Getting to Know Him

by Ruth A. Sheets

Well, the Republican National Convention has arrived. We keep hearing from pundits and commentators that this is Mitt Romney’s chance to let America know who he is.  Interesting!  Mitt Romney has been running for president for nearly five years.  Is it possible that there is something about him we can learn this week that we didn’t know?

I suspect that part of the problem we have in getting to know Romney is that he constantly changes himself to fit whatever situation he is in.  When running for office in Massachusetts, he chose to be moderate, support human rights, believe in universal health care, and respect a woman’s right to choose.  The people of Massachusetts wouldn’t elect anyone with less.

When running for president in 2008, he moved somewhat to the right.  This was a realistic position for him  because the Republican Party had not yet chosen its new compass which only points Right.  He seemed to move away from health care a bit and dropped his stance on women’s right to choose, as well as his open, accepting stance on rights for gay Americans. .

For the 2012 presidential election, he has made the full Right turn along with the party.  Now, he can’t even defend the health care program he helped get through in Mass. because it looks too much like the plan the Democrats passed in 2010.  Not only is he against women’s right to choose, he is decreasing the types of exceptions he would allow for abortions, and stands against most types of contraception, perhaps all (one can’t really tell since his mind changes so often).

Romney is a wealthy, white, conservative, Mormon, former businessman who owned and operated a company that specialized in buying out other companies.  He is not a good speaker.  He can’t tell a joke (as evidenced by his comments about his birth certificate). 

He has had no military service, but is a  war hawk and wants to continue to bloat the defense budget.  He also wants to cut many programs that support disadvantaged citizens as he “attempts” to cut the deficit.

 

Mitt Romney claims to be a family man, having a wife, Anne, and five sons.  He does not do his own shopping (the answers given when asked what he was buying at a store: hardware stuff, groceries).

From his comments to audiences and ads, it is clear that he tells the truth only when he feels he will gain politically from the effort.  (According to some fact checking sites, he avoids the truth  about 10% of the time, something like a tithe).  The web can supply numerous examples of Mr. Romney’s untruths.

When asked to comply with demands for documentation, the same demands he has made of opposing candidates in the past, he refuses.  (He has released only 1 year of tax returns and one estimate of the current year, when he has asked for more from others.)

So, what do we think we will learn from Romney’s Convention persona?  How are they going to make him appear more human?  Come to think of it, he is such a skilled cameleon thus far, I guess they can make him whatever they want him to be and he will be it. 

The sad part for me is that a whole lot of Americans will believe whatever nonsense they are fed about this man and his worthiness to be president.  Even if Romney and his team can’t be honest, moderates and liberals will need to try to keep the truth in front of voters.  Good luck with that.