How Mitt Romney can get out of his political box

Memo to Mitt Romney:

You and your campaign staff undoubtedly are trying to figure out how you can get out of the political box in which you find yourself. As governor of Massachusetts, you  sponsored a health care reform that bears some similarities to Obamacare. How can you win the Republican presidential nomination when Obamacare is reviled by most Americans and is likely to be the most powerful argument against the Democrats in the November election?

Here's how:

1. Focus on the process, not the result. Obamacare was bought and paid for by the Obama administration. Money that belonged to all Americans was used to bribe members of Congress to vote for a bill that most Americans opposed. Even so, Obamacare was enacted with minimum Congressional support.

Romneycare, on the other hand, started out as your bill, but was embraced by Massachusetts legislators from both parties and had little opposition. The record is rife with statements of bipartisan praise. Use them.

2. Why did you propose the reform? Because Massachusetts businesses were forking over $1 billion a year to the state to finance medical care for the uninsured. This was driving up the costs, and worsening the competitive standing, of Massachusetts businesses.  A significant slice of the Massachusetts economy is made up of health-related businesses. You did not want to see their prospects damaged by their support for the uninsured.

It is in your interest to keep attention focused on these two matters because a big majority of Americans perceive the Obamacare enactment as unacceptable at best, and unconstitutional at worst.