First, a confession: I worked for the local Huckabee campaign back in 2007/08, and I hoped he would run this year.
No such luck.
So instead we have the two current candidates to deal with.
As a Catholic, that I can 't and won't vote for Obama is a given.
But what about Romney?
Having scrutinized him back in 2008, I dreaded the thought that he might be the nominee this year.
He says the right things on social issues that concern me, true. But in the past he has said - and done - the wrong things on those issues when it was politically expedient to do so. Sort of like Al Gore, when he was a Senator from a conservative state, being pro-life, and suddenly becoming pro-choice when he decided to run for national office.
Now Romney says he has had a conversion on these issues. Maybe. But doubts remain.
He had a chance to address those doubts last week during the Chick-fil-A controversy. It was an issue of free speech, but with a social issue subtext.
Romney could have made a statement. He could have shown up at a Chick-fil-A and ordered some food. He could have made contact with social conservatives and regular people. He could have countered his elitist image.
He chose not to.
When asked, he told reporters "Those things are not part of my campaign."
True, but reassuring voters is.
Now maybe it's just that he has poor political sense. Or maybe he 's too slow on his feet to realize a political opportunity. Or maybe the issues involved in the controversy are not ones he really cares about. Or maybe he was too afraid of the potential backlash.
Whatever the case, he missed an opportunity. And he did noting to convince me and others that his conversion on social issues is real.
Pax et bonum
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2 comments:
Another issue with Romney. One of his campaign planks is "allowing health insurance to be sold across state lines." This sounds good, although it is really the federal government denying states the right to regulate insurance sold within their boundries. But the other concern is that several states (and a growing number) have made it illegal for health insurance policies sold in their state to include abortion. These laws fought for by pro-lifers would be nullified by the Romney plan.
If Romney had to choose between pro-life or pro-business policies, does anything think the pro-life side would win?
Money wins. That's my experience with most Republicans. (I was one for just one year - to work with the Huckabee campaign back in 2008. As soon as he lost the nomination, I switched to the Right to Life Party.)
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