It was a strong rebuttal, but not strong enough. Romney's opportunity was to go at the central claim of McCain's candidacy, his boast that he is a straight talker. This would have been like liquid Reagan to the conservative critics who dislike McCain's positions on immigration, campaign finance, and taxes but are reduced to sputtering by what they see as McCain's sanctimoniousness. It's why they derisively call him St. John. If Romney had given voice to their critique by arguing that McCain praises himself for truth-telling while trafficking in a distortion, it would have fired up the waiting armies while simultaneously showing that Romney was one of them: Who cares about his flips and flops? Hand me the pitchfork.