There’s something to be said for a national leader who understands how things work; who can tell you why he does the things he does. It’s one of the reasons I like Mitt Romney so much. He understands conservatism and can tell you why it works. He can tell you why tax cuts work, why government spending needs to be restrained, why liberal pacifism is illogical, why families are at the center of the national well-being, and why amnesty for illegal immigrants will harm our nation. Such an understanding seems unnecessary out on the campaign trail where one can talk in sound bites without exposing any true depth of understanding. However, when actual governance commences, a profound understanding of conservative principles is vital as endless proposals and peoples try to influence governing philosophy through deception or political pressure. This was one of the reasons Reagan remained ideologically pure: he understood the intellectual underpinnings of conservatism. He had been advocating and refining his understanding for years before being elected. Thus, even after two terms in Washington, Reagan had not veered left. He remained true to his core, not out of stubbornness or fear or public pressure, but because of a true understanding of why conservatism worked.

This notion of intellectual underpinnings is one of the things that scares me most about John McCain and Mike Huckabee. To the extent that Huckabee has had to explain his reasoning, he has been found seriously lacking in depth and understanding. McCain (probably wisely) has not exerted himself in this way to explain the core principles of conservative governance. Without that solid understanding of why conservatism works it is easy to be misled. Proposals such as McCain-Feingold or the Fair Tax can be coaxed upon the candidate. Ideas about bombing Pakistan while pacifying Iran start to make sense. Giving amnesty to illegal immigrants starts to look reasonable. All of these demonstrate a lack of understanding. Of course, where does it end? How much more will it take before the little that is conservative has been unwound and removed? What is the next policy that will be endorsed? Open borders? Socialism?

Much more certain and firm is the man who can articulate the reasons behind the policies. More dependable is the man who holds an understanding conservatism to govern conservatively. That man is Mitt Romney.

Update: Powerline's Scott Johnson agrees on McCain:

It is difficult to discern any underlying or overarching principles in Senator McCain's devotion to the trademark issues of his recent political career outside the field of national security: campaign finance regulation, liberalized immigration, and balanced budgets. Senator McCain’s belief in his own rectitude in the pursuit of these ends, however, precludes serious reflection on causes and consequences or even, in the case of immigration reform, concern about procedural niceties.