I'm now used to phony "moderate" conservatives like Brooks and Scarborough finding fault with Romney's campaign performance, or even some of its "ideas." But even these guys generally stick to the line that Obama has supposedly screwed up the economy, or supposedly should have "focused" on it instead of health care.
But something different is happening when Bill Kristol actually praises Obama's economic record:
"I've thought this for months. If this election's just about the last four years, that's a muddy verdict. Bush was president during the financial meltdown. The Obama team has turned that around pretty well. The Clinton speech at the convention was very important in that way. How horrible was it four years ago? [Romney's] got to make it a referendum on the choice about the next four years."
I can imagine Jon Stewart doing one of his flabbergasted double-takes upon hearing that. As
Steve Benen points out:
Romney has spent a year telling anyone who would listen that 2012 is a referendum on Obama's performance over the last four years, and Bill Kristol is now arguing the exact opposite.
I believe I did see some porcine aviators gliding by my window this morning.
(Of course, Kristol went on to say that we need to bomb Iran yesterday, etc., so please don't construe this diary as generally praising Kristol.)