The Great Opportunity Party’s (as the Republican National Committee refers to itself in its platform) nominee, Mitt Romney is trying to court voters … including an appearance on LIVE! with Kelly and Michael for a show airing Tuesday, September 18th, wanna-be “your” President, Mitt Romney revealed : “I’m kind of a Snooki fan. Look how tiny’s she’s gotten. She’s lost weight. She’s energetic. Just her spark-plug personality is kind of fun.”

Courting the “Snooki fan” base is “outreach” for Mitt Romney …. That “outreach” was neither the first nor the last.

It has been well documented Mitt Romney’s “outreach” to gays … such as in August, 1994 when he said :

“There’s something to be said for having a Republican who supports civil rights in this broader context, including sexual orientation. When Ted Kennedy speaks on gay rights, he’s seen as an extremist. When Mitt Romney speaks on gay rights, he’s seen as a centrist and a moderate.”

SIDENOTE : That August 1994 interview also includes his stance on abortion :

“My mom was a U.S. Senate candidate in 1970, before Roe v. Wade. My church feels that abortion is not a good choice. However, my mother advocated for the legalization of abortion. So they, like I, can live by and have personal beliefs which celebrate the diversity of our society, and fight for the right of all people to live by their own beliefs and to make their own choices. Their example and my experience is one of showing respect and tolerance for all others.”

And what should be a good discussion point as Minnesotans consider an amendment to the state constitution regarding the definition of marriage :

“our society should allow people the freedom to make their own choices and live by their own beliefs. People of integrity don’t force their beliefs on others, they make sure that others can live by different beliefs they may have. That’s the great thing about this country: it was founded to allow people to follow beliefs of their own conscience.”

So, what was Mitt Romney’s actions as Governor … well, how about a proclamation of Massachusetts Gay/Straight Youth Pride Days urging “all the citizens of the Commonwealth to take cognizance of this even and participate fittingly” … whatever that means.

Now as candidate for President, Mitt Romney realizes that there are “opportunities” to appeal to other groups … and so, Mitt and Ann Romney have issued a New Year’s greeting :

“As we approach Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur I want to wish everyone in the Jewish community a happy and healthy new year.
The High Holy Days are a time for humility and reflection.
They are a time for families to gather and embrace our many blessings and they offer a chance to think about how we can improve our lives in years ahead.
The High Holy days highlight the role that faith plays in guiding our lives.
They inspire us to become better people.
I recently had the privilege of returning to Jerusalem for a few days, and during that trip I was reminded once again what a remarkable country has emerged in 64 short years.
Israel is a vibrant healthy democracy where entrepreneurship is encouraged, the economy is thriving and innovation infuses nearly every aspect of society.
Israel is among America’s best friends and closest allies in the world and I believe no one should never doubt this basic truth: A free and strong America will always stand with a free and strong Israel.
Here at home Jews have also contributed greatly to the tapestry of our nation, public service and in the private sector.
The Jewish community has helped build our economy, helped defend our freedoms, and helped earn our special place in history.
We’re grateful for that immense contribution, and we look forward to an even brighter future.
It’s Ann and my sincere wish that you have a sweet New Year.”

Gosh, it just seems like yesterday (okay, it was July 30, 2012 when the New York Times reported on his trip to Israel) that Mr. Romney’s reasoning for the Israeli “thriving economy” :

“Culture makes all the difference,” Mr. Romney said. “And as I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things.”“As you come here and you see the G.D.P. per capita, for instance, in Israel which is about $21,000, and compare that with the G.D.P. per capita just across the areas managed by the Palestinian Authority, which is more like $10,000 per capita, you notice such a dramatically stark difference in economic vitality,” he said.

The Times article checks Mr. Romney’s figures :

In fact, according to an estimate by the Central Intelligence Agency, in 2009 Israel had a per capita G.D.P. of roughly $29,800, while in 2008 — the last year the C.I.A. has numbers on their Web site for the Palestinians — the per capita G.D.P. of the West Bank and Gaza was $2,900.

Further, the Times provides a reaction from the Obama campaign :

Obama campaign officials criticized Mr. Romney’s latest remarks, describing them as the sort of thing that could make it more difficult for Mr. Romney to ever play a credible role in the Middle East peace process, which depends on having buy-in not from just Israelis but from Palestinian officials as well.
American credibility and influence in that arena depend on “us being seen as an honest broker,” said Colin Kahl, an Obama campaign foreign policy adviser who served as the top Middle East policy official in the Pentagon from 2009 to 2011. “But in this case, Romney fell off the tightrope pretty dramatically.”
“It was a really strange comment,” Mr. Kahl added, noting that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict encompasses “extraordinarily complicated and delicate issues and is not something you can just wing it on and expect not to make some mistakes, and Governor Romney made a big one.”

Whether Mr. Romney’s “outreach” is successful may depend upon the reaction of The Rabbinical Alliance of America, a 70 year old organization of over 850 Orthodox Jewish Rabbis in the United States and Canada, serving approximately one half-million religious Jews … and particular Rabbi Yehuda Levin who as part of last year’s Chanukah celebration wrote :

While our organization does not make any endorsements of political candidates, in view of the disastrous national decline in morality, we are compelled to condemn Mitt Romney’s support and promotion of the immoral homosexual lifestyle and agenda.
Craven politicians like Mitt Romney should not be empowered to destroy the moral fiber of our country.

Ouch …

Mitt Romney “outreach” may be being recognized for what it is : Opportunistic Pandering … yep, that’s Mitt Romney … Leadership and a clear presentation of Issues (what deductions will exist in tax reform {studies Romney has cited would require eliminating the home mortgage, charity, and state and local tax deductions for everyone earning over $100,000}) – No … Opportunistic Pandering – Yes … which could be a winning strategy for President Romney but a losing opportunity for the American people.