Desperation causes people to act and do desperate things. A desperate man will do anything. And we're seeing that with Mitt Romney in the final days leading up to the election. Desperation is causing Mitt Romney to act, do and say desperate things. And why is Mr. Romney acting so desperate in these final days? The polls are tightening up against him, particularly in Ohio. And no GOPer has ever won the presidential election without Ohio. Some Republicans do not consider Ohio to be in play. That leaves the Romney campaign with thinking about other ways to reach the necessary 270 electoral votes to win the election, just days before the election.
Out of desperation, Mitt Romney held a food drive in Dayton, Ohio this week by buying $5,000 worth of canned goods, diapers and other assorted items. In a disaster, people need money to buy necessary items, not canned goods. Romney's pal, Donald Trump, offered $5 million to give to President Obama's favorite charity by Nov. 1, if the president turned over his applications for college, his college transcripts and passport records. Now if Mitt Romney was thinking clearly, he would have asked his buddy Trump to appear with him and just give the $5 million check to a fund benefiting the victims of Hurricane Sandy -- no strings attached. If Romney wants to show how the private sector might help with disasters, that would have made for a better example.
Perhaps, Mr. Romney should have used a day of real service to help others in need by collecting or seeking monetary donations to relief organizations. Instead due to his desperation, Romney chose to stage what appears to be a haphazard food drive. During the primary GOP debates, Mr. Romney said he would end FEMA and turn over disaster assistance to the states or even better to the private sector. No disaster victim wants to hear that answer now. And no disaster victim wants canned goods in lieu of money or federal assistance.
Meanwhile, while Romney was staging his food drive, President Obama was in New Jersey with Governor Chris Christie, surveying the storm damage there. And the president offered all the government help that Governor Christie requested to help the citizens of New Jersey. President Obama was offering real help and not fake aid to the people in need.
Desperation caused Governor Romney to continue to make misstatements about the auto industry. Romney stated that Jeep production was moving out of the country and taking jobs to China. This statement undeniably left the impression that jobs would be lost in the U.S. And Mr. Romney knows a thing or two about jobs leaving the U.S. going to China as CEO of Bain Industries. Unlike Bain, Chrysler had no intention of moving Jeep manufacturing from the U.S. to China. But Governor Romney insisted on continuing the sham statement in an obvious attempt to mislead voters. That's when Chrysler got involved in the ad debacle to correct Romney's misrepresentations. Mr. Marchionne, Chrysler's CEO stated:
"'I feel obliged to unambiguously restate our position: Jeep production will not be moved from the United States to China,' Marchionne wrote. 'Jeep assembly lines will remain in operation in the United States and will constitute the backbone of the brand. ... It is inaccurate to suggest anything different.'"
So while Romney surveys the map for ways to obtain 270 electoral votes, he's acting like a desperate man. And in times of a crisis, we need a steady, firm hand to guide the country forward to recovery. We need a leader to tell the truth and not make misrepresentations. If that 3 a.m. call comes to the president, we need a president who will answer with a firm, calm and steady hand and not one who will lie and panic out of desperation.