Massachusetts Governor Decides Against Additional Term

Popular Republican Governor Mitt Romney has announced that he will not seek an additional term, citing the need to finish the objectives he has set for himself and to allow others to serve. Romney has fueled the speculation that he plans on seeking the GOP presidential nomination by recently appearing in key political states, including a recent speech before Republican Governors in a convention in California.

“My decision comes down to this: In this four-year term, we can accomplish what I set out to do. he said. “A year from now, it will be time for me to pass that privilege to someone else. I will not be a candidate for re-election.”

Romney’s early departure from the governor’s mansion may be seen as good timing. In his short three-year stint, he turned a $3 billion dollar deficit into a surplus and significantly helped improve academic scores in the public school system. Even more impressive to conservatives is that he accomplished these objectives without raising taxes.

Often describing himself as a “red speck in a blue state,” Romney has successfully navigated liberal waters as a traditional conservative. He has positioned himself as a reasonable and prudent politician who is open to discussions with all political persuasions, even where he is morally opposed to certain liberal causes.

In one instance, after the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled in favor of same sex marriages, Romney spoke out against the ruling and endorsed constitutional changes, while at the same time he vowed to uphold the law as it was currently fashioned. This has won him the trust of the Democratic voters who are the majority in Massachusetts as they see Romney as playing fairly in a squabble that will ultimately be decided at the voting booths.

Romney’s political reasonableness has also won him a great deal of support in liberal leaning states like California where he is being portrayed as the best shot at winning the state back for Republicans. In a recent commentary by Michael Rosen in the National Review, Romney’s Hollywood looks and sensible political style is seen as a legitimate threat to front-runners like Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Senator John McCain. Rosen points out that unlike others seeking the presidential nomination, Romney is the only one that can say he is truly a “D.C. Outsider.” Further, Rosen believes that Romney’s underdog status as a Mormon may actually endear him to Democrats who often associate with the struggle of those outside the mainstream.

In perhaps a foreshadowing of the upcoming 2008 presidential primary, Senator McCain struck out against Romney’s recent comments about the presidential run being like a Star Wars galaxy “far, far away.” In an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week,” McCain quipped in response “I'm glad that the governor is paying attention to the jokes that I tell on talk shows, but New Hampshire is not that far away from Massachusetts.”

You can almost hear the stump speeches now.