The more I hear about Mitt Romney’s father George Romney, the more I really respect him. Mitt Romney’s father, Former Michigan Governor George Romney, refused to endorse Republican Barry Goldwater for president. Barry Goldwater who was known for his extreme views and famous quote”Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.” Romney angrily walked out of the nominating convention upon Goldwater’s nomination calling it political suicide. Goldwater was politically slaughtered in the presidential election against Lyndon Johnson.

Later, George Romney wrote a 12-page response to Goldwater as to why he didn’t support him. The excerpt that is telling for today’s politics….

“Dogmatic ideological parties tend to splinter the political and social fabric of a nation, lead to governmental crises and deadlocks, and stymie the compromises so often necessary to preserve freedom and achieve progress,”

Mitt Romney, once a liberal-moderate candidate is tying to placate the emerging extreme right by becoming the Goldwater-like candidate, Mitt’s father was against. Especially as his tactics move from reaching out to groups beyond the GOP base by moving towards the center to simply squeezing every drop of the white vote through fear tactics and ideological purity.

That’s not all the ways Mitt Romney runs against his father ideas for good and responsible governance. Take taxes. Romney has only disclosed one years tax forms. His 2010. This despite calls to disclose more. And despite his father releasing 12 years of taxes returns.

George Romney was clearly a man of big idea and commitment to values. Mitt Romney tendency for pragmatism doesn’t seem to want the political inconvenience of having the same (at least during the election).