From Mister Romney's Chair

This morning, Gov. Romney gave a commencement speech at Liberty University, a private, Christian university in Virginia.  This was to be the (presumptive) Presidential candidate's first major public address since President Obama announced on Wednesday his official backing and support of homosexual marriage.  I watched the address on C-SPAN this morning, eager to see how Romney would address this very public move by Obama, but was not expecting much seeing as how he was addressing a Christian college.  Any earth shattering admission on his part would not take place in such company, but I was interested nonetheless in seeing how Romney would take this time to use this speech as a personal moment for himself.

You can watch the full address I provided in the link above, but as I expected, the speech was little on the policy side and more on the personal.  Romney has been widely criticized by those on the left of being a sort of wet blanket, an empty suit in all of his public appearances, unable to connect with the electorate at large.  The speech he gave this morning gave, in my opinion, a personal side to the candidate that I had not seen before, including a touching story about a certain chair he presented to Mark DeMoss, the Executive Committee Chairman of Liberty University upon which a plaque was placed, stating "You always have a seat at my table".  Despite whether or not you "buy" this side of Romney, you have to admit he needed some kind of positive public PR in the wake of Obama's recent public surge on the issues.

On the issue of homosexual marriage, Romney stuck to his guns, as he has since the campaign began, by stating:

“Culture, what you believe, what you value, how you live, matters.  As fundamental as these principles are, they may become topics of democratic debate from time to time. So it is today with the enduring institution of marriage. Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman.”.

Shocker.  

But what else can you expect from the Governor, given the location of his speech and his core supporting base on of "anti-Obama".  The time at the podium, however, gave the candidate the chance to reveal a personal side rarely seen on the cable networks.  In my humble opinion, the Romney campaign could do well to have such personal moments, and their effects, more widely broadcasted to the American people who are uncertain about Romney's gravitas.   

In other news....... 

The John Edward's campaign expenditure case will see its day in Court  

Democratic Senators may not heed the President's same sex marriage endorsement 

Senator Harry Reid speaks up for filibuster reform in the Senate