comMITTed to Romney!

The Templar Pundit: 2008 Profile: Mitt Romney

http://thetemplarpundit.b…itt-romney.html

I found this searching the blogosphere. Nice profile!

Governor Willard Mitt Romney (R-MA)
Born March 12, 1947
Resides in Belmont, Massachusetts

Mitt Romney is one of the few Governors from either party actively testings the waters for a 2008 run. Romney managed to become the Republican Governor of Massachusetts thought opinion polls indicate the novelty is wearing off on the liberal electorate in that state. Romney has been extremely effective at fixing the budget and has amassed a self-made fortune in the private sector. Mitt is also a Mormon which has been the focus of most of the media attention on him.

Political Career:
Governor of Massachusetts 2002-
United States Senate Candidate 1994

Education:
B.A., Brigham Young
J.D. & M.B.A., Harvard University

Political Stances:
Abortion- Mitt is personally opposed to abortion but has been pro-choice as Governor. It seems like that’s the stance of every office holder in Massachusetts. Romney is currently in a fight with the legislature over cloning legislation he opposes.

Taxation & The Economy- This category is where Mitt really shines. He took a $650 Million deficit and turned it into a $700 Million surplus. Even better, he did so without raising taxes or borrowing money. This is exactly what the country needs right now.

Foreign Policy- Mitt sits on the Homeland Security Advisory Council. He has shown foresight by raising the possibility of an emerging threat to America from Asia. There’s no reason not to expect he would be a hawk.

Gun Control- Based on comments during his 1994 Senate campaign, he would lean more towards gun control.

Gay Marriage- Mitt has been an out-spoken opponent of the Massachusetts legislature’s implementation of gay marriage.

Social Security, Immigration and the Judiciary- As a Governor he has not had much of an opportunity to comment on these issues. I suspect he’ll let us know about them very soon.

Assets in the Primary:
Mitt is a Governor, that gives him a leg-up on the Senators trying to run. Mitt’s opposition to gay marriage in Massachusetts will help him immensely and may even make him a heroic figure to the Republican base, the lone conservative battling against the Democrats in John Kerry’s home state.

Mitt does not appear to have any skeletons in his closet. He is likely to remind many people of Ronald Reagan with his easy-going attitude.

Potential Problems in the Primary:
His Mormonism will probably be a bit of a problem among evangelicals in the primary. Evangelicals are primarily protestant though Sam Brownback, a Catholic, is proving that they can be just as enthusiastic about non-protestants. Mitt will have to spend a lot of time convincing religious voters he shares their priorities on social issues. This could detract from time he could spend focusing on his strong suit, economic issues.

Mitt’s Kerry-esque position on abortion is not going to impress GOP primary voters.

Mitt also faces the problem of building up a fundraising base and finding a national voice. Unlike some of the other prospective Republicans, Romney does not get much national coverage at this point.

GOP-ers don’t like Massachusetts.

Assets in the General Election:
If he wins the nomination he could be the first Republican in 20 years to take a “blue state.”

The electorate will not be happy about the deficit in 2008 but they will be even more unhappy about the prospects of a tax hike. This could make a national version of Mitt’s economic reform of Massachusetts a very appealing prospect.

Mitt has a very laid-back and pleasant manner. Odds are this will be a sharp contrast to the Democrat candidate who is usually unpleasant.

Potential Problems in the General Election:
There’s really no telling how the nation will react to a Mormon. The last national survey dealing with the possibility of a Mormon President was taken six years ago. My hunch is that it would be a handicap but not an insurmountable one. Odds are anti-Mormon sentiment in 2008 will be less than anti-Catholic sentiment in 1960.

If Gov. Romney decides to seek a second term in Massachusetts, he will probably lose. Polls indicate he would not carry the state in a Presidential race either. Of course, none of that matters if he doesn’t bother to seek a second term.

Analysis:
Governor Romney might be the most realistic choice for the GOP to emerge so far. Like Bush, Clinton, Reagan and Carter; he is a Governor and has a major advantage over the numerous Senators competing for the nomination. He could easily draw parallels to Reagan, Reagan being a conservative Governor of California and Romney being a conservative Governor of Massachusetts.

Romney won’t alienate social conservatives like McCain or Giuliani. He has no past scandals to blow up in his face (unlike Giuliani and Gingrich), he doesn’t piss off his base (unlike McCain) and he’s not a Senator (unlike McCain, Frist, Allen and Brownback).

Assuming he doesn’t endanger his career by running for reelection in Massachusetts, I expect Mitt Romney to become one of the frontrunners for the GOP nomination.

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