'Severely' Romney

It was a single word, an adlibbed modifier, but it has managed to piss off the conservatives he was trying to impress.

I was a severely conservative Republican governor.

Severely (adverb) - Harsh, unnecessarily extreme. Serious or stern in manner. Grave. Rigidly restrained. Causing discomfort or distress.

It's an odd word because it is almost never used to describe something good. Normal people don't say, "She is severely beautiful" or "severely nice." No, severely usually modifies negative words like "injured" or "cruel" or "constipated."

I know what he was trying to do. He was trying to punch up the word "conservative" which he had repeated so often (ever 60 seconds) in the script it was becoming a dull and meaningless mantra. Yet it sounded off, dissonant, atonal. I'm sure his speech writer shit himself as he screamed "say 'strictly' you nincompoop!"

Romney at CPAC

Anyhow, conservatives are locking on the word "severely" as proof Romney is insincere, that he shares liberal beliefs that conservatism is a bad thing. I was reading comments at DailyKos yesterday and someone opined that he was beginning to feel sorry for Mitt Romney. I am too. He really is beginning to look pathetic.