Mitt Romney Gets It

At this stage in the 2008 Presidential primaries, I have very few characteristics I'm looking for in a Republican candidate. At the top of the list of requirements is that the candidate has to get it about the Global War On Terror. All the rest of the presidential qualities are meaningless if we lose the GWOT.

Hugh Hewitt has a link to this article in the Boston Globe on Mitt Romney's statements about the GWOT.

Amid growing concern among Republicans over the course of the war in Iraq, Governor Mitt Romney expressed support yesterday for President Bush's approach and warned that a premature withdrawal of American troops would inspire terrorists worldwide.

''The enemy is emboldened by anything other than the strength of America," Romney said.

In contrast to Romney, there's this tidbit from the same Boston Globe article:

A leading Republican senator, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, told ABC's ''This Week" on Sunday that Iraq was not ''dissimilar to where we were in Vietnam."

''We should start figuring out how we get out of there," said Hagel, who is also considered a potential candidate for the GOP nomination in 2008. ''Our involvement there has destabilized the Middle East. And the longer we stay there, I think the further destabilization will occur."

Chuck Hagel is not a "leading Republican senator." He's a lefty who forgot to change the 'R' after his name to a 'D'. His prominence only comes from the left-leaning media's fascination for Republicans willing to bash Bush. Off camera, he doesn't lead much.

I hadn't come to any conclusion yet about who I might support for the Republican nomination in '08, just that it had to be someone who gets it about the War. Hagel has been out of the running for me from the get-go, and so have McCain and several others.

With his statements Sunday, Mitt Romney has put himself into the running. Time will tell...