Romney's Stance on China

Mitt Romney’s stance on the economics of bilateral trade between the United States and China is one of the key platforms that defines his republican presidential candidacy. Romney believes that the US should balance its desire to pursue an economically fruitful relationship with China with the need to hold China accountable for its actions whether it be currency manipulation, unwarranted military aggression, or the restriction of human rights for Chinese citizens.

Romney’s campaign website details a policy of economic cooperation with China. Romney states that his administration would do its best to engage China. “Offering Beijing the possibility of participation will give China significant incentives to end its abusive commercial practices. The zone will also knit together the entire region, discourage imbalanced bilateral trade relations between China and its neighbors, limit China’s ability to coerce its neighbors, and ultimately will encourage China to participate in free trade on fair terms.” Romney’s positive outlook on relations with China is tempered by his comments in the presidential debates ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM8_tKl22WM) which suggest that Romney will take a harsher tone with China then his predecessors. Romney states that he will immediately go after China for its currency manipulation, a position that may bring more direct confrontation between the two world powers that could eventually lead to a “trade war”.

Romney’s campaign site also details his position on how the Chinese Government deals with its own people, “Defend human rights. Any serious policy must confront the fact that China’s Communist regime continues to deny its people basic political freedoms and human rights. A nation that represses its own people cannot be a trusted partner in an international system based on economic and political freedom. A Romney administration will encourage the evolution of China toward a more politically open and democratic order. It will support and engage civil society groups within China that are promoting democratic reform, anti-corruption efforts, religious freedom, and women’s and minority rights. It will look to provide these groups and the Chinese people with greater access to information and communication through a stronger Internet freedom initiative.” In taking this position, Romney finds common ground with many ethnic and religious minorities in the United States that share interests in the survival of their companion minority groups abroad. An example of some of these groups would be the Mislim Uyghurs of South Eastern China or the Falun Gong which exist in nearly 70 countries worldwide (Religion and Politics in America pg 147).

To learn more about Romney's position on China go to http://www.mittromney.com/blogs/mitts-view/2011/10/fact-sheet-mitt-romneys-strategy-ensure-american-century

Romney and Gingrich Spar Over Immigration

Republican presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney have recently been sparring over immigration reform. Gingrich made a daring political move within the past two weeks to re-center the republican debate along the lines of immigration reform, a wedge issue that could have a serious effect come primary season. Gingrich takes the position that immigrants that "if you've been here 25 years and you got three kids and two grandkids, you've been paying taxes and obeying the law, you belong to a local church, I don't think we're going to separate you from your family, uproot you forcefully and kick you out." In other words, Gingrich believes that amnesty is justified in special situations.

Within the past week, Romney has taken this opportunity to strengthen his political image with the republican base by requiring illegal immigrants to follow the same process as other legal immigrants, “12 million or so that are here illegally, should be able to sign up for permanent residency or citizenship, but they should not be given a special pathway, a special guarantee that all of them get to stay here for the rest of their lives merely by virtue of having come here illegally, and that, I think, is the great flaw in the final bill that came forward from the Senate."

This battle has extremely important implications for both Romney and Gingrich who are both in the process of courting voters as primary season approaches. Romney’s position will certainly give him an edge when it comes to reassuring the conservative base of his credentials. In a race where Romney has often been seen as the mainstream alternative to more right wing opponents, being able to place yourself right of the human incarnation of conservatism, former speaker Newt Gingrich, will do wonders for his credibility with the republican base. Gingrich on the other hand may be able to court the 40 million Latinos in the United States legally (Religion, Race and the American Presidency, pg 239), while garnering favor from the 12 million Latino illegal immigrants.

