raised it and found that it had resonance.
If Romney somehow wins the nomination, he will have to unite the Republican Party, which is still dubious of his conservative credentials, by going right in selecting his running mate. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida is on everyone's short list as he is young, southern, and Hispanic. Romney could choose one of the right wing alternatives to him in the Republican field. Santorum would be the best fit, though a Romney/Santorum ticket would lack regional balance.
And then there is the Lady from Wasilla.
Palin has much to recommend her as a running mate for a moderate, just as she did in 2008 when McCain picked her. She is young, telegenic, smart, and politically savvy. Conservatives will find the pick appealing. And, perversely, she is hated by all the right people, which will be a plus. A Romney/Palin ticket would be a winner.
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