MY MAN MITT!

Why Mitt Romney? If for no other reason than I get to say that I too supported a hard to identify with elitist from Massachusetts for President. The Democrats can't hog that category forever. All kidding aside, the better question one might ask themselves is, 'Why not Mitt Romney?' Surely by now everyone has come to know the talking points that Romney gives when asking for your vote. He resurrected the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics from near financial ruin and internal corruption. He founded and presided over a very successful venture capitalist firm. He rescued Staples, the office supply mega chain, from bankruptcy. He successfully ran for governor of one of the bluest states in the union and did so without selling his soul. And while governor he oversaw legislation requiring all MA citizens to have health insurance - private health insurance. Like governors and businessmen before him, Mitt Romney brings to the table a unique resume of leadership and skills obtained via the private sector - where market driven competition determines success and failure.

Campaigning for the nomination requires any candidate to gravitate towards the base of their party. Mr. Romney has had to no doubt move much further right than he would otherwise feel inclined, but understands that politics is politics. No, he does not have as strong a record when it comes to many of the social conservative issues as does a few of his opponents, and yes he has since changed his positions on many of them. So be it. Let us accept his position changes and more forward. He understands that abortion, homosexual marriage, gun rights, and more are critical issues for certain sectors of our society and has promised to appoint the judges necessary to ensure those views are implemented and preserved. We need not choose a candidate simply because of his previous or even current stance on one or few of these issues. We need not convince ourselves that electing an evangelical Christian is the ONLY option left for the Republican Party. When all things are equal, I go with the candidate that best represents the traditional values of the party (including those already mentioned but not limited to them alone) and not based on religion, race, gender, or ethnicity. And there is no doubt that Mitt Romney is the most well rounded candidate for the GOP.

Take a gander at the records and experience and education of those running for president - on both sides of the aisle. Only Hillary Clinton has an education that arguably equals that of Romney. None equal his business experience. And only Huckabee rivals Romney when it comes to being the executive of a state and yet when examined closely, Huckabee's record is far from flattering and simply far from the traditional positions of the party he now desires to lead. McCain is certainly a war hero and deserves all the praise he receives, yet finds himself in a similar boat with Huckabee when his record is uncovered. With a weakening dollar and sliding economy I again turn to Romney, the only candidate with real world, real on the job training with real results for all to see.

As Mitt Romney has had to come far to the right to fight for the nomination you can bet that he will come racing back to the center, where he feels more comfortable and at home, in order to fight for the win in November. He didn't win and find success in Massachusetts by being a hard line Republican. He didn't find success in the business world or in Salt Lake by refusing to communicate and compromise in order to get the job done. Why would we expect anything different from him as president? He needs to take a moderate running mate from the south and coast into a win in November. Let's put aside our differences are realise what is on the line.