The American Spectator

Print Email

Text Size

Political Hay

(Page 2 of 2)

They are, of course, not viewed that way at all. The principles of Lincoln and Reagan carried the day precisely because each man was able to stare at the "data" -- however gruesome or frightening it might be -- and not blink. They are seen as great presidents and great leaders today because they understood at a visceral level that they should hold fast, refuse to yield to overwhelming demands from critics that they follow the data or that they adhere to a process that used something other than casualties or deficit projections as a measuring stick. Lincoln would not cave on the principles of holding the Union together and the most basic principle of America -- freedom. Reagan would not yield on the central conservative principle that tax cuts and less government spending were in fact the keys to America's future economic vitality.

In other words, in a battle between data and principle, both men rated recently in a poll as the top two greatest presidents in American history (Lincoln first, Reagan second) chose principle over data. They have not only been vindicated but are held out as treasured exemplars of what a president is supposed to be. Romney, already struggling with charges he has changed his principles on abortion and gay rights and indeed on when he decided it was OK to admit he was an enthusiastic Reaganite, is basing his entire campaign on the very notion that process is everything.

Gulp.

ONE OF THE SUBTLE IMAGES of Romney's recent speech on religion is perhaps not understood by Romney's advisers. Where did Romney go to deliver his talk on principle? And who introduced him? The site was the presidential library of former president George H.W. Bush -- the former president himself in his always gracious fashion introducing Romney.

Yet Romney did not need a visit to the Bush Library to understand why the Library does not contain the papers of a two-term president. The reason, of course, is that then-Vice President George H.W. Bush campaigned for the presidency in 1988 on the principle he phrased as "read my lips -- no new taxes." He won. Yet in the name of precisely the process Romney lovingly describes -- gathering data and looking for trends -- the first President Bush was persuaded by Romney-esque advisers like then-Treasury aide Richard Darman to surrender bedrock conservative principle and raise taxes. The senior Bush was advised to choose data and process over principle. He did -- and in short order had lots of time on his hands to decide the process for building a library about a one-term president while Bill and Hillary took charge.

Not to be left out of this point is the Democrat who successfully campaigned for president based on fixing the process in Washington -- Jimmy Carter. As a nuclear engineer, naval officer, successful businessman, Carter's central point in the 1976 election was about his devotion to process. Then there was that Romney predecessor as governor of Massachusetts, Democrat Michael Dukakis, who earnestly campaigned in 1988 against Bush I on a process issue, competence in government.

Would Mitt Romney make a better president than anyone on the other side? With no disrespect for Oprah -- of course.

But if conservatives have learned anything since 1964 it is this: principles count. A principle presidency always trumps a process presidency. Lincoln did better than Hoover, Reagan did better than Bush I or Carter. Better heading in the right direction with a faulty process than zipping along in the wrong direction simply because the process and the data are telling you things are wonderfully efficient. A train making exceptional time to Boston is useless if in fact you wanted to go to Miami.

Mitt Romney is clearly one decent guy, one very, very accomplished human being. He has announced where he stands on the issues of the day, putting himself head and shoulders above a Clinton, Obama or Edwards. But as conservatives head into caucus and primary season, they should not be hesitant to question what appears to be his addiction to process for the sake of process.

Go back to Fred Barnes's Romney quote, the one where Romney says he looks for a "new alternative that everybody agrees is the right way to go." What Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan shared was a core belief that in fact it was a better thing for some principles to triumph over others. "Everybody" did not agree with Lincoln that freedom was better than slavery, that keeping the Union together was better than not, or with Reagan that the free market and tax cuts philosophy was a better philosophy than one of big government and tax increases. But they went ahead anyway.

Is there a place for data? Is there value in process? Sure.

But base an entire presidency on the importance of data and process over principle? Is this what Mitt Romney would do? Is this where a Romney presidency would lead? If so, conservatives have been here before.

It is not a good place to be.

topics:
Taxes, Hillary Clinton, Business, Religion, Abortion, Law, Military, Immigration