Midwest Beer Belly Despair Blog

Fresh from the recent Las Vegas Republican Presidential Debate, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney visited Morningside Campus on Thursday morning to gather support for his bid to be nominated the Republican Presidential candidate.  Romney spoke to students and Sioux City residents in the Yockey room of the Olsen Student Center, answering questions and laying out his campaign promises.

“I want strong values, strong economy, and a military second to none,” Romney told the hundred or so audience members. Romney outlined his plans for jump-starting the economy. If elected, he plans to make tax rates globally competitive for employers, modernize regulations, expand and open global markets for American goods, funding “human capital” by improving schools, American infrastructure, and reforming immigration; and to cut spending and balance the budget.

Romney’s plans are not significantly different from other GOP hopefuls, but he sells his message with more pizzazz than any other candidate that has visited Morningside. Upon entering the Yockey room, he specifically reached out to students, and seemed more interested in reaching them than the older voters in the room. When asked what he considered the areas the Republican Party should improve on, Romney mentioned the GOP’s inability to effectively communicate their message to younger voters. He clearly tried to remedy that flaw during his appearance, even mentioning that he hoped students were receiving credit for coming and listening to him.

Romney is an experienced statesman, a fact that is readily apparent to anyone watching him speak. He is able to inject humor and warmth into his speeches and actually seems dedicated to the idea of free and open debate about issues. He is banking on this to carry him through the nomination. Romney points to his previous experience of being a Republican Governor in very liberal Massachusetts as one way he is a better candidate than Obama. Romney doesn’t believe in the current President’s ability to lead and compromise in Washington and promises, “If I am President, I will use everything in my power to make people work together for America.”

Shortly after an hour of speaking and answering questions, Romney left Morningside, leaving behind a slew of national and local reporters in his wake. The former Governor was off to the next campaign stop, to convince more voters that he is the right choice for president. He has his work cut out for him. Unlike when former Speaker of the House Newt Gingerich and Representative Michelle Bachmann visited, there was no hardcore Mitt Romney voter base at the meeting. Romney is reaching for the middle ground and, in doing so, risking his claim to the GOP nomination. Romney can stand in the middle ground all he wants, but it means nothing if he isn’t able to face off against Obama after the primaries.