Character

Governor Romney's performance at last night's Presidential debate on foreign policy was surprising.   It seemed that he essentially agreed with what President Obama has done in foreign policy, only claiming that he would have done everything sooner, later, or louder as the particular situation may have required.   Easy to say.   Governor Romney's stances last night seemed wildly variant from his previous belligerent, neo-con positions.   I guess that is par for the course.   I have seen a dozen different collections of videos documenting Governor Romney's "flip flops" on various issues.   It is troubling that he seems to be a virtual human chameleon, able to change his positions, seemingly on a minute-by-minute basis.    I think that calling him a "flip flopper" is too benign a term for his conduct over the past few years as he has pursued the Presidency.   Not only has he changed positions 180 degrees on virtually every important issue as the situation has required, but he has repeatedly and vehemently denied ever having had any different positions in the past.   You can easily find video on virtually all of his previous positions from past speeches to prove that he has changed his positions.   Denying that you have altered your stances to me is far more than mere "flip flopping." That really and truly is lying.   I have been following politics for a long time now and I fully realize that all politicians, President Obama included, sometimes "spin" the facts and fudge a bit.   I think we just have to accept "spin" as part of the process.   But I have never seen a candidate for President of the United States repeatedly just out and out misrepresent his positions and his past positions so shamelessly.   Rachel Maddow last night said that she finds Governor Romney's dishonesty "disqualifying."   I have to agree.   We have certainly had some skunks in the Oval Office but I am still idealistic enough to believe that a successor to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt should be a person of strong, honorable character.    In fact, the original meaning of character of course, is that a person has a consistency and constancy in his/her principles and actions.   If we have learned anything in this long Presidential campaign, we have learned that Governor Romney has no consistency or constancy.   He apparently has no character.   Now, of course, Republican partisans will respond that President Barack Obama is a liar and does the same type of things that Romney does.   Here is my answer to those people.   Show me your tape.   Show me your videotape of Barack Obama changing positions on important issues and claiming that he has never had any different positions.   What, you say?   You don't have such a videotape.   That is surely because Republicans can't make such a videotape.   If Barack Obama had done what Romney has done, saying vastly different things to different audiences, you can bet your last dollar that the Republican spin machine would have the videotape out there.   Fox News would be airing such a video night and day.   The plain fact of the matter is that Barack Obama has been consistent and responsible.   President Obama has demonstrated his character throughout his Presidency and throughout this long campaign.   Mitt Romney simply does not meet the high standards of character that we Americans require in a candidate for our highest office.