Maybe Mitt Gets It

On Tuesday over at The Remedy, the blog of The Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy, Richard Samuelson writes about one of the men who is being talked about as a potential candidate for the 2008 Republican Party's nominee for President of these United States:

Romney Gets It

At Claremont we study statesmanship. One of the main elements of statesmanship in our republic is teaching. Great American statesman must educate the citizenry about the nature and purpose of republican government.

I have only begun to pay close attention to the race for the 2008 Republican nomination, but so far Romney seems to be the only one who might understand that.

Consider two recent comments. The first, thanks to Power Line is an exchange with a reporter:

A reporter from the Boston Globe asked Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney a rambling question about removing some tolls from the Mass. Turnpike. Eventually, Romney interrupted by joking, "Do you have a point of view on this?" The reporter responded, "I represent the people, governor." To which Romney said, "No, I represent the people, you represent the media."

Here we see Romney reminding the reporter, and through him the people present, that in our democratic republic the only people who represent the people is those whom the people have chosen to do so. Any others who claim to represent the people are usurpers.

We see the same focus in the comments he delivered to a rally on the steps of the Massachusetts Statehouse, (via the The Corner):

This was the place where an astounding idea was born. It revolutionized America, it revolutionized the world.

The idea was this: our nation would be guided by the voice of the people.

This nation would trust the voice of the people rather than the wisdom of a king, or anyone else.

The idea was embodied in the first Constitution, written by John Adams, here in Massachusetts. It established how the voice of the people would be heard – through elections and votes, petitions and initiatives, representatives and senators.

Lincoln said that as elected leaders, we promise to follow the law, to follow the Constitution. He called this “America’s political religion.”

Last week, 109 legislators decided to reject the law, abandon the Constitution, and violate their oath of office.

For the Constitution plainly states that when a qualified petition is placed before them, the legislature “shall” vote. It does not say may vote, or vote if its procedures permit a vote, or vote if there are enough of the members in attendance. It says “shall” vote.

A decision not to vote is a decision to usurp the Constitution, to abandon democracy and substitute a form of what this nation’s founders called tyranny, that is, the imposition of the will of those in power, on the people.

Here again, Romney keeps his focus on the special character of our constitutional republic. I'm impressed.

You can see the first exchange here on YouTube. The latter comments are even more impressive when reading more of Gov. Romney's statement as found on The Corner. We just may have a Whig running for President!