[Vigilanteman]

Romney isn't my favorite choice. He's far too liberal. However, for a combination of conservative credentials and electability, he isn't a bad choice.

He's shown himself very capable of fiscal management, having turned two thinks around which were considered FUBAR-- the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and Massachusetts. He did make an attempt to reign in the Massachusetts supreme court on the gay marriage thing and took his opposition about as far as was realistically possible in that state. He is on record as being pro-life, though I can't say what he has actually done (or even could have done) as governor of Massachusetts.

The few times I've seen him on C-Span, he does come across as a very good speaker and has the looks that should appeal to the soccer mom crowd. He also seems to be one of the few with the backbone to take on Hillary rather than shrink.

He does have an interesting tie-in to the reddest of the red states and the bluest of the blue states. Still, I'm not really enthused about him and I can't say why. Maybe it is just the New England connection. The last really good president to come from that region was Calvin Coolidge. So count me skeptical, for now.

This could change if he were to name a solid conservative (preferably a southern governor) to the second spot on the ticket. Right now, all the contenders mentioned are either RINOs (Guliani, McCain) or have personal problems or backgounds which would render them unelectable (Allen, Gingrich).

[COBOL2Java]

This could change if he were to name a solid conservative (preferably a southern governor) to the second spot on the ticket.

Like Allen? Former VA governor...

[Alfonso1000]

What liberal positions does Romney have?

[samtheman]

He does have an interesting tie-in to the reddest of the red states and the bluest of the blue states. Still, I'm not really enthused about him and I can't say why.

I can say why, in one word: Mormonism.

Not that I personally hold that against him. He's proven to my satisfaction in Mass that he governs as a political leader, not as a Mormon. I would vote for him (if he gets the nomination) and have no qualms about his faith.

But I have great fear that Mormonism will turn off a great many people who would otherwise vote for anybody but Hillary.

Mormonism is too freaking freaky. The people of Mass didn't worry about it, and it proved not to be a problem.

But I don't trust the national electorate -- choosing their next President -- not to worry about it.

And that's what worries me about Mitt.