Mitt Romney rips Obama, but did he get CPAC seal of approval?

Four years ago, Mitt Romney took the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) to exit the 2008 presidential race.

On Friday, Mr. Romney was the on again, off again front-runner for the GOP 2012 nomination looking to score enough points with conservative activists, volunteers, and media members to earn what American Conservative Union chairman Al Cardenas called “the ultimate seal of approval in terms of authenticity from conservatives.”

While that seal of approval wasn’t necessarily evident after Romney’s appearance, he used his speech in Northwest Washington, D.C., to rip President Obama’s record and highlight his own conservative credentials.

“My family, my faith, my businesses – I know conservatism because I have lived conservatism,” Romney said. “As the governor of Massachusetts I had the unique experience of defending conservative principles in the most liberal state in the nation.”

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He contrasted his record with Mr. Obama's, referring to Obama as “the poster child for the arrogance of government.”

“This election is really a battle for the soul of America,” Romney continued. “Whether we want a nation of and by Washington, or a nation of and by a free people. And we conservatives believe in freedom and free people and free enterprises.”

He even managed a few deft digs at two of his main opponents, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

“Any politician that tries to convince you that they hated Washington so much that they just couldn’t leave,” Romney said. “Well, that’s the same politician that will try to sell you a bridge to nowhere.”

However, Romney didn't deliver on two items that some attendees said they most wanted to see from the former Bain Capital executive: emotional outreach to voters and a discussion of his Massachusetts health-care plan, which created a state-run health-care system.

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