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National Review endorses Romney
By sage of monticello | December 11, 2007
Calling Romney the most conservative, the National Review endorsed Mitt Romney for President today. Explaing there decision, the National Review asserts –
Romney is an intelligent, articulate, and accomplished former businessman and governor. At a time when voters yearn for competence and have soured on Washington because too often the Bush administration has not demonstrated it, Romney offers proven executive skill. He has demonstrated it in everything he has done in his professional life, and his tightly organized, disciplined campaign is no exception. He himself has shown impressive focus and energy.
Like any Republican, he would have an uphill climb next fall. But he would be able to offer a persuasive outsider’s critique of Washington. His conservative accomplishments as governor showed that he can work with, and resist, a Democratic legislature. He knows that not every feature of the health-care plan he enacted in Massachusetts should be replicated nationally, but he can also speak with more authority than any of the other Republican candidates about this pressing issue. He would also have credibility on the economy, given his success as a businessman and a manager of the Olympics.
Explaining why they didn’t choose the other candidates –
Uniting the conservative coalition is not enough to win a presidential election, but it is a prerequisite for building on that coalition. Rudolph Giuliani did extraordinary work as mayor of New York and was inspirational on 9/11. But he and Mike Huckabee would pull apart the coalition from opposite ends: Giuliani alienating the social conservatives, and Huckabee the economic (and foreign-policy) conservatives. A Republican party that abandoned either limited government or moral standards would be much diminished in the service it could give the country.
Two other major candidates would be able to keep the coalition together, but have drawbacks of their own. John McCain is not as conservative as Romney. He sponsored and still champions a campaign-finance law that impinged on fundamental rights of political speech; he voted against the Bush tax cuts; he supported this year’s amnesty bill, although he now says he understands the need to control the border before doing anything else.
As far as Thompson goes, National Review had this to say –
Fred Thompson is as conservative as Romney, and has distinguished himself with serious proposals on Social Security, immigration, and defense. But Thompson has never run any large enterprise — and he has not run his campaign well, either. Conservatives were excited this spring to hear that he might enter the race, but have been disappointed by the reality. He has been fading in crucial early states. He has not yet passed the threshold test of establishing for voters that he truly wants to be president.
Topics: Presidential Primary, Republican Presidential contenders, Mitt Romney |
December 12th, 2007 at 12:10 am
Sage is anit-Huckabee evidently…
For some reason Sage thinks it is good to highlight NR’s attack of Governor Huckabee’s lack of economic (and foriegn policy) conservatism, but not NR’s attack on Giuliani’s obvious lack of social conservatism.
Huckabee: “no new taxes as President”
Giuliani: “a woman has a right to choose, although I might not personally choose abortion”
Which sounds more like a conservative, or Republican for that matter, to you?
December 12th, 2007 at 6:39 pm
I wonder who these editors are supporting? Its a pretty typical College Republican principle that CR groups dont endorse a candidate but their favorite past time seems to be using their group to attack certain candidates.
Besides the fact that Romney is supposedly the most conservative according to this site (maybe not the most consistent) he certainly seems to know how blow through alot of money without getting results. That is the type of financial conservative I want running the budget. Can you say “desperate”?
There is a reason for Huckabees incredible rise in the polls at a cost of $400,000, he appeals to conservatives, particularly a powerful and influencial group of people, maybe its time to show proper respect.