Mitt Romney for president (home, bill, budget)

[MA2NC2012]

He started the campaign long before his term was over.
I am an indi but I no way can drink Romney's kool aid........

Originally Posted by massnative71

So in other words he's looking more and more like Obama every day, is that what you are saying? At least he gave up the governorship, which is more than we can say about Obama (as a senator) or Coupe Deval for that matter (I wonder how his book sales are doing).

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by MA2NC2012

He started the campaign long before his term was over.
I am an indi but I no way can drink Romney's kool aid........

You're again missing the point, in that how is he different from the others?

Did Obama step down as senator when campaigning for president? No.

Romney I think did a decent job the first 2 years when after that point it seemed his heart was elsewhere. You could say he had higher aspirations (as he obviously always did) but as I've said in other thread his job became increasingly frustrating in dealing with the notorious MA state legislature. He really did try for reform early in his term and was actually successful in a few areas, but eventually he hit a wall as to how much he could accomplish. Even Deval has had major difficulties in this area (and he is in the right party). I can totally understand his bitterness to the state's politics, as he did make an effort to reform what truly is a national embarassment (while I don't appreciate him using it for political gain with the national party, if that is his intention). Let us not also forget that he was literally drafted by the MA GOP to run for governor due to their lack of satisfaction with the main candidate at the time. He was still in Utah at the time cleaning up from the olympics. It's not like using this state was all his own original plan.

So he eventually spent a good deal of time out of state, just like Dukakis did then Weld and then Deval (campaigning for his buddy and selling his book). At least Romney knew when to call it quits.

[MA2NC2012]

Originally Posted by massnative71

You're again missing the point, in that how is he different [[/b]from the others?

IDK about others... but I think governor ship has much more responsibility than a senator.
Also as MA has no Gubernatorial term limits , one would think Romney would at least try for 2nd term to continue implement his ideas..... but no it seems this was just one step in the ladder to get to an unfulfilled ambition......

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

I personally think anyone with a god belief has at least some trouble thinking critically in that area of thought. Mormons no more or less than anyone else.

...He also pushed through a huge honkin' LDS temple on Route 2 in the very quiet town of Belmont, where he used to sort of live. It's truly obnoxious on the eye, and it wouldn't be there without him...

As a former Belmont resident, I can't say that I found the LDS Temple on Route 2 an eyesore. If anything Route 2 is the ugliest part of that area.

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

I don't think managing a hedge fund (and layering huge profits from same over a trust inheritance) makes someone a "businessman" who understands economics. Anyway, the country isn't a company (to raid or to run) and I get no sense that he and his followers have the slightest idea of "the public good" or the public sphere at all, and want to privatize everything for profit (except the jobs of those governing).

It's clear based on your comment that you don't really understand what Mitt Romney did at Bain Capital and are just reflexively upset about it because he a) made a lot of money and b) already had a lot of money. To someone who knows very little about these things, a hedge find might seem similar to a venture capital firm, so I understand how you've managed to conflate Bain Capital with a hedge fund. Still, I don't think the judgement of someone who doesn't understand the difference is particularly compelling.

You can like or lump what Governor Romney did with Bain Capital, but it cuts to the very heart of what it means to be a businessman who understands economics. He worked with companies to provide them both capital and to overhaul their business models and increase their efficiency. And in that he had some significant success, suggesting he is either incredibly lucky or has some idea what he's doing. That's not to claim that his model and understanding is right or even the best--others who use different strategies and have different viewpoints have also been successful (e.g. Warren Buffet).

I think a more valid argument against his credentials would be that they aren't as applicable to the US economy as they are to individual companies; alternately you could argue that the metrics by which he considered his efforts at Bain successful run counter to those by which you would consider the US as a whole successful.

[dchezik]

Originally Posted by Gixxer1K

You should know by now that trying to defend Mitt or any Republican in this state is almost useless. You will never convince these liberal wackos that someone else IS better than anyone with a D next to their name.

Think about it,these are the same fools who continuously re-elected Bawny Fwank!

Do you know anything at all about Barney Frank other than he's gay? Did you know Mitt Romney is a Mormon?

[brightdoglover]

I certainly hope that being a Mormon isn't an issue, as I hope we are beyond religious bigotry (but doubt it). I'm atheist and resent that no non-believer could ever be elected.
I do think the LDS temple is ugly- too big, too sticking-out of nowhere. There is a smaller temple in my town and it looks appropriate it its setting.
I do not resent that Romney inherited and then made money. I just don't think that qualifies him to understand that most people have jobs and don't have money behind them and what that means for daily life. Many presidents, most in fact, have been wealthy people, but I hope they had some sense of a public sphere and the public good, which I haven't heard from Romney. I also fear how he blows smoke politically for any reason ("Iran won't have a nuke/etc.") and since I have no sense of any actual conviction or belief he has, I fear what he will hold if president (and being pushed by the extreme Republican party factions).
I lament the loss of the former moderate Republicans, the Teddy Roosevelt Republicans, moderates. I cannot vote for someone whose national party is dead-set on invading people's personal lives and bedrooms while going on about government intrusion.
Sorry I am not clear on hedge funds and all. That doesn't invalidate my overall concerns.

[snatale1]

Originally Posted by goyguy

I hope a moderator notices the bias made clear in this thread's title (no question mark) and questions - as I do - whether the topic belongs here in a state-specific forum.

Stop correcting punctuation and get a life troll!

[snatale1]

Originally Posted by dragonborn

Doesn't matter because he's not going to win

And what are you basing that statement on? There approval ratings have been fluctuating with points of each other for a while now.

[HenryAlan]

I don't plan on voting for him, but I'll try to give a helpful response. As governor, he wasn't bad. Of the three Republican governors that we had in a row, I'd rank Weld the best, Celucci the worst, with Romney in the middle. The thing to remember about him (all three, in fact), is that a Republican in Massachusetts is not the same as a Republican in, say, Texas. Romney ran and governed as something that would only be recognized as liberal around most of the country. If you are looking for a liberal, I think Obama is probably a better choice. If you are looking for a conservative, I think Romney might disappoint you.

My biggest problem with Romney at this point, is not knowing what he really represents. If he's the man he was in 2002-2007, then he'd be fine as President. If he's the man he claims to be now, I really don't like the thought of him in the Oval Office.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by dchezik

Does Romney being a Mormon say anything about his ability to think critically?

Just asking.

I'll be clear that I'm not voting for Romney; but good lord, no. The fact that Romney is Mormon says nothing about his ability to think critically. In fact, I think he deserves praise for his ability to keep his spiritual beliefs fairly disconnected from his politics. He does so FAR better than a guy like Santorum. Unfortunately for Romney,while his fiscal prowess will help him with many conservatives, his religious indifference is going to hurt him with the more socially conservative voters.

Originally Posted by HenryAlan

If he's the man he was in 2002-2007...

This is part of the reason I hold a grudge against the guy. I grew up mostly on the South Coast of MA and Romney spurned the region numerous times as governor. I'm not typically one to gripe about politicians, but he did repeatedly spurn invitations to meet with area politicians and kept/moved a lot of state funding for services on the South Coast elsewhere. He's not viewed fondly in that region of the state. Even the most conservative folks on the South Coast (and it's one of the more conservative parts of the state) would agree that Patrick has done more for their region than Romney ever did. That may not weigh at all on his ability to be a good president; but it certainly sours my taste for the guy.