comMITTed to Romney!

I never properly introduced myself on this site. My name is Rebecca. I am married and have two small children. My current employment is as a wife and mother. I have always liked politics and I have always loved to write. When a friend offered me the chance to blog on this site, it seemed like a good way to get involved without taking too much time from my family.

I first heard the name of Mitt Romney sometime in 2003 or 2004. I was talking with my Dad. The conversation had drifted to abuses of power by government agencies who were not accountable to anyone. He expressed the desire for a strong president that would take power from the bureaucrats and return it to the people, where it belonged. He thought that Governor Romeny could be that man–if only he would run.

Now, I respect my father and I have a high regard for his opinion. That said, he would be the first to tell you that I very seldom rely soley on his advice to make important decisions. I waited to see who was running and then I did a little research. What I found convinced me that Mitt Romney is the best candidate to lead the United States at this time.

In the first place, he is running. Say what you will, it is very difficult–perhaps impossible–to elect a man to office who is not willing to campaign. George Washington is the only man who was ever able to do it.

In the second place, he is running as a Republican and a Conservative. I have no use for the modern Democratic party. I cannot see that they have accomplished anything useful in my lifetime and they are actively advocating the downfall of my country and my species.

Thirdly, Mitt Romney is a good man. There has been a lot of debate over the past couple of decades about the division of public office and private affairs. I do not think there is a division. In a time when we must trust our President with our safety, trust him to make important decisions about life or death, we need someone who is, well, trustworthy. Opponents may like to paint Romney’s squeaky clean personal life as “too perfect” but to me it simply means he has integrity. And I refuse to believe that integrity can go out of fashion.

And then there is Romney’s experience. Romney’s business career consisted of turning around organizations founded on good ideas but with fiscal problems. He was immensley successful at doing this and gained a tremendous amount of trust and respect from his peers. He then used his experience and skills, as well as political saavy and diplomacy, to turn around the 2002 Olympic Games and the budget for the State of Massachusetts. Who better to take the helm of a nation founded on the principle “that all men… are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” but also finds itself in ever increasing financial turmoil?

I was, of course, concerned over the charges of “flip-flopping” on social issues, as well as Romney’s tendency to be rather more liberal on fiscal issues than many true-blue (or should I say true-red?) conservatives would like. As to the former, Romney did switch his position. Once. He has since said he was wrong. His story attests to the fact that Romney is ultimately ruled by his own morality than by any philisophical argument. In response to the latter, I have found that he is overall more conservative than other candidates. I also have great faith in the separation of powers. The President does not have the power to pass laws, Congress must do that. Should the President introduce any bill that is not favored by the people of this nation, it can be efficiently stopped by an appeal to individual legislators from their districts. See the graveyard of amnesty bills killed by grassroots efforts during the current Bush administration.

Romney is also a Mormon. I had no problem with this since I also belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Romney does not speak for the LDS Church. Those seeking clarification of Church doctrines should turn to other sources. I recommend www.mormon.org for a comprehensive outline of the tenets of this faith.

I have been in the same room with Governor Romney twice. Both times were at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in my home town of College Station, Texas. I never got close enough to shake his hand. Nor did he answer any of my questions. However, there is a feeling of quiet confidence, determination and willingness to work hard that surround this man. His wife was with him on both occassions as were several of his sons. It is impressive to me that his sons take such an active role in his campaign.

Mitt Romney is a man that I feel I can trust. The President of the United States is the leader of his or her party. They are responsible for the security of the nation. It is more important to be able to trust their judgement and morality than to agree with all of their so-called plans or positions. As it happens, in my case, Romney is the candidate whose positions I agree with most often and in whom I have the most confidence. I believe that as you search for information beyond the TV ads and radio spots that you will discover that he is someone to whom you may safely trust the future of our nation.

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As we approach the primary voting season, there are more and more new folks finding their way to our humble blog. The information I found on this blog was extremely helpful to me as I assessed the various candidates in search of “the One.” As such, I thought it would be fitting for me to share why I am a staunch supporter of Governor Mitt Romney in his run for the White House.

