Romney: The cover-the-road politician

Mitt Romney has enthusiastic support from the people of Massachusetts in his race for governor of the Bay State, but has he turned his back on the values and beliefs of his church for political gain?

Some have called him a moderate, or middle-of-the road politician. In reality Romney has practiced a "cover-the-road method of winning support from everyone by giving answers that please many on both sides of the issues.

Romney's had a choice of returning to Massachusetts to pursue elected office there, or to take advantage of his presence in Utah. He is a member of the predominant Utah faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he is at the peak of his public acclaim as the savior of the 2002 Olympic Games, one mired in scandal and disgrace. It would at first glance seem to be an ideal time to pursue a political career in Utah.

The actual choice was made over three years ago when he accepted the challenge to save the Olympic Games. Some of his closest supporters at that time made it clear he would return to Massachusetts and would never run for office in Utah. Even one of his detractors made the same claim at that time, and now it is obvious that they all knew what they were talking about.

Romney knew then that he could never win a campaign for any office in Utah, where 73 percent of the people are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and have very strong family values. There is no compromise on issues such as abortion and homosexuality for the vast majority of voters, which is the reason Romney knew he could never win an election in Utah.

Utahns believe that abortion on demand is always wrong, and that abortion is only to be considered if the life of the mother is at stake. Even then many would choose sacrifice if it would save the life of the child. Homosexuality is considered to be a sin, and the LDS people of Utah believe they should love the sinner and hate the sin.

Romney is a member of the very small minority in his church who oppose these teachings. He takes a different stand both issues, and he knows he would fight a constant battle explaining his politically motivated positions if he stayed in Utah. He does not want moral values to the be focus of any campaign.

Romney is a master politician and public relations expert. He was asked to speak to a luncheon gathering of LDS public relations people who were preparing more than a year in advance of the Olympic Games for handling the anticipated requests for information they expected would come from the media of the world. Romney spoke about his public relations manipulations during his 1994 U.S. Senate campaign against Sen. Ted Kennedy. Romney was candid about the methods he and his staff used to shape the views and thinking of the people, but he was defeated by the master manipulator, Kennedy. When he finished his presentation he excused himself from lunch and departed. The next speaker was Elder Henry B. Eyring of the LDS Church Twelve Apostles.

Eyring made it clear, in a very nice way, that the methods described by Romney were not the methods to be used by the LDS Church Olympic volunteers gathered in the room. He wanted to be sure those present were not thinking that Romney was delivering a message on how the Church should manipulate the media of the world. Indeed, those volunteers, and many hundreds more, ultimately served the needs of 1,333 members of the world media who came to the News Resource Center of the Church during the 2002 Winter Olympics, and they did so without using the tricks described by Romney to manipulate the press and the public.

Members of the media were simply given the information and materials they asked for so they could file their stories. There was no effort to manipulate those stories by the public affairs volunteers.

Romney has been carefully trying to dance around the many statements he has made regarding the issues of abortion and homosexual leaders of the Boy Scouts of America. His comments have often changed based on the audience of the moment.

What he cannot escape are the responses he made on those issues at an October 25, 1994 candidate debate between himself and Kennedy. He was clear and to the point. His answers were surprising considering that he has been a prominent leader within the LDS Church in Massachusetts, and that he has been on the Board of Directors of the Boy Scouts of America.

Romney said that he is in favor of homosexual leaders for the Boy Scouts, and he believes every woman should have a right to chose whether or not to have an abortion.

During the debate, Sally Jacobs of the Boston Globe asked: "Mr. Romney, you personally oppose abortion and as a church leader have advised women not to have an abortion. Given that, how could you in good conscience support a law that enables women to have an abortion, and even lets the government pay for it? If abortion is morally wrong, aren't you responsible for discouraging it?

Romney tried to please both sides with his answer, stating that he has strong personal beliefs, but adding that he doesn't want to impose his beliefs on others, so he is pro-choice but doesn't use those words to describe his stand.

"One of the great things about our nation, Sally, is that we,re each entitled to have strong, personal beliefs. And we encourage other people to do the same. But as a nation we recognize the right of all people to believe as they want and not to impose our beliefs on other people. I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time when my Mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a U.S. Senate candidate. I believe that since Row v. Wade has been the law for 20 years that we should sustain and support it, and I sustain and support that law and the right of a woman to make that choice. And my personal beliefs, like the personal beliefs of other people, should not be brought into a political campaign, said Romney.

During the same debate he was also asked a very direct question about whether he supports having homosexual leaders for the Boy Scouts. Romney,s church sponsors more Boy Scout units than any other sponsoring group in the nation, and his church leaders have stated that they will drop their sponsorship if the Boy Scouts accept homosexuals as leaders.

Tovia Smith of Boston University radio station WBUR asked: "Mr. Romney, you say you,re a moderate on social issues. One who will defend abortion rights, equal rights for women, for blacks, and for gays. In fact you say you will do more to promote gay rights than Senator Kennedy. You also sit on the national executive board of the Boy Scouts of America, which has an exclusionary policy banning gay members. Do you support that policy, and if not have you ever done anything as a board member to oppose it?

Again, Romney tried to answer in a way that would please the vast majority of listeners. He didn't take the middle of the road, but instead tried to cover the entire road by the very nature of his response.

