Mitt Romney is not ‘principled’ — and he never has been

Christopher Barron

On Wednesday, Sen. Mitt Romney gave an impassioned speech on the Senate floor while announcing his intention to vote to convict and remove President Trump from office. The speech was lauded by Democrats, liberal journalists, and Never Trump pundits alike as “principled” and “brave.” ...but there's one problem: Throughout Romney’s entire political career, he has been willing to put political ambition over principle and conviction. It’s almost hard to keep up with him. Romney has been on every side of almost every issue of consequence, from gun control to abortion to gay rights to taxes, and it has clearly been political opportunity and public opinion guiding Romney’s ever-evolving positions on these issues, not principle. When Romney challenged Sen. Ted Kennedy for a Massachusetts Senate seat in 1994, he claimed that he would be even more pro-gay rights than his Democratic opponent. Of course, Romney would sing a totally different tune two decades later when running in the Republican presidential primary. Then, Romney bragged about stopping Massachusetts from becoming the “Las Vegas of gay marriage.” He also supported a federal Constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage. Romney also flip-flopped on whether gays should be allowed to serve in the military and on anti-discrimination laws protecting sexual orientation. It’s not just gay rights where Romney has picked his position based on political expediency. During that same 1994 Senate run, Romney described himself as pro-choice and pro-gun control. In subsequent presidential races, Romney flip-flopped on both of these issues. Not surprisingly, each of those flip-flops was connected to which way the political winds were blowing in whatever office he was seeking. As a candidate for governor of Massachusetts, he praised the state’s tough gun control laws, saying, “We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts — I support them. I won’t chip away at them. I believe they help protect us and provide for our safety.” Just a few years later, as Romney sought to position himself as a conservative in his run for president, he suddenly became a strident defender of the Second Amendment. How convenient. Even on the question of raising taxes, Romney’s positions have changed along with whatever might help him win office. When he ran for governor of Massachusetts, he refused to sign a pledge to not raise taxes. However, when he ran for president, Romney enthusiastically signed a similar pledge...MORE