To view a press conference where Romney articulates his position on immigration go to:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57330570-503544/gingrich-romney-take-shots-at-each-other-on-immigration-policy/

Romney's Foreign Policy

Although Mitt Romney’s past experience as Governor of Massachusetts lacks any instance of involvement in foreign policy issues, his campaign website hosts a detailed 44 page description of his positions on a wide variety of issues from withdrawing troops from Afghanistan to offering more economic opportunity to Latin American neighbors. The details of Romney’s policy are far too extensive to get involved with on a blog, but it is the principles that define his strategy that will be our focus. Romney illustrates that the foundation of his foreign policy is based upon the belief that the world is a better, safer place with America in charge, “when America is strong, the world is safer. It is only American power—conceived in the broadest terms—that can provide the foundation for an international system that ensures the security and prosperity of the United States and our friends and allies.” In other words, Romney’s foreign policy echoes the related theories of civil religion and American exceptionalism. America was endowed with unique characteristics such as faith in freedom, liberty, and justice that it must do its best to share with the world.

Romney’s platform is based on the principles that American should strive to support global stability and predictability, “advance an international system that is congenial to the institutions of open markets, representative government, and respect for human rights,” use both hard and soft power in order to discourage global violence and instability, work to accomplish goals through multilateral relationships while reserving the right to act in her best interests alone if necessary.

More intriguing is the fact that when stating the importance of “restoring the sinews of American power” he specifically refers to the need for strong values, “Some believe America is declining and no longer possesses the resources or the moral authority to play a leadership role in the world. They do not see an international system undergirded by American values of economic and political freedom as necessarily superior to a world system organized by multilateral organizations like the United Nations. Mitt Romney rejects the philosophy of decline in all of its variants. He believes that a strong America is the best guarantor of peace and the best patron of liberty the world has ever known. The “last best hope of earth” was what Abraham Lincoln called our country. Mitt Romney believes in fulfilling the promise of Lincoln’s words and will defend America abroad in word and in deed.” Clearly civil religion is present in multiple areas throughout Romney’s foreign policy agenda.

check our Romney's positions in more detail on his website: http://www.mittromney.com/blogs/mitts-view/2011/10/fact-sheet-mitt-romneys-strategy-ensure-american-century

Romney Centrist Republican Platform

Mitt Romney has maintained his image as a moderate republican thanks to his various positions on issues such as the environment. Though Romney’s fiscal agenda is defined by uniquely conservative values, his stance on the environment drift to the left. For example, as governor of Massachusetts, Romney, “hired Douglas Foy, one of the state's most prominent environmental activists, and put him in charge of supervising four state agencies.” As a result, Romney’s administration was responsible for “a regional climate-change initiative and helped draft regulations to put emissions caps in place for coal-fired power plants.” Romney’s justification for these unusually liberal policies was, "I will not create jobs or hold jobs that kill people, and that plant, that plant kills people."

Unfortunately for Romney, despite the fact that these comments and positions were taken more than 8 years ago, his political opponents have been sure to remind the conservative voting base of their existence. For example, presidential candidate Rick Perry has compared Romney’s stance on environmental issues as comparable to that of Barak Obama. In response, the Romney camp released a statement accusing Perry of using “distortions and fabrications,” mixing policies implemented by his predecessors and successors with his own. Perry shot back by highlighting the fact that, "Massachusetts was one of the first states to implement its own cap and trade program, which included limits on carbon emissions from power plants. “

Unfortunately for Romney, republican primary season is characterized by candidates pushing as far to the right as possible, so as to gain the collective support of the conservative base in order to win the party nomination. Because Romney hails from the more liberal northeast, it will be much tougher for him to highlight his conservative colors when compared with candidates from red blooded states such as Texas, Georgia, and Utah.

However, Romney is able to survive the onslaught of conservative brinksmanship during the primary season, his relatively moderate record may give him the edge he needs to capture the mainstream electorate and the Whitehouse.

