Convince me of the Merits of Mitt – UPDATED

I am genuinely torn about my vote tomorrow.

I’ve been writing for the past few days about my complete disillusionment with the far-right and their finger-wagging, hyperventilation that Republicans and “true” conservatives must vote for Mitt Romney, for no other reason, apparently than because he is not John McCain.

There has been some really shameful demagoguery against McCain from people who ordinarily would show some respect for a man who spent 6 years in a VietCong POW camp, too, which to my way of thinking says many more negative things about the sign-holders and aspersion-casters than it does about McCain.

UPDATE: Here is an except from the link below – the statement of a fellow POW of McCain’s who does not support him politically:

A friend, whom I know to be reliable, was across the hall and one door down, from McCain’s cell when McCain was first captured. He has told me that he saw Communist officers enter the cell where the wounded John McCain lay, incapacitated. He heard them offer McCain early release and heard John answer that he would go home when we all go home. He heard the voices of the officers rising until they were shouting angrily at McCain and threatening him. This was followed by screams of agony from John McCain, and a stream of obscenities from him. He could not see what they did to him and I never heard from John McCain what it was. This does not sound like a collaborator.

The man has a son in Iraq and one at Annapolis – he is undoubtedly a Patriot. To call him a “Benedict Arnold” as these people do is disgusting and out -of-line. It is, more than anything, what I find disturbing about the excesses of the far-right. – End Update

McCain is not my first or second choice, and there are some legitimate concerns about his temperament and his manner, but he also has some strengths and I am tired of opening my email to hysterics suggesting that America will end if McCain gets the nomination. I’m tired of turning on talk radio and hearing – nonstop, day after day – lecturing about what a terrible man McCain is, and why I should not vote for him.

It is significant to me that no one is telling me why I SHOULD vote for Romney. No one is telling me how great he is, and giving me a reason to want to vote for him. They’re just telling me “McCain is bad!”

So, I’m asking:

How is Romney “good?” Why should I vote for him?

When I look at Romney I see a smart businessman who will probably be good on taxes. But I also see a guy who only became “pro-life” when it became politically expedient to do so. I see a guy who only clearly supported “the surge” after it became a success. I see a guy who is still flip-flopping on the second amendment – and about other things. I see a guy who has a blandness to him that will be eaten alive by either Obama’s stunning charisma and energy, or by Hillary’s machine – I don’t believe he can actually win the White House.

This is what I am seeing in the candidate who the “true conservatives” are telling me is the “best” representation of conservative values.

All of the red meat being thrown on talk radio is stunning. I just listened to 1/2 hour of Rush talking about how bad McCain is, but not how good Romney is. He came back from break with another “song parody” about his McCain obsession and I turned it off, because he has nothing new to say, and he’s not going to give me a positive reason to vote for Romney; this speaks volumes to me.

What are Romney’s positives? Has he demonstrated, somewhere, a quality of enormous personal resolve that tells me I can count on him to nominate constitutionalist justices to the SCOTUS without folding when the Dems breathe hard? Has he shown a commitment to the troops that makes me believe he is a qualified CIC who will make his troops his first priority?

I heard Rush say today that McCain didn’t support the Bush tax cuts, that he denigrates profit and that he is bad on immigration, as the issue is defined by the hard right.

Okay. But…he is consistently pro-life. He is consistently pro-troop. Do those things – the former backbones of the GOP – no longer matter, when profits and taxes are on the line? Are those “principles” just not as important as the ones you’re telling me will have you voting for a Democrat in November?

For crying out loud, tell me the God’s honest truth, here: do you REALLY think Mitt Romney is going to do what you want on Immigration? Of course he won’t. Nothing I’ve seen of Mitt tells me this is a passionate issue for him.

What does Romney passionately stand for, besides getting Romney into the White House? I do not see tremendous commitment to anything besides Mitt.

So, I’m asking respectfully – all you Suddenly Romney! fans – convince me: tell me why I should vote for Mitt “and like it,” and do it without using the words “John McCain.”

I’m willing to be convinced. But it has to be on the Merits of Mitt, and nothing else. You have about 24 hours, starting now. This is a chance for the Romney side to talk up their candidate without falling back on vituperation or the “not McCain” card.

If nothing else, I’d like people to be able to say that they get both sides when they come to this site, and that no one is ever bullied.