Romney wows social conservatives Romney wows social conservatives

WSJ: Romney Rides High: A Mormon from Massachusetts wows social conservatives suggests that the Mormon governor of Mass. is doing well with social conservatives - despite his religion.

Mitt Romney is an extremely attractive candidate. He is very articulate, highly intelligent, well educated (Harvard MBA/JD), and one of the best looking candidates out there. He also brings along some geographic advantages - with roots in Mass., Mich., and Utah. The big question has been whether he can attract Christain conservatives, and, in particular, Evangelicals. There is increasing evidence that not only can he, but that he is becoming their candidate of choice. I liked this:

"He was impressive in explaining how he governed as a conservative in Ted Kennedy's home state," said columnist Robert Novak. The next morning, Mr. Romney appeared before the Family Research Council's summit. "He won over a lot of people when he recalled how as a businessman he had rescued the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City," says Chris Butler of Americans For Tax Reform.

That experience helped solidify Mr. Romney's reputation as a can-do manager who knows how to delegate. "He is the only elected official I've met with who gave me a detailed power-point briefing on my area of expertise," says Bob Moffit, a health-care expert at the Heritage Foundation who worked with Mr. Romney to craft a law mandating that everyone in Massachusetts buy health insurance.

Romney is an interesting combination of policy wonk and manager. Bill Clinton was the ultimate policy wonk, but couldn't manage if his life depended on it. On the other hand, George W. Bush is one of the best managers we have seen in the Oval Office, but rarely is an expert on policy. Mitt Romney appears to be able to meld the both. Of course, he does have an Ivy League J.D. like Clinton, and a Harvard M.B.A. like Bush. So, maybe this is no surprise.