25 February 2008
Another Romney Considers Politics
Posted by Joy Bischoff under: Presidential Election 2008; What's News .
Josh Romney mulling politics
Utahns may get the chance to vote for a Romney this November after all — Josh Romney, the son of former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, says he’s considering a run for Congress.
Of course, there’s always the possibility that Mitt Romney may end up on the ballot as a vice presidential candidate — or even, some suggest, the party’s nominee if the campaign of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., continues to falter.Josh Romney told the Deseret Morning News that after a year of campaigning across country for his father, he’s been approached to run as a Republican against 2nd Congressional District Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah.
“I haven’t ruled it out,” Josh Romney, 32, of Millcreek, said of becoming a candidate himself. “I’m pretty young, but I’ve had good experience on the campaign trail.” Plus, he said, he likely could count on his father’s supporters here in Utah.
The article discussed the Mormon issue in the political race. Here is part of what Josh said:
At the beginning of the campaign, he said, there was much more attention on Mitt Romney’s faith, including a Newsweek cover story. “People, when all they knew about my dad was that he was a Mormon, they had a lot of questions about it,” Josh Romney said.
That interest had lessened as the campaign season wore on, he said, until Huckabee raised the question of whether Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil are brothers during a New York Times interview in December.
That may have hurt his father’s campaign, because “it highlighted the fact that his religious views were different” and turned attention back to Mormonism for a few weeks, he said. “It was a smart political move for Gov. Huckabee.”
Although there’s been some suggestion Mormons didn’t benefit from the scrutiny the campaign brought to their faith, Josh Romney believes the attention was helpful. “We’re a people who are proud of our beliefs and want to share our beliefs,” he said.
Josh Romney said that while he was disappointed his father’s campaign didn’t succeed, he felt some relief, too. He said he and other family members had mixed feelings about giving up their privacy and not seeing much of Mitt Romney over the next four to eight years.
“I was not that upset,” Josh Romney said. “I didn’t cry or anything.”
Don’t look for Josh Romney to hit the campaign trail for McCain, even though his father likely will soon.
“It’s one thing to campaign for my dad, someone whose principles I line up with almost entirely,” he said. “I can’t say the same thing for Sen. McCain.”
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695256036,00.html
I am not convinced Josh will end up voting for John McCain. I know I can’t.
6 Comments so far...
Jan W. Says:
25 February 2008 at 9:50 pm.
Mondays are usually a little slow but it is extra quiet around here today.
Jan W. Says:
25 February 2008 at 9:52 pm.
Stumpy are you out there? I think reading this about Josh makes me kind of sad. I switched from being a Fred supporter to Mitt and really learned to love his family. This kind of brings up the sadness from what happened. I do wish Josh well though.
Hank Says:
25 February 2008 at 10:09 pm.
I can only speak for myself but sometimes it gets feeling lonely not having a dog in the hunt. I feel like I’m being left out of the process. I keep coming here because I want to do what Jefferson said and keep eternal vigilance. I don’t want Joy calling me a sunshine soldier.
Cavetrollhead Says:
25 February 2008 at 10:45 pm.
Good for you Hank. You are an inspiration. Eternal Vigilance is a great motto.
As for the young Romney, I wish he would go for Hatch’s or Bennett’s Senate seat.
That is just a half baked idea but I am frustrated with them. They seem to be moldy oldies to me. I am frustrated with the republicans in this state opposing the storage of nuclear waste here in Utah. Everyone on the Hill keeps preaching energy independence but they won’t let nuclear waste into their state though it is very safe. It would be a sacrifice to their political careers.
Nuclear fuel is the answer to so many energy and safety problems. I don’t expect the Dems to support it but the Rs should.
I know this is a bit of a one dimensional take on things but I think the nuclear storage issue is a microcosm for the problem with Utah’s career politicians they are not willing to offend the voters to get something done.
Besides, I don’t think Romney can win in Matheson’s district.
Chuck C Says:
25 February 2008 at 11:18 pm.
I hadn’t refreshed this site for awhile and had just copied the following from the Deseret News to put in the News and Comments section:
Josh Romney told the Deseret Morning News that after a year of campaigning across country for his father, he’s been approached to run as a Republican against 2nd Congressional District Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah.
I don’t know much about him, but may be interested in helping to unseat Matheson.
Chuck C Says:
25 February 2008 at 11:39 pm.
Henry, I doubt anyone would call you a sunshine soldier. Eternal vigilance!
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