You Gotta Hand it to Mitt
When I noted in my February 7th post that Mitt Romney’s eloquent defense of his vote to impeach Trump had “righted me” (after being turned upside down by the political riptide), I sensed it was no lone anomaly of conscious. The Senator (R-Utah) has proven me right, while proving to be the veritable poster boy for dissent in his own party (when most others continue their blind allegiance days after the presidential polls have closed).
His simple declaration that, “It's a sad day when voting your conscience gets you a reprimand from your own party,” rings true with the kind of irrefutable, unvarnished mid-western morality I associate with Harry Truman or Will Rogers (and most of us imagine we embody ourselves).
But that doesn’t mean he’s some modern-day Milquetoast. Romney can throw political shade with the best of them. “We have long referred to him as 'The Donald,'” said Romney during Trump’s 2016 race. “He’s the only person in the entire country to whom we have added an article before his name. And it wasn't because he had attributes we admired.” Romney, on the other hand, is proving to have many.
Romney criticizing false claims of election-fixing
I imagine the more left leaning among us will balk at my applauding the man who, while being the only Republican senator to vote for impeachment, also voted to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court. And in part, that’s why I’m writing this post. No candidate can be all things to all people. Bipartisanship demands mutual respect and compromise to truly work. Romney has been called a relative moderate in Trump’s party and a relatively independent voice. Call him what you will, but at this political moment, I think his common sense and willingness to find common ground is worth calling out.
In sharp contrast to Trump’s nonsensical wooing of suburban female voters (relegating them to June Cleaver status by promising to secure their husbands jobs), Romney admits to his party’s shortcomings, saying, “We've got some work to do if we [want to] bring back suburban women into our party,” and “Do we need to do better with young people and minorities in particular? Absolutely.”
From blasting Trump for, “The greed, the showing off, the misogyny, and absurd third grade theatrics” to rebuking his “flagrant assault on our electoral rights, national security, and fundamental values,” Romney has continued to do, “What [his] oath and the constitution demands of [him],” regardless of party lines.
He was one of the first to acknowledge last week’s Democratic victory, tweeting, “Ann and I extend our congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. We know both as people of good will and admirable character. We pray that God may bless them in the days and years ahead."
One of the first Republicans to congratulate Biden and Harris
He displayed that same respect for the institution in his own 2012 concession speech, saying, “ Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for [Barack] and this great nation.”
Today, a full week after the election, he is still nearly alone among Republicans who, says The Economist, “Prefer to go along with [the] dangerous fiction that the electoral process needs questioning, rather than conclude that the president is a sufficiently diminished force to cross.”
With Republican Twitter followers thanking Romney, “For having the grace to be a decent American when your GOP senate colleagues do not;” and naming him, “The one person [they] would love Biden to include in his cabinet,” I’m tempted to believe that we are not as divided a nation as some of the extreme Trumpsters would suggest. I expect Romney’s level-headedness will continue to give us reasons to believe.
Denouncing Trump’s false fixed election claims on CNN Tuesday, Romney quoted Hamilton, reminding viewers that, “The world has its eyes on us. And it’s essential that the institution be given credibility.” Hoping that the ugly rift dividing our two parties can be healed, I imagine more and more eyes will be on Romney, too.
Kindness and character are always easier on the eyes.