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Jeff Jacoby: Romney the cover candidate
Boston Globe ^ | June 5, 2005 | Jeff Jacoby

Posted on 06/05/2005 9:55:00 AM PDT by NutCrackerBoy

THE LAST presidential campaign ended just seven months ago. Does any sensible American -- a category that excludes political junkies and newspaper columnists -- want to read a long magazine article speculating on the next one?

The Weekly Standard and National Review, two of the nation's most influential conservative magazines, clearly think the answer is yes. Each is running a cover story on the presidential prospects of Governor Mitt Romney. Terry Eastland's 6,000-word piece in the current Weekly Standard is introduced by a humorous cover illustration of a smiling Romney surrounded by donkeys. ''Mitt Romney of Massachusetts," it says. ''Can a Republican governor of a Democratic state become America's first Mormon president?" Eastland's conclusion: Quite possibly. ''Romney would make an appealing candidate," he writes. ''He just might be 'the right guy at the right time.' "

(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: election; romney
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To: zbigreddogz

Because of the "Mormon Issue" Romney will never get his parties nomination in 2008. Just the sample of anti-Mormon sentiment shown in this thread should be enough to let any demographically minded analyst see that he cannot win the Southern (evangelical)primaries. Romney could be president but only after 8 years of Vice Presidency immunizes him from the anti-Mormon whisper campaign.
As for the role of religious bigotry in politics- I think too many people point to Lieberman's candidacy as a sign that minority religion does not hurt you any more. But ask yourselves, in the state of Florida in 2000 were there 200 Democrat voters who could not bring themselves to vote for a Jewish candidate? Considering how strong anti-Semitic though is in some African American and Arab American communities that otherwise would have supported Gore can we be sure that Lieberman did not cost Gore Florida? Some of those same evangelicals who decry the evils of Mormons also still refer to Catholics as "Papists" We live in a tolerant country where a Mormon can be governor of Michigan or Massachusetts, and a Jew can be governor of Utah, but that does not mean that close races are not still swayed by bigotry.


21 posted on 06/05/2005 12:40:28 PM PDT by azcap
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To: NutCrackerBoy
Does any sensible American -- a category that excludes political junkies and newspaper columnists -- want to read a long magazine article speculating on the next one?

The Weekly Standard and National Review, two of the nation's most influential conservative magazines, clearly think the answer is yes.

Interestingly, Jeff is answering his own question here. Who does he think reads TWS or NR?

22 posted on 06/05/2005 12:41:59 PM PDT by AmishDude (Join the AD fan club: "Very well stated, AD." -- Diana in Wisconsin; "LOL!!!" -- MikeinIraq)
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To: AmishDude

I do not know. I think he can knock off McCain in NH and Michign and clear the way for Allen and in return become VP. However I'm growing more worried as someone who agress with about 75% of the "christin right" that it 100% their way or the highway. Listen Bush is not going to overturn abortion by the time his term is up and I doubt if a republican wins in 08 it will be in his first term. But they going to be able to do alot on the bugdet, taxes, War on Terror, ect.


23 posted on 06/05/2005 2:06:27 PM PDT by Paul8148
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To: zbigreddogz
"King David had hundreds of wives and concubines, and had people he didn't like murdered, including a husband of a woman he wanted to sleep with."

You almost got it right. David had his way with Bathsheba, got her pregnant, tried to fool her husband, Uriah, but was unsuccessful. Since Plan A didn't work, he sent Uriah into the heat of battle and had this general retreat and leave Uriah fighting by himself. See: 2 Samuel 11:2-17:

"2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

"3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

"4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.

"5 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

"6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

"7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.

"8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.

"9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

"10 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?

"11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.

"12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.

"13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.

"14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

"15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.

"16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.

"17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also."

24 posted on 06/05/2005 2:15:03 PM PDT by Tom D. (Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. - Benj. Franklin)
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To: zbigreddogz
Which, in my book anyway, isn't RINOish as much as it is just smart.

Which just shows what a RINO you are. We already have plenty of politicians from Massachusetts who sold their souls to Satan over the abortion issue. Most of them are Democrats. And the Dems are more than welcome to the rest of them.

25 posted on 06/05/2005 3:14:18 PM PDT by madprof98
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To: Paul8148
Listen Bush is not going to overturn abortion by the time his term is up and I doubt if a republican wins in 08 it will be in his first term. But they going to be able to do alot on the bugdet, taxes, War on Terror, ect.

Well, good, you go vote for the RINOs then. As for me and my kind, we'll stay home, thank you.

