Mitt Romney has changed his position on a variety of issues since his first term as governor of liberal Massachusetts. In doing so, he broadened his appeal with voters but also became a target for staunch conservatives, who question his motives and the authenticity of his White House aspirations.
Like other moderate governors from blue states, Romney says the evolution of his views showcase the flexibility needed for effective governing rather than political opportunism.
“I think people understand that I’m a man of steadiness and constancy,” he said during last week’s debate. “I don’t think you’re going to find somebody who has more of those attributes than I do.”
Here are some of the more notable issues in which Romney has moved to the right:
> Health care: As governor, Romney agreed to a plan requiring all Massachusetts residents to obtain health insurance. He now vows to repeal President Obama’s health care overhaul, which includes the same requirement for all Americans, saying each state should be allowed to chooses its own plan.
> Guns: While running for the U.S. Senate, Romney distanced himself from the National Rifle Association. A decade later, as governor, he signed an assault weapons ban, saying their “sole purpose” was “hunting down and killing people.” The next year he declared a “Right to Bear Arms Day” and later became a lifetime member of the NRA.
> Abortion: Romney supported abortion rights while running for governor. In 2005, he wrote an op-ed saying that his position had evolved and declared himself firmly pro-life.
> Global warming: For years, Romney agreed that humans played a role in climate change and pushed for tighter standards on emissions and greenhouse gases. As a presidential candidate, Romney said in August that he didn’t know whether humans were contributing to global warming.
-Brian Hughes
