OPINION:
Mitt Romney used to be a man of high moral principles — a gentleman among the coarse, a voice of reason in the political rough. Or so it seemed.
And then he started climbing political ladders and lost his moral compass. He went hypocritical, when he should have gone principled.
His religious-tied facade of courtesy first noticeably faded in 2016, when he shocked with comments critical of then-candidate Donald Trump that went above and beyond policy, into downright personal.
“I am far from the first to conclude that Donald Trump lacks the temperament to be president,” Romney said, in March of 2016, as Politico wrote.
“Dishonesty is Trump’s hallmark,” he went on.
“His is not the temperament of a stable, thoughtful leader,” he added.
“Think of Donald Trump’s personal qualities, the bullying, the greed, the showing off, the misogyny, the absurd third grade theatrics,” he continued.
“There are a number of people who claim that Mr. Trump is a con man, a fake. There is indeed evidence of that,” he said.
“Here’s what I know,” he finished. “Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He’s playing the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House and all we get is a lousy hat. His domestic policies would lead to recession. His foreign policies would make America and the world less safe. He has neither the temperament nor the judgment to be president. And his personal qualities would mean that America could cease to be a shining city on a hill.”
Whew. That’s quite a mouthful, yes?
Not only was Romney outlandishly critical of Trump back in 2016 — he was also wrong. During that same speech, Romney also said this: “A person so untrustworthy and dishonest as Hillary Clinton must not become president. But a Trump nomination enables her victory.”
Not quite.
Here’s the real eye-opener with Romney, though — the sounding of the gong that signals the exiting of his morals: “Mitt Romney accepts Trump’s endorsement in campaign for Senate,” as ABC News wrote in a headline in February, 2018.
If Trump disgusts Romney so much, why take the endorsement?
The answer, of course, is that Romney’s a low-principle guy. A few years ago, facing off against Barack Obama, Romney seemed a face of moral steadfastness, a reassuring presence on the political stage. His policies may not have been overly conservative — some, in fact, were downright Democrat in type. Can you say Romney-care? But he seemed to stand on moral high grounds.
He seemed gracious, almost to a fault.
Now? Now his ground has turned to finely grained sand. His fall from grace has become complete.
In a Washington Post opinion piece, Romney, once again, took shots at Trump.
“Trump’s words and actions have caused dismay around the world,” he wrote.
Maybe. But that’s only half the story. The fuller truth is this: Trump’s words and actions have caused dismay among the globalists and elitists around the world, and in this country. And that includes Romney.
Romney gets lumped into that category of globalists and elitists.
He’s a once-dignified man who’s let politics and personal ambition cloud his compass. In other words, he’s nothing but a politician.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley.
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