Wave Maker: Squeaky Clean Governor Goes Murky

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Wednesday, February 23, 2005

Squeaky Clean Governor Goes Murky

I really really like Mitt Romney. Or liked. I'm not sure which tense to use.

Mitt Romney came to office with a reputation of being "squeaky-clean." A non-politician of the first order. Says what he means, means what he says. Unimpeachable character. That's why I worked for him on the floor of the state Republican Convention when he was challenged by John Lakian for the U. S. Senate nomination in 1994.

I am in favor of any political candidate who is willing to give honest answers to every question and let the chips fall where they may. I believe this is the only salvation of our system of representative government (not Democracy, that's a much bigger concept -- I mean simply the process of choosing leaders). Unfortunately, this belief doesn't permit me to be in favor of too many candidates.

I was so supportive of Mitt Romney The Person that I didn't really care too much if his positions on the bellweather social issues were 100% consistent with mine. Abortion, gay rights, same sex marriage? I don't care that he plays it down the middle of a treacherous fairway. So long as he has the moral courage to stake a position and stick with it, I'll respect his integrity --- and Integrity is the one character quality that we should exalt in our system of representative government.

But now I'm not so sure anymore. I fear that, after a few years in office, Mitt is becoming tainted by the inevitable tide of political expediency. Clearly stated positions of prior days are being nuanced (a new verb, a la John Kerry, meaning "obfuscated") for delivery to a new and entirely different audience. He says "count on it" when asked if he is running for re-election, but his insiders who know quietly whisper otherwise. He makes numerous public statements against the merger of Gillette and Proctor & Gamble, using words that seem utterly preternatural coming from the mouth of an effusive capitalist. I like effusive capitalists -- but his comments made me dizzy.

Well, personally, I don't believe Mitt Romney will run for re-election. Nor do I believe he'll become a heavyweight contender in the Republican contest for President. But his handlers will be trying very hard to keep him viable for both, for as long as possible, because, after all --- that's the expedient thing to do.

And despite this, I will support his candidacy, because I have come to the lamentable conclusion that, politics being what it has become, even the squeakiest of the clean cannot help but get some dirt under their fingernails.

Posted by: Wave Maker / 10:20 AM/ |