Mitt Romney Thinks Republicans Should Hand Barack Obama a Victory

Why Mitt Romney was a terrible nominee for the GOP:

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney on Thursday morning said he supports an increase in the minimum wage, breaking with many Republicans who have stood against it.

“I, for instance, as you know, part company with many of the conservatives in my party on the issue of the minimum wage. I think we ought to raise it,” the 2012 Republican presidential nominee said. “Because frankly, our party is all about more jobs and better pay.”

Since when does a conservative advocate government intervention in the economy, between workers and employers? Oh, right, this is the man who declared “I love mandates!” At least he’s consistent.

The politics of the minimum wage, as to the current debate, is whether Obama and the Democrats can find something to distract the country from Obamacare, Benghazi, the weak economy, America’s deteriorating place in the world, Iran’s nukes, Russia’s drive to swallow up the old Soviet empire, and on and on. The minimum wage is one of those poll tested issues that Democrats reach to when they find themselves in trouble and have no real ideas to help anyone but themselves. Raising the minimum wage sounds good, it even sounds benevolent and generous. But it costs jobs. Supporting it is a glib way for a politician to say “See, I’m a good guy” while never having to answer for the minimum wage workers who lose their jobs because the cost of labor has just gone up thanks to a government fiat.

The economics of raising the minimum wage are not good. One could argue that Republicans ought to raise it just to get that issue off the table, but as anyone with a bit of political horse sense knows, Democrats will just invent some new demand to cause distraction. So any political win you get from it is temporary. Obama will crow about his victory and then move on to make some other demand.

Mitt Romney is a good family man and good businessman. He would have been a sensible choice for president during the 2007-08 economic collapse.

But he’s a terrible political leader and no “severe conservative,” whatever he has said to the contrary.