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[[Image:Xnmhv.jpg|right|250x250px|thumb|Mitt Romney]] Former [[Massachusetts]] [[Governor]] [[Mitt Romney]] is currently a [[Republican]] candidate for [[President of the United States]] in 2008. Romney filed to form a presidential exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission two days after leaving office. He official announced his candidacy on February 13, 2007 at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, [[Michigan]]. Once considered a long-shot candidate, Governor Romney is now recognized as a front-runner in the race. He has applied to [[conservative]]s as the [[pro-life]] alternative to [[moderate Republican]] Presidential candidate [[Rudy Giuliani]]. Romney has frequently called himself a "three-legged stool." A national defense conservative, a [[fiscal conservative]] and a [[social conservative]].

YIPPEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's almost 2008, and AGAIN you let me post on Conservapedia! I have caused the blocking of two prominent articles! This is the best way to start a new year! By the way, did you guys hear about the Bhutto assasination? And that Al Quaeda has denied responsibility for it? Odd, because those guys usually claim responsibility for every skuzzy thing they do. Like 9/11. Anyway, if Al Quaeda didn't do it, that makes the next most likely culprit a subordinate of Musharraf's. Oddly, we have been supporting Musharraf relentlessly, or at least Bush has. Wow, based on his record, this actually isn't surprising. At first, Bush supported Putin too. Oh, and I have a New Year's eve resolution for you guys: STOP HIDING FROM THE TRUTH! ACKNOWLEDGE THE NIE REPORT, AND THAT YOU WERE WRONG ABOUT IRAN, MEANING THAT BUSH HAS BEEN LYING TO YOU!!!!! P.S. New Intelligence suggests that the decrease in violence in Iraq is due to Syrian and Iranian forces reigning in their former terrorist commerades. Man, America is looking bad. If we weren't already considered foolish by every country except for Canada and China, I'd say we'd lose a lot of face. Anyway, happy new year to all right-wing kooks who try to block this!

 

As chairman of the [[Republican Governors Association]], Mitt Romney spent a lot of time in 2006 campaigning across the country for Republican gubernatorial candidates. While he did not run for reelection as governor, in 2004 Romney set up a federal political action committee (PAC) called the Commonwealth PAC, which raised 2.71 million during the 2006 election cycle. On January 3, 2007, his next-to-last day in office as governor of Massachusetts, Romney filed to form a presidential exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission. He officially announced his candidacy for President about a month later. Romney was the first candidate in either party to start running [[television]] and [[radio]] ads. The ads focused mainly on his record as governor, running the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, and his work as a very successful businessman. Romney's five sons have been actively campaigning for their father, traveling around in a campaign bus called the "Mitt Mobile, A Five Brothers Bus."

On August 11, 2007, Mitt Romney won the Ames Straw Poll. He received 31% of the vote at the Straw Poll, a larger margin that then-[[Texas]] Governor [[George W. Bush]] received in 2000. Former [[Arkansas]] Governor [[Mike Huckabee]] came in second with 18%.

Mitt Romney has done well in fund raising. During his first fund raiser as a presidential candidate, he raised 6.5 million dollars when his goal was to raise 1 million. During the first quarter Romney raised more money then any other Republican presidential candidate with $23 million.

Mitt Romney leads in all the early primary states such as [[Iowa]], [[New Hampshire]], [[Nevada]], [[South Carolina]] and [[Michigan]]. He also leads in [[Idaho]], [[Utah]] and [[Wyoming]]. However, Romney is behind Mayor Giuliani and Senator Fred Thompson by narrow margins. A poll taken August 13, 2007 in South Carolina showed Romney (17%) moving up to third place behind Giuliani (18%) and Thompson (22%), though with the margin of error all three candidates were effectively tied.

Romney's critics attack his inconsistent track record on issues such as [[abortion]] and [[gay]] marriage to the point where he has gotten the nickname "Multiple Choice Mitt." A man dressed as a dolphin calling himself Flipper has appeared at some recent conservative gatherings to bring attention to Romney's inconsistent stands on abortion and gay marriage. Although Romney now identifies himself as pro-life and anti-same sex marriage, he claimed to be pro choice and supported same-sex rights as late as 2002. These swaps coupled with his [[Mormon]] affiliation puts him at odds with much of the Evangelical right, but a PollingReport.com chart from September 2007 indicates that Mitt was still polling at approximately 10% within the GOP primary forecasts.

 

Mitt Romney also changed his positions on gun control. He was originally for it, but recently joined the NRA, an organization opposed to it.