The Case For Romney

As I have noted in many a post, I am leaning heavily for the candidacy of former Massachussets Governor, Mitt Romney to be the Republican nominee for the presidency in 2008. After reading Hugh Hewitt's http://hughhewitt.com "A Morman In The White House? 10 Things Everyone Should Know About Mitt Romney" I am more convinced that Gov. Romney would make a great nominee and President of the United States.
Yes, we should get out of the way all the Mormon stuff now. I am a traditional Christian. I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and savior and I have a personal, but certainly not perfect, relationship with Jesus. I have been baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and accept the Nicene and Apostle's Creed as the sufficient statements of the faith. I believe that Gov. Romney does all of that, but clearly there are very strong differences between traditional Christians and Mormons that can not and will not be resolved. Yes, there is the silly undergarment question. For Mormons, it is seen as a spiritual garment. Then there is that baptizing the dead. I think one should actually be alive for that and I think that Mormons mean well, but I do not believe in it. Also don't believe in the Holy Trinity as three different, distinct people. But, we traditional Christians believe in the Trinity as three in one. Maybe the Mormons make that easier. Don't believe we are individual Gods that may or could populate other planets. But, here is the thing. We are not going to nominate or elect the theologian in chief. We are electing a president who would be the commander-in-chief. How he or she prays or believes in God is not as important to me as the face he or she is a person of faith, period.
Now that the Mormon stuff is out of the way, I suggest one look at the record of Gov. Romney.
On social issues, clearly he had to thread the needle. To win in Massachusetts, one can not run for office as one would run in say the south or Midwest. Emphasising social issues is without a doubt a no-starter in Massachusetts. Yet, he blocked many pieces of legislation that the overwhelmingly Democrat legislature sent to his desk by veto. Some of those dealt with making abortion even easier. All were vetoed and some passed, some didn't. When the Massachusetts high court redefined traditional marriage, he did all he could to reverse it. It is a very hard process to take a vote to the people, unlike California where we get a few hundred thousand verifiable signatures and poof, it is on the ballot.
As for the budget, Gov. Romney did not raise taxes, cut government and balanced all his budgets in four years. Keep in mind, the legislature in Massachusetts had a total in both houses of 29 Republicans against a total of 176 Democrats. You do the math and see how good any Republican could do. When you compare his record over his three Republican predecessors overall, he was the most conservative of the last four Republican governors to occupy the Governor's Mansion in Boston.
A big plus is that he has private sector experience at Bain & Company, an investment firm that later became Bain Capital. They are serious investment firms that made or broke companies. He became a very wealthy man. Also, provided many jobs throughout the country and the world. Real world experience does beat a lifetime of government service that many of the candidates in both parties bring to the table.
Lastly, he rescued the scandal-plagued Salt Lake City Winter Olympics 2002. When he took over in 1999, he dove in, made some serious decisions that turned the nearly bankrupt Olympics and it was a rousing success in the short months after the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
That is the resume. What does he say about the most pressing issue of the day, the War Against Terror?
Well, for one thing he is not politically correct. He calls our enemy Jihaddists. That is what they are, holy warriors. He wants to increase the size of the military by 100,000. He, like President Bush, wants to take the war to the enemy. He wants to win in Iraq and supports the Bush policy of the surge. He wants to be more aggressive in dealing with Iran. Not go to war, but definitely different than the way the Bush administration is dealing, or not, with the mullahs in Tehran.
I think he will move up in the polls and has a very good shot at the GOP nod. Republicans are now beginning to look at him seriously and poll numbers, although a bit early and irrelevant, are looking up.
I think this is someone from Massachusetts the United States can trust. I am leaning more in the Romney direction. I think the United States will too.