A suitable christian burial for Reform...

It may be, that down the line when there are better editorialists on the scene, that the downfall of the so called Romney "reform" agenda will be dated from 2-24-04.
That would be yesterday, when Willard Mitt Romney the Kolobian Viceroy of Massachusetts spoke up in favor of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlawing both gay marriage and civil unions.
Purists will recall Willard's stated opposition to just such an amendment during his glorious march to power in campaign 2002.
In the six months since the SJC decision legalizing gay marriage the Governor has taken a sad predictable course, from a reluctant acquiescence with the law, then a timorous peep in favor of civil unions, after that an amendment to the state constitution that defines marriage as an exclusively heterosexual affair thence to his current advocacy for a discrimination clause in the Federal constitution.
He isn't flip-flopping my friends, he is evolving...evolving into a rational GOP monster sufficiently spineless to rule a nation.
Romney spoke up in favor of Bush's crazy amendment for two very stark reasons:
1.) Current polling in Massachusetts indicates a bare majority (53%) are opposed to gay marriage. This was to be expected given a month or so of loud resistance from every wowser and pulpit demagogue in the Commonwealth.
These numbers gave Willard the necessary impetus to climb down sans further ado...such a backbone has our chilly reform minded Viceroy.
2.) To succeed as a national candidate for the GOP one must pick a horrific social issue beat on it like a gong.
Romney saw those out of state activists on the Common last week, as his future serfs and subjects...but they have to be thrown a big tasty bone if he wants to get anywhere come Super Tuesday 2008.
Therefore Romney is now opposed to gays and gay marriage simply because to espouse anything else would doom his hopes of being a Republican presidential candidate.
There will be no further sensible thinking on this matter from the Governor's office...it'll be nothing but "marriage is sacred" type blather 24-7.
The Chimes at Midnight has come to the sad conclusion that no "reform", be it economic, social, or political can be accomplished in the Bay State once the Governor starts aspiring to the Presidency. Dukakis fatally lost focus in the lead up to his run back in 1988 and the same now is happening to Romney.
This is of course assuming anyone (other than Scot Lehigh) really believes in Romney's reformist palaver.
More importantly what kind of a "reformer" proposes to restrict the lawful rights of a small and harmless minority?
Mitt has treated this issue with the same ruthless self interest that he displayed when shoving Jane "Jingle Money" Swift out of the corner office.
There is no doubt that over the short term this repellant opportunism will accrue to Romney's benefit, he may not get anyone elected to the legislature this fall but his stance will look very good to GOP primary voters far beyond the Berkshires.
The issue of gay marriage is probably a loser over the short term for liberal democrats and progressives...there is no doubt that Romney's current stance is correct in terms of expediency.
However the issue isn't going to vanish in a puff of smoke once demagogues like Bush and Schwarzenegger start yelling and making threats.
And anyway...what will all of Romney's beloved suburban independents make of his churlish war on homosexuality?
They may not see it his way when push comes to shove.
Moreover,Younger voters consistantly poll the strongest in favor of gay marriage, sooner or later they will inherit the polling booths and then we will see some shit!