One Perspective on Romney from Mass.

I was inspired by an exchange with Paige (welcome!) to briefly mention my take on Romney, having had him as a Massachusetts governor. Not that most Democrats would be voting for him, but he may well be a contender.

My honest, gut reaction to him is firstly a question of loyalty: he simply has none. This is aside from him flip-flopping on guns/abortion/everything in order to score points with far-right special interests. (Though that's plenty.) What I've seen is a consistent willingness to sell people out.

Case in point: he's governor of Massachusetts; he's supposed to represent and help those people. However, his behavior has been one of publically mocking our state and trying to distance himself from it, while nonetheless trying to stand on his record of governor (which in fact would not have gotten him re-elected). He repeatedly used his policy pulpit not to pursue policies in the interest of the commonwealth, but instead to grand-stand for the national GOP audience. Hell, he's barely been in the state for the better part of the last two years.

The "gay marriage" issue was a key example, in fact. It's not that all of Massachusetts is 100% behind gay marriage, but I strongly get the idea is that very few people really care to make it much of a crusade, even if they are opposed. The degree to which Romney tried to drag out and crash gay marriage in the state was largely a result of the national GOP anti-marriage project, rather than reflecting the desires of Mass. natives. So, gays and lesbians: another group he's happy to throw under the bus for electability. (And indeed, this issue is the one I'm taking personally.)

So hey, if you're looking for a candidate free of integrity, he is your guy.

That said, I feel that (aside from Ron Paul) he's one of the less dangerous GOP candidates. He's is basically a conservative suit of the sort that the GOP has a history of nominating. He lacks of the cult-of-personality, militarism, and fascistic tendencies that more deeply concern me about McCain or Giuliani administrations. He's unfortunately pro-torture, but I guess that just puts him in there with the majority of the GOP candidates.

In conclusion: what a bloody mess.

Romney became our governor, use the state to pad his resume, and now makes fun of the state. He's a politician and I did not have high expectations of him. (I also make fun of my state and our state legislators. It's Taxachusetts.)

But Romney has left an ugly legacy in Massachusetts. That legacy is this mandatory health insurance legislation. It's made living in Massachusetts unaffordable for some, reduced the choices in health insurance for some, helped a small number of people considered high risk by health insurance companies, and been a boon for health insurance companies who no longer need to make their expensive plans appeal to a segment of the population that want to have nothing to do with them. I curse Romney - especially when he touts his health insurance legislation as some great achievement.

He's not as bad as Giuliani or McCain, but Romney has connections in big business, and I think he would be a danger to enrich certain special interest groups. He's not militant. It would be business as usual in Washington DC. Romney is somewhat similar to John Kerry in the last election.

On Romney being similiar to Kerry. My thought all along has pretty much been that Romney is the Republican John Kerry. He's a wealthy social elite (although, unlike Kerry, he actually earned most of his fortune) who largely is willing to say about anything to get elected and doesn't seem to value sticking to principle very highly. He's a massice chameleon and flip-flopper, like Kerry, and he has a tendency to try a little bit too hard to relate to ordinary Americans. (The wabbit hunting fiasco, for instance) What's interesting to me is that so many neocon Republicans are rallying to his side after assaulting Kerry so heavily for these very characteristics. I guess it's typical political hypocrisy, but it is just one other thing that angers me so much about the leadership of my party and the large neocon complexion of the party.