In a nutshell, Mitt Romney is the only “full-spectrum” Conservative who can rally the support of all three wings of the Reagan coalition, namely, Social, Economic, and Foreign Policy Conservatives.

For a full treatment of Mitt Romney’s positions, I would refer you to his comprehensive policy book “Vision for a Strong America.” Let me summarize here, however, the highlights across the major issues:

• Foreign Policy
o War against Islamic Fascism: We are engaged in a multi-front war which will require using all of our military, economic, and diplomatic might to win; we must defeat the terrorists and those who aid and abet them as well as help the Muslim people enter the 21st century (click here and here)
o Iraq and Afghanistan: The surge is working and we must do what it takes to help Iraq and Afghanistan become stable democratic allies in the war on Islamic Fascism and support our troops (click here and here)
o Iran: Iran must not be allowed to become a nuclear state; diplomacy and economic sanctions are critical, but may not be enough; the military option must remain on the table (click here)
o Military: Need to increase defense spending to a minimum of 4% of GDP to make sure our armed forces have the equipment they need in the field and the support the need back home; the best ally of peace is a strong America (click here and here)

• Economic Policy
o Taxes: We need to keep the Bush tax cuts permanent, eliminate the Death Tax, and cut taxes on capital gains, dividends, and interest to zero for the Middle Class (click here, and here)
o Spending: We need to restrain Federal spending and close the deficit; will veto any budget where non-defense discretionary spending growth exceeds inflation minus 1%; Need to give the President a line-item veto; Strong track record of financial management from Massachusetts where he closed a $3B deficit and turned it into a $1B surplus without raising taxes; carry out a comprehensive review of government spending to increase efficiency and effectiveness (click here and here)
o Entitlements reform: Maintain benefits for current Seniors, but institute fundamental reforms combining slowing the rate of increase for benefits based on income, extending the retirement age, individual retirement accounts, and no tax increases (click here)
o Healthcare: Mitt Romney is the only candidate on either side of the aisle who implemented a universal health care plan; He covered all of the citizens of Massachusetts using market-based insurance without raising taxes; Governor Romney advocates a Federalist state-by-state approach to make health insurance more affordable for everyone (click here)
o Globalization: Continue to trade around the world but make sure we negotiate level playing fields in foreign markets and upgrade American competitiveness through investments in education and innovation (click here and here)

• Culture and Values
o Illegal immigration: Control the border first and turn of the “magnets” that attract illegal immigrants by implementing an employment verification system, no special path for illegal immigrants to become citizens (i.e. no amnesty), no sanctuary cities, increased enforcement by local police agencies (click here, here, and here)
o Traditional marriage: In favor of amending the constitution to keep marriage defined as between a man and a woman; fought the Massachusetts Supreme Court to prevent the state from becoming a destination for same-sex couples looking for marriage licenses (click here and here and here)
o Life: Much has been made of Governor Romney’s switch from being Pro-Abortion to Pro-Life; This is a critical issue for me; I have heard many times why he made this change, and I believe him; I believe that Mitt Romney will fight for the rights of the unborn and be a great leader in supporting Life (click here, here, and here)

The choice of a nominee and President, however, is not strictly a “right-brained” decision based on policy statements and positions. There needs to be something inspirational about a candidate whether it’s the way that they speak to a crowd, interact one on one, or something about their personal story that sets them apart.

Experiencing Mitt through articles and videos really helped seal the deal for me. Below, I have listed some of what I would consider the best of the best articles and videos that helped me come to the decision to support Mitt actively. I’m sure I’m missing some great material, but there is a lot down below. I would encourage you to click through as much of this as you can, and if you have a favorite that wasn’t listed, please leave a link in the comments!