For all quotes see the Wall Street Journal article entitled Romney Environment Push Is Fresh Target for His Rivals @http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203388804576613293746516756.html

Romney's Changing Positions on Moral Issues

Mitt Romney’s positions on moral issues such as gay rights, abortion, and stem cell research have remained a dynamic part of his career political platform. The following October 8^th New York Times article highlights some of the changes to his political platform over time, (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/us/politics/social-issues-pose-new-test-for-mitt-romney.html?pagewanted=all)

“Mr. Romney’s evolution on the issues has been well documented. On abortion, he once called himself ‘pro-choice’ and supported Planned Parenthood. But after being elected governor of Massachusetts, he publicly switched his position, declaring that the debate over stem cell research had convinced him of the ‘sanctity of life.’ Since then, Mr. Romney has called himself ‘pro-life.’” Romney’s platform has not only shifted with respect to abortion, but with respect to gay rights as well,

“As a candidate for a Massachusetts seat in the Senate, Mr. Romney wrote a letter in 1994 arguing that “we must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern.” The letter, to the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay advocacy group, said he would do more for gay rights than Senator Edward M. Kennedy, his Democratic opponent. Since then, however, Mr. Romney has fought against gay rights, championing an amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution that would ban same-sex marriage. As a presidential candidate, he has opposed same-sex marriage and this summer signed a pledge to support a federal constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between one man and one woman.”

The question becomes whether or not Mitt Romney changes his position on moral issues in an attempt to pander to key constituencies. Through Romney has admittedly undergone a few 180 degree turns on the above moral issues, he defends his actions as an attempt to alter his positions in response to new information on the issues. In reality, the information on issues such as abortion has changed little in recent decades, hinting that Romney does change his political positions in order to appease key constituencies. Whereas Romney’s 1994 candidacy for Massachusetts senator forced him to espouse more liberal moral views, his 2012 candidacy for president necessitates he placate an already skeptical religiously conservative core by adopting the prerequisite conservative moral values needed to receive the Republican nomination.

Romney's Battle with Religion and Race

In the eyes of many voters, Mitt Romney’s adherence to the views of the Mormon faith certainly raises some questions about his relationship with ethnic minorities. Moreover, the clash between race and religion as influences on the voting patterns of Americans is fully exemplified through Romney’s campaign. As related by a quote from an article in Slate magazine entitled, Romney’s Mormon Problem, this connection to Mormonism can be a source of conflict, “saddling itself with some pro-slavery views at the time of the Civil War, and also with a “bible” of its own that referred to black people as a special but inferior creation, the Mormon Church did not admit black Americans to the priesthood until 1978.” But it can also be a source of strength for Romney when it comes to social issues such as gay marriage and abortion. Though the Mormon religion is quite different from more prevalent Christian denominations that exist in communities of ethnic minorities, its positions on gay marriage, welfare, and abortion are nearly identical. What is interesting about how these religious patterns is how they fail to influence the voting decisions of ethnic minority groups as a whole. Despite, as stated by Fowler, the fact that “a strong majority of Latino Americans remain catholic (some 68 percent)… only18 percent of Latino Catholics [identify with the GOP].” Furthermore, despite the fact that “80 percent of all African Americans report praying daily, compared to the national average of 58 percent… the presidential nominee could count on receiving 85 percent of the vote of the expanding African American electorate.” Despite the heavy influence of religion in the communities of ethnic minorities across the country, it is shocking to note that ethnic minorities by and large vote for the more liberal political party. Thus, ethnic minorities interests in voting for candidates with policies that favor liberal racial attitudes trump their desires to make voting decisions based on religious values.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/fighting_words/2011/10/is_mormonism_a_cult_who_cares_it_s_their_weird_and_sinister_beli.html

Mormonism: Romney is Crucified for his Lack of Faith

Just hours before giving an introduction for Rick Perry at a political event, Pastor Robert Jeffries stated "That is a mainstream view, that Mormonism is a cult... Every true, born again follower of Christ ought to embrace a Christian over a non-Christian." Hours later, presidential candidate Rick Perry was riddled with questions as to whether or not he agreed with the pastor’s remarks, responding on multiple occasions that he did not. Despite the lack of controversy provided by Perry’s response, the issue brought up by Jeffries is poised to become the central issue of the republican nomination process.

