As you can all probably tell, I have been following this campaign season very closely. Ever since Romney joined the race, and I learned that he was in fact a practicing Mormon, I have been firmly in his camp of support (to the point where I actually contributed to his campaign- a first for me or Laura). At first, it was largely due to identity politics, which has played a major role in this election season- but after I studied out his politics more, I liked what I saw. Now that he is the front-runner for the Vice Presidential pick from McCain, I would like to comment on what I think of him, his policies, and what he as VP would do for McCain and the country.
I don't think anyone can doubt that Romney is a good man. 5 sons, all served missions, all are married in the temple, and a lovely, accomplished wife. He was extremely successful in the private sector, bringing hundreds of thousands of jobs on the whole to the economy, and saving very key business from the brink of collapse (most notably Dominos Pizza and Staples). He governed successfully in Massachusetts, and was elected as a Republican in arguably the most liberal state in the Union.
Now, for those of you that are now rolling their eyes at that last statement - I am aware of his conversion on life issues, namely abortion. In everything that I can find, in Mass and while campaigning for the governorship, he was essentially pro-choice in the sense that even though he was personally against abortion, as one would expect from a practicing Mormon, he promised to not overturn the law of the land as it stood (and still stands). Without this caveat, he would never have been elected anywhere with a liberal-leaning crowd. Does this make him a bad person in my estimation? No. And I believe that his "conversion" to be staunchly in the pro-life camp to be real and complete. Any politician who can say, point blank to a camera in a televised debate, that "he was wrong" and admit his mistake on a key issue has my respect, because the tendency for anyone else in politics is to either justify or dodge (as in Obama saying that his statement about gun-toting God nuts in the backwoods of Booneyville was "inartful").
In every other issue, I believe Romney supports my current worldview on life. I am strongly opposed to gay marriage, but like Romney I do not want gay couples and gay people to be subject to abusive or otherwise unfair treatment. I am for pro-growth, pro-industry tax cuts, and generally in favor of the free market and its marvelous ability to provide for peoples needs. I support an honorable solution to the war in Iraq. I believe that although it was mishandled from the outset, it was the right thing to do to go in, and the right thing to stay there now. In these and many other ways, Romney closely aligns with my worldview.
Now, as to him being the Vice Presidential pick. I would absolutely love it, and would not hesitate to vote for McCain if that were the case. But I do have one reservation, and it's unfortunate that I have to say it- Romney is a Mormon. Right, you say, so are you- why wouldn't you want a Mormon in the #2 spot in the country? It's because I still think, and quite frankly know, that religious bigotry against Mormons is still strong and accepted in many parts of the country, specifically the Bible Belt. I don't think McCain can carry the South with Romney on the ticket, as much as it pains me to say so. Just reading comment boards on pro-Romney articles is almost astounding- while many are supportive (and I have read articles saying that Romney on the ticket puts Nevada and Michigan into play, which are usually strongly Democrat), there are enough that are so virulently anti-Mormon and anti Romney as to accuse this of being a ploy by the "evil Mormon church" to take over the country. Is it absurd? Of course. Bigoted? Absolutely. But it's a reality.
Like my Dad, I have a serious issue with supporting a party that harbors and caters to such moronic, bigoted, nasty individuals. But I cannot in good faith support the other party, which though they have a more open world view to people that do not believe or look or act like they do, goes against almost every core belief I have. One day, I hope that the highest office in the country will be available to someone that believes the way I do. But until then, I will support who I can that not only shares most if not all of my values and worldviews, but also my dream to see a Mormon accomplish the greatest feat in politics.
3 comments:
so is McCain seriously considering Romney for VP? I have heard rumblings of such....
The sad thing about all of this is that it's not only Republicans that are so anti-Mormon but the Democrats are strong within the ranks, too. It's sad to think that in American politics you can bash on a man's religion (unless you're Jewish) but better not even think about judging him by the color of his skin (unless you're an old, white man, then it's ok).
As far as I have heard and read, Romney is top on McCain's list. On paper it makes sense. But the South is a Republican stronghold, and I really think that Romney would lose it because of his religion. Democrats I think are far more accepting, though of course there still exists some amount of anti-Mormon bigotry- I mean, Harry Reid is their Senate Majority Leader! And though the man is a loon policy wise, he is a good, active Mormon from what I hear.
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