"I have let my views be known, said Romney. "I have been to one board meeting now of the Boy Scouts of America board (as of 1994). I believe that the Boy Scouts of America does a wonderful service for this country. I support the right of the Boy Scouts of America to decide what it wants to do on that issue. I feel that all people should be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual orientation.

It was that last statement that would come back to haunt him time and time again. Romney believes that "all people should be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual orientation.

That is a view which is in direct opposition to his church and to the BSA national policy. Romney showed his colors during the Olympics when he made it clear that the Boy Scouts would not be a part of the Olympics as they had traditionally been throughout modern Olympic history. There would be no Scouts in uniform for the public or press to see. Romney wanted no complaints from the homosexual community or the world press.

Every past Olympics, regardless of host country, the local Scouts participated in some way -- in uniform. In fact, some of the past Olympics even used Scouts in uniform to present the awards to the Olympians.

However, Romney had no problem with including homosexuals as part of the Olympic Games. In fact, he went out of his way to include them in a way that would gain him significant support from that constituency. Remember, Romney knew three years ago that he would return to Massachusetts after the Olympics. He knew that the majority of Massachusetts voters oppose the BSA ban on homosexual leaders, are mostly pro-choice, and support gay rights issues.

Romney was very careful to eliminate the Boy Scouts from view. He appeased them by permitting Scouts to perform litter clean up of Olympic sites before the Games began, and to help with putting up and taking down of security fences. All out of view of the public and the media. He also very cleverly made sure the homosexual activist community were invited to participate in the Olympics in a meaningful way that they would brag about.

The homosexual website Gay.com from the United Kingdom did that very thing on January 30, just before the games began. An article read by homosexuals all over the world proclaimed: "Winter Olympics First To Welcome Gays.

"The Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, next month will be the first to open its arms to the gay community. Organisers (sic) of the 2002 Winter Olympics have actively gone out to get the gay community involved. The Salt Lake Olympic Organising (sic) Committee (SLOC) invited two members of the community, Michael Marriott and Laura Milliken Gray to the group's Volunteer Work Group, to get gays involved., the article reported.

The story went on to quote homosexual Olympic volunteers about what a very positive experience they were having, and the involvement of the homosexual community.

"Gay men and lesbians are volunteering their time at the games, opening their homes for the families and partners of Olympic athletes, and are serving on a SLOC committee. Our community has arrived and has taken its place at the table, Marriott told the website reporter.

Romney,s campaign in Massachusetts was carefully planned and orchestrated from the beginning of his work in Utah three years ago. Romney knew exactly what he was doing, and his entire campaign will be a masterful political triumph.

Everything needed for victory is in place. Support from key constituent groups who have tremendous ability and power to get their people out to vote, along with vital financial donors are all lined up and ready to go -- with enthusiasm.

No promises were made during the Olympics by anyone. Romney is far too cleaver for that. He knows that if he makes friends those friends can then be called on when the time comes. And now the time has come. Calls and personal visits are being made to insure those friends are now his political supporters.

It is likely that the majority of Christians of all denominations, including the LDS faith, will vote for Romney at the polls. It is likely conservatives will embrace him. Everyone loves a winner, and many will put their arms around him as he continues to manipulate with his Clinton-like "cover-the-road politics. He has charmed and will continue to charm the voters of the state.

More importantly, Romney has won over the press. They are always ready to pounce if he slips and falls, but unless that happens he will most certainly be the next Governor of the Commonwealth.

David Besnahan, the author you quote from this 2002 article more recently has said: (http://209.157.64.201/focus/f-news/1628404/posts):

"I have known Mitt Romney personally. We do not always agree on every issue, but I can honestly say that he is a very good, moral, honest man who is also the best qualified candidate I have seen for president. He has a track record as governor that should be used to evaluate his potential as president, and his Mormon beliefs and values have made him a better governor. The same will be true if he becomes president. "

In the link he argues that Romney's faithful devotion to his beliefs would be a benefit and not a detriment to his candidacy and presidency.

It doesn't look like Romney will be a "Freepers Favorite", (some can't even seem to get past that fact that he lives in Massachusetts and have written him off for that reason. Good thing Christ wasn't born in Massachusetts).

This article from Brenashan (the one AFAMichigan pasted in as his post) was written OVER FOUR YEARS AGO! As you see above the same author has tempered his views dramatically since then and now counts himself in support of Romney. Looks like a lot of people are misjudging Romney initially, but coming around once they inform themselves more fully.

And then there are some who think everything David Bresnahan said the first time around is true.

What difference does it make that his initial article was written "FOUR YEARS AGO"? If anything, that makes it a more reliable source of what Romney was doing FOUR YEARS AGO.

I think Mitt is a republican Bill Clinton. Says whats politically necessary at the time.
Liberal when necessary and now it seems like he's swinging to the conservative side of issues.

Uh, no thanks. Mitt, McCain and Rudy are last on my list of candidates I will vote for.

AFAMichigan is Gary Glenn.

For his history of Romney-Bashing (much of it purposefully misleading and dishonest IMO) read this blog: http://www.ridenbaugh.com/index.php/2006/06/18/ggmichigan-romney-of-ma-and-idaho/

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