The good thing about the internet is that anyone with an opinion and a blog can post. The bad thing is that any idiot with an opinion can also post. The latter is demonstrated perfectly by Dean Barnett over at Townhall.

Barnett claims that despite all the bad press, Mitt Romney actually had a good week. Yes, Barnett believes that it is good for Romney to get all the flip-flop attacks out early, leaving him plenty of time to respond. Money quote

The press and other entities who are hostile to the Romney campaign feel like they’re landing haymakers about his purported flip-flopping. Big deal. When the press is all punched out, Romney will have $100 million and his own formidable political skills available to make his rebuttal.

The problem with going on the same offensive repeatedly in politics, as Romney’s foes are, is that regardless of the offensive’s underlying merits, there are diminishing returns.

Right, cause if there is one thing we learned during the 2004 election, calling someone a flip-flopper early and often doesn't work at all. I mean, is Barnett kidding? Anyone with a modicum of functional brainpower understands that defining your opponent early, especially with a meme as potent as "flip-flopper," is devastating. The media will have it in every article, and every perceived change in Romney's stance, no matter how slight, will bring another round of tough articles. Unless he has twice the money of his opponents, Romney is likely in for a long ride (just ask Kerry the flip-flopper or Gore the exaggerator).

Barnett goes on to bury himself deeper. He rebuts the claim that Romney is a flip-flopper (of course, he provides no evidence of this or disputes that Romney has changed his positions).

THE OFT-REPEATED CHARGE AGAINST MITT ROMNEY IS THAT HE’S A FLIP-FLOPPER and an opportunist. As someone who knows him and who is familiar with his character, it annoys me no end to see Romney’s detractors so relentlessly peddle such an inaccurate caricature.

But then he suggests that Romney can explain away his changes in policy positions with an old phrase JFK (ironically, a man who was actually proud to represent Massachusetts)

The governor will be able to respond to his critics with two easy smackdowns that will be devastating when the time is right. The first is an old John F. Kennedy saw:

“It’s not where you come from, but where you stand.” The second will be a
completely justified swipe at the pettiness and endlessly repetitive nature of these attacks: “I want to talk about our country’s future. I will, even if the press and my opponents are obsessed with my past.”

First, if he thinks throwing out two old quotes will distract people from the fact that Romney has taken more positions than the Karma Sutra, he's insane.

Second, these explanations are an obvious contradiction. If he never flip-flopped, why would he need to explain away his changes in policy positions?

Barnett needs to put aside the Romney Kool Aid (apparently spiked with some of Rush Limbaugh's "special" diet pills) and be honest. The only person who's had a rougher go of it lately is Britney Spears, and she can always grow her hair back. Romney can overcome his poor start ('08 is a long ways away) but only by acting quickly, raising money and changing the momentum.