‘Central casting’ image wearing thin
In unusually stark language, the newspaper in New Hampshire’s capital calls former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney “a phony” and tells its readers Sunday that he “most surely must be stopped” in next month’s first-in-the-nation primary.
The Concord Monitor published an editorial slamming the GOP presidential candidate for flip-flopping on issues. It also criticized him for his central-casting appearance.
With “an athletic build, ramrod posture, Reaganesque hair, a charismatic speaking style and a crisp dark suit” along with “a beautiful wife and family, a wildly successful business career and just enough executive government experience” Romney espouses “some old GOP bromides — spending cuts and lower taxes — plus some new positions for 2008: anti-immigrant rhetoric and a focus on faith,” the editorial says.
The Concord Monitor editorial page is considered to be liberal.
But Romney‘s record makes him “a disquieting figure who sure looks like the next president and most surely must be stopped,” the editorial added.
It compared Romney’s stances as governor of Massachusetts with those taken as a presidential candidate and found glaring differences.
“If you followed only his tenure as governor of Massachusetts, you might imagine Romney as a pragmatic moderate with liberal positions on numerous social issues and an ability to work well with Democrats,” it said. Read the editorial
“If you followed only his campaign for president, you’d swear he was a red-meat conservative, pandering to the religious right, whatever the cost. Pay attention to both, and you’re left to wonder if there’s anything at all at his core.”