26 posted on 06/05/2005 3:15:42 PM PDT by madprof98
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To: inquest; zbigreddogz; Little Bill
He's a gun grabber, for one thing. And his unnecessary use of the phrase "woman's right to choose" (normal people don't talk that way) shows not only that he doesn't want to fight that battle, but that he has completely accepted the abortion lobby's ideology that abortion is a "right".

Also, though he's nominally opposed to same-sex marriage, he's in favor of "civil unions", which for amounts to the same thing for all intents and purposes, and which in fact will just be a gateway to the exact same thing formally.

He went on national cable TV (the O'Reilly Factor) and said he was opposed to civil unions. But since the proposed Massachusetts Constitutional Amendment defines marriage as between a man and a woman, he hopes it will pass even though it creates civil unions.

Uttering the phrase "woman's right to choose" was his open sesame to the governorship. Hey, Roe v. Wade created just that. It is clearly an extra-Constitutional "right" created by judicial activism but adherence to the rule of law right now requires respecting it. You'd have to virtually be a revolutionary as things stand to deny it. President Mitt Romney would nominate conservative judges. Take that to the bank.

27 posted on 06/05/2005 3:18:42 PM PDT by NutCrackerBoy
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To: NutCrackerBoy
Mitt reminds me of his old man, Governor yes, President no. My family goes way back in LDS history, though I am not a Mormon, I wouldn't vote for him for pres, no spine.
28 posted on 06/05/2005 3:41:34 PM PDT by Little Bill (A 37%'r, a Red Spot on a Blue State)
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To: NutCrackerBoy
He went on national cable TV (the O'Reilly Factor) and said he was opposed to civil unions.

OK, I checked and you're right, his officially stated position is that he's opposed to "civil unions", but he's also said that he supports "some" same-sex "partner benefits". It all looks like semantic dancing to me.

Uttering the phrase "woman's right to choose" was his open sesame to the governorship.

I don't buy it. Even normal voters who are for abortion don't go around talking like that. That is purely a buzzphrase used by Planned Parenthood and organizations of their ilk (and the politicians who do their bidding). If he had simply said that he wouldn't attempt to restrict abortion for women, no one would have known the difference. Every time an alleged conservative uses that phrase, he scores a big propaganda victory for the abortion industry.

29 posted on 06/05/2005 6:53:54 PM PDT by inquest (FTAA delenda est)
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To: inquest; Little Bill
He's also said that he supports "some" same-sex "partner benefits". It all looks like semantic dancing to me.

I feel strongly that it isn't "dancing." Civil unions would be defined as having exactly the same status, legal obligations, and benefits as marriage. Legally, the two "institutions" will have no independent existence - the people will not be able to change one without changing the other. That's profound, and a profoundly bad idea.

The most important thing about domestic partnerships, whatever they may be, is that they won't be that.

DPs would make it easier to name a partner as next-of-kin, things like that. They would provide a framework for some benefits, but not defined to be the same as marriage benefits.

In my opinion, legal partnerships like that would be fine and I don't see why such a thing must encode a sexual relationship at all; it could be two spinster sisters, but unfortunately, that's not what's blowin' in the political wind. President Bush has spoken favorably about same-sex DPs (at variance with the party platform.)

Uttering the phrase "woman's right to choose" was his open sesame to the governorship. -NutCrackerBoy

I don't buy it. Even normal voters who are for abortion don't go around talking like that. That is purely a buzzphrase used by Planned Parenthood and organizations of their ilk.

I agree with you that "a woman's right to choose" is an activist's phrase. Clearly, Romney was genuflecting to a political interest. I assure you, liberal voters in Massachusetts (who sometimes vote for Republican governors, or at least don't try very hard to defeat them) may not talk that way, but they do not hear it as weird coming from a politician. In essence, it was a dodge. It worked. He won't pay a significant price for it, in my opinion, in his standing with liberals OR conservatives.

30 posted on 06/05/2005 7:57:53 PM PDT by NutCrackerBoy
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To: madprof98
Which just shows what a RINO you are I'm crushed. My God, I don't fit your definition of a Conservative! Whatever will I do? By getting elected, and fighting for the issue on the margins, he's done more to protect life then anybody else could have. There is a time to take a stand, no doubt, but saying in your run for Governor of Massachussets that you wanna overturn R v. W isn't just dumb, it's suicide.
31 posted on 06/05/2005 10:35:55 PM PDT by zbigreddogz
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To: NutCrackerBoy
He went on national cable TV (the O'Reilly Factor) and said he was opposed to civil unions. But since the proposed Massachusetts Constitutional Amendment defines marriage as between a man and a woman, he hopes it will pass even though it creates civil unions.

