Glemser

JanellGlemser
ProfessorBass
ENG10186
October22,2012
FlipFlopsDoNotFitPoliticians
Iamanindependentvoter,butevenIcantellflipflopsandpoliticiansdonotseemtogowelltogether.Asfor
presidentialcandidateMittRomney,onemaysecondguessthecorrelationofthetwo.Extensiveresearchofthetwo

candidatesrunningforpresidencyinthe2012electionledmetoconcludeMittRomneycannotbedependedontokeep
adefinitiveopinion,orhowheplanstoapproachcertainissuesournationfaces.Hischaracterdisplaysindecisiveness
overandoveragainsurroundingafewspecificissues.Theonlythingheseemstobesureaboutishispoliticalparty
status,aRepublican,andamemberofthe1%club.Romneyseemstobefororagainstbasedonthemajorityweight,
sohecanachievethemostvotes.TolistafewexamplesofthenationsissuesinwhichRomneyhasprovento
flipflop,betweenareabortionrights,guncontrolandimmigrationlaws.
In2002,duringhisrunforgovernorofMassachusetts,Mittstatedhewould,respectandwillprotecta
womensrighttochoose.Thischoiceisadeeplypersonalone.Womenshouldbefreetochoosebasedontheirown
beliefs,notmineandnotthegovernments.(Garofoli,2012)Clearly,Romneyisprochoicebelievingwomenshould
haveachoicetoabortornot.However,ataneventinOctoberof2011,Romneytoldprolifeattendees,Itislongpast
timefortheSupremeCourttoreturntheissueofabortionbacktothestatesbyoverturningRoev.Wade.(Bohon,
2012)Contrarytobeingprochoicein2002,Romneynowdisplayshispositiontothatofbeingprolife.Manywould

questionRomneyspositionontheissueofabortionduetohimflipfloppingbetweenprochoiceandprolife.Togivea
betterunderstandingofRomneysindecisivenessregardingabortionhereareafewofRomneysviewsinhisown
words,"Roev.Wadehasgonetoofar,(MittRomneyFlipFlops)IbelievethatsinceRoev.Wadehasbeenthelaw
for20yearsweshouldsustainandsupportit,(MittRomneyFlipFlops)IamprolifeandIsupportprolife
legislation.IthinktheRoev.Wadeonesizefitsallapproachiswrong.(Kinnard,2007)
Inadditiontoabortion,ifelectedforpresident,Romneywillfacetheissuesofguncontrol.Thissubjectisalso

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oneRomneydoesnotshowaclearordirectpositionon.HeopposedfittinginwiththeNationalRifleAssociation
(NRA),butsincehasjoinedthegroup.RomneywaschallengedbyBobSchieffer,hostofCBSFacetheNationin
2007instating,"Youoncesaid,WedohavetoughgunlawsinMassachusetts,Isupportthem,Iwon'tchipawayat
them.Ibelievetheyprotectus.Nowyousayyouareagunowner.YouhavejoinedtheNationalRifleAssociation,
aftersayingatonepoint,Idon'tlineupwiththeNationalRifleAssociation.Whywouldyoujointhatgroup?"
(Jacobson).Romneyssupportfor,inhisownwords,toughergunlaws,duringhis2002campaigninMassachusetts
maybethereasonwhyhedoesnotlineupwiththeNRA.In2004,asgovernor,hesignedwhattheAPwouldlater
calloneofthetoughestassaultweaponslawsinthecountry.(Singal,2012).Thesestatementsgiveanillusionthat
Romneyisproguncontrol.However,whatwouldonethinkiftheyfirstreadthefollowingquotesstatedbyRomney?

