The Businessman Canard -- It’s not impt not to be a pol; it's impt to be a really good one

National Review Online ^ | October 11, 2011 | Rick Lowry

[Cincinatus' Wife]

There is no better testament to the marketing prowess of Herman Cain than that he gets applause when he tells audiences he’s not a politician — in the course of seeking their votes for the highest political office in the land.

Mitt Romney plays a version of the same card, arguing that “career politicians got us into this mess, and they simply don’t know how to get us out."

If Cain and Romney think so poorly of politics as a vocation, they could easily save themselves from any further taint. They could drop their arduous schedules, their fundraising pleas, their very public roles that open them up to ridicule and attack, and return to comfortable lives that would be welcomed by the vast majority of Americans who don’t thirst after political distinction.

Of course, neither will fold up shop until it becomes impossible to go on, or he succeeds. They don’t have the courage of what they want us to believe are their anti-politician convictions.

Cain’s status as a non-officeholder is entirely an accident of the poor judgment of Republican primary voters in his state of Georgia. He ran for the nomination to the U.S. Senate in 2004. He lost. Had he won, he might well be in his seventh year and second term in the Senate, where politicians go to live out their days blissfully free of any serious responsibilities. Even politicians find the Senate stifling and unproductive, so it’s an odd place for Herman Cain — man of action and scourge of the politician — to have wanted to land.

Romney avoided becoming a career politician by a similar route. He ran for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts in 1994 and lost, ran for governor of the state in 2002 and served one term before setting his sights on higher office, and ran for the Republican nomination for president in 2008 and lost. He’s been running for president ever since. All in all, he’s made a pretty good political career out of not being a career politician.

The business experience of a Cain or a Romney is enriching, no doubt. They are more impressive for it. But what will be more relevant if Romney becomes president, his time as management consultant or his time as governor of Massachusetts? Romney was a flawed candidate in 2008 and — by most accounts — is a better candidate now. That has everything to do with having acquired more political experience by passing through the fire of running for president once before.

Distaste with the political establishment shouldn’t become distaste for the act of officeholding. Consider the figures the Tea Party admires most. The tea-party standard-bearer Jim DeMint is a former three-term congressman and is now in his second term as a senator from South Carolina. The rising star Marco Rubio spent about ten years in the Florida legislature and served as speaker of the Florida house before winning election to the U.S. Senate in 2010. If business experience were all important, the successful former Goldman Sachs executive Jon Corzine would have been a blessing to New Jersey as governor, and his politico successor — former freeholder, candidate for the legislature, and U.S. attorney Chris Christie — a flat failure.

Amid the slings of outrageous fortune, the politician learns how to inspire and persuade, how to avoid unnecessary minefields and pick his fights, when to accommodate his opponents and when to confront them, how to build a coalition and keep it together. A businessman might have similar challenges, but they aren’t played out in the public arena in the context of a balky, democratic political system that rarely moves on the basis of one man’s orders.

And the businessman’s work doesn’t depend on a philosophical commitment to a set of ideas. The best politicians, like the non-businessman Ronald Reagan, translate their principles into reality in a way that rises to statesmanship. It’s not important not to be a politician; it’s important to be a really good one.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Misfire: Romney Ad Targets Rick Perry's Jobs Record "I think it's safe to say the Romney campaign is going for the kill with its latest attack on Rick Perry. The former Massachusetts Governor has already gotten a fair amount of mileage out of attacking his Texan rival from the left on Social Security, and from the right on immigration, but this new spot strikes at the heart of the Perry campaign's raison detre -- jobs, jobs, jobs:

The Facts --Mitt Romney's political ad

[snip]

The spot's most striking image is a tumbleweed blowing along a deserted Texas highway. That's rich. It's intended to create the impression that Rick Perry's Texas is something of a depressed ghost town. Nothing could be further from the truth. Since the recession began, desperate job seekers have flocked to Texas at a clip of roughly 1,000 people per day. And they're finding work, too. Despite a huge population influx and a bruising national recession, Texas' unemployment rate remains below the national average. How remarkable has the Lone Star State's economic performance been? Read this Political Math analysis (written by a self-professed non Perry supporter), and marvel. One telling data point:

