In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Romney seemed to back away from his antiabortion position, suggesting that he would not actively pursue legislation that would outlaw abortions, a key objective among social conservatives.
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“There’s no legislation with regards to abortion that I’m familiar with that would become part of my agenda,” Romney told the paper’s editorial board. “One thing I would change however which would be done by executive order and not by legislation is that I would reinstate the Mexico City policy which is that foreign aid dollars from the United States would not be used to carry out abortion in other countries.”
Later Romney’s campaign appeared to back away from his remarks, saying in a statement: “Mitt Romney is proudly pro-life, and he will be a pro-life president.”
Romney’s comments come as the race for the White House tightens and as both candidates look to ensure base turnout in key swing states, such as Iowa, yet also look for ways to appeal to undecided, more centrist voters in states such as Ohio and Virginia.
On the issue of immigration, abortion and his comments captured in an undercover video of a fundraising event about the 47 percent, Romney has shifted and softened his earlier statements in moves that seem to be aimed at the center.
A Pew poll shows that Romney has gained significant ground among women voters, making up an 18-point deficit and now drawing even with Obama.
A Wall Street Journal/NBC News/Marist Poll showed Obama with an eight point edge, 50 percent to 42 percent, among likely Iowa voters. But the Sept. 20 poll was taken before Romney’s dominant performance in the first debate.
In 2008, Obama won Iowa by eight points. Bush won the state in 2004, by about 13,000 votes. Social conservatives are hugely important to Romney’s chances in Iowa and with his recent statements on abortion he is highlighting a long-standing rift that has yet to be fully repaired according to some conservatives.
“I’m running out of fingers and toes to count the number of positions he has taken on abortion,” said Steve Deace, a conservative radio host in Iowa. “This is someone who does not have a deep or abiding position on this issue either way, and I think what it does is it puts pro-life leadership in America in a difficult position. I don’t know anybody in the pro-family movement who is not for sale who trusts him. People want to know who the person is that they are voting for at their core. I just don’t think he cares.”
Democrats, who have consistently run ads in states like Virginia that highlight Romney’s more conservative statements on abortion, seized on Romney’s seeming shift, yet said that he wasn’t flip-flopping, only hiding his real views on the issue.
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