Mitt Romney: Jekyll, or Hyde?
One of the more interesting sidebars to the unfolding '08 presidential campaign is the race for the mantle of "true conservative" among the numerous Republican wannabees. Is it Brownback? Will it be Newt? McCain? We know it's not Giuliani or Pataki. Duncan Hunter, perhaps? One thing's for certain- all of the above pretty much go about their business and let others decide where to place them on the ideological spectrum.
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Enter Mitt Romney. He has obviously made the decision to openly declare himself THE true conservative candidate- the savior of the right wing. While the others do what they do, Mitt has been working overtime to convince everybody he's the real deal. All you have to do is turn on the TV or read the blogs to see for yourself. In fact, he's trying so hard that it's already starting to look like desperation. The conservatism that appears so natural for a Brownback or a Gingrich looks almost painful by comparison when tried by Romney.
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Of all the Republicans seeking the nomination, none comes from a more liberal place than Mitt Romney: Massachusetts. As everyone knows, this state has been a Democratic stronghold for as long as anyone can remember. Given the fact that Romney was elected governor of that state, one must surely assume that he was seen as a good fit- someone who would "check" the Democrat-dominated legislature, while at the same time not rocking the boat too much. That's fine- I see nothing wrong with that. He accurately represented his constituents in that liberal state.
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Where the trouble starts for Mitt is when he moves beyond the confines of his home state. What passes as "conservative" in that state (and within all of New England, for that matter) is different from the conservatism of the South and "flyover country". What helped Mitt Romney become a successful Massachusetts politician may ultimately be his downfall...
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Sarah Liebowitz writes in today's Concord Monitor (NH) on Mitt:
The Mitt Romney who twice ran for statewide office in Massachusetts is a different politician from the Romney who will likely court New Hampshire voters in the 2008 Republican presidential primary..As a Massachusetts candidate, Romney pledged to keep abortion "safe and legal." He called on the Republican Party to provide "more support" for the gay and lesbian community and won the support of many gay Republicans. In a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 3 to 1, he painted himself as a social moderate.
The Monitor piece continues, noting the shift in Romney's political "beliefs":
But Romney the likely presidential candidate is firmly pro-life, calling abortion the "wrong choice" except in extraordinary circumstances. In recent months, he has made headlines for his efforts to overturn same-sex marriage in the only state that allows it. This Romney recently invited the Rev. Jerry Falwell and other evangelical leaders to his home, seeking advice..The transformation, political analysts say, is an attempt to burnish his conservative credentials and position himself to the right of Sen. John McCain and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani in the presidential contest. With social conservatives conspicuously absent from the fledgling presidential field, they say, Romney is attempting to stake out political ground.
As a long-time conservative voter and activist, I feel very strongly that whoever gets my support for the Republican nomination must be rock solid in whatever beliefs he or she claims to hold. Whether I end up supporting a candidate strictly because of conservative values (i.e. a Brownback or a Tancredo), or leadership qualities (i.e. Giuliani, McCain), that person must be genuine.
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Reports the Concord Monitor, from the above-noted story:
"There's little doubt in my mind that he has toughened the public expression of his pro-life views out of political expediency," said Jon Keller, a political analyst for WBZ-TV, a Boston station with a Manchester bureau. "He just played the typical political game."
A politician that needs to "re-invent" himself at the first shift of the political winds just isn't going to cut it with me...