RomneywasquestionedbyamemberoftheNRAonhisstanceonguncontrolduringhisrecentpresidentialcampaign.
Romneysresponsewas,I'vebeenahunterprettymuchallmylife.(Singal,2012).HiscampaignlatersaidthatIn
fact,Romneyhadonlyhuntedtwotimes:duringarabbithuntingtripinIdahowhenhewas15andataGeorgiaquail
huntorganizedduringtheRepublicanGovernorsAssociationin2006.(Singal,2012).Romneyadmittedtoreporters
twodayslaterthathedidnotownagun,butwasamemberoftheNRA.Headmittedpayingforhislifetime
membershipsixmonthspriorandclaimsitwasacalculatedmove.ImaftertheNRAsendorsement,hetoldan

audienceinDerry,N.H.Imnotsuretheyllgiveittome.Ihopetheywill.IalsojoinedbecauseifImgoingtoaskfor

theirendorsement,theyregoingtoaskformine.(Singal,2012).IcannotspeakforeveryAmericanwhowillbevoting
thiselection,butwhatdoesthissayaboutthismanthatmaypossiblyberunningournation?
ImmigrantsandimmigrationlawsisanothersensitiveissueforAmericans.Ifelected,Romneywillbeexpected

toproduceanacceptable,definitiveplanpertainingtothisissue.Romneysinitialstancebeinghewouldnottakeaway,

butmoreso,supportyoungimmigrantswhothispolicybenefits.ThefirstflipflopcomeswhenRomneystates,hewoul
notrevoketheworkauthorizationandtwoyearreprievefromdeportationissuedunderPresidentObama'sspecial
programforDREAMActeligibleyouthbecausetheyhad"purchased"itbypayinga$465fee.Thenflipfloppingon
hisflipflopthepreviousday,Romneysaidhewouldendtheprogramandnotacceptnewapplicantsifelected.
(DemocraticUnderground)Tospeakofpeopleslivesandenvironmentsasitemspurchasedinastoreisunacceptable,

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andespeciallyfromanindividualwhoAmericansshouldlookuptoandrespect.Theseyoungthoughttobe
Americans,areinnocentbystandersandshouldbeexcusedfromdeportation.Ofcourse,thisisapersonalopinion,but
letsjusttakeawalkintheirhardworkingshoesforjustonedayandtrytoseethroughtheireyes.Somedidnothave

anyknowledgewhatsoevertheywerenotanAmericancitizen.Ifitwerenotforthemtryingtoapplyforemploymentor
colleges,whichrequiredocumentstoprovecitizenship,theywouldstillbelivinghowtheyalwayshavebeen......as
proudAmericans.

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(n.d.).RetrievedOctober20,2012,fromMittRomneyFlipFlops:
http://mittromneyflipflops.com/#javascript:void(0)

Bohon,D.(2012,October17).AtPresidentialDebate,ObamaShillsforPlannedParenthood.Retrieved
October23,2012,fromTheNewAmerican:
http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faithandmorals/item/13252atpresidentialdebateobamashillsforpl
annedparenthood

DemocraticUnderground.(n.d.).RomneyFlipFlopsonImmigration.RetrievedOctober25,2012,from
DemocraticUnderground:http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251125365

Garofoli,J.(2012,October22).Lies,HalftruthsandContradictions:MittRomneysflipfloponcontraception|
PoliticsBlog|anSFGate.comblog.RetrievedOctober22,2012,fromSFGate:
http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2012/10/18/lieshalftruthsandcontradictionsmittromney%e2%80%99sfl
ipfloponcontraception/

Jacobson,L.(n.d.).DidMittRomneyflipfloponguncontrol?RetrievedOctober25,2012,fromPolitifact:
http://www.politifact.com/truthometer/statements/2012/may/18/mittromney/mittromneyexhibitsmarkedcha
ngegunrhetoric/

Kinnard,M.(2007,7April).ASSOC.PRESS.RomneySidestepsQuestiononAbortionUltrasoundPlan.

Singal,J.(2012,July25).RomneysFlipFlopsonGunControlOvertheYears.RetrievedOctober25,2012,
fromTheDailyBeast:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/25/romneysflipflopsonguncontrolovertheyears.html