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The Perry Economic Plan: Cut, Balance and Grow

The Perry Plan: Energizing American Jobs and Security

[snip] “Dynamic Tax Score for RickPerry.org, Inc. Proposal:

Based on the higher GDP estimates forecast by the dynamic scoring exercise, the Perry proposal will not only lead to an increase in overall economic activity and jobs, but will also lead to higher federal revenues in the long term. In fact, the analysis suggests that revenues could be as much as $406.8 billion higher than under the static model by 2020, and could be as high as 19.5 percent of GDP. The dynamic score of the proposal suggests that lower flatter taxes could generate both more revenue than the current tax code, and significantly more economic growth over time. With increasing demands on the Federal government from growing entitlements, higher pension expenses and interest on the debt, it will be necessary to increase the size of the economy – and the tax base – in order to generate significantly higher revenues. Table 7 shows how the Perry proposals would do this over a seven year period.’ [snip] Tax Proposal Score PDF

**********************************************

This is how you "create" jobs -- you create an environment that is friendly to employers!

Rick Perry:

FIRST: "Don't spend all the money!"

SECOND: "Have a fair and predictable tax and regulatory policy!"

THIRD: "Have a legal system that doesn't allow for over suing and make loser pay!"

[TigersEye]

This article is a little hard to swallow.

[hocndoc]

The act of running for office is an education in itself. However, there’s nothing like experience, as we’ve seen historically.

We know how Romney governs. We’ve seen the results. He did no favors for Mass. or the US. We will all soon live with the results if we can’t get rid of Romneycare.

We know how Rick Perry governs. He has not harmed Texas in any way and has protected us from the worst of Obama, at the very least blunted the effects of Federal neglect at the border, and controlled spending while preventing the institution of an income tax on the fiscal side and protected life and marriage on the social side.

[perfect_rovian_storm]

The only thing ‘impd’ in this race is La Raza Rick, the corrupt slimebag imbecile from Texas.

[DJ MacWoW]

We've Watched The Spinning Act In The Press And DC Long Enough

Click The Pic

Join Other Conservative Voices And Support FR

[Grunthor]

Perrys’ jobs record is unasailable(sp?) and his tax reform proposal is pretty good. Neither of these things are what led to his trailing off (rather badly) in the polls.

He’s so far down right now I cannot see why Romney would attack him. Romney should spend his time attacking Cain who is quite frankly catching fire in this race.

I can see WHY Myth is not attacking Cain though, Perry went on the offensive and look where he is now.

Pawlenty went on the offensive and look where he is now.

This is not the type of race that the voters want to see. The voters want to see ideas calmly and rationally discussed as if these men were adults. This is why I really like Cains’ “Rock ‘em Sock ‘em robots ad.

[Quicksilver]

Irony: I’m here to tell you that I’m not a politician, I’m here asking you to help me become one.

[Pan_Yan]

So let me see if I understand what National Topsail Online is telling me. We need to vote for a career politician because a citizen who runs for public office is by definition a politician, just an amateur one. So if we really want to clean up the sewer in Washington we elect someone who has decades of rolling in the filth.

Got it.

[Sherman Logan]

Nobody is attacking Cain because the conventional wisdom is that he will self-destruct before too long. Why waste ammo>

I’d put the odds about 4:1 that the CW is right. Not that I necessarily think this is a good thing, it’s just what I think will happen.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The idea that you win points for not having fought in the trenches of politics doesn't make sense -- and is it true?

Perry, Bachmann, Santorum, Gingrich, Paul and Huntsman have all led political lives; Romney grew up around politics, served 4 years as Mass gov, run for president for some time now - is a politician/businessman; Cain's career is as a businessman but also includes political organizing and running for political office.

So it would seem, being President of the United States isn't for political novices?

So who has been the most successful politician?

Answer: Governor Rick Perry.

Rick Perry started as a Democrat in West Texas (essentially THE only party). He served in the Texas legislature - was known as one of the "pit bulls," conservative members who sat in the lower pit of the House Appropriations Committee and bitterly fought spending increases.

