It's clear that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will survive the GOP version of The Hunger Games and become their 2012 presidential nominee. The richest and most radical presidential candidate in modern times, Romney offers a retrograde vision for America and a surprising set of weaknesses.
Romney's a plutocrat leading a party that dogmatically promotes the interests of the 1 percent. He's admitted that his net worth is approximately "$200-and-some-odd million." (In 2010 and 2011 Romney made a total of $42 million and paid less than 14 percent in taxes.) Of course, wealth alone does not determine political philosophy -- FDR and JFK were wealthy -- but Romney's actions indicate he has swallowed the radical conservative ethos that defines contemporary Republican politics.
Before serving one term as governor, Romney was a vulture capitalist. He made his money running a subsidiary of Bain Capital, whose "modus operandi was to invest in companies, leverage them up with debt, and then sell them off for scrap, allowing Bain's investors to walk away with huge profits while the companies in which Bain invested wound up in bankruptcy, laying off workers and reneging on benefits." (Romney's work at Bain was attacked in a 30-minute video released by an anti-Romney Republican super PAC.)
As the 2012 Republican primaries progressed, Governor Romney's opponents tagged him as a "flip-flopper," a politician who panders to his audience. His campaign has attempted to counter this perception by having him take extreme conservative positions. On March 20th Romney embraced the radical budget proposal of Congressman Paul Ryan. (Ryan then endorsed Romney.) Romney lauded Ryan "for taking a bold step toward putting our nation back on the track to fiscal sanity." (This is a budget that cuts Medicare and Medicaid and further erodes the American middle class.)
Romney has prevailed by running negative ads against his opponents. (When it appeared that Newt Gingrich would be Romney's main opponent, the governor defeated him in Florida by deluging Gingrich with attack ads -- Romney outspent Gingrich by $12 million.) This tactic has eroded his popularity with Republican voters. The latest Gallup Poll indicates that there has been a sharp drop off in enthusiasm for Romney: from 56 percent in January to 43 percent in March.
While Governor Romney will win the GOP nomination, he is far from a party favorite. He has seldom garnered more than 40 percent of the votes in any primary and has only 40 percent of support in the latest Gallup tracking poll of Republican voters. There are three reasons for this conspicuous lack of enthusiasm.
The first is his record of flip-flopping on major issues. Romney began his political career as pro-choice but switched positions in 2007 and adopted the conservative stance. At the beginning of his career Romney supported gay rights but in 2005 he stated his opposition to gay marriage and civil unions. Romney once believed in man-made global warming and taking remedial action but has backtracked and now "is not certain to the extent that man is causing the change in the environment." It's difficult to find any issue where Romney hasn't reversed his stance and, when challenged on these reversals, his responses have been disingenuous.
Second, the social conservative wing of the GOP doesn't trust Romney because of his pandering and the fact he's a Mormon. In a June 2011 Gallup Poll, 20 percent of Republicans and Independents indicated they would not support a Mormon for president. A December Pew Research poll examining Republican voter attitudes about the candidates found "high negatives for Romney among white evangelicals."
The third reason there is antipathy towards Romney is perception that he's aloof and condescending. Journalist R.B. Scott, a fellow Mormon, wrote about the governor: "His inability to empathize with common folk had long been his hoary hoodoo." When questioned on the Today Show about growing concern about US economic inequality, Romney responded: "I think [this concern is] about envy. I think it's about class warfare." And, he's been aloof on the campaign trail:
Romney avoids the press (and most direct, unscripted human contact) almost pathologically... His campaign is also notoriously unwilling to speak to journalists for articles, or even to provide answers to seemingly straightforward questions.
Nonetheless, Mitt Romney is the perfect Republican candidate: a straight, religious, white man who is rich and can self-fund his campaign. And Romney shares a common Republican personality defect: he doesn't empathize with average Americans.
During the coming presidential contest, Republicans will emphasize Romney's business experience and wealth; they'll claim that he's the right man to revitalize the economy. They're dead wrong.
