A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
On the front page of the New York Times this morning, a long story on Mitt Romney's positions on abortion. In both his unsuccessful 1994 senate race and his successful 2002 gubernatorial race, the Times notes, Romney campaigned as unambiguously pro-choice.
Then? "By 2005, with Mr. Romney eyeing a possible presidential bid, he began to distance himself from his abortion rights platform." In an article that June in National Review, Romney stated "[m]y political philosophy is pro-life."
Which brings us to the sentence that made me wince:
That same article quoted his top strategist at the time, Mike Murphy, as saying Mr. Romney had been "a pro-life Mormon faking it as a pro-choice friendly."
"Faking it?" As best I can tell, there really is no other way of construing this. Mike was suggesting that Romney intentionally misled the people of Massachusetts.
Behind-the-scenes politics, as Ronald Reagan once remarked, can be "like seeing civilization with its pants down."
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Dec '10
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
DrewInWisconsin
But do you understand what I am saying? When it comes to balancing attacks on his opponents vs. promoting himself, Romney is something like 90:10. He has done little to sell himself as the sort of genuine conservative we need. And the few times he tries, he is unconvincing. · 1 minute ago
Indeed, I understand what you're saying and I agree. Romney has not sold himself well at all, although I would argue that they're's been such a not-Romney frenzy, that he couldn't possibly sell himself. Everytime he does, conservatives respond that the glass is half empty.
I've said from the beginning that he could have walked to the nomination if he'd've even half-repudiated Romneycare. He wouldn't even have to do it fully, just say that he did the best he could, but it's unsustainable for political reasons.
But since he's running as CEOOTUS, he doesn't want to repudiate anything he did, he can only repudiate things he said.
Ace at Ace of Spades HQ recommended Romney go hammer-and-tongs on Fast & Furious. I'm surprised none of them have.
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
JamesofEngland quotes Duane, who wrote about Romney's renunciation of Reagan during his 1994 debate with Ted Kennedy, "If you knew and worked for President Reagan, hearing that line colors all of your subsequent thoughts about the speaker." JofE then notes that I failed to apply the Reagan loyalty test to Perry and Gingrich.
In brief:
PERRY: Raised a Democrat, Perry was late to change his registration to Republican. I regret that--and so, on the record, does he. But back when he was a Texas Democrat, Texas Democrats were overwhelmingly conservative. And it was Perry's basic conservatism that mattered to me, not his party registration.
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
Cont'd....
NEWT: As best I can tell, Newt delivered only one speech in which he criticized President Reagan personally, and an examination of the entire text (Newt was never one for brevity) demonstrates that he did so, so to speak, from the right, impatient with the president because Reagan was permitting the federal bureaucracy to dilute or undermine Reagan's own agenda. I wouldn't have chosen to criticize the president quite as Newt did, but from time to time I felt those frustrations myself. Do a few Google searches, and you'll see that William F. Buckley, George Will, and Charles Krauthammer shared them, too.
Oct '10
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
James Of England
DrewInWisconsin
...there is little difference between Romney and Obama, and the only thing that will change my mind is if he starts saying that Romneycare was a bad idea.
...I think federalism, conscience, context, democracy, and Constitutionality to be important, and cannot imagine Obama saying this...
Obama's transformational progressivism is obvious to his base, but he pays lip service to 'pragmatic centrism' well enough to fool a lot of foolish centrists. He's likable, and he has a nice 'story' (single mom, raised by grandparents, first black president).
Romney is a pragmatic centrist (managerial progressive) who doesn't do a very good job paying lip service to conservatism. He's not far enough left for most leftists, and he doesn't acknowledge the failure, or existence, of our 100 year progressive experiment. He's stiff, not very likable, and he seems like a privileged one percenter.
And I'll probably vote for him if he's the nominee, just like I'll probably vote for Gingrich, Santorum, Paul, or whoever emerges from a brokered convention. I cast my protest vote for the Libertarian party in 2008, I think I'll try something different this time.
Apr '11
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
She
Conservative Episcopalian: Okay a little analysis:
. . .ago
I get this whole SCOTUS thing, and why it's a good idea to have someone other than the current occupant of the White House picking the next several Justices.
But isn't this post about a candidate whose chief strategist said of him, that he was a "a pro-life Mormon faking it as a pro-choice friendly?"
If this is true (and I haven't seen anything to indicate it isn't, but I'm willing to be convinced), then is this really the sort of candidate you want to elevate to the White House?
Are you so sure you know who he'll pick for the Supreme Court?
Are you so sure he's not faking it now?
Really? ·
If he's fooling us, he's fooling us and Judge Bork, who is pretty familiar with him and his record. He has no Newt-like Miers support, and Republican Presidents have gotten consistently better at judicial selection since Ford; the process is very much in place.
