We’re in the midst of a campaign to mischaracterize the true issue with the presidential candidacy of Governor Mitt Romney. The issue has been raised time and time again. Is America ready to elect a well-qualified Mormon President with conservative views?
Many people are drawing comparisons to John F. Kennedy’s run in 1960 and arguing that this is a test of how tolerant Traditionalist Christian conservatives will be of someone from a different faith tradition.
Myself, I voted for a Jewish Candidate for Governor in 2000, and helped re-elect an LDS Senator in 2004. I live in an area that’s got a very strong LDS population and work with LDS people every day. In general, they’re decent folks. There are many Mormons, I’d consider for national office, but not Mitt Romney.
All the focus on Romney’s LDS faith has been designed to do three things primarily. First, to attack Christian Conservatives. Second, to get LDS church members solidly into the Romney camp. Third, is to avoid discussing the real problems with Romney’s record.
Today, Mitt Romney claims to be pro-life. In 1994, running for the US Senate, Mitt Romney said he was pro-choice. Stating that the death of a relative had formed strong pro-choice opinions, Romney declared, “regardless of one's beliefs about choice, you would hope it would be safe and legal." As late as 2002, Romney was endorsing RU-486. Now, it’s a changed story.
In 2002, Mitt Romney’s campaign participated in Gay Pride marches. After the state Supreme Court ordered the legislature to write up gay marriage laws, Romney backed Civil Unions. Now, he opposes them.
Romney has been an opportunist, running to the Center to get elected Governor, than moving right to prepare for a Presidential run, while vacating the governor’s chair which he has no prayer of winning re-election to with his recent shift. Those who think electing Romney would be a winning proposition for Republicans should think again. Despite massive efforts by Romney, Republicans lost seats in the Massachusetts legislature in the 2004 election.
As Governor, Romney signed off on a big government health care initiative which requires businesses with more than ten employees to help pay for worker’s health coverage, subsidizes health insurance, and requires all individuals to carry it.
This is the Romney record, it’s defined by a lack of core values. He changes positions like some folks change clothes. Does anyone claim to know what this man believes at his core? Its indiscernible, only that he seems to have strong preference for whatever can get him power.
Such men, whether Catholic, Protestant, Mormon, Jewish, or Hindu are not the type who will turn around a country headed into bankruptcy and unable to make hard decisions. If there’s no core and all that’s visible is a pursuit for power, you’ve got an empty suit who will exceed to whatever’s the most politically expedient at the moment, regardless of long-term consequences.
Lay aside the religion and what I see in Mitt Romney is a man that has won one election his entire life and in that job has changed his positions on basic issues to match his national ambition. As much as Romney sympathizers may want to turn his campaign into a referendum on whether the GOP will be tolerant of an LDS nominee, the real issue is competence, philosophy, and trust. Anyone who moves the focus elsewhere should be ashamed of themselves.
Adam Graham is the author of the Screwtape Reports which is available at www.lulu.com/content/165415. He was the 2000 Montana State Coordinator of the Alan Keyes Presidential Campaign. He and his wife live in Boise, Idaho. He is a staff blogger for WhereIstand.com. He is a columnist for AmericanDaily.com, RenewAmerica.us, The Conservative Voice.com and Conservatown.com. You can visit his blog at www.adamsweb.us/blog. You can also subscribe to his podcast at: http//feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/blgH
