What a Difference 4 Years Can Make

The picture here was taken four years ago today.  It is a picture of Governor Mitt Romney, his wife Ann, son Josh and I talking as we left New Hampshire after coming in second (Sen. John McCain won with 37% of the vote).

We were on a flight directly back to Michigan (the next primary) and were in fact talking strategy as the reporter from the New York Times noted in the article they published.  At the time the focus was balancing frustration and strategy and trying to put the best foot forward to start winning the primaries rather than finishing in second.  The media immediately called the campaign a failure for merely finishing second.  I can’t imagine what the press would have reported if the campaign had finished fourth or fifth.  Certainly there would not be the headlines granted to those who sit in those unfortunate positions today.

The plan was to win Michigan and then Florida and subsequent contests with the new momentum victories would surely create.

The campaign won Michigan and then came up short in Florida and Gov. Romney gracefully exited the race and fought for the ticket with all he, Ann and his family and supporters could contribute.  He did this for a reason.  The reason was in fact very clear.

Gov. Romney is in fact conservative from my view and experience.  Further, his growth toward the conservative position in particular issues is both honest and genuine because the changes occurred in plain view and were based on his own beliefs becoming more assertively applied to his beliefs about the role of government.  I was privileged to see and talk to him about this first hand.

On a personal level there is no question that Mitt Romney is a good husband, father and grandfather.  This was not a matter of luck or money.  This is the best demonstration of his character for the public available and it is very easy to recognize.

When it comes to faith there was a big difference between Gov. Romney and myself when this picture was taken, although at the time I would have told you it was his Mormonism vs. my being a Protestant.  Four years later I can tell the truth about our differences in faith at the time and have a clearer understanding what  is important about this to me today.

At the time this picture was taken, Mitt Romney was a person who put his faith in God first in his life, his family second and his country third.  This was and is where anyone spending time with him will find his heart.   I can honestly say that I did not put God first in my life four years ago although I called myself and believed I was a Christian.  That is a pretty big difference.  As big a gap as you can find when you get to see the inside of your own heart for what it truly is (as I learned last year).

So the question for me isn’t how perfect Gov. Romney was or is.  He is not perfect.  No one, save One, has been perfect on this earth.  He is not a perfect conservative and there is no such thing.  There is not a perfect father.  There is no one perfect in running their business.  Anyone who has truly come to believe in their Christian faith would readily acknowledge there aren’t even many perfect days let alone years in their walk with God.

Since I will never fully know what goes on in another’s heart I am no position to judge their standing with God.  I can only look for what God is using them for.  Since I haven’t met someone passionate or even just slightly involved in politics who I would put up as the proxy for conservatism I am left to gauge their ideology by what they believe today in the messy battlefield of real-world problems.  Their past positions on issues can only help inform how they got to where they are.  Since there are no standards for character evaluation I am left to consider how a person lives their life and reacts to events in it.  I find it of most interest to see how people treat those who they have the most love for, or the greatest reasons to resent.

In each case I believe Mitt Romney to be an extraordinary person even while I differ with him on faith, individual issues and how we have lived our lives.

Four years has been a long time in a great number of ways.  Our country is different, our problems are different, our national and local issues are different, our leaders are different and the way the election is going is decidedly different.  With all this change one thing has remained constant though– Mitt Romney has been willing to serve and continues to grow as a leader.

I could not have been happier to hear of his success in New Hampshire.  I know how hard it was four years ago.

This post would not be complete without me noting one lesson that Mitt taught me about this time four years ago today.  By his actions he showed me and hundreds of thousands (if not millions) a demonstration in good character at the hardest possible time for it to be displayed.  After Mitt’s faith and family, his love for America was greater than his pride, resentments or ambitions.  He could fulfill his call to service by helping others and did just that.

There isn’t any need to criticize the other candidates for how they are managing their own tests and navigating this storm.  There really isn’t even a need to disparage President Obama today.  My reaction to Governor Romney winning New Hampshire and observing his focus simply encourages me.  There is a man of good character, talent and experience who continues to grow as a conservative leader who is increasingly likely to be the next President of the United States.

So thinking about this tonight, I am taken with just how much can happen in four short years!