Mitt Romney defended his conservative credentials on Wednesday, deflecting doubtful comments made by Sarah Palin about his strength with Republican voters.
In an interview with "Fox News Sunday," the former GOP vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor said that she was "not convinced" by Romney's conservatism.
When asked about Palin's comments on Wednesday, Romney defended his conservatism, giving a laundry list of examples.
"I'm not quite sure what she'd be referring to," Romney said during his appearance on Fox News. "I'm pro-life, pro-traditional marriage, I believe in the Second Amendment. As governor, I balanced the budget every year I was in office, put in place a $2 billion rainy day fund, cut taxes 19 times."
As Romney's opponents continue to paint the former Massachusetts governor as a moderate who is unable to connect with the Republican Party's conservative base, he has made increasing efforts to convince voters otherwise. In a speech at last week's Conservative Political Action Conference, he said that he is "severely conservative," and that he has "lived conservatism."
Palin also said on Sunday that she believes Romney has moved to the right over time. "I trust that his idea of conservatism is evolving," she said. "We will want to see that candidate who we can trust will inherently, instinctively turn right. Always err on the side of conservatism."
Romney also addressed the issue of his evolving conservatism on Wednesday.
"I think living life tends to make you more conservative," Romney said. "If you've been in the business world, you can't help but be conservative, because if you don't balance the budget in business, you go out of business."
Palin has yet to make an official endorsement in the GOP primary, but has expressed support for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. She has repeatedly said that she wants the nominating race to continue, as she believes the tough primary campaign is good preparation for the general election.
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