Why I still support Mitt Romney
By D.J. McGuire | Monday, February 13th, 2012 | Economics, International, Policy, PoliticsThe Santorum surge has radically altered the state of the Republican presidential race – at least as of today. Whether Santorum has the strength to defeat Mitt Romney is an open question; we shall see over the next few months. However, many of my friends are heavily leaning (or have fallen over) in Santorum’s direction. When I decided my choice for president, Santorum had hardly caught any fire; however, I am sticking with Romney.
I have three main reasons for doing so:
First and foremost: only one candidate has raised the alarm on the Chinese Communist Party – and that candidate is Mitt Romney: He has been alone in raising concern over the regime’s theft of intellectual property from foreign dupes investors far and wide. He is the first candidate for president ever to take note of the CCP’s desire to build a global network of tyrants to challenge the free world (not even Duncan Hunter mentioned that in 2008). He has continued to sound the alarm on them despite being attacked for it by the other candidates – including none other than Rick Santorum. For the uninitiated, just about every enemy of America or threat to the same (the mullahcracy of Iran, Saddam Hussein before he was deposed, the Taliban, al Qaeda, North Korea, the Syrian regime, even Qaddafi) has been backed or is backed by the Chinese Communist Party (for the latest on the Tehran-Beijing axis, see the National Post). We need a president who recognizes this danger – and Mitt Romney alone makes the cut.
Second, Romney has the private sector experience that is needed: Just to be clear, private sector experience itself, while certainly valuable, is not per se what I mean. It is Romney’s experience in taking on bloated companies that are bleeding money with antiquated business plans that got my attention – especially given that the new president will take over an executive branch bleeding over $1T a year with far too large a bureaucracy and service systems (e.g. entitlements) stuck in 1969. None of the other candidates have experience in paring down overloaded personnel and modernizing a wheezing entity.
Finally, I consider Romney’s conversion on life to be sincere: I’ve given this one a lot of thought over the last few months, and for good reason. The abortion issue being what it is, many politicians have held to one view throughout. Some have shifted, once, based on intellectual pondering, a dramatic personal story, or, well, crass political considerations. Romney is the only politician I know who has double-backed on this issue. Initially, in 1994, Romney had his personal story (if memory serves, a distant relative had died from an illegal abortion), and that seemed that.
Then the embryonic stem-cell research debate hit Boston.
Normally, views on ESCR are driven by views on unborn life in general. Defenders of the latter by and large can’t stand the former, although a few do. Almost no one who defines themselves as pro-choice opposes ESCR. So one can imagine the surprise when Romney himself tried to stop the creation (and destruction) of research-only embroys. It just doesn’t make sense. After a while, it didn’t make sense to Romney either, and he realized that if you can’t tolerate the death of one embryo, you can’t tolerate the death of any of them.
It’s an unusual journey on the issue, of that there is no doubt. But Mitt Romney is more an empirical politician than a philosophical one; he builds his views from what he sees in front of him – and in this case, what he saw in front of him was so horrifying it overrode the loss of his relative.
These are the reasons I still support Romney. I do not think his nomination is inevitable. Nor do I think he would automatically be a better general election candidate than Rick Santorum – each has their own potential path to victory.
I do think Romney will be better at reducing the size and scope of government, identifying our enemies around the world, and standing up to said enemies. In short, I think he would be a better president than anyone else in the field.
Cross-posted to the right-wing liberal
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About the author
Former candidate for Board of Supervisors in Spotsylvania, current blogger, economics teacher, and long-rumored windbag. There are two causes closest to the heart: steering the country away from the social democratic nonsense that is sinking Europe, and convincing the rest of the "rightosphere" that the NBA really is a joy to watch.
Comments
16 Responses to "Why I still support Mitt Romney"
D. J. Well written and it’s a shame you didn’t write the official BD endorsement paper that is a waste of 1500 words of nothing.
I am not yet moved to support Romney but I will grudingly vote for him in November. That’s about as far as I can in your direction for now.–Craig K.
Romney is a liberal. This is a man who supported abortion, global warming, democrats, TARP, gun control, and socialized medicine. His conversion is not genuine, it is for political theatre. He will be a crony capitalist first.
On top of that, people don’t like him. Obama will sweep the South because enough people will sit this out as opposed to voting for a Morman and conservative Southerners will not cancel out the black vote. Furthermore, he will not win a single liberal state. Wake up people.
I’m not sure Santorum has radically shaken up the race yet. If he wins Michigan, that will shake up the race.
Craig, in case you were wondering, DJ is an actual person, too.
Romney care. nuff said
Rmoney sure has the sheep herded in Michigan.. http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/polls/210259-two-polls-find-santorum-leading-in-michigan
You guys should give Craig a break. Hunting Amit down is not easy.
Besides I may need his services. My cousin and I are starting to have a bit of a disagreement. I say that we are descendants of Thomas Nelson and she says no.
I’m glad I never told my parents I need time to find myself, then I really would have been lost!
And the cow said Moo !!!
D.J., As much as I love Rick, and plan on writing him in when we vote, I also know that he has no chance of winning, either in the primaries or the general. What I do know is that I haven’t seen such a lackluster choice since Bob Dole, and I figure, if we’re going to lose this election anyway, we may as well have fun going down.
Like Bob Dole, Mitt Romney is just dog food the dog won’t eat. I can’t put my finger on it, but even when he says things I agree with, there is something I don’t like about it. And you know me well enough to know that if I’m having trouble with the Reoublucan candidate, we’re screwed.
So, I go back to my original point. Why hold your nose and vote hopefully if you know neither guy is going to win? May as well make a principled stand and enjoy it on the way down.
Who knows, maybe we’ll get really lucky and end up with brokered convention who actually energizes the base and has a chance. Until then, I’m waiting for 2016.
P.S. Maybe someone could draft Frank Wolf to run. Now there’s your man on China.
Is it too late for Colbert to primary? He might be more electable than Mittens
Mike! It’s been, what, 12 years? Good to hear from you again, my friend.
I would ask, though, that in the future you actually *read* my posts before responding.
I specifically refused to say Romney was a better general election candidate, because I’m not really sure about that (oddly enough, I have more faith in Santorum’s November chances than you do). I looked at the issues that matter to me, and decided Romney was better. I know that’s unusual, but it’s not about the tired old pragmatic-vs-principle argument.
Well ain’t that something. Not sure why my last comment on this thread was deleted. I guess this one is going to suffer the same fate?
I guess what Brian posted about the policy on comments was incorrect. Noble words that are not being lived up to.
I am going to do my best to not cast judgement on the whole based upon the actions of the individual.
LD,
Before you jump to conclusions, drop an email to Brian or JR. Stuff happens and rarely is a comment here deleted intentionally. When it is, BD posts an explanation why.
MD,
I am pretty sure my comment was deleted. I thought my comment was at least a little humorous, but I guess somebody did not think it was funny.
To whoever deleted my comment, if Santorum wins the nomination, expect the subject of it to appear on your wide screen, HD television. Democratic SuperPACs might treat the subject more seriously, but they are going to publicize it.
Rick Santorum has stated he will work to allow states to outlaw birth control if he is nominated. That is enough to give pause to the thoughts of many conservatives let alone the thoughts of the moderate citizens who’s votes he will need to become President.
That is a lie. He did say states theoretically have the right to ban birth control, but no state wants to ban it and he never said he would work with them. If he did, provide a link and I will have a second thought.
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