The Obama campaign is doing everything they can to portray Mitt Romney as a man driven by those principles. I am sure that they were thrilled that they did not have to use their campaign dollars to resurface the 1984 image of Mitt Romney and his Bain partners with money coming out of their pockets.
Yesterday, the Boston Globe did it for them.
In 1984, Mitt Romney was a newly appointed president of start-up investment firm called Bain Capital. He and the seven founding partners took drastic pay cuts, pooled their savings together and started a business. Yesterday, a Washington Post article mentioned that Romney and his partners would not see a return on their investment for two years.
Mitt Romney led the firm for 14 years. Under his direction and leadership companies such as Brookstone, Dominoes Pizza, Sports Authority, Clear Channel, AMC Entertainment, Toys R Us and Staples became household names.
With the Obama campaign attacking private equity, Bain Capital has recently tried to defend its record. The firm released a report to their investors showing that Bain Capital's investments have been successful 80% of the time and that only 5% of the firm's investments have ever ended in bankruptcies.
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But let's talk about the photo.
I think it is important to remember that it was taken in 1984. Mitt and his partners had just embarked on an adventure to start a little company called Bain Capital---its sole focus was to make money for investors. Mitt and his partners were hungry for success. Shocking I know, but yes, they were eager to make money and they wanted to be successful.
Was that a novel concept for its time? Absolutely not.
Let's remember that in the early 1980's, Americans were a little obsessed with wealth. The number one television show in America was Dallas---the story of a filthy rich oil family from Texas. Furthermore, Knots Landing, Falcon Crest and Dynasty were the top ten most highly-viewed television programs.
I think it is safe to say that in 1984, Americans loved money. Therefore, to me, the photo of Mitt---although in poor taste---is simply a reflection of the time period.
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For the media and the Obama camp to argue that this one photo taken nearly 30 years ago is a reflection of Mitt's core values today is absurd. Shame on the left for feeding this frenzy.
Can we imagine for one minute the outrage that would mount if The Boston Globe had instead blasted their front-page with images of a young Barrack Obama smoking a cigarette with the intent to insinuate that a 30-year old photo must mean that Obama is a free-loving leftover hippie who must therefore love the drug cartels down south?
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| Image from Time.com |
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The upcoming election will mark a pivotal turning point in America. America is either going to elect a president who believes in the power of its people or a president who believes in the power of its government.
America is either going to support measures for moral spending, prosperity and free enterprise or we will choose to support a growing dependency on state and federal programs and a government with a deepening reliance on borrowed foreign money to pay for it.
America's economy remains on very unstable ground. European markets will inevitably impact our financial security. The housing market still has room to fall and 23 million Americans are still out of work. Like it or not, America's economy is teetering and many economists are questioning whether another recession is looming.
The question that each of us should be asking ourselves, is not what one leader was doing 30 years ago, but rather what skills has this leader acquired which will help us now.
President Obama has nearly completed one-term in office. He has had four years to show us his skills. For four years, he has had the opportunity to shine, to lead and to help. Yes, he inherited a mess, but after all he has done--the stimulus bill, health care reform, Cash for Clunkers, Clean Energy Solutions, bailouts for Unions, $5 trillion dollars added to the deficit---has it been enough?
What if the unemployment numbers rise again? What if Greece collapses? What if Democrats lose the Senate? What if Republicans retain control of the House? Has our president told us what he will do in the next four years? Does he have any new ideas? Any other tricks up his sleeve? Will raising taxes on the wealthy really stimulate our economy?
Obama has tried to fix our economy. He has thrown every dart at the dart board and he has thrown billions of our tax payer dollars at programs that have done little to improve our economy. As I have said before here, it has been like trying to watch someone push a square peg in a round hole.
America is either going to keep trying to force a square peg in a round hole or we are going to put ourselves in the hands of leader who has had 25+ years of making weak things stronger---making the bankrupt profitable---and accomplishing all of it without borrowing obscene amounts of money.
This November we will have the opportunity to say, stop! It isn't working!
It's time to get it right.
Mitt Romney is remarkable leader who has shown that it is possible to govern within the confines of a budget. A leader who has shown that a balanced budget is possible and attainable without raising taxes. He is also a leader whose record as governor shows that can work respectfully with leaders who do not share his ideology.
Mitt Romney is remarkable leader who has shown that it is possible to govern within the confines of a budget. A leader who has shown that a balanced budget is possible and attainable without raising taxes. He is also a leader whose record as governor shows that can work respectfully with leaders who do not share his ideology.
Does our president's record reflect the same?
No. And news this week that our president boldly leapfrogged Congress to pass his immigration agenda in order to win some points with one demographic is troubling. But breaking news this morning that our president has invoked executive privilege in order to protect his Attorney General from a Congressional inquiry is extremely concerning.
So, no, I do not need to be reminded of what Mitt Romney or Barack Obama were doing 30 years ago. I just need to be shown how the skills that these men have acquired during that last 30 years will actually bring stability to my family and calm to a troubled nation.
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| Joe Burbank/ORLANDO SENTINEL |
Without question, Mitt Romney's resume shows that he can.
Our president has had four years to create his legacy and sadly, after all this time, all he wants to do is criticize the legacy of someone else.
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