June 02, 2011 07:09 PM UTC

Romney Vows "Complete Repeal of Obamacare," Crowd Misses Punchline

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• by: Colorado Pols

CBS News’ Stephanie Condon, covering former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s formal entry into the 2012 Republican presidential race today:

[A]s he begins his second bid for the White House, Romney faces some challenges. He’s largely a known quantity among Republican primary voters and has yet to generate significant enthusiasm for his campaign. Among Republicans, he’s plagued by his health care reforms in Massachusetts; and Democrats continue to pin him with familiar labels, calling him a “flip-flopper.”

Romney hopes to overcome all of that, however, by focusing on the issue that’s first and foremost on voters’ minds: “From my first day in office my number one job will be to see that America once again is number in job creation,” he’ll say, according to his prepared remarks. Americans deserve to get ahead if they work hard, Romney will say, instead of being “crushed by this Obama economy.”

The former governor intends to make other economic promises, such as capping federal spending at 20 percent and balancing the budget.

He’s also promising “a complete repeal of Obamacare,” though it’s unclear whether he’ll address the health care reforms he implemented in Massachusetts, which have been dubbed “Romneycare.” Romney has already strenuously argued that his health care reforms were different than those implemented at the federal level.

Romney consistently leads in polls of Colorado Republicans, and we’ve previously noted his PAC’s generosity to Colorado GOP officials like Rep. Cory Gardner–though we haven’t heard yet if Rep. Gardner has reciprocated with backing for Romney.

There is no shortage of criticism on the right for Romney, in particular his role in health care reform for the state of Massachusetts–but also his “evolving” positions on other wedge issues like abortion and gay marriage. As we’ve said before, to the extent that Colorado Republicans are able to swallow Romney’s ideological inconsistencies, without a break in their special brand of uncompromising conservative firebreathing on all of these same issues…

Well, you’ve read Animal Farm, right? The part about the sheep?