I have a problem with politicians who change their positions for political expediency. I have an issue with public officials who speak from two sides of their mouth. I have a beef with elected officials who think the electorate is so dumb that they can't remember what has taken place a year ago.
That is exactly what GOP presidential nominee Gov. Mitt Romney did this morning on "Meet the Press" on NBC.
During a rare interview with NBC, Romney, contended that if elected he won't eliminate all of President Obama's signature health care law.
In Romney's own words " "I'm not getting rid of all of health care reform," referring to those with pre-existing conditions. This is a very interesting seismic shift given the Romney that we've come to know on the campaign trail.
When he appeared before the NAACP Romney put it bluntly that he will get rid of Obamacare.
Why all of a sudden has Mitt Romney decided to change gears?
Is it because voters are becoming more and more aware of the benefits of the new health law?
Has Romney decided that in order to win he can't appear to be a "no candidate" like the Republican leadership in Congress has proven?
Apparently Romney must be reverting back to the old Romney supported and successfully pushed for a universal health program in Massachusetts similar to Obamacare.
Will the old Romney with moderate positions surface in the presidential race before we get to the debates?
I've always believed that there are people out there who are smart and intelligent enough to know that not everyone buys into extreme right wing dogma that Romney has bought into recently.
Whenever politicians begin to change positions I'm always suspect of their motives. It is hard to trust some of them because they sometimes promise to build bridges where there is no river.
Bankole Thompson is Editor of the Michigan Chronicle and author of a six-part book series on the Obama presidency. His book "Obama and Black Loyalty" published in 2010 follows his recent book "Obama and Christian Loyalty" with a foreword by Bob Weiner former White House spokesman. " A radio and television analyst, Thompson is the first editor of a major African American newspaper to have a series of sit-down interviews with Barack Obama. E-mail bthompson@michronicle.com
Bankole Thompson is a Senior Author-in-Residence at Global Mark Makers Publishing House in Iowa where he is writing a groundbreaking six-part book series on the Obama presidency. His book "Obama and Black Loyalty" published in 2010 follows his recent book "Obama and Christian Loyalty" with a foreword by Bob Weiner former White House spokesman. His forthcoming books in 2012 are "Obama and Jewish Loyalty" and "Obama and Business Loyalty." He is the first editor of a major African American newspaper to have a series of sit-down interviews with Barack Obama. Thompson is also a Senior Political News Analyst at WDET-101.9FM Detroit (NPR Affiliate) and a member of the weekly "Obama Watch" Sunday evening round table on WLIB-1190AM New York and simulcast in New Jersey and Connecticut