Perry changed parties in 1989, joining Phil Gramm and other conservative Texas Democrats, who now had a true ideological party with a burgeoning Texas GOP.

When Perry campaigned for Lt. Gov. [1998], he and his campaign staff were in it to win and his hard-nosed style was against the "friendly" advice and request of GWB [in re-election bid for Texas Gov] and Rove to run easy against Sharp, a popular democrat (and Aggie friend of Perry's from their A&M years together). Rove wanted to broaden Bush's base for his upcoming White House run. Perry told them he'd run his campaign his own way, because he knew the voters would vote for Bush for Gov. and then cross back over and vote for Sharp (D) for Lt. Gov, if he just walked through the motions like the Bush-Rove team asked him to do.

Perry won the seat for Lt. Gov. -- the first Republican elected to that office since Reconstruction. Now 13 years later and into his 3rd term as Texas governor, the GOP holds a super majority. So Perry has earned his conservative spurs -- fighting both parties!

[The Bushes and Rove supported Kay Bailey Hutchison's primary challenge against Gov. Perry in the 2010 election too]

[Grunthor]

“Nobody is attacking Cain because the conventional wisdom is that he will self-destruct before too long. Why waste ammo”

Given the history of Bachmann and Perry both collapsing I can see where some would think that. Frankly it might even be the smart bet. Until Cain does collapse however, I am going to back him. I am not emotionally attached to him so I have back-ups;

In order of who could/will get my vote in the primary; Cain, Gingrich, Santorum, Perry, Bachmann.

[Force of Truth]

Most of the jobs created were not high quality jobs by any means. A lot of those jobs were taken by illegals and the majority of those jobs were in the government. America needs to get with the program and become more competitive in the technology sector. Rick Perry is a dud. Wake up already.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

So let me see if I understand what National Topsail Online is telling me. We need to vote for a career politician because a citizen who runs for public office is by definition a politician, just an amateur one. So if we really want to clean up the sewer in Washington we elect someone who has decades of rolling in the filth.

I posted this OpEd because I would like someone to tell me why being a businessman (woman) would make you a better President for the United States in this very troubled time, by claiming your "Wall Street" or "Main Street" cred trumped a long-serving governor whose state had an outstanding economy and jobs record during the same time the country was experiencing a recession.

Why don't you explain it to me?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Most of the jobs created were not high quality jobs by any means. A lot of those jobs were taken by illegals and the majority of those jobs were in the government. America needs to get with the program and become more competitive in the technology sector. Rick Perry is a dud. Wake up already.

IF YOU REALLY want the facts, CLICK on the LINK from the article I put in Post #1 and then follow where that leads you. Then come back and see if you can in truth, hold to that incorrect viewpoint you've posted.

[loveliberty2]

"If business experience were all important, the successful former Goldman Sachs executive Jon Corzine would have been a blessing to New Jersey as governor, and his politico successor — former freeholder, candidate for the legislature, and U.S. attorney Chris Christie — a flat failure."

This is illogical in the context of say, a Cain. Of course, a Jon Corzine's political philosophy itself, would not make him a "blessing to New Jersey"; whereas a person devoted to America's founding philosophy of limited government coercive power over citizens would be such a "blessing."

[TADSLOS]

Keep grasping for those straws...You have more Perry fantasy scenarios than Jon Lovitz (yeah, that’s the ticket...). If Perry is such a superb politician why won’t he show off his astounding politically savvy communicating and debating skills. He can’t even pull off selling a series of ripped off plans to Americans without stepping on his unit.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

.....whereas a person devoted to America's founding philosophy of limited government coercive power over citizens would be such a "blessing."

Gov. Perry is only Texas governor that has cut general revenue spending since World War II. He wants power returned to the states. He has fought burdensome regulations, Federal dictates, government overreach and oppressive litigation.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Instead of trying to outdo other creative writing bathroom joke posters, why don’t you tell me what part of this OpEd you disagree with and why.

[Liberty Valance]

Nobody is attacking Cain because the conventional wisdom is that he will self-
destruct before too long. Why waste ammo

Oh yea? This ran in the Austin American-Statesman. Ben Sargent somehow found time away from just bashing Perry to bash Cain and Perry at the same time.