by Maisie Allison
The Obama campaign holds onto evidence of Romney's "severe" conservatism as the general election looms:
Jamelle Bouie parses - and applauds - the strategy:
Romney’s strength is that he makes a great first impression—he seems reasonable, confident, and competent. Attacking him as a “flip-flopper” only reinforces that view, and makes him seem less threatening to voters who aren’t sure that they want to support a Republican. Alternatively, by attacking him as too conservative, Democrats remind the public of its dislike for the GOP, and tie Romney to the most unpopular elements of the conservative agenda. It also helps that the former Massachusetts governor is also working to define himself as a conservative, in order to secure support from the Republican base.
Meanwhile, the Herman Cain subplot gets weirder:
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The Dish 