I can't tell you how often I've heard (or read) people appraise Mitt Romney by saying, "There may be some good things about Romney, but I could never vote for him because..." and then they relay some character flaw or deficiency in his record that is inaccurate. Whether based on an exaggeration, a caricature, an attack, or plain lies, misunderstandings have followed Romney through the campaign. Despite that immediate and factually based clarifications have often come from the Romney campaign, a lot of voters seem to have heard only the fallacies and the straw man characterizations.
I'm not an apologist for Romney. He has his flaws and my loyalty to him extends only so far as he happens to be the best person to lead America. If another candidate were to demonstrate superiority, I'd leave Romney in a heartbeat. Despite my fickle, unloyal nature, I've taken the time to look at the candidates and their records and when one gets the full story rather than the hyperbole, Romney comes out above all the candidates in both parties by a huge margin.
So, let's lay it all out on the table, just in case a reader might be one of those people who can't support Romney for some "dealbreaker" or another. If I don't address your concern in the coming posts, let me know. I honestly believe that most Americans, armed with accurate information, will have no problem not only supporting Romney but becoming enthusiastic backers with optimism for the direction of our country and our society.
As background, let me highlight the context from which Romney's presidential bid has come. If you want to know about his character and his sincerity, you've got to recognize that the evidence doesn't start after he launched his campaign, or even in Massachusetts. Romney has a lifelong record of numerous accomplishments in terms of financial success, educational achievement, leadership abilities, and personal virtue. Many people are aware that he has accomplished incredible things as governor working with a democratic legislature in Massachusetts, that he led the turn-around of the 2002 Olympics, that he made hundreds of millions as a venture capitalist, and that he's a faithful family man. But, I think few who ardently oppose him really appreciate the way he's worked hard for his success (not had it handed to him) or that there are many stories from his life that demonstrate his foundational character more than anything you can believe from the campaign trail.
Try to wipe away any bias of Romney you've gathered from the press, both favorable and unfavorable, and lets have a look. (more to come)
UPDATE 2/2/08
I've finished the series, and here's an index:
Post 2 explores "change" and the comparative merits and faults it can represent
Post 3 explores some of the specific changes Romney has been criticized for
Post 4 discusses Romney's ambition as well as trust
Post 5 covers some of the supposed "lies" Romney is accused of
Post 6 debunks the notion that Mitt is a "dirty" politician
Post 7 challenges the character smear that Mitt's wealth keeps him from relating to ordinary citizens like me
Post 8 is a wrap up and notes evidence that Mitt has been unfairly maligned and consequently misunderstood in this race. It ends with an appeal to do the research and vote for the best candidate. That candidate is clearly Mitt Romney! Vote Mitt for president!
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