Top 10 Things Romney Should Not Do If Elected

8. Withhold needed apologies. Romney's book, No Apologies, is a manifesto of American exceptionalism. He seems to think it unpatriotic ever to apologize for the U.S. (although he's acknowledged that it's sometimes acceptable to apologize for things our government has done). Unfortunately, the U.S. is made up of fallible human beings just like every other human institution on Earth, and sometimes our policies and actions cause offense abroad. If elected president, Romney will need to park his machismo and apologize when that happens.

9. Keep mum about his faith. Some voters admit to discomfort with Romney's Mormonism, but that discomfort might well be alleviated if they knew more about it. The Mormon Church is a respected institution to which millions of Americans belong. If, instead of sidestepping the matter, Romney were to educate voters, speaking directly and passionately about his beliefs, greater understanding might well breed acceptance.

10. Take premature positions. Candidate Romney has been accused more than once of flip-flopping on the issues. A careful review of his positions suggests, however, that his real problem may be jumping too soon to strong points of view, then having to backtrack to a more nuanced stance as factors contradicting him come to his attention. If elected president, Romney would be wise to ensure that his positions are well researched and defensible before going public with them.

This commentary comes from an independent investor or market observer as part of TheStreet guest contributor program. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of TheStreet or its management.

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