One of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's problems with voters is his history of flip-flopping on issues. After he took a commanding lead in the GOP primaries in March, one of his own campaign advisers, Eric Fehrnstrom, talked about his guy clinching the nomination: "Everything changes. It's almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up, and we start all over again."

Unfortunately, that reputation has not been helped by recent comments of Gov. Romney on President Barack Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. His program in Massachusetts, dubbed Romneycare, inspired some elements of Obamacare. However, in his Aug. 30 acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, he pledged, "We must rein in skyrocketing cost of health care by repealing and replacing Obamacare."

Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," Romney said, "Well, I'm not getting rid of all of health care reform. Of course, there are a number of things that I like in health care reform that I'm going to put in place. One is to make sure that those with pre-existing conditions can get coverage. Two is to assure that the marketplace allows for individuals to have policies that cover their family up to whatever age they might like."

On Monday, a Romney aide told Katrina Trinko of National Review, "Gov. Romney will ensure that discrimination against individuals with pre-existing conditions who maintain continuous coverage is prohibited."

On the coverage of students on their parents' insurance, the aide said, "[I]n a competitive environment, the marketplace will make available plans that include coverage for what there is demand for. He was not proposing a federal mandate to require insurance plans to offer those particular features." But "to assure that the marketplace allows for," as Romney said on "Meet the Press," sure sounds like a mandate. In any case, it's unclear.

"My take is that it seems to me he said he wants to protect people with preexisting conditions, but not necessarily in the same way as Obamacare," Michael F. Cannon told us; he's the director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute. "A lot of people are concerned about Romney repealing Obamacare. I think those concerns are valid. Even if you interpret Romney's remarks ... in the most favorable light, the concerns are validated that he's really not committed to repealing Obamacare."

Cannon pointed out that the preexisting condition part of Obamacare really isn't a "mandate," although it's called that. It's really a price control. "You have to sell insurance to very sick people at way below cost," he said. "That gives caregivers an incentive to mistreat them." The cost is picked up through higher costs or worse care for everyone else.

Some polls show most people support the existing-condition mandate. But Cannon pointed to a 2012 Reason-Rupe poll that showed something different. True, 52 percent of those polled favored mandating coverage for pre-existing conditions, but only if, in the question's words, there were no "cost considerations." However, when asked if such support would be maintained if premiums were raised for everybody, support dropped to 38 percent. And when asked of support if there was a decrease in "health care quality," just 15 percent agreed.

It's clear: If Gov. Romney pointed this out to people, he would be advancing a popular opinion that would help him win votes. Of course, then he'd be taking yet another position on the issue.

It seems to us that this lack of clarity on Obamacare explains why, despite a sluggish economy and stagnant jobs numbers, Romney's campaign isn't gaining traction. Voters shun wafflers.

REPRINTED FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER