Commentary: Romney for president, an endorsement editorial
By Caitlyn Kronket
Mitt Romney may not be the better speaker, but he’s sure to be the better president.
Throughout the last month, the nation watched as the former Massachusetts governor went head-to-head with President Obama in the first of the 2012 presidential debates. The two men discussed (or argued, rather) the usual hoopla: the economy, healthcare, the economy, foreign policy, the economy…you get the idea.
What’s interesting, though, is how each candidate was evaluated on his performance. Republicans criticized Obama based on his plans for addressing the above issues, while Democrats hounded Romney for his (we admit, occasionally, rash) commentary. Thus, it seems that the arguments against Romney stem not from his political proposals, but his comments on things like Big Bird, binders and single parents.
It’s true, Romney doesn’t have the same charisma as the ever-eloquent Barack Obama. The question is: Are you more concerned about his way with words, or his way with your money, your employment, your healthcare? We’ve confessed – he’s not the better speaker, but he is definitely the better choice.
With so much focus on the economy, it’s obvious that this is one of the biggest factors, if not the greatest factor, in this election. Social issues – gay marriage, abortion, workplace equality – can all wait.
With that in mind, if Democrats hadn’t been so busy nit-picking Romney’s every word, they might have picked up on a thing or two. For one – Romney is a businessman by and large. He knows how to successfully lead a company by balancing a budget and maximizing profit; the proof is in his impeccable track record.
In the early ‘90s, while serving as interim CEO, Romney pulled Bain & Company out of financial crisis. He knocked $10 million off the company’s $38 million debt to the Bank of New England and ultimately put the consulting firm on the fast track for sustained success. Yes, there were jobs lost in the process, but sometimes sacrifices must be made in part in order to save the whole.
Rest assured, Mitt Romney has saved and created many more jobs than he’s taken. In 1986, Bain Capital (the asset management company Romney cofounded in 1984) helped a small office supply store in Brighton, Mass. grow from an idea of two supermarket executives to more than 2,000 stores, $24 billion in revenue and 90,000 employees. For those voters worried about his job stimulation ability, that means 90,000 new jobs. Oh, and that “small” store? It’s now Staples.
In 2002, Romney impressed again when he took control of the Salt Lake City Olympic Games. He reduced budgets, increased fundraising efforts and, with 9/11 still in the rearview mirror, oversaw a $300 million security fund. In the end, he acquired more federal funding than for any other U.S. Olympics…and had $100 million left over.
The games wouldn’t be the last time Romney worked his money magic. When he became governor of Massachusetts a year later, the state deficit was estimated at $3 billion. Romney quickly managed to slice that figure in half to between $1.2 and $1.5 billion. Additionally, the state enjoyed between $600 and $700 million in surplus funds during Romney’s last two fiscal years in office.
Meanwhile, over in Illinois, Barack Obama was busy too. He wiggled his way up the political ladder at lightning speed: Illinois senator in 1996, U.S senator in 2005 and, of course, president of the United States in 2008. How he ended up in the Oval Office after less than 15 years in politics is a mystery to us.
Obama has no experience in any field other than politics – and he barely has that. So, if the economy is what Americans are so concerned about, how can Obama seriously be considered for reelection?
His limited experience has taken a hefty toll on this country in the past four years. Specifically, that toll is 23 million Americans still unemployed, 46 million on food stamps (44 percent more than four years ago), $4 per gallon of gas, $16 trillion in debt, and an unprecedented decrease in our nation’s credit rating.
Call it what you may, but to say that Obama is the better choice for 2012 sounds like “a bunch of malarkey” to us.
