McCain accuses Romney of flip-flopping
Romney leads in Iowa according to a Des Moines Register poll:
Romney was backed by 30 percent, ahead of Arizona Sen. John McCain with 18 percent and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani with 17 percent, according to the poll in the Des Moines Sunday Register.
But John McCain brings up an interesting point in a crass way:
Republican John McCain accused presidential rival Mitt Romney of flip-flopping on immigration Monday and said with sarcasm: “Maybe his solution will be to get out his small varmint gun and drive those Guatemalans off his lawn.”
First, nobody will accuse McCain of flip-flopping because he’s just consistently wrong. Second, does John McCain realize he’s running for President of the United States and not a slot on the Jerry Springer Show? Between his f-bombs and real bombs (Singing “Bomb, Bomb Iran” with the troops), you really have to wonder if he has the temperament to lead the free world.
But back to the larger point—how sincere is Romney’s “conversion”? It wasn’t too long ago that his political philosophy was centrist (some might say RHINO). His current positions are certainly very attractive: strong on defense, active against terrorists, against current amnesty bill, etc. However, once centrists are elected or appointed, like justices on the Supreme Court, they tend to revert to the squishy middle. Unfortunately, looking to his stint as MA governor won’t help you a lot since the legislature is in firm control of this state, ask Deval Patrick if you don’t believe me. Mitt did support what I think is a first step toward socialized medicine when he signed the mandatory health insurance bill, so that’s certainly not a good sign.
Romney is the most attractive candidate in this field, but I have real concerns about his positions. Is it positioning to get elected, or what he’ll do once elected?
Archived in: Deval Patrick, Immigration, Iowa, Iran, John McCain, Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Socialism, Supreme CourtMay 22, 2007 at 7:10 am | Trackback
4 comments
“Romney is the most attractive candidate in this field, but I have real concerns about his positions. Is it positioning to get elected, or what he’ll do once elected?”
I’m right there with you, OP.
Trepidacious faith will have to do for now. He certainly is capable and I want to believe his heart. Unlike the rest of the country, we have seen him up close and personal in Massachusetts and know the political reality he had to deal with. It’s unfair to think the Massachusetts hacks will, as sure as the sun rises in the east, undoubtedly pull all kinds of spin out of their rabbit hat knowing the gamesmanship they deliberately set up to snafu the man who challenged them on Beacon Hill. I admire the fact that he successfully emerged from Camp Massachusetts’s training despite their charges of flip-flopping, even while acknowledging the appearance/reality of such. Potentially he can now tactically use his unaltered truth nationally and find support as he never had in Boston.
I believe he has the fire in his belly and want to believe he’ll choose his allies well. I see him as forthright, goal oriented and sincere…but I can’t bear the thought of a political Boston August so will just sit tight with my bowl of popcorn…….
With 17 months to an election, 12 to 13 months to the conventions, all this posturing by both parties is balloon time. I’ll say this and see how everyone reacts. Then I’ll say that to see the reaction. If they all stayed home and polled the party faithfuls, it would have as much meaning.
There is 20% of the electorate that controls the election, those being so called “Independents.” When fewer and fewer people vote this number becomes even more important since as a percentage it increases in size with the voter drop outs.
I just want a President who can speak the article “a” so it rhymes with “uh” rather than “hay”. That means no one from Texas.
Politicians who ride in cahs are frighting. No more dialects. We are as polyglot as we ever need to be.
After looking at the Presidents coming out of that state, I’m in favor of giving it back to Mexico. Though, they might refuse it.