Whisper may have cost Romney a vote

One of the key moments during the question and answer session between Romney and the audience came when undecided voter Feleiteau Epley of Shelby Township stood and said that the former governor could seal the deal and secure her vote if he convinced her that he was “100 percent” pro-life and opposed to same-sex marriage.

Epley said she had heard “the other fella” – Rick Santorum – speak in Shelby Township last week. But she concluded, after listening to Romney, that he would be a “stronger president” overall.

Romney, referring to his actions as governor of Massachusetts in 2003-07, asserted that he is firmly opposed to abortion and to stem cell research. He said his record in the Bay State also shows that he worked to reverse a state Supreme Court decision that allowed gay marriage.

But afterward, Epley revealed that when Romney shook hands with the crowd along the rope line after the event, she whispered a question into his ear – does he oppose abortion in cases of rape and incest? No, the governor said, according to Epley, those are instances when the woman should have a choice.

That put Epley back on the fence between Romney and Santorum. She is firm in her belief that “we should not kill the baby because of the crimes the father has committed.”

Epley explained that she will choose her candidate after praying and consulting her pastor.

In one of the strangest moments, a question was posed by a man who said he drove three hours from Ontario to attend the Romney rally. 

But he talked as if he was a U.S. citizen. The man blasted the American health care system for “deplorable” treatment of children and the mentally ill, which seemed to irritate some in the audience who oppose the Canadian system of government health insurance. At one point, the man took out his wallet and displayed a Canadian $5 bill.

He added: “You can’t have my health care card.”

Romney immediately shot back: “I don’t want it,” which generated a roar of approval from the crowd.

Other than Romney, the person who received the most applause during the event was a 94-year-old World War II veteran who served in the Pacific. 

He urged Romney, if elected, to take a firm stance against the “nut” in Iran – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Stan Grot, a local Republican Party official and the first speaker at the event, warmed up the crowd and then introduced his former boss, state Attorney General Bill Schuette.

Grot’s appearance may have raised a few eyebrows. Why?

Grot, appointed earlier this month as the new Shelby Township clerk, he promised to quit his AG job and devote his time solely to the township.

Just last week, in an interview with The Macomb Daily, Grot said this: “I intend to focus on what I do here. I made a commitment to the residents of Shelby.”

I have to assume he was attending the long mid-day Romney rally during work time. Of course, township Supervisor Richard Stathakis, sitting just a few front-row chairs away from Grot, was apparently also attending the rally on the taxpayers’ dime.

One questioner in the audience urged Romney to talk about his qualifications for a running mate. He said that a GOP ticket with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in the No. 2 spot would be the strongest the party has fielded since the Reagan era.

Romney drew a round of laughter from the crowd when he responded: “I’ve already promised the job to Bill Schuette.”

The candidate indicated that his running mate must be pro-life and a solid conservative. He said he likes the idea of choosing a governor, though he likes many of the Republican senators too.