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Mitt's Masquerade
The American Spectator ^ | January 10, 2012 | Matt Thomas

Posted on 01/11/2012 1:16:26 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

............This is the problem with Romney: a strong comparison can be made between him and 2004 historical footnote John Kerry, and the similarities aren't just superficial. Romney seems to be haunted by Kerry's ghost, perhaps as it sips a fine Sauvignon Blanc.

When Kerry won the Democratic nomination in 2004, the historical moment was rooted in the tumult of the Middle East and in smoldering memories of 9/11. But Kerry's political genealogy traced back to the 1960s counterculture, found in war medals chucked over the White House fence and accusations of monstrous crimes against his fellow soldiers in faux committee rooms. The American people wanted a rock-ribbed leader who would prosecute the war and keep them safe while they slept. Kerry didn't fit the part.

Kerry's political life wasn't any more helpful. He'd somehow made the transition from counterculturalist to Beacon Hill bon vivant, sipping French wines and parking his yacht at the Rhode Island marina, an almost-cartoonish portrait of a New England senator. But deep in his past, Democratic strategists spied a glimmer of hope. Kerry had spent three months serving in Vietnam and was decorated afterwards. It wasn't much, but in the greasy hands of the right political strategist, it could work......

Today's historical moment is one shaped by recession and belt-tightening. It's also shot through with outrage. The American people are animatedly angry at their political and corporate elites. Romney is both a political and corporate elite, and it's difficult to imagine him animated about anything, much less angry....

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: economy; gopprimary; jobs; unemployment
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To: RC one

And Obama is always ready to ignore the Constitution


21 posted on 01/11/2012 3:46:35 AM PST by tiger-one
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To: voicereason
Except that we'll still have too many Rinos without a backbone, and who prefer the status quo. We control the House now and are still basically being shafted.

January 11, 2012: Rick Perry proposes to make Washington inconsequential - Tells Congress,"Get a Job!" ...."if we replace a Democratic insider with a Republican insider, what will truly change in Washington besides the party in power?

This election, we don't have to settle for Washington and Wall Street insiders who supported the bailouts and the Obamacare individual mandate. We don't have to passively accept the edicts of an establishment that gave us earmarks, deficits, and a limitless debt ceiling. We don't have to elect a candidate who would allow Iran to be armed at the expense of Israel, and ultimately America.

I offer voters a clear choice. I am the limited-government conservative in this campaign that will give Washington the complete overhaul it needs.

It starts by creating a part-time, citizen Congress like our founders intended. We should cut their pay in half, cut their time in Washington in half, and send them home to get jobs like everyone else. It's time for members of Congress to start living under the laws they pass with the people they represent. And because a president must lead by example, we should also cut the president's pay in half until the federal budget is balanced.

I will break Washington's spending addiction and balance the budget with real spending reductions. My plan permanently bans corporate bailouts, because taxpayers should not have to pay exorbitant bonuses to the Wall Street executives who defrauded them. And it will get rid of earmarks, which have become the crack-cocaine of Congress. Last week, President Obama provided a clear-cut example of Washington's dysfunctional mentality. Five months after the disastrous debt ceiling hike, he asked Congress to raise the ceiling by another $1.2 trillion. And make no mistake: Some of our own leaders will view this as nothing more than another horse to trade.

This is why we cannot ask an insider to overhaul Washington — because insiders are born of a corrupt establishment culture."..........

22 posted on 01/11/2012 4:27:14 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: voicereason

that’s why we need to win the senate at a minimum. we simply do not control enough of the government to implement the kind of conservative agenda that we’re advocating. we need more power and I think we’ll het it. we allowed the establishment to hijack our movement back in 2009-2010 and we’re still paying for it. we need to make it clear that we are not the party of your boss but rather the party of hard working middle class types that have been taxed enough already and who are sick and tired of watching washinhton d.c. piss our tax dollars away on worthless enterprises like solyndra for example.


23 posted on 01/11/2012 4:50:15 AM PST by RC one (Scorch the earth Newt. Scorch it.)
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To: 9YearLurker
Mitt Romney and the Hypocrisy of Bain Capital....."By contrast, Mitt Romney was primarily what is affectionately known as a vulture investor. Bain Capital invested in failing companies with the intention of either restructuring their business or stripping the business and selling its assets. This business model often adversely affects a company's employees. To be fair, if the company had gone bankrupt on its own, that would have adversely affected the company's employees too. The question Republican primary voters need to ask themselves is not whether Mitt Romney did anything illegal or immoral. In a climate of near 10% unemployment, do Republicans want a vulture investor to be the face of their party?

The two core arguments for Mitt Romney's candidacy are (1) that he knows how to create jobs and (2) that he stands a better chance of defeating Barack Obama than his competitors. Is it true that a slash and burn vulture investor is the best advocate for job creation? If you were a factory worker in Ohio or Pennsylvania or the upper Midwest and Mitt Romney killed your job because there was a more efficient use of the capital employed in your factory, are you really going to listen to what Mitt Romney has to say even if you believe in hard work and free market capitalism?".....

24 posted on 01/11/2012 4:55:04 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Well we finally agree on something. ONly, I think it’s too late to stop the cow from getting out of the barn...

