The following piece is published on Essential Estrogen as well as HuffPost's OffTheBus.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, judging by his public remarks, wanted to speak to audience members in Cedar Rapids about the economy, immigration and taxes. Audience members at the event, however, not only had questions about Romney's social conservative beliefs, but left the venue with mixed reactions to his answer.
"There was an article in our local newspaper this morning... that said 'GOP Pro-Choice Group Targets Romney,'" said a male questioner at the Nov. 30 event. "The article states that they are going to challenge you on what they call this flip-flop on abortion. I want to know, from you, how you are going to combat this type of smear tactic?"
Less than a second passed from the end of the question to Romney beginning his response.
"You know, it really is great that you can be defined by people attacking you in some respects and, you know, I guess they just can't get over the fact that somebody who was effectively pro-choice -- I've always personally opposed abortion, but I questioned what the role of government should be and said I'd protect the current law and that's a pro-choice position," Romney said. "When someone who is pro-choice becomes pro-life, the media and some people just can't get enough of it. You go the other direction and it is heralded like you've made some great and wonderful discovery. If you become firmly pro-life, people get all upset about it.
"My experience is pretty straight forward. It was all an interesting topic and I laid out my position, theoretical in some respects, until I became governor, and a bill came to my desk that would have allowed the creation of new embryos -- new life -- solely for the purpose of experimenting and destroying them. I simply couldn't sign it."
Romney said he spoke with the the individuals pushing for that bill and explained to them that he could not sign the legislation. He said he also authored a column in a Boston newspaper proclaiming his new pro-life credentials.
"Every piece of legislation that came to my desk, I came down on the side of the sanctity of human life," he said. "Every single one. And when my term as governor was over the Massachusetts Citizens for life invited me to come to their banquet and receive a leadership award for my contribution and my commitment to life as governor of Massachusetts. But, you know, there are some people who do not want to forgive you for making a mistake. And the truth is I was wrong. I saw that I was wrong. I admitted I was wrong and I'm now pro-life. That's just the way it's going to be. I'm not going to apologize for following the same pathway Ronald Reagan followed."
The audience, which erupted with applause twice, appeared at least agreeable with Romney's answer. One Johnson County Republican in the audience, however, said he's not sure if the explanation given is good enough to earn his support.
"Of course, no matter who the Republican is on the November ticket, I'll vote for that person," said Doug Roberts, who said he's trying to decide if he will caucus for Romney or former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. "What I really want to do -- what I think is important -- is to be for someone instead of against someone on the other ticket. I want to feel good about my choice and, while I believe Romney when he says he is pro-life, there's something inside of me that says he always was and just played a game to be elected governor in Massachusetts."
That type of opportunism -- of a politician saying what he or she thinks will turn out the most voters -- is something that doesn't sit well with Roberts.
"I know I'm not alone in feeling that way," he added. "It isn't Planned Parenthood taking out these ads -- it's Republicans. If a person will say whatever to get a job, I don't think that necessarily makes that person trustworthy."
Lisa Davis of Monticello disagrees and says she plans to caucus for Romney.
"No matter what you think about how [Romney] was elected to be governor, you have to admit that he has always voted pro-life," she said after the event. "Actions speak louder than words, in my opinion, and his actions have always been where I wanted them to be."
The 30-second television ad and full-page newspaper spread discussed in the Associated Press article is being funded by the Republican Majority for Choice and have already been distributed to Iowa voters. The group will spend more than $100,000 to run the television ad in Iowa and New Hampshire and to place newspaper ads in the Des Moines Register, Concord Monitor and New Hampshire Union Leader.
Jennifer Blei Stockman, the group's national chairwoman, said the flip-flopping question is fair.
"It's an issue about trust," she said. "We believe candidates running for the highest office in our land should be capable of trust."
In 2002, according to Stockman, Romney sought out the group's endorsement and won it based on his responses on a questionnaire -- specifically his pledge of support for Roe v. Wade as well as for providing state funding for poor women seeking abortions.
Romney, who has previously enjoyed a sizable lead in Iowa polling, has recently begun to see Huckabee gaining traction with voters -- both in the state and nationally. The Romney campaign has distributed mailers in South Carolina which tout the candidate's anti-abortion credentials, stating he is "the only major presidential candidate who supports the Republican Party's pro-life platform: A Constitutional amendment banning abortion nationwide." The readers' definition of "major" determines whether or not this is a factual statement.