Candidate Reviews: Romney

I had the opportunity to catch Mitt Romney live on the stump during the last couple of weeks. So, I thought I'd write up my thoughts on him. Over the next weeks and months, I'll almost certainly be able to catch just about the whole field given that they're around Des Moines so much you about have to try not to run into them.

First Impressions--The man has a heck of a jaw line. Nice hair.

He opens with the obligatory jokes. He tells an ice-breaker joke about how just recently he asked his wife, "When you and I started dating, in your wildest dreams did you see me running for President?" Her response, "Mitt, you weren't in my wildest dreams." Hahahahaha. Actually, he delivers it pretty well. But I've got to be honest, I just never buy it when these guys say they never imagined running for President. For heaven's sake, I've imagined running for President.

With regard to the substance of his talk, he plays the standards: Mom and Apple Pie. He states that we need to encourage people to raise kids in a household with both a male and female parent. And he tells us that he's in favor of leaving troops in Iraq as long as there is a reasonable chance of success. Domestically, he's in favor of less federal regulation....except when he thinks it would make things more efficient. (For example, he's not opposed to federalizing insurance law.) And he'd be four-square behind, and I quote, "a Manhattan Project for this generation" to make this nation energy independent.

Now, perhaps I'm reading too much into that thing about a Manhattan Project. Maybe he just means that people and individuals will have to develope technology, but somehow I think he's got some idea for a major federal program.

Bleeeeccchhhh!

So, all in all, my feelings would have to be that Mitt isn't bad, and if he were the nominee, I'd vote for him. But, he's not the kind of limited government guy I'd really like to get behind.