This is from a short piece at Think Progress, Campaign Surrogate Admits Romney Is Changing Positions Just To Win Votes, which explains that the Romney who showed up at the debate was completely changing his positions from the past year of campaigning and just saying whatever he thought people wanted to hear in an attempt to sweep up some undecided votes.
Mitt Romney campaign surrogate Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) admitted that the GOP presidential candidates was changing his positions and moving towards the middle in order to win over voters...
The Think Progress article discusses an interview on this subject between Soledad O'Brien and Phil Gingrey. The whole video is pretty telling. But at 3:50, Phil Gingrey provides the money quote.
At 3:50
Soledad O'Brien
My question is you lean to the right, then you come back to the center when you're actually in the general election. So for me that is you say one thing for a certain audience to get them to support you. And then you say something different, maybe completely contradictory to another audience, which some could define as LYING. So is that an etch-a-sketch moment that we are seeing?
Phil Gingrey
Um, and some could refer to that as campaign tactics. Good campaign tactics without violating one's principles... I'm very comfortable with what Gov Romney said at the debate... But I have no doubt that he will govern to the right of center.
So there it is. The admission that Romney's content at the debate was simply a CON job. You have to admit, Romney spoke with CONfidence.