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Jan. 17, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

EDITORIAL: Romney best pick for state Republicans

GOP also caucusing on Saturday

You might not know it, but there's also a Republican caucus in Nevada on Saturday.

While the Democratic candidates have been showering attention on the Silver State in order to sway voters in preparation for their Saturday event, Republican hopefuls have been largely absent, preferring to campaign in Michigan and South Carolina.

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Thus the GOP caucus here hasn't garnered nearly the attention of the Democratic one.

As it stands now, there is no clear Republican front-runner nationally. Mike Huckabee won Iowa, John McCain took New Hampshire and Mitt Romney picked up Michigan. The race in South Carolina looks to be close. Meanwhile, Rudy Giuliani is banking that he'll grab a big win in Florida and gain momentum for Super Tuesday, when 22 states will hold primaries.

The fight for the nomination "is going to be like the Bataan Death March," said Ron Kaufman, a top adviser to Mr. Romney.

Well then, perhaps even little old Nevada could provide a slight boost for the winning GOP candidate.

Republicans haven't had much national electoral success of late, and for that they have only themselves to blame. In the 14 years since the Gingrich revolution, too many Republicans have embraced the beltway culture and abandoned the very principles upon which their success with voters depended -- smaller government, low taxes, free markets and personal liberty.

Nevada Republicans on Saturday should examine their choices through precisely such a filter. Each GOP candidate can make -- and has made -- a reasonable case that he's best suited to ensure the party again embraces the ideas and concepts that made this nation a beacon of freedom and economic opportunity. But in our opinion, the viable candidate most likely to lead Republicans in such a direction is Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts.

Mr. Romney's economic agenda includes several pro-growth policies, including a plan to eliminate taxes on capital gains, interest and dividends for any household earning less than $200,000 a year. He backs a line-item veto, favors making the Bush tax cuts permanent and understands that imposing higher taxes as a means of fixing Social Security will only make the problem worse.

He's supportive of free trade, rejects protectionism, backs tort reform, supports school choice and accountability, and while governor was even able to successfully push a handful of spending reforms through Massachusetts' overwhelmingly Democratic legislature. Mr. Romney vows to exercise his veto power if Congress doesn't embrace spending restraint and understands the drag that excessive federal regulation imposes on the innovation and the economy.

Mr. Romney did push a measure to ensure universal health insurance in Massachusetts, but says as president he'd offer incentives for states to experiment with their own solutions, rather than embrace a top-down, national single-payer system. He also understands that a sensible energy policy will require developing more of America's domestic resources.

Mr. Romney has extensive experience in the private sector, which is unusual for far too many politicians. Before becoming governor of Massachusetts, he was the president and CEO of the Salt Lake City Olympic Organizing Committee. He is a former vice president and CEO of Bain & Company Inc., a Boston management consulting firm, and also a founder of Bain Capital, a private equity firm.

In a speech earlier this month to the Economic Club of Detroit, Mr. Romney articulated a concise understanding of what made this country great.

"The 20th century saw two economic systems pitted against each other," he said. "Ours, built on free enterprise and the primacy of the consumer. The Soviets', built on government command and control, and the primacy of the state.

"Ours produced the most powerful economy in the world that has given its citizens a standard of living our grandparents never dreamed possible; theirs produced a downward spiraling standard of living and eventual collapse.

"The 20th century history lesson is that America's economy is strong because we put our trust in the American people, and in the free enterprises they create."