"The thing is (evangelicals) just won't be honest and tell you it's going to be a major factor," Jeffress said. "Most people don't want to admit, even evangelical Christians, that they have a problem with Mormonism. They think it's bigoted to say so. But what voters say to a pollster is sometimes different than what they do in the privacy of a voting booth."

The Pastor’s comments reflect a large amount of doubt in the accuracy of current polling numbers, which in turn, place doubt on the legitimacy of Romney’s campaign for president. However, if Romney is to be relegated to losers column simply because of his Mormon faith, why isn’t John Huntsman, also a Mormon who had spent 2 years as a missionary in Taiwan, also under attack.

“For that matter, if Mormonism is such a liability in the political realm, what should we make of the political activism of the Church of the LDS? Fowler refers to the activism of the LDS church by stating that the LDS church is actually part of a political coalition of socially conservative groups with strikingly similar agendas, “as noted, the emergence of same-sex marriage as a major issue has activated alliances between evangelical groups, catholic lobbies, black churches, and Mormons. Notably, the normally cautious LDS Church saw opposition to same-sex marriage as fundamental to its understanding of marriage and societal organization, so in 2008 it endorsed California’s high-profile defense of marriage amendment initiative, Proposition 8, and provided substantial backing to the successful campaign to pass it. However the LDS church faced a fierce backlash from people who support gay rights, illustrating the dangers of visible lobbying by religious organizations.”

Thus, although Mormonism holds many of the same positions on social issues as other conservative religious groups, it appears that it is repeatedly scapegoated.

When it comes down to election time, Jeffries might be correct in stating that, "If Mitt Romney is the nominee, Barack Obama will be the next president. Mitt Romney will not energize evangelicals."

Jeffries quotes taken from (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20117465-503544.html)

Romney's Poll Numbers

According to a Fox News Poll taken between September 25th and September 27^th, Mitt Romney leads Texas governor Rick Perry 23%to 19%. This comes at a very turbulent time in the republican nomination campaigning season with self-proclaimed “dark horse” candidate Herman Cain obtaining an astonishing 17% in a recent Florida Straw poll. Romney was the lone front runner in the republican race before Rick Perry entered. Over the past month, Perry was able to build a massive amount of momentum rallying conservative evangelicals to support his socially conservative position. However, recent debates between the republican candidates set Perry and Romney apart from the rest. More recently, comparatively poor debate performance from Perry has helped Romney regain his initial lead.

The neck and neck race between Perry and Romney serves to highlight differences between the campaign dynamics of each candidate. Perry’s campaign is focused around cultivating support from the core of the Republican Party, Evangelicals, Protestants, and other socially conservative demographics. Romney, by contrast, has taken the more centrist position of the two candidates. While Perry’s prayer rallies have helped him garner support from evangelicals and protestants, Romney’s Massachusetts healthcare legislation may help him appeal to a very large demographic with very distinctive set of ideological beliefs.

Perry may appeal to the 23% of American’s who declare themselves Evangelical protestants, 85% of whom voted for McCain in the last election (all statics according to Fowler’s Religion and Politics in America), but RomneyCare theoretically gives Romney an advantage in wooing the 25% of Americans who define themselves as catholic. As Fowler notes, “unlike the majority of evangelicals, though white Catholics are not reliably republican because they reflect the distinctive catholic ideological blend of conservatism on abortion and other socio-moral issues and progressivism on other matters, such as health care, social safety nets, and environmental protection” (Fowler, 91-92). Perry may have an advantage in the evangelical demographic, a significant portion of whom, according to Gallup, would refuse to vote for a Mormon candidate, but Romney has the advantage of being pro-healthcare in the conservative catholic demographic.