Romney knows how to close businesses, but not how to create jobs. He knows how to make money for himself, but not for his employees. Like most Republicans, Mitt Romney doesn't understand that the economy only thrives when it provides a decent living for all of us -- the 99 percent as well as the 1 percent.
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 |
 |
|
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
Five days ago the Santorum campaign put out a press release about Romney using a commercial non-disclosure agreement to avoid disclosure of details of $100 million in investments with Bain.
Only ABC News seems to have picked it up, but two days ago the Washington Post had the story on the front page and now this story is set to be the wrecking ball of Romney's campaign.
People in the Post have talked about the tax implications and the sickening effect of Romney's immense wealth and his off-shore bank accounts - but his investment in Chinese companies is different.
Romney is now going to be subjected to the same demands for openness as compelled his limited tax return releases, but it is much more serious this time. How could he expect to hide these assets?
Romney has adopted a "don't ask, don't tell" policy to $100 million worth of investments. Does he have that money sunk in Chinese factories, draining investment and jobs from the American economy?
"Tell us what you own, Mr Romney!" That demand is going to finish the Romney campaign.
True he is a sucessful rich business person but that is what is exceptional about our country and society. We iall have the abilty to improve our lot in life.
Most of us want sucess and happiness for all of our families. Mitt Romney has the experience, will and ecconomic philosophy that will help us attain those goals.
If you are a progressive, liberal or far left person that feels government spending is the solution to US economic woes, then Mitt is not your man. Others, Independents and Rebuplicans, realize we have to elect a new president. If you are not in denial,the last three and half years have been disasterous.
Romneys old company Bain Capitol would come in to a floundering or failing business and help them reorganize and keep operating.More Jobs were saved than lost.
When you invest in a business you want complete ongoing success for that company.
Poor people do not start, hire or operate too many businesses.
You are right we need tax reform for everyone. The top 5% making over $150,000 yr pay close to 60 % of the total federal tax. Close to 50% of people pay zero federal tax. Every person should pay something.
Obama and Dems are subsidising solar,wind and geo-therm to the tune of $1 trillion.
These renewables account for 1 % of our total energy resources.
This is done with tax dollars from hard working Americans.
Many of these enterprise have failed. They are bankrupt and doors are closed. Jobs lost forever.
In connecting with folks he was wobbly
He seemed insincere
The 1%’s peer
The 99%’s nominee wannabe.
The current highest rate for individual income tax payers is 35%, which is nearly the lowest since as far back as 1931. If it is lowered to 25%, it will be the losest rate since 1931, seventy-seven years ago. From 1950 and until 1964, the highest rate was 91%. Dwight Eisenhower, for example, felt that keeping the rates high was essential in order to pay off the debt of WWII and rebuilding Europe. Eisenhower was a sensible Republican, as many Republicans used to be. Reducing rates now is insane!
How about lowering our National Debt of $ 15+ Trillion. No balanced budget, stop borrowing from China. .
Explain to eveyones grandchild that there might not be social security or medicare in there future...only massive debt.
Staggering ACA costs will be the reason women, children and men will not receive the healthcare they were promised.
Tax reform should happen. Everyone pays something.
http://www.npr.org/2011/12/14/143657615/as-governor-romney-balanced-budget-by-hiking-fees
I don't think Ryan would approve.
I don't mind people changing their minds on certain issues, especially if they can show their opinion has changed because of learning new facts, but you can watch all republicans, especially Romney, change opinions because of their need to embrace the views of conservative radicals, who have decided that religion should be part of government, women should allow politicians to make all decisions for them, and the brilliant social programs our families fought for should be demolished.
The republican party needs an intervention, and the only way to do that is to deny them a place in making laws for our citizens.......
Exercise your right to vote!
The Republican solution will be to, next time, nominate an extreme social conservative who will experience the largest defeat in US presidential history. Then, and only then, will the Republican party start moving back towards the center and they'll do it kicking and screaming at every turn.
Better check with your wife.
http://youtu.be/Jgmfcd_zY_Y