May '10
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
You want to tell them that? I'm not sure they'd believe you...
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
ROMNEY: Duane's right. A single, remarkable moment during Romney's 1994 debate with Ted Kennedy arrested my attention. Kennedy attempted to associate Romney with the policies of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush--which, of course, Kennedy claimed had made the poor poorer, blighted the republic, and so on. Romney replied, with real heat, "Look, I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I’m not trying to take us back to Reagan-Bush."
Romney wasn't claiming to have been an independent so he could vote in Democratic primaries. He was placing a gulf between himself and the policies of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. Yet those policies won the Cold War, launched the longest peacetime economic expansion in American history, and proved popular enough to enable Reagan to carry Massachusetts--even Massachusetts!--in both 1980 and 1984.
Edited on February 13, 2012 at 4:21amNov '10
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
AmishDude
EJHill
It's called weighing the pros and cons... It's the nature of primaries. A ham sandwich has merits over Obama. · 9 minutes ago
But it isn't even that. If it were pros and cons, I'd be very happy, but the not-Romneys don't have their pros itemized. It's only about cons and only for Romney.
I just have to say that I disagree very strongly with this statement. I hear people say lots of nice things about all the candidates in the race, except Romney. It's the Romney supporters who have nothing positive to say about their candidate.
If you don't believe me, listen to the hilarious Mark Levin bit that someone posted on the member feed. He took a call from a Romney supporter and tried to get him to talk for just 20 seconds about the strengths of his candidate. The guy couldn't do it. All he could do was criticize the alternatives.
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
ROMNEY, cont'd
This exchange between Romney and Kennedy forces us right back onto hard, unpleasant questions about Romney. Did he renounce Reagan purely as a matter of political expediency? If so, how do we know we can trust Romney now? If instead he renounced Reagan on principle, and has since changed his mind, then he has yet to explain himself to us. In a recent interview with the Washington Post, Romney said--I'm paraphrasing from memory--that his appreciation of Reagan had grown over time. Yet his renunciation of Reagan took place in 1994, long after the effects of Reagan's policies--the end of the Cold War and a booming economy--had become clear. When did Romney's appreciation develop? Why was it so delayed?
Yes, I feel personal loyalty toward Ronald Reagan. But Reagan strikes me as a political and historical touchstone--a figure so large and so consequential that politicians in our own day owe us some explanation of the way they regard him. Unless I have missed an important speech or interview, Romney has failed to offer a substantive and coherent explanation.
Edited on February 13, 2012 at 3:35amDec '10
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
Lucy Pevensie
I just have to say that I disagree very strongly with this statement. I hear people say lots of nice things about all the candidates in the race, except Romney. It's the Romney supporters who have nothing positive to say about their candidate. · 1 minute ago
Actually my point is that the negatives of the not-Romney candidates do not get aired. Then when they do, the not-Romney in question looks poor by comparison. I give as evidence the rise and fall of Newt Gingrich (and coincidental rise of Santorum).
Jul '11
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
How could a real man distance himself from Reagan? Makes no sense unless compromising yourself isn't important.
Aug '11
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
Lucy Pevensie
He took a call from a Romney supporter and tried to get him to talk for just 20 seconds about the strengths of his candidate. The guy couldn't do it. All he could do was criticize the alternatives.
Well, the caller did say that the reason we should support Mitt Romney is that he has money and organization, so we should all get behind him right away.
First principles, right there.
Apr '11
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
Peter Robinson: JamesofEngland quotes Duane, who wrote about Romney's renunciation of Reagan during his 1994 debate with Ted Kennedy, "If you knew and worked for President Reagan, hearing that line colors all of your subsequent thoughts about the speaker." JofE then notes that I failed to apply the Reagan loyalty test to Perry and Gingrich.
In brief:
PERRY: Raised a Democrat, Perry was late to change his registration to Republican. I regret that--and so, on the record, does he. But back when he was a Texas Democrat, Texas Democrats were overwhelmingly conservative. And it was Perry's basic conservatism that mattered to me, not his party registration.
I'm not saying that you failed to apply the test; you were explicitly applying it and arriving at, eg. pro-Perry results. I was trying to outline what the test might be.
Perry was not merely a Texas Democrat, but a national Democrat, campaigning in a Presidential race. Running the state branch of Al Gore's campaign is not a passive matter of not changing your registration, but one of dedicating your life to a cause (for the duration of the campaign, at least). Perry's conservatism now contrasts somewhat.