We’re going to pick Romney as the candidate. I think you will then have Trump in the race...

Bottom line, Obama gets four more years.


25 posted on 01/11/2012 5:02:44 AM PST by nikos1121
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Yes, he was a vulture capitalist and those tended to be bigger deals. But with companies like Staples, he was a venture capitalist. He was both.


26 posted on 01/11/2012 5:16:17 AM PST by 9YearLurker
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Last night on NPR, the analysts were saying that anything less than a 40% win for Romney would be a great disappointment. So today I’m hearing them laud his incredible victory, while I’m waiting to find out what the percentage was.

It was 39%.

Interesting.


27 posted on 01/11/2012 5:16:32 AM PST by cuban leaf (Were doomed! Details at eleven.)
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To: cuban leaf

After reading the above comments re Venture Capital it would appear that there are more “Occupiers against Wall Street” sophists opining on FR than there are in the tents in the parks.


28 posted on 01/11/2012 5:24:03 AM PST by BilLies ( (ABCBSNBCNN, NYTimes, WaPOSt , etc., hates your Traditional American guts!))
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To: 9YearLurker

I’m sure Obama will make that distinction. /S


29 posted on 01/11/2012 5:24:40 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

God help us if “the Obama standard” starts to apply for accuracy at FR. Believe me, I’d even take Perry as a candidate ahead of Mitt.


30 posted on 01/11/2012 5:29:01 AM PST by 9YearLurker
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To: BilLies

Not all of them are sophists. The sort of stuff Romney was doing is one of the more questionable and easily attacked aspects of capitalism. It’s legal, but not a lot of people approve of it. It’s a cultural thing.

Similar to the legal practices of performing abortions or producing porn. At dinner parties, you may be reluctant to discuss how you earn your income.

But regardless, the “masses” will be very susceptable to an “evil 1%” message against Romney foisted on them by the Obama super Pac machine. It will be a weakness, even if it is grossly missunderstood. If the electorate actually did any “real” investigation of the candidates, Obama never would have been nominated, much less won.

But here we are...


31 posted on 01/11/2012 5:34:01 AM PST by cuban leaf (Were doomed! Details at eleven.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Romney is a Vulture Capitalist not a Venture Capitalist.

You and rickarda laraza sound like joe stalin calling an investment firm "vulture capitalism", shame on you Wifey.

The strong survive and the weak die, both in nature as well as capitalism.

When you have companies {or governments} come in with the intent of "keeping the company going to protect jobs" you get GM and solyndra.

I'm not a mitten wearer, but this is beneath you Wifey {but not that soft on ILLEGAL ALIENS grubbner from the Alamo}.

Shame, shame, shame.

32 posted on 01/11/2012 6:16:38 AM PST by USS Alaska (Nuke The Terrorist Savages)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
It's a clear distinction and obviously NOT a comment about Capitalism but rather Romney.

It disarms part of Obama's campaign strategy too.

Rush and Sean need to revisit their "outrage."

When you and ricardo laraza and Newt are being given kudos from the demonRAT Underground, and Rush is outraged, you might want to rethink and reconsider your position.

33 posted on 01/11/2012 6:37:53 AM PST by USS Alaska (Nuke The Terrorist Savages)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
This election is going to be won on JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!

It's funny how this talking point is identical for the Republican and the Democrat elites.

All delivered with the false promise that they are somehow going to deliver them, even though their job is not to create jobs.

34 posted on 01/11/2012 6:45:36 AM PST by EternalVigilance (Romney is Obama.)
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To: EternalVigilance
All delivered with the false promise that they are somehow going to deliver them, even though their job is not to create jobs.

A state where regulations and lawsuits are rolled back, taxes kept low, budget is balanced --- that is the atmosphere where businesses know they can invest and make money (and jobs) --- that's Texas.

35 posted on 01/11/2012 6:54:15 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: EternalVigilance

36 posted on 01/11/2012 6:55:20 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

A predictable response.

And still, it is not the job of government to create jobs, as the political elites promises infer.

The only jobs government can create are government jobs, and in the current context, jobs that are paid for by crushing debt heaped upon our great-grandchildren’s backs.


37 posted on 01/11/2012 7:33:01 AM PST by EternalVigilance (Romney is Obama.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
But deep in his past, Democratic strategists spied a glimmer of hope. Kerry had spent three months serving in Vietnam and was decorated afterwards. It wasn't much, but in the greasy hands of the right political strategist, it could work.


38 posted on 01/11/2012 8:02:12 AM PST by Donald Rumsfeld Fan ("Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts." Richard Feynman father of Quantum Physics)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Thus Kerry was transformed into a barrel-chested war hero; a steadied military hand in a time of uncertain war. This charade was at its manufactured best when he stepped out at the Democratic convention and declared, "I'm John Kerry, and I'm reporting for duty. It hit an absurd nadir when the old war horse took up arms again and decided to go goose hunting, mugging for the camera in a camo hat.


39 posted on 01/11/2012 8:09:28 AM PST by Donald Rumsfeld Fan ("Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts." Richard Feynman father of Quantum Physics)
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