Mitt Romney's first interview with a British paper

Today’s London Times story on Mass. Governor and undeclared Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is headlined: “Mitt, the rising star, catches Thatcher vote.” (Yes, another grin or groan headline. - JinC)

The atory by Sarah Baxter is worth a read. It’s self-described as Romney’s “first interview with a British newspaper,” but it's also a critical profile.

Excerpts:

In an essential rite of passage for American politicians, Mitt Romney was ushered into the presence of Baroness Thatcher at a Washington think tank last month. If not quite an official anointing, the handshake and chat with so venerable a figure was an unmistakable sign to conservatives that he was “one of us”.

The improbably handsome right-wing governor of left-wing Massachusetts is generating enormous buzz as the conservative with the best chance of beating the independent-minded Senator John McCain for the 2008 Republican nomination. When his term in office expires in January, Romney is expected to throw himself helter-skelter into the presidential race. […]

Romney looks like a taller version of Martin Sheen in The West Wing, has been married to his high school sweetheart for 37 years and has five photogenic children. At 59 he is no youngster but is frequently ribbed about his film star appearance. “My wife and I know better. She’s the one with the looks in the family,” he joked.

He would be straight out of central casting were it not for one startling drawback: Romney is a Mormon, a religion some evangelical Christians regard with disdain. In a potential double whammy, he also speaks French (a source of ridicule for the 2004 Democratic candidate John Kerry), having been a Mormon missionary as a young man in France.

Romney, who already has a fan club called Evangelicals for Mitt, thinks the religious issue will fizzle. “People used to wonder whether a divorced actor could be elected,” he said, referring to Ronald Reagan, “or whether a Mormon could win Massachusetts, a state that is 55% Catholic.

“There was probably a time when people cared which church you went to, but that’s past. People today look to see a person’s faith in the way they live in their home with their family.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints outlawed polygamy long ago. But as one wag has noted, in a 2008 Republican field consisting of McCain, Rudolph Giuliani and Newt Gingrich, the only man who has had one wife would be the Mormon.

There’s a lot more. I hope you take a look here.

Her story is well-written and informative. Here’s my favorite paragraph:

Romney is pioneering a market-based system for universal healthcare in his home state that he believes easily trumps Hillary Clinton’s botched proposal when she was first lady. “The first difference between hers and mine is that mine got voted in,” he said tartly.

I’m not sure how “tartly” Romney made his remark, but it’s sure catches your attention, doesn’t it? It’s a wonderful stump speech line. Or maybe Romney will decide to save it for use in a presidential debate with Clinton

If you see a Romney profile and/or interview in The Guardian, please let me know. I’ll post on it.