Dec '10
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
jhimmi
He's not far enough left for most leftists, and he doesn't acknowledge the failure, or existence, of our 100 year progressive experiment. He's stiff, not very likable, and he seems like a privileged one percenter.· 26 minutes ago
Here's what I'm talking about. If you want to go with personality traits: Newt is an arrogant blowhard and Santorum comes off as a mall cop. And there are other issues with Newt's character.
And, yes, Romney is stiff and nerdy (he doesn't really have any right to be, he majored in English) but his personality is the only one that gets discussed.
Dec '10
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
If I recall correctly, GHWBush's campaign rhetoric of a "kinder, gentler America" was regarded as a shot at Reagan.
Nov '10
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
AmishDude
Lucy Pevensie
I just have to say that I disagree very strongly with this statement. I hear people say lots of nice things about all the candidates in the race, except Romney. It's the Romney supporters who have nothing positive to say about their candidate. · 1 minute ago
Actually my point is that the negatives of the not-Romney candidates do not get aired. Then when they do, the not-Romney in question looks poor by comparison. I give as evidence the rise and fall of Newt Gingrich (and coincidental rise of Santorum).
Well, that's a change from your original argument, but I happen to disagree with this argument as well.
If you go back and look at any pro-Gingrich posts that were written, you will see that they almost always said exactly this: "The guy has flaws. But his strengths (which would subsequently be enumerated) at least for me and for now, outweigh his flaws."
I do not see Romney supporters saying anything like that. Romney supporters neither acknowledge that Romney has any deficiencies--instead they complain about other people criticizing their candidate--nor give us any positive reasons to vote for the guy.
Aug '11
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
James Of England
Perry was not merely a Texas Democrat, but a national Democrat, campaigning in a Presidential race. Running the state branch of Al Gore's campaign is not a passive matter of not changing your registration, but one of dedicating your life to a cause (for the duration of the campaign, at least).
Please remember that in 1988, Al Gore was a conservative, pro-life Democrat.
Nov '11
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
I remember reading that sentence last time around. I think it bothered me more at the time than it does now.
Ought not Jim DeMint's conviction that Romney "came by his previous position honestly" weigh somewhat against Murphy's assumption of his dishonesty? DeMint is not one to take this issue lightly, and he had much more motivation to get to the bottom of what Romney really believed than Murphy.
Is it so hard to believe that how a person with a strongly pro-choice mother, in a very liberal society, as a member of a church strongly opposed to abortion, would genuinely change in his views over time, particularly as he found himself responsible for their consequences? Moving from "abortion is wrong but it isn't the government's business" to "abortion is wrong, and I can't sign this bill which would lead to more of them" is an entirely believable philosophical journey, considering his background.
It's also easy to see how a cynical campaign strategist would not fully comprehend that journey, or how a man might seek in his own mind to reconcile his mother's view and his religion's teachings.
Edited on February 13, 2012 at 5:42amOct '11
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
Drew: Romney's speech is on hotair.com, therightscoop.com, and cpac2012.conservative.org.
I'm a Romney supporter because I think he's the best candidate. I would vote for any of the candidates because I don't want Obama to have a second term. By stating you'll never vote for Romney, you are helping Obama get re-elected, in the event that Romney is the nominee. Wisconsin is a swing state, is it not? What is your priority?
DrewInWisconsin
Give me a link. I base my statement on what Byron York wrote about his speech, but I do not have links to all the CPAC speeches.
Albert, I know you're a Romney supporter. Why is that? And can you understand why I will never cast a vote for the man? In my view, there is little difference between Romney and Obama, and the only thing that will change my mind is if he starts saying that Romneycare was a bad idea.
But I also have to admit that if he did say that, I would assume he was lying to get my vote. I will never vote for the man. · 41 minutes ago
Apr '11
Re: A Sentence I Wish I Hadn't Read
Peter Robinson: ROMNEY: Duane's right. What got my attention was a single, remarkable moment during Romney's 1994 debate with Ted Kennedy. Kennedy attempted to associate Romney with the policies of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush--which, of course, Kennedy claimed had made the poor poorer, blighted the republic, and so on. Romney replied, with real heat, "Look, I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I’m not trying to take us back to Reagan-Bush."
Romney wasn't claiming to have been an independent so he could vote in Democratic primaries. He was placing a gulf between himself and the policies of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. Yet those policies won the Cold War, launched the longest peacetime economic expansion in American history, and proved popular enough to enable Reagan to carry Massachusetts--even Massachusetts!--in both 1980 and 1984.
Romney was running then, as he's running now, as a deficit hawk, an immigration hawk, and an opponent of federal healthcare. In those key campaign platforms, of which the first, in particular, was a moral matter to Romney, he implicitly repudiated Reagan. You agree he was right to do so?