Grand Rapids Press Endorses Romney
>Grand Rapids Press Editorial Board
January 11, 2008
Many issues will confront the nation in the next four years, from the ongoing threat of terrorism to the need to find a sensible immigration policy. For Michigan, however, one challenge dominates: the economy. We stand at a critical moment, bearing on our backs a worst-in-the-nation unemployment rate, staring at an uncertain future.
When it comes to Michigan's challenges and needs, the passion and knowledge of Mr. Romney tip the scales in his favor. During a visit with Press editors this week, Mr. Romney vowed, "I will not sleep until Michigan is strong and active and vibrant again." Because of that focus, MITT ROMNEY has our vote in the Republican presidential primary. We do so in the context of the current president, who has paid only cursory attention to the Detroit Three auto makers and Michigan's manufacturing woes.
Democrats will hold a primary, of sorts, the same day as Republicans. That race, however, is a disappointing non-contest. Four candidates -- most notably, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina -- scratched their names from the ballot, bowing to party rules. That leaves Democratic voters here a false choice among New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, minor players, and an artificial protest vote of "uncommitted." The Press, therefore, will not endorse in Michigan's Democratic presidential primary, regrettably. We, and Michigan as a whole, deserved to have a say in that contest.
Mr. Romney first came to the national stage as the turnaround man for the scandal-plagued 2002 Winter Olympics in Utah. His deft handling of the bribery mess and deficit is a case study in successful management. He served as governor of Massachusetts for one term, ending in 2006. There, he worked with the Legislature to enact a law that required every citizen of the state to have health insurance, and provided state aid for those who couldn't afford it. As president, he said he would push states to enact their own health care solutions. He would aggressively pursue alternative energy and energy efficiency. He supports merit pay for teachers and more educational choices for parents and children, ideas that deserve furtherance in Washington. The next president will need to transcend the stunting polarities that bedevil Washington. As the Republican leader of a Democratic state, Mr. Romney had to reach across partisan boundaries.
Mr. Romney's father, George Romney, served as governor of Michigan in the 1960s, a tie that strengthens his understanding of Michigan. He knows that this state's job losses and struggle to find a new economic footing are the "canary in the mine," as he rightly put it, for the nation as a whole.
On the issue that matters most to Michigan, Mr. Romney's message resonates. In Grand Rapids this week, he said, "Michigan's one-state recession will come to an end if I'm president." That's a bold promise. Michigan voters should increase his chance to make it reality. |
