Michael Brendan Dougherty’s essay on Mitt Romney today holds him to a rigorous standard of intellectual coherence and moral clarity rarely applied to anyone else in politics while interpreting various things he has said in the most uncharitable possible way. For example:

In one of his rollout interviews, Romney was asked if this vote signaled his ambitions for higher office. According to the report: Romney “erupted in laughter. ‘Yes! That’s it! They caught me!’ he proclaimed. ‘Look at the base I have! It’s going to be at least 2 or 3 percent of the Republican Party. As goes Utah, so goes the nation!’” Well, there it is, the great revelation. From his 2012 campaign, we know of Americans, he holds 47 percent in contempt. Now we know that of Republicans, the percentage rises to 97 or 98.

Romney’s realistic view that he would have very little support if he ran for president does not imply—does not hint at implying—that he looks down on everyone who would refrain from backing him. The reaction is more telling than the quote.