Uttering the phrase "woman's right to choose" was his open sesame to the governorship. Hey, Roe v. Wade created just that. It is clearly an extra-Constitutional "right" created by judicial activism but adherence to the rule of law right now requires respecting it. You'd have to virtually be a revolutionary as things stand to deny it. President Mitt Romney would nominate conservative judges. Take that to the bank.

:thumbs up:

Thanks, said it better then I could.

32 posted on 06/05/2005 10:37:51 PM PDT by zbigreddogz
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To: zbigreddogz; madprof98; Cicero; NutCrackerBoy; inquest
The legacy of his father, former Michigan Governor George Romney.

How would that be considered an asset?

(Perplexed Smiley.)

33 posted on 06/06/2005 9:18:19 AM PDT by Do not dub me shapka broham ("What in the world happened to Gerard's tag-line?")
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To: Do not dub me shapka broham

It would have been better if it had been this George Romney.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1840146710/ref=sib_dp_pt/104-0065608-8373517#reader-link

The late governor didn't leave much of a legacy, if an 18th century British painter tops him when you do a Google search.


34 posted on 06/06/2005 9:40:34 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: Cicero
Google has its priorities.

:7)

Seriously, I can't imagine his surname being a bonus in the upcoming Republican presidential primary sweepstakes.

For the older voters that do remember his father, it's more than likely that they recall his bizarre, flailing attempt to dethrone Richard Nixon as the presumptive GOP nominee-including his odd explanation for changing his position on American involvement in Vietnam-not any accomplishments he may have achieved during his tenure as governor of Michigan.

35 posted on 06/06/2005 9:46:04 AM PDT by Do not dub me shapka broham ("What in the world happened to Gerard's tag-line?")
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To: NutCrackerBoy
Civil unions would be defined as having exactly the same status, legal obligations, and benefits as marriage.

Then why would Romney be in favor of an amendment that prohibits same-sex "marriage", but mandates same-sex "civil unions", if they're the exact same thing? Without the amendment, there's a chance that the SCJ might someday be induced to overturn its ruling (especially if the head Republican in the state would help things along - hint, hint). But once the amendment is passed, same-sex marriage (under the name of civil unions) would be formally set in the state constitution, unalterable by judges. That's progress?

Legally, the two "institutions" will have no independent existence - the people will not be able to change one without changing the other. That's profound, and a profoundly bad idea. The most important thing about domestic partnerships, whatever they may be, is that they won't be that.

They may not "be that", but they'll pave the way for it nonetheless. It's an inherently unsustainable situation. Once a person accepts the validity of it, then there will be little grounds for him to argue against the full transition to same-sex marriage. Ten years ago, who would have thought we'd even be at this point today?

I agree with you that "a woman's right to choose" is an activist's phrase. Clearly, Romney was genuflecting to a political interest. I assure you, liberal voters in Massachusetts (who sometimes vote for Republican governors, or at least don't try very hard to defeat them) may not talk that way, but they do not hear it as weird coming from a politician.

Whether they would hear it as weird is not the issue. The point is, he didn't have to say it that way in order to get elected. Make no mistake, he needlessly advanced the abortion industry's cause just by saying it.

36 posted on 06/06/2005 9:52:58 AM PDT by inquest (FTAA delenda est)
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To: NutCrackerBoy
THE LAST presidential campaign ended just seven months ago. Does any sensible American -- a category that excludes political junkies and newspaper columnists -- want to read a long magazine article speculating on the next one?

Yesterday I was checking tvguideonline for movies but saw CSPAN had a new "Road to the WH" listed so I clicked to see what that was about and it listed Romney and HRC.

BTW, I proposed Romney as candidate a couple weeks ago before the current hoopla. I'm psychic! LOL

37 posted on 06/06/2005 10:04:12 AM PDT by cyncooper
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To: Do not dub me shapka broham
At least George wasn't as RINO as the "I only a Republican since I'm from Traverse County" Milliken.

Milliken was worse than Granholm.

38 posted on 06/06/2005 10:07:10 AM PDT by Dan from Michigan (June 14 - Defeat DeWine - Vote Tom Brinkman for Congress (OH-2) - http://www.gobrinkman.com)
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To: NutCrackerBoy

No gun grabbers. (Romney, Rudy, Pataki, McCain)


39 posted on 06/06/2005 10:07:58 AM PDT by Dan from Michigan (June 14 - Defeat DeWine - Vote Tom Brinkman for Congress (OH-2) - http://www.gobrinkman.com)
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To: Little Bill
I voted for Mitt, probably will again, but he is not confrontationalist enough

I find him very willing to be confrontational. But he does it in a charming and very funny way.

40 posted on 06/06/2005 10:10:46 AM PDT by cyncooper
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