More on Romney's Michigan Promises
Jennifer Rubin over at The American Spectator has some fairly damning quotes up:
Jennifer Rubin - January 15th, 2008 [Romney] told voters what he thought they wanted to hear. 'I'm not open to a bailout, but I am open to a workout,' Romney said of the auto industry, even as he vowed to spend $20 billion over five years for research on energy, fuels, automotive technology and material sciences.
...
Romney also said he wanted to modify a recently passed measure calling for U.S. vehicle fleets to average 35 miles per gallon by 2020. Well, baloney. Less than three years ago, Romney seemed to champion higher automobile standards. 'Almost everything in America has gotten more efficient in the last decade, except the fuel economy of the vehicles we drive,' he said in September 2005."
There are some real differences between the candidates. There are differences between John McCain and Mitt Romney. And if the voters prefer Romney's platform to McCain, that's their right, and I respect it. But the voters of Michigan didn't vote for Romney's platform; they voted for the things he promised them, and they do so without any regard for whether or not they a) aligned with conservative principles, b) were smart or viable in the long run, and c) aligned with Romney's views before he was running for President.
I can't imagine it's easy to both succeed in the world of politics and be completely honest at the same time. I, and most other voters, have accepted the fact that politicians must emphasize certain parts of their record (and downplay others) depending on who they're speaking or appealing to at any given moment. But Romney's promises to the voters of Michigan are untenable. They promise special treatment that goes against his broader stated principles.
I think Mitt Romney is a good man, and I think there's a good candidate underneath all this politicking waiting to get out. But his desperation to win Michigan has, I think, brought out the worst in his campaign.
» January 16th, 2008
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