While many on the other side look forward to Romneys attempt to avoid alienating America with his platforms demand for a constitutional abortion ban with no exceptions, yet not alienate his BASE by disavowing it. With GOP candidates around the country seemingly incapable of not saying alarming things about abortion (I count four in the last week alone,) he is almost obligated to try, but all I can say is, "good luck...."

It usually seems the platform is more alluded to in a vague non-threatening way than explicitly stated, except for a few equally vague invocations of the planks most popular with focus groups. Back when defining the platform was among the conventions primary roles, such smoke and mirrors was simply impossible (and, thanks to many inexcusably honest down-ticket Republicans, may be so this week.) I was just reading earlier about a DNC in the twenties where attempts at a plank condemning violent racist groups provoked a fist fight with the KKK on the convention floor; after the plank failed the Klan celebrated by burning crosses across the street. Such revealing internal disputes are inconceivable in a world where Libertarian hero Ron Paul will not speak at the RNC because he would not let party officials vet his speech.