Perry Wants to Repeal the 20th Century

Taegan Goddard's Political Wire: William Galston writes an open memo to Mitt Romney on a "unique opportunity to define yourself... If you take it, you have a fighting chance of prevailing. If you duck it, you'll lose, just as Tim Pawlenty did when he booted away his chance to take you on."

"How should you do it? Well, to the extent that the Republican nominating contest is a rational process, it's a search for a candidate with three characteristics. The nominee must be competent to serve as president, reliably conservative, and electable. You're never going to be able to make your party believe that the longest-serving governor in Texas history isn't fit to serve as chief executive. And despite some facts to the contrary, it won't be any easier to challenge Perry's conservative credentials. That narrows it down to one option: You must persuade the decisive portion of your party that Rick Perry is too extreme to be elected president."

"Here's your theme: Rick Perry wants to repeal the 20th century. I don't. And neither do the American people."