Given the expectations raised by the Republican punditocracy — that Mitt was headed for a big victory — the jolt of defeat hit especially hard.
Now, what had seemed an orderly retreat has taken on the aspect of a rout, with Beltway Republicans calling for abandonment of fixed positions all along the line.
After Senate candidates Richard Mourdock in Indiana and Todd Akin in Missouri bollixed the question of abortion in cases of rape, Republicans are being counseled to downgrade or dump the social issues. As young people seem to support same-sex marriage, why not be good libertarians and get on board?
As Romney got 27 percent of the Hispanic vote, we must stop this talk of border fences, ID cards, employer sanctions and "self-deportation," and reconsider amnesty and a path to citizenship.
The party is being urged to shed positions dear to loyalists, to win over folks who voted for Obama. And those who urge the ditching of positions dear to the base are rewarded with indulgent media portrayals as Republican leaders who have "grown."
But there are two problems with this panicky reaction to defeat.
First, while the defections depress and dishearten the faithful, they rarely attract the disbelievers whom the switch is designed to appease. Second, such maneuvers are the indelible mark of the opportunist.
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