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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: NutCrackerBoy

I believe Jeb and Mitt are the two most qualified Republicans in the country to be president. Jeb aint gonna happen... Mitt will earn a 2nd in the NH primary to Holllywood John and that will help. I believe him to be as conservative as W and I like his Chief Executive experience. Ill pass on the stale Senator Allen, thanks.

Romney - Rice '08


41 posted on 06/06/2005 10:19:43 AM PDT by d3maine
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To: NutCrackerBoy

MA is lucky to have Mitt Romney as governor. As for National Review and The Weekly Standard, they're working through the likely candidate list, and George Allen tops Mitt.


42 posted on 06/06/2005 10:24:18 AM PDT by hershey
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To: Tom D.

I agree. Being from MA is a huge handicap for Romney.


43 posted on 06/06/2005 10:25:32 AM PDT by hershey
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To: madprof98
Well, good, you go vote for the RINOs then. As for me and my kind, we'll stay home, thank you.

Hope you enjpy 8 years of President Hillary, then......

44 posted on 06/06/2005 10:27:37 AM PDT by Modernman ("Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made." -Bismarck)
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To: inquest
Well said on all points, inquest. I admit to being frustrated by Mitt's moderation. After all, my own position is with the Article 8 Alliance to recall the SJC 4. But Chief Justice Margaret Marshall, and the blueness of Eastern Massachusetts, not Governor Mitt Romney, caused the problem.

Despite some frustration, I have a positive opinion of conservative governors and officials that refuse to take that fateful step into outright defiance of judiciary excess. For example: Bill Pryor on Moore's rock, Jeb Bush on the Schiavo case, Mitt on marriage. These are stalwarts who live to fight another day, not go down in flames like Alan Keyes; who I also admire, by the way.

45 posted on 06/06/2005 10:45:51 AM PDT by NutCrackerBoy
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To: Modernman
Hope you enjpy 8 years of President Hillary, then......

The choices are not the Rock vs. the Hard Place, despite what the Rudy/Romney/Condi supporters--and the McCAINiacs--keep telling us. The GOP has enjoyed great success by putting forward social conservatives, and whenever it has failed to do that--as in the case of Arlen Specter--it has suffered. Romney's real problem is not that he's a Mormon. It's that he's a BAD Mormon. Social conservatives would be far more likely to support a Mormon who was true to the family-friendly principles of that faith than they would be to vote for a guy who is just a typical Massachusetts politician with a slight bent toward thriftiness.

46 posted on 06/06/2005 12:51:42 PM PDT by madprof98
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To: Modernman
Hope you enjpy 8 years of President Hillary, then......

I'll take her over a RINO. She'll face much more opposition for policies that anyone with an R after his name could get away with much more easily. And especially if she gets elected without a majority (and with a majority voting for conservative candidates), she'll be completely without a mandate.

47 posted on 06/06/2005 1:05:00 PM PDT by inquest (FTAA delenda est)
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To: NutCrackerBoy
Despite some frustration, I have a positive opinion of conservative governors and officials that refuse to take that fateful step into outright defiance of judiciary excess. For example: Bill Pryor on Moore's rock, Jeb Bush on the Schiavo case, Mitt on marriage.

Personally, I think Romney could have afforded to take that fateful step in this particular case, but that's not what really bugs me about him. The problem is that he was nowhere near confrontational enough with them. In addition to totally pulling same-sex marriage out of nowhere, the court also usurped the Governor's authority, because the Massachusetts constitution explicitly makes him, not the SJC, the ultimate recourse over all causes of marriage. Even if he didn't defy them, he could have kept hammering that point over and over again. And as you noted in your first paragraph, he could have got behind the effort to recall them. I agree that something like Article 8 should only be used in extraordinary circumstances, but this is about as extraordinary as it gets.

48 posted on 06/06/2005 1:13:54 PM PDT by inquest (FTAA delenda est)
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To: madprof98
It's that he's a BAD Mormon. Social conservatives would be far more likely to support a Mormon who was true to the family-friendly principles of that faith than they would be to vote for a guy who is just a typical Massachusetts politician with a slight bent toward thriftiness.

I'm LDS and Mitt Romney lost my support permanently when he came out on the side of allowing homosexual scoutmasters in the Boy Scouts.

With that baggage he would have a hard time carrying the state of Utah in a national election. I personally don't know any regular LDS church-attending Utah voter who would support him, at least among those that know of his stances on gay scoutmasters and abortion.

I don't know where his brain was on the day he came to these touchy-feely goofy decisions, and I don't much care. He should never hold an important executive position in any kind of public service as far as I'm concerned.

49 posted on 06/06/2005 1:28:36 PM PDT by JCEccles
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To: JRochelle

"I would not vote for Romney simply because he is a morman. "

If you're going to crap on a religion at least spell it correctly, and yes, you are bigoted.

In case you hadn't noticed, it is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, not the Church of Joseph Smith.

Furthermore, should Romney be the GOP candidate in 2008, there are plenty of the religious right who would vote for him if Hillary was his opposition. Regardless of his religion, he is conservative, pro-life, pro-family and you won't be seeing any DUI charges or claims of draft-dodging at the last minute.

Vote for the candidate, not his religion.


50 posted on 06/08/2005 12:09:21 AM PDT by Mom of 2 Marines (Sometimes the truth hurts...)
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To: zbigreddogz
If Romney were a black female, the affirmative action wing of freeperdome would be beating down the door to vote for him, EVEN if he ran much further to the left on abortion and guns than he is now.

I still find it amazing we're supposed to attack Romney on every thread for being a closet pro-lifer and trying to extend an olive branch to the pro-life crowd, but sweep Condi's openly pro-abortion position under the rug on every one of her threads. It's like how the "gay rights" crowd in Massacuttes spews the most vile hatred against Romney but some freepers insist he's a puppet who does their bidding.

FYI, Romney is the MOST conservative governor Massacuttes has had in decades (even though the previous THREE Governors of Mass. were "Republican") and it's amazing he got elected in that commie state. He's certainly better than Ahnuld who got elected in "more conservative" California (do see Ahnuld claiming to be personally pro-life, publically working to block "gay marrage" in San Francisco, or fighting with envirowackos?) I won't vote for Romney in the primary because they are better candidates, but I have problem voting for him in the general election against a socialist Dim. And I say this as someone who personally dislikes and distrusts Mormonism.

51 posted on 06/08/2005 12:20:23 AM PDT by BillyBoy (Find out the TRUTH about the Chicago Democrat Machine's "Best Friend" in the GOP - www.NOLaHood.com)
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To: inquest
>> The point is, he didn't have to say it that way in order to get elected. <<

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm sure a lot of people who refuse to support a "A woman's right to choose" get elected statewide in Mass. Like...ummm...eh...ah... nevermind.

Hell, Ashcroft had to grit his teeth and say Roe v. Wade was a "settled law of the land" just to get enough votes for confirmation in the U.S. Senate.

52 posted on 06/08/2005 12:24:19 AM PDT by BillyBoy (Find out the TRUTH about the Chicago Democrat Machine's "Best Friend" in the GOP - www.NOLaHood.com)
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To: BillyBoy
See#29.
53 posted on 06/08/2005 7:08:56 AM PDT by inquest (FTAA delenda est)
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