Consider a few videos as Mitt Romney tries, in the last weeks of the campaign, to appear vaguely moderate.

The first shows Mr. Romney at CPAC calling himself “severely conservative.” The second, an Obama campaign ad from April, amounts to a greatest hits of his severely conservative statements. The third, from Daily Kos, compares what Mr. Romney said at last week’s debate with previous comments.







It’s impossible to say which Mitt Romney is the “real” Mitt Romney. But what we don’t know about Mr. Romney seems secondary to what we do know: He doesn’t think authenticity or consistency or conviction matter. It’s not just that he tweaks his message to suit his audience; he’s willing to change his message for his audience. (And if he’s president, his audience will be the Republican-dominated, Tea-Party-influenced House.)

It must be the case that many Americans recognize his contortions, and will vote for him regardless because they don’t like the president. That’s their right. But if Mr. Romney wins, he’ll set a nasty precedent. Candidates will be justified in assuming not only that they can lie, but that they can tell different lies to different audiences from week to week, and voters will actually reward them.