Republican presidential and vice presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan agree on the central theme of their party: big and/or pervasive government is inefficient, contrary to the basic precepts that our nation was founded upon, and far too expensive. However, they do not agree upon everything.
Recently, they have publicly disagreed on a plethora of hot topics, most notably abortion, following Representative Todd Akins’ comments on “legitimate rape,” where he stated a child cannot be conceived if a woman is legitimately raped because the woman body has ways to shut the pregnancy process down. The two Republican hopefuls made conflicting statements about whether or not abortion should or should not be legal.
Romney typically tries to avoid the topic altogether, but has made it clear that he believes abortion should remain legal and the choice should remain in the hands of the women facing the situation.
Vice presidential candidate Ryan’s stance tends to be far more extreme. According to The Washington Post, Ryan has asserted, “I’m as pro-life as a person gets.” His very clear position is perhaps best articulated through his support for The Sanctity of Human Life Act, which he helped sponsor. Although we might expect Ryan’s political position relative to abortion to evolve the closer we get to November, he appears to be a man of deep conviction and his position will likely remain far to the right of his running mate’s position.
The majority of news outlets have been mercilessly pounding the candidates due to this obvious public disagreement on such a major issue; this is in no way justified. Disagreements are healthy. No two men on the planet have exactly the same opinions, especially on major issues such as this one. Personally, I am extremely enthused to see these two men engaged in a healthy disagreement, and even more impressed that Romney has apparently not acted to pressure his running mate to tread a more moderate path.
Romney has allowed this difference of opinion to take form on a public level where I, as an American, can witness it. This not only shows that the candidates are disagreeing, which could lead to positive results, but it also reveals that they are comfortable enough to do it on a national and even an international level for everyone in the world following the election to see.
Disagreements, more often than not, lead to some sort of middle ground where two people or two groups can eventually work together in order to solve a problem. These public contests could very likely result in a solution to the highly debated issue on abortion. I find it disappointing that the left-wing media outlets choose only to report the apparent negative aspects involved in disagreements rather than strive to understand the more important dynamic on display.
Look at President Obama and Joe Biden, for example: whether they disagree on hot topics or not, we the people will never know because it is done behind closed doors. Obama promised he would deliver a “transparent” government with a degree of clarity never before available in America. This was just a promise, words that bore no real fruit.
The foregoing public difference of opinion between Romney and Ryan demonstrates that Governor Romney intends to lead and to tolerate men and women who have fresh and independent minds. I submit that if this team is elected, this very important leadership attribute bodes very well for America. We need men with ideas who are unafraid to speak their minds and men who are willing to listen to the ideas of others. This is something that has been in very short supply over the past four years in our National Capital Region.
In regard to the important issue of abortion, there are two sides to every argument. Whether you choose to agree or disagree with either of these candidates’ standpoints on abortion, you have to agree that it is better to hear their differing opinions rather than have them concealed.
Again, it is very heartening to see this new vice presidential candidate being so active on the campaign trail. While vice presidents traditionally take on relatively passive roles, such as acting on the president’s behalf rather than initiating their own plans and goals, Ryan seems to have a different plan. What’s more, his new boss seems to think that is just fine.
Richard J. Whitaker can be reached at richard.whitaker@spartans.ut.edu
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