With Reagan, it was all about the historical context and content. Its about reaching a principled decision and sticking to your principles. Its not about changing your mind when it suits your fancy, or the changing political winds. The situation with Romney and his fluid position on the abortion issue is not the same set of circumstances and factors that highlighted the Reagan case.
Reagan clearly did not favor abortion on demand, personally or as a matter of public policy. He reluctantly signed a bill that relaxed an outright ban to allow for the exceptions of rape, incest, and to save the life or health of the mother, and he was correctly troubled by the "health" exception. He almost immediately labeled signing that bill a mistake.
As Fred Barnes wrote just after Reagan's death:
"Within a year after signing the abortion bill, Mr. Reagan told political writer Lou Cannon that he'd never have done so if he'd been more experienced in office. It was 'the only time as governor or president that Reagan acknowledged a mistake on major legislation,' Mr. Cannon writes in his new book, 'Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power.'"
Reagan was a great man an a great President.
I thinlk Romney is more conservative than people realize. He gets a bad rap on Free Republic largely, I believe, because he's the Governor of Massachusetts. People wrongly see him as a RINO.
He has fought an overwhelming Democratic Legislation and has been one of the few Governors out infront of the gay marriage ban, stem cell research, liberal activist judges and other social issue near and dear to conservatives. He has also been a strong supporter of GWB.
If he is guilty of anything - he may have moderated his positions to get elected in MA. He is conservative and when people see/hear him I think they will be impressed.