There is much satisfaction in work well done,
but there can be no happiness equal to
the joy of finding a heart that understands.
Victor Robinsoll
One-Off Post Published Earlier Today
I had hinted over the past several weeks that I had an unpublished draft on Romney; familiar readers will recognize points I've raised in past posts.Why publish it now? In part, it had to do with Rand Paul's decision to endorse Romney after his dad was mathematically eliminated and Romney had clinched the nomination (Rand has been heavily criticized by libertarians for betraying his dad); I was also unhappy with Ron Paul's treatment at the recent convention and wanted to underscore some of our differences with Romney. I also wanted to underscore that I'm not as worried about so-called "flip-flopping" which I consider a marketing problem. One of the things that impressed me about Romney was seeing how he pushed through RomneyCare, from the time period that the Bush Administration threatened to blow a huge hole in the state Medicaid budget to fashion a less statist broadly-supported bipartisan plan alternative focusing on private-sector providers, a plan that even won over support from Romney's 1994 Senate rival, Ted Kennedy. This stands in sharp contrast to Reid's ObamaCare corrupt deal making (the Louisiana purchase, the Cornhusker kickback, and Gator-Aid) and Ohama's hyper-partisan power politics.
More on the Romney Embassy Gaffe
Politico has an interesting collection of comments from key conservative strategists, media conservatives or commentators after Romney's recent gaffes. I comment accordingly.
Schmidt, senior campaign strategist on John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaignOne of Romney's key selling points has been that he "looks the part". He must be seen as "unflappable": Mr. Calm, Cool, and Collected, whom can handle problems like water off the back of a duck. One of the key moments during the Gore-Bush debates in 2000 was when Gore sighed in a condescending way and even approached Bush's podium in a hostile fashion. Romney has had similar moments, e.g., the infamous bet with Gov. Perry. The release was premature and some would argue came across as almost desperate. I'm an armchair strategist, and this is one of the most boneheaded moves ever. I would have terminated the campaign manager over this incident. My first move would have been to condemn the attacks and to empathize with the families of any victims. There have been enough stories lately (ignored advice from Israel, warnings from host countries, etc.) for Romney to criticize the Administration later.
“What the American people are looking for after 11 years of war in their presidential candidates is coolness and calmness and a steady hand, and political statements have the tendency to inflame situations as opposed to steadying them. His response is evaluated through the prism of his capacity to be commander in chief, not on the political sting he can land on the incumbent president.”
Joe Scarborough, former congressman, MSNBC host and POLITICO columnistTalgo comments:
“…If we want to win the battle of ideas in the long term, we should be willing to face the fact that Mitt Romney is likely to lose — and should, given that he’s neither a true conservative nor a courageous moderate. He’s just an ambitious man. Nothing wrong with that, except when you want to be president.”
On Obama’s inauguration day, the unemployment rate was 7.8 percent, the average gas price was $1.83 per gallon, the national debt was $10.6 trillion and there were 32 million food stamp recipients. Today, the unemployment rate is 8.1 percent, the average gas price is $3.87 per gallon, the national debt is $16 trillion and the number of food stamp recipients hit a record 46.7 million in June (the latest available report). Americans are not dumb enough to reelect a president who has created more food stamp recipients than jobs.
Many polls oversample Democrats, Romney leads among independents, and a sub-50 approval rating is never good for an incumbent. But I've seen reports of 3 prediction models (including a prominent one from he University of Colorado predicting Romney). Contrary to Joe, I think this election is more about Obama's indisputable incompetence, especially with respect to economic policy and no new answers that he hasn't already tried. To some extent, all politicians say what they think the voters want to hear. I think any capitalist has key