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Byron York spoke to some conservatives in South Carolina, and concludes that Romney has "serious repair work to do" in light of recent publicity regarding his past pro-choice views and his statement during a 1994 debate with Ted Kennedy that, "I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush. I'm not trying to return to Reagan-Bush" (which contrasts with Romney's current contention that Reagan was one of his heroes).

The article makes an interesting point on the evolution of Romney's abortion position:

Oran Smith, pro-life, questions Romney's explanation in a more subtle way. In talks with conservative Christians, Smith points out, Romney has often addressed the issue of his Mormon faith by saying something to the effect of, "Our faiths are different, but they bring us to the same positions on the issues." But by all accounts, Romney was a faithful Mormon when he was solidly pro-choice, and he is a faithful Mormon today when he is solidly pro-life. How, precisely, did his faith bring him to different positions, then and now? "Christians generally like for someone to have a conversion experience and a mea culpa moment," says Smith. "But he doesn't have that to turn to. He can't say, 'My faith changed, and therefore my views changed.' That's the normal thing with Republicans who move to the right on some issues - they claim to have had some spiritual transformation."

topics:
Abortion