Rich Lowry suggests that former Massachusetts governor Gov. Mitt Romney's "account of how he came to change his view on abortion—through the issue of stem-cell research—isn't very compelling and he would probably be better off not talking about it at all. "
I have to disagree with your assertion that Romney's account of he came to change his views of abortion "isn't very compelling" and that "people aren't going to believe it."I agree that pro-lifers enjoy hearing about that "moment when it clicked" and are generally quite accepting when an abortion advocate finally recognizes the sanctity of human life and begins to act upon their new found belief. Many within our ranks and authors at this blog can identify with Romney’s “epiphany”.Pro-lifers greatly enjoy learning about that moment when it clicked for pro-life converts. Each pro-life convert has his or her own story about what it was that caused them to see the light. Governor Romney's account makes perfect sense. When he had to study the origins of life as he pondered an embryonic stem cell bill, he realized the truth: life begins at conception. It's a fully plausible account and it's also interesting that his study of embryonic stem cell research, a fairly new frontier on the decades old abortion debate, caused him to change his view.
But is there reason to approach Romney’s conversion with skepticism? In 2002, Planned Parent and NARAL questionnaires show Romney as decidedly pro-abortion. [Jennifer Rubin - Weekly Standard]
At the Massachusetts GOP convention in April 2002 Romney said. "Accordingly, I respect and will fully protect a woman's right to choose. Romney repeated his pro-abortion views later that year in the October 2002 gubernatorial debates.
The timing of Romney’s change of heart is certainly suspicious and I wonder, as do many others, if Romney used the pro-abortion vote to win the 2002 governorship and now wants pro-life support in his bid for the Republican nomination for the president.
Back in December, Ramesh Ponnuru offered a pragmatic solution to the question:
I think we ought to be unsentimental about this question. Those of us who favor Romney’s position on sanctity-of-life issues ought to care less about its sincerity than about its stability. We ought to care about whether he will abandon the position, that is, not whether he truly believes it. Pro-lifers would win very few votes in Congress if every representative voted his conscience, after all. Presumably a politician is more likely to stick with a position if he deeply believes it; but it is too facile to say that having flipped before, a politician will flop again.I’m not sure how one would judge stability beyond a candidate’s track record and would argue that the actions of an insincere politician will be influenced by the winds of popular opinion as he or she perceives them in the polls.
The bottom line is that I need convincing and want a better reason to support Mitt Romney on life issues other than he is not John McCain.
Update: As a reader points out, Romney is against child killing in the womb with a few exceptions:
"I am pro-life. I believe that abortion is the wrong choice except in cases of incest, rape, and to save the life of the mother. I wish the people of America agreed, and that the laws of our nation could reflect that view. But while the nation remains so divided over abortion, I believe that the states, through the democratic process, should determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate."
I find conversion stories fascinating. I wasn't prochoice; I was on the fence. My story is here.
Anybody else? Let's get them all in one place!
I find it interesting that those that question Romney's conversion quote a bunch of "pro-choice" 2002 statements that do not show the whole 2002 picture of Romney's position. His conversion occured in 2005 with the stem cell debates. Thus, it's silly to argue the validity of a conversion based on pre-conversion statements made three years before the conversion.
Even with all the 2002 quotes, I've yet to see someone state the most important move Governor Romney made in 2002. He created a moratorium on the Abortion issue. So he ran as a pro-choice candidate, but stated to those pro-choice voters that he would not change any of the laws in regards to the issue. For four years (2002-2006), he kept his promise and veto'd any bill that attempted to make the abortion laws more liberal. If this came as a shock to any pro-choice supporter of Romney, then they were not listening to his promises made during the campaign. He promised a moratorium and he kept his promise. He had a total conversion experience later and choose Life. If you want to know how "stable" Romney's word is, then look at his promises and his record. He made promises, he kept his promises and his record proves it.
I asked Kate Obeirne about it over the weekend. She replied: "we have always been about conversion!"
Listen, if we can give an honored seat at the March4Life to people who actually had abortions, why can't we grant forgiveness to someone who is now on our side.
You can watch the National Review video snippet of Mitt describing his conversion on abortion.
You can learn more about Romney's positions here:
http://www.mittreport.com
I highly recommend it!
I think Ramesh is being too optimistic. If this is a put-on, then it will have no policy implications. I'm entirely skeptical. How can people just say, "Hey, we're all about conversion" as if the timing of this story's coming out is irrelevant?
Hello Rich:
I have to raise this question.
Are we as a people able to change if nobody believes us.
Mitt has been not just compelling, but has explained in detail of his conversion. Quoting NARAL from 2002 as an argument in opposition to Romney's conversion hardly seems fair.
please take some time and investigate this to it's fullest by not only going to Mitt Report, but go to this site as well
http://mittromney.com
Contact Romney himself.
Interview him and see & hear for yourself if he is "pulling the wool over your eyes"
T&T Capitol 3
People sit around wondering whether Romney will uphold core conservative principles based on statements from years ago while he was running in the most liberal state in the union, and in spite of the fact he was the most conservative governor MA has ever had -- while we all know McCain HAS repeatedly betrayed the GOP. He once told a staffer he would consider running as Hillary's vice-Pres if the GOP denied him the nomination. He's a traitor, and he hates conservative Christians. Cardinal O'Malley of Boston said Romney was a better friend to the Catholic church than other MA governor ever has been, and Romney was about the only one who wasn't Catholic himself.
Mitt's position on Life:
I am pro-life. I believe that abortion is the wrong choice except in cases of incest, rape, and to save the life of the mother. I wish the people of America agreed, and that the laws of our nation could reflect that view. But while the nation remains so divided over abortion, I believe that the states, through the democratic process, should determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate.
The exceptions of rape and incest are a cop-out. As long as we have them, abortion on demand will be illegal. You can't say that the unborn child has an unalienable right, and then turn around and deny that right. Any attempt at a law like that contradicts itself and will be thrown out in court.
please take some time and investigate this to it's fullest by not only going to Mitt Report, but go to this site as well
http://mittromney.com
Mitt Romney did learn to be pro life in Havard he also is the only candidate to have one wife lady Anne for many years.with Mary cheney I disagree with her on her positions of having a same sex partner while though it is honoring she decided to keep her baby ,maybe she should give it up for adoption to her parents to raise,with a mother and a father.
children are normally better raised between a Mother and a father.
but we are also pro life as well as believing that marriage should be between one man and one woman
we are no on civil unions and no on Same sex marriage as well
children are better normally raised with a mother and a father.
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- A leading pro-life attorney says he's endorsing Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination for president. Jim Bopp, who has served as legal counsel for numerous pro-life organizations, also answered critics of the former Massachusetts governor who say his pro-life conversion is new recent to be trusted.
[snip - go to lifenews.com for the rest]