'Iowa Boy' Offenburger Bullish On Mitt For GOP

Veteran Iowa journalist and author Chuck Offenbuger makes the case for a Mitt Romney presidency in a column posted on the Web site, Offenburger.com. In his review of the presidential candidates, Offenburger sees Romney's Mormon faith as a potential strength, a striking departure from conventional political pundit wisdom.

Offenburger, a Republican, is the former long-time "Iowa Boy" columnist for The Des Moines Register and one of the most well-known commentators and writers in the state.

Here is Offenburger:

For us Republicans, Romney may be our only hope of winning the general election. His business acumen, his international experience including his salvation of the Salt Lake City Olympics, his pro-life position, even if he came to it later than some, and the way he governed with consensus in heavily-Democratic Massachusetts – all those credentials highly recommend him. I also think Romney would give us an immigration and security system that would work and would not constantly embarrass us.

And I personally think his strong Mormon faith is another reason to support him. Devout Mormons, and he is one, live their faith a helluva lot better than most of the rest of us do. I think his faith has helped Romney maintain a strong moral compass, a deep concern for the poor, and a respect for other cultures and nations. As persecuted and put-down as Mormons so often have been and still are, they have empathy and compassion for people who are getting beat up in life.