This more moderate stance may be a reason why Romney consistently outpolls Perry in a race between the republican candidates and Obama.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/149612/voters-considering-romney-obama-perry.aspx

Romney and the Separation of Church and State

Mitt Romney addressed the issue of separation of church and state during his presidential campaign in December of 2007. Romney’s position on the issue can be summed up by the following excerpt from his speech (http://www.thebostonchannel.com/r/14789305/detail.html), “I will take care to separate the affairs of government from any religion, but I will not separate us from ‘the God who gave us liberty.’” Romney’s speech was delivered in order to serve 2 purposes. Firstly, Romney needed to assure the public that as president of the US, he would not favor any specific religious denomination over another. Second, Romney needed to assure religious conservatives that despite his insistence on separating church from state, he would not implicitly combine the state with secular atheism. It is in this sense that we can consider Romney’s position somewhat of a mix between accomodationist and separatist.

As a devout Mormon, it was apparent that Religion played a significant role in Romney’s personal life. During the 2008 presidential campaign, it became clear that Romney’s religious affiliation with the relatively small church of the LDS would need to be addressed in order to quell the concerns of the electorate. One of these concerns is elaborated on by Fowler’s analysis, “the LDS church is political in several senses… Mormon leaders encourage involvement in politics and foster a setting where conservative values and politics are a way of life.”

Similar to John F Kennedy’s presidential campaign in 1960, Romney’s presidential campaign was subject to questions about how personal religious affiliation should influence the actions of the president of the United States. And just as Kennedy “adopted a neutral stance toward religion in his role as chief executive” (Religion and the Presidency of John F. Kennedy, Carty), so too did Romney state that “no religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion.” Thus, Romney hoped to dispel rumors that his Mormon religious identity would dominate political decisions.

Despite their advocacy for the separation of church and state, both Romney and Kennedy were staunch supporters of the principles of civil religion. During Kennedy’s stint as president during the cold war, advocacy for civil religion and the encouragement of the expression of religious beliefs was seen as a tool to further distinguish the freedom and plurality of religious practice in the US from the blanket uniformity of atheism in the USSR. By contrast, Romney’s more modern support for the incorporation of civil religion is used as a tool to support the “great moral principles that urge us all on a common course.”

Romney's Religion: Is it an Issue in 2012?

Mitt Romney's childhood narrative is not unlike that of any typical devout Mormon follower. Romney was born in 1947 to a devout Mormon family in Detroit. Like his forefathers, he spent time as a Mormon missionary, dedicating nearly 30 months of his life to preaching Mormon beliefs in Paris. He was so successful that he was soon promoted to co-president of the mission, overseeing 175 followers. Romney even transferred from Stanford to the renowned Morman University of Brigham Young and graduated at the top of his class. Throughout his life, Romney has tithed millions of dollars to charity, predominately charities sponsored by the LDS.

However, despite the prevalence of religion throughout Romney's childhood and his continued observance in adulthood, Romney's campaign platform is completely secular. For example, on Romney's campaign website his faith is not mentioned at all. Furthermore, in an interview on Fox News Radio, his response to the question of whether or not religion will play a key role in the 2012 election is simply that he has already “put the issue to bed” and that he a “conservative business man” who can turn the economy around.

Romney’s answer to this question is representation of the political calculations made by him and his campaign staff. Though Romney says his religion is no longer an issue, a June Gallup poll revealed that 22% of people would refuse to vote for a Mormon presidential candidate. Clearly he and his campaign staff agree that even though American’s preach freedom and religious tolerance, in practice, one’s religion can be a major campaign liability. In order to win the republican presidential nomination, Romney must run as a secular conservative business man.

The reason Romney’s religious appearance remains crucial is that a key voting bloc of the Republican Party, evangelical Christians, has the power to determine which presidential candidate receives the nomination. In order to avoid alienating these constituents, Romney must continue to distance himself from the LDS.

http://thehill.com/video/campaign/182133-romney-mormon-religion-isnt-the-most-important-issue