A Captain. Not Dear Leader.

  The Dalai Lama was alleged to have said "When you lose, don't lose the lesson." Regardless, the lesson is clear: learn from your mistakes. If you never had any mistakes, a presidential primary season is a tough time to learn them. Romney did it. For those who fell apart earlier in the nomination season, most had never lost an election before.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry had an unbeaten streak before this year, but never figured out how to regain his footing after stumbling in early debates. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann had never lost a contest, and seemed befuddled after her post-Iowa straw poll collapse. Jon Huntsman seemed to coast to easy wins in Utah as governor, but found the New Hampshire Primary to be a harsh teacher about how to lose.

  Social conservatives  and liberals both love to accuse Mitt of "flip-flopping" on his opinions. Yes, he did it. Does it matter? No. He learned his lessons. Therefore he is armed to win. With all respect to my fellow right-wingers, I respectfully disagree on one important subject: enough with revolutions, we don't need grab turmoil. We need Great America once again. It could be an only stepping stone to his successful presidential run.

  Let's see his "flip-flops" a bit closer… Romney changed his mind on abortion — not when it was politically advantageous, but when it mattered. As governor of liberal, pro-choice Massachusetts, he vetoed an embryonic stem cell bill and “worked closely” with Massachusetts Citizens for Life. The president of MCL recently issued a statement saying that, “since being elected governor, Mitt Romney has had a consistent commitment to the culture of life.”  He didn’t defend his changed position by saying he was a “historian,” or denounce people who raised the switch as “fundamentally” dishonest asking “absurd” questions, or go back and forth and back and forth. He just said he changed his mind. Who didn't do so ever?

  Romney is now the only remaining candidate for president who opposes amnesty for illegals. (Ever since President Bush’s amnesty plan cratered on the shoals of public opposition, no Republican will ever use the word “amnesty,” despite wanting to keep illegals here — just as Democrats refuse to say “abortion,” while supporting every manner of destroying human life.)

Romney supports E-Verify and a fence on the border.

  As governor he promoted English immersion programs for immigrants, signed an agreement with the federal government allowing state troopers to enforce federal immigration laws, and opposed efforts to give illegal immigrants in-state tuition or driver’s licenses. At the same time, Romney says he’d like to staple a green card to the diploma of every immigrant here on a student visa who gets a higher degree in math or science. Is this bad thing? Nope.

  Romney supports entitlement reform along the lines of the Paul Ryan plan, as he has said plainly, but without histrionics, in the debates. As for "crony capitalism", Romney made all his money in the private sector by his own diligence and talent — even giving away all the money he inherited from his parents. He’s never lived in Washington or traded on access to government officials.

  Romney could not be more forceful in saying he will issue a 50-state waiver to Obamacare his first day in office and then seek its formal repeal. Whether you like a statewide insurance mandate or not, it’s a world of difference when the federal government does it. Conservatives, having read the Constitution, ought to understand this. Romney supported the idea of other states doing something along the lines of his health care bill, but always opposed insurance mandates from the federal government.

  In a world where words have meaning, Mitt Romney is not the “moderate” in this race. He is the most conservative candidate still standing, with the possible exception of Rick Santorum, who is really bad on illegal immigration. (Santorum voted in the Senate against even the voluntary use of E-Verify by employers, which means he doesn’t want to do anything about illegal immigration at all.)

  Romney is “moderate” only in demeanor. His positions now are more conservative than anyone, who proclame themselves "conservative" , but he doesn’t scare independents as evangelicals do. Ronald Reagan and Jesse Helms were moderate in demeanor, too. No one would call them political moderates, right?

  Romney is the most electable candidate not only because it will be nearly impossible for the media to demonize this self-made Mormon square, devoted to his wife and church, but precisely because he is the most conservative, mature and weathered candidate. He'll be a great Captain, but never - Dear Leader. That's exactly what our Republic needs.