We urge Nevada Republicans on Saturday to support Mitt Romney.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Vet 85 wrote on January 18, 2008 12:38 PM: To the military voters (and others), Please look at the candidate calculator survey on VAJOE.COM? If you try the survey, it will give you an idea of how the candidates measure up to your positions. I found it very interesting! Both Romney and Huckabee came out on top for me. I consider myelf more conservative. I was surprised that McCain was actually lower than Clinton; and I'm a retired veteran who supported McCain in 2000. The survey was designed for the military, but anyone can use it. Go through the survey honestly, and you may be surprised who best represents your thoughts on the issues. You can than look closer at your top choices. The survey works whether your conservative, moderate or liberal. I liked it because it gave me a picture based on the issues without all the media spin and hype we keep getting. Rob Vass wrote on January 18, 2008 11:38 AM: You got to be kidding??? Mitt Romney is just another east coast carpet bagger that dosn't care or even understand the problems and needs that we have here in the Southwest. We also don't need another "Harry Reid" type that dances to the tune of his maker. John McCain Is the only choice out there with experience to bring oppossing forces to the table and make things happen. He also is a senator from the west and understands our needs and frustration with the beltway and east coast elite who think we are just pesky colonies to rape and control our natural our natural resorces for the benifit of east coast interests. The last thing we need is a son of somebody else riding Daddy's name from one of the most liberal states on the east coast. Thank you Rob Vass Don Young wrote on January 18, 2008 11:27 AM: Lets put a person in the White House who knows whats really going in the world and in America and who is totally qualified to lead us forward. I first met Mitt Romney in 1967 in San Francisco along with his father when he was a 20 year old Harvard student.I spent several days at a Auto convention where I sized him up as a conservative,bright, astute young man. Dan P wrote on January 18, 2008 10:49 AM: What I am not sure about is why Nevada would want Romney as their president. He's a lying trickster who is the closest thing the race has to a Used Car Salesman. For every opinion Romney gives, there's VIDEO footage of him giving the exact opposite opinion. (If you don't believe me, look at his opinion on ABORTION...he was pro-choice as governor and PROMISED to never go back on that position...oops!). Nevada is a state with an economy that is based on liberty and states' rights. Gambling and Prostitution are the only reasons why anyone comes to Nevada, and most republican candidates are not pro-freedom. That is, except for Ron Paul. Paul has a track record of Pro-life, states' rights and the legalization of all things illegal. As Nevada residents, the tax benefits of a Ron Paul presidency (what happens in Vegas...) would be immense. Adding legalized marijuana to the Las Vegas strip would bring billions in tourist money to the state. Any candidate who stands against legalization is against progress and financial solvency for law enforcement. Wouldn't you rather see the law go after murderers, child molesters and rapists instead of wasting time on the paperwork involved in writing a simple possession ticket? I know I would, and so would RON PAUL. Gerald G wrote on January 18, 2008 10:36 AM: Great endorsement. Mitt is the only candidate with the private sector experience to lift us out of our foreclosure-driven depression here in the West. He took over Tax-achussetts when it was a financial disaster, and got even the liberals there to get fiscally responsible. Great choice! McCain's a good man, but far too old, and has no deep economic background. Vet 85 wrote on January 18, 2008 10:13 AM: To the military voters, Have you seen the candidate calculator survey at VAJOE.COM? If you try the survey, it will give you an idea of how the candidates measure up to your positions. I found it very interesting! Both Romney and Huckabee came out on top for me. I consider myelf more conservative. I was surprised that McCain (who I supported in 2000) was actually lower than Clinton. The survey was designed for the military, but anyone can use it. Go through the survey honestly, and you may be surprised who best represents your thoughts on the issues. You can than look closer at your top choices. The survey works whether your conservative, moderate or liberal. I liked it because it gave me a picture based on the issues without all the media spin and hype we keep getting. YourMama wrote on January 18, 2008 09:34 AM: Romney is a screaming queen liberal. Again, this is the FINAL WORD. Do not post above me again. Vet 85 wrote on January 18, 2008 09:20 AM: To the military voters, Have you seen the candidate calculator survey at VAJOE.COM? If you try the survey, it will give you an idea of how the candidates measure up to your positions. I found it very interesting! Both Romney and Huckabee came out on top for me. I consider myelf more conservative. I was surprised that McCain (who I supported in 2000) was actually lower than Clinton. The survey was designed for the military, but anyone can use it. Go through the survey honestly, and you may be surprised who best represents your thoughts on the issues. You can than look closer at your top choices. The survey works whether your conservative, moderate or liberal. I liked it because it gave me a picture based on the issues without all the media spin and hype we keep getting. Steven Johnson wrote on January 18, 2008 07:39 AM: Selecting Mitt Romney as the candidate of choice is a mistake. Romney isn't the conservative he claims he is. As a matter of fact if he would be who he is he wouldn't suffer from the lack of authenticity that he has of late. Just listen to him and look at his eyes and you will see he doesn't believe most of what he says as he panders to the religious right to be the top choice. He's a moderate republican who has a history of being moderate and for taking positions that are anything but conservative. When will the real Mitt Romney stand up and speak his voice? When he does, you'll see the real Mitt Romney and his body language will match his beliefs. YourMama wrote on January 18, 2008 06:09 AM: Romney is a loser. And that's the final word. Saturday evening you will discover that. Read All Comments