OP-ED: One student's transition from Romney to McCain
by Caleb Smith
Op-Ed | 2/5/08
Posted online at 1:46 AM EST on 2/5/08
A lifelong resident of Massachusetts, I rooted for Mitt Romney to become president even before the 2004 election was done. First off, I am a conservative, and in my opinion, Romney's views on social, fiscal and defense issues are orthodox conservative positions. Though his opponents hammer him with accusations of flip-flopping, I, having followed him throughout his gubernatorial career, viewed his change in tone as a shrewd, calculated shift in language rather than as a betrayal of his former stances. I appreciated many of his conservative stances in an incredibly liberal state and his ability to still work with the Democrats in the Commonwealth on issues such as healthcare.
Ultimately, I supported Romney over the other candidates because of his business skills. A former capital-venture firm owner, Romney balanced the Massachusetts budget and turned a multi-billion dollar deficit into a surplus during his tenure as governor. With the federal government going further into debt, no other candidate gives me as strong an assurance of being fiscally responsible as does this man. For years, I tried to convince my conservative friends to put Romney's Mormon beliefs aside and support him, and I've even volunteered at his headquarters in the North End.
My shift toward McCain-whom I always liked-began over winter break as my immigration views shifted toward amnesty. I knew nothing of Romney's position on immigration-save that he wanted to make it illegal to employ illegal aliens-and didn't know how he would deal with the illegal aliens already living in this nation. Further, I grew increasingly uncomfortable with Romney's often staunch, overly nationalistic talk on foreign policy. I see McCain as someone who will be very independent on foreign policy, someone who won't tow party lines and will do what he believes is right no matter how unpopular it is. I trust that this spirit of independence and willingness to truly consider other opinions will play out favorably for McCain in all areas of his presidency-even in those areas where I disagree with him.
McCain's courage during the Vietnam War-especially during his imprisonment in Hanoi-has been so often talked about that I need not further expound on it here. He certainly has his faults and has been the target of much criticism. Democrats have often attacked him for his conservative stances, especially on the war, while Republicans have attacked him for being too liberal on certain issues and for too often siding with the Democrats on issues. But most respect his commitment to doing what he believes is right. With his ability to work with the Democrats in Congress, he might get more done than other Presidential candidates would and might be able to ease some of the high political tensions in Washington right now.
Though I'm behind McCain now, I still do like Romney, and am very glad that it is almost certain that one of these two men will be the Republican nominee.
The writer is a member of the Class of 2010.
Ultimately, I supported Romney over the other candidates because of his business skills. A former capital-venture firm owner, Romney balanced the Massachusetts budget and turned a multi-billion dollar deficit into a surplus during his tenure as governor. With the federal government going further into debt, no other candidate gives me as strong an assurance of being fiscally responsible as does this man. For years, I tried to convince my conservative friends to put Romney's Mormon beliefs aside and support him, and I've even volunteered at his headquarters in the North End.
My shift toward McCain-whom I always liked-began over winter break as my immigration views shifted toward amnesty. I knew nothing of Romney's position on immigration-save that he wanted to make it illegal to employ illegal aliens-and didn't know how he would deal with the illegal aliens already living in this nation. Further, I grew increasingly uncomfortable with Romney's often staunch, overly nationalistic talk on foreign policy. I see McCain as someone who will be very independent on foreign policy, someone who won't tow party lines and will do what he believes is right no matter how unpopular it is. I trust that this spirit of independence and willingness to truly consider other opinions will play out favorably for McCain in all areas of his presidency-even in those areas where I disagree with him.
McCain's courage during the Vietnam War-especially during his imprisonment in Hanoi-has been so often talked about that I need not further expound on it here. He certainly has his faults and has been the target of much criticism. Democrats have often attacked him for his conservative stances, especially on the war, while Republicans have attacked him for being too liberal on certain issues and for too often siding with the Democrats on issues. But most respect his commitment to doing what he believes is right. With his ability to work with the Democrats in Congress, he might get more done than other Presidential candidates would and might be able to ease some of the high political tensions in Washington right now.
Though I'm behind McCain now, I still do like Romney, and am very glad that it is almost certain that one of these two men will be the Republican nominee.
The writer is a member of the Class of 2010.
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