Key videos, speeches, appearances, and articles:
• Articles
o Romney to the Rescue (Newsmax) – Great overview of Mitt Romney
o National Review’s endorsement of Mitt Romney
o The House that Mitt Built (Private Equity International) – Behind the scenes view of how Mitt ran Bain Capital and his leadership style
o The Making of Mitt Romney (Boston Globe) – Reasonably balanced biography of each of the major phases of Mitt’s life starting from his youth through today
o Consultant in Chief (Wall Street Journal) – Interview of Mitt where he talks about how he would fix the Federal Government
o For Romney & Company, Campaign is all Business (NY Times) – How Mitt runs his campaign and what it would mean for his Presidency
o Evangelicals for Mitt statement of support
o Mark DeMoss on why Evangelicals should support Mitt
o Ann Romney Opens Up (People Magazine) – Great interview with Ann; she would be a fantastic First Lady!

• Speeches
o “Faith in America” – Seminal address on the role of religious faith and liberty in our nation
o Address to the Value Voters Summit – Seminal address on culture and value issues
o Iowa Straw Poll victory speech
o Highlights from the Republican debates (click 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th)
o Speech at CPAC 2007 – One of Mitt’s first major addresses to the leading grassroots gathering of Conservatives; one of his best speeches in my opinion
o Presidential Campaign Announcement – Mitt announcing that he’s running and why he’s running

• Campaign videos
o Biographical overview video of Mitt Romney (click part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII)
o “Path to Victory” webcast – Mitt and Meg Whitman (CEO of eBay) discussing the 2007 campaign and discussing the plan for 2008
o Retrospective of Governor Romney’s campaign in 2007
o Online “Ask Mitt Anything” – For those of us who don’t live in an early primary state, Mitt held an online town hall meeting which provides a really good overview of his key positions
o Christmas 2006 – Behind the scenes look at the Romney family and how they made the decision together that Mitt should run for President; cynics have criticized this video as contrived, but I love the fact that he has held his family together while achieving such exceptional success; you can’t fake this stuff

• Media appearances
o Mitt on Jim Cramer of CNBC’s Mad Money – Great interview by Jim Cramer where he calls Mitt the “Best businessman in America”
o Mitt on ABC News talking about Ann – Great interview of Mitt where he discusses what he loves so much about Ann
o Mitt on Meet the Press – Tim Russert throws everything he’s got plus the kitchen sink at Mitt who proceeds to address each point in a clear, classy, and compelling way

• My favorite TV spots
o “Searched” – Compelling true story of how Mitt Romney shut down Bain Capital and moved all the employees to NYC to search for and find the daughter of one of his partners
o “Choice: Judgment” – Striking contrast ad highlighting Mike Huckabee’s 1,033 pardons and clemencies (more than 2x his three predecessors) vs. zero from Mitt Romney
o “Choice: The Record” – Ad contrasting Mitt’s record on illegal immigration vs. Mike Huckabee’s record of supporting tax payer funded scholarships and in-state tuition for illegal immigrants
o “Not Politically Correct” – Mitt’s record supporting life, English immersion education, and traditional marriage
o “Experience Matters” – Ad highlighting the lack of real world, executive experience on the part of Hillary Clinton (and equally applicable to the other Democrats)
o “Ready for Action” – Summary of Governor Romney’s stump speech in 60 seconds; user-generated ad based on a contest that was run back in September
o “Our Home” – Some precious footage of Mitt playing with his children and grandchildren; focuses on the importance of strengthening our families
o “Leadership” and “Energy” – I just love the images of Mitt jogging through the backwoods and the focus on his track record in business; I think he’s the only politician I’ve seen jogging where it looked like he was actually in shape…not just a photo op
o “Ocean” – Ad lamenting the degradation of our culture and Mitt’s thoughts on how he would like to address it; as a parent this one really resonated with me
o “Tested, Proven” – One of his early ads highlighting his track record in Massachusetts
o “I Like Vetoes” – Ad highlights his track record of vetoing excessive spending; no doubt in my mind that he’ll control spending after seeing this ad and other times when he has addressed this topic

Finally, it is one thing to support Mitt with your vote, but I’d like to ask you to consider supporting Mitt in a more active way. Like many of you, I had always followed politics, but never became active in politics (other than voting) until this year in support of Governor Romney.

This year is different. First, this is arguably the most consequential election in over twenty years. The challenges and issues that will be faced by our next President will have far reaching ramifications for our children and grandchildren.

Additionally, we face a set of candidates on the Republican side who represent vastly different positions and perspectives, some of whom threaten to tear asunder the Reagan coalition that has served us so well. Whether it is the socially liberal and sanctuary city defending Rudy Giuliani, the divisive, theocratic, soft on crime and illegal immigration, and fiscally populist Mike Huckabee, or the McCain Feingold, “Gang of 14”, and pro-Amnesty John McCain, there are clear differences in the way that each of these individuals would take the Republican Party.

If you’ve found this persuasive, please do whatever you can to support Mitt Romney’s candidacy. If you’re from Iowa, please caucus for Mitt (get more information here). Winning Iowa is job one between now and January 3.

If you are not from Iowa, please stay informed by checking in here at Elect Romney in 2008 every day. Make a donation to help Mitt win the media air war. Put on a bumper sticker or put up a yard sign (get them here). And most importantly, talk with your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors about why you’re supporting Mitt Romney! Personal testimonials from trusted individuals are by far the most effective ways to gain more supporters for Mitt!

If you still have questions or remain unconvinced, leave a comment and we’ll do our best to answer your question. Or better yet, if you are also a Mitt supporter, leave a comment telling us why! Thank you for reading!

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It’s not everyday that you hear a politician talk about MORE faith in Government. That happened today when Governor Mitt Romney gave the speech of his life at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station Texas. As I’ve been thinking ever since hearing the speech this morning it comes right back to religious liberty and being a faithful people and country. Prior to his delivery of the speech those of us with Press Credentials were given an advance copy of it, and I knew from the moment I finished it that it was going to be an incredible day for the Governor. I don’t think he could have done even one ounce better than he did today.

This part is one that I think is absolutely awesome:

“These American values, this great moral heritage, is shared and lived in my religion as it is in yours. I was taught in my home to honor God and love my neighbor. I saw my father march with Martin Luther King. I saw my parents provide compassionate care to others, in personal ways to people nearby, and in just as consequential ways in leading national volunteer movements. I am moved by the Lord’s words: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me…‘

There were other awesome parts, but I’d be quoting the entire speech if I went into them more. I just really was moved by the one I just mentioned because it’s rare in politics that you hear scripture quoted like that. Also, I hold special fondness for the father Romney. Since his history is so warmly remembered in Michigan, it’s so awesome how he mentioned him marching with Martin Luther King.

I’ve already quoted Richard Land earlier, but his statement bears repeating, “America needed this more than Governor Romney”.

Others from Lou Sheldon, “Defining moment in American History”, “A speech that will be studied for time”.

I’m so glad that Governor Romney used his conviction to express the importance of religion in our life. It’s so refreshing to hear. Thank you Governor, we hear you loud and clear, and we thank you!

I’m very tired, this has been one heck of a whirlwind for me…I’ll add more later. Also, Victor took many awesome pictures today I’ll make sure to get them up as soon as I have them, he’s mailing them to me on a flash drive. Please be patient. Side Note: Vic, Kevin, Rebecca and I met up with Nancy French and Charles Mitchell from Evangelicals for Mitt, it was a very nice visit.

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We’re all set up here in the filing room, they just did a sweep of the Auditorium and the Filing Room. I spoke to David Brody and Jay Sekulow, I thanked Jay for his support of Governor Romney and all his efforts toward his cause. We’ve seen plenty of national media, and now we’re just waiting. Governor Romney is practicing his speech in the auditorium right now.

It was very nice meeting Kevin Anderson, and seeing Vic again. Rebecca got some pictures which we’ll post later of a protester with a Joseph lied website. But, besides that lone person we really haven’t seen anything else in terms of protesting.

I’ll add more to this post as the process goes along.

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Rebecca Thayne, Victor Lunquist, Kevin Anderson, and I are here on the ground in College Station Texas. We’ll be reporting on the Romney speech tomorrow morning. Please as Nate has said, come into the chat room here during the speech and give your opinions.

See ya tomorrow!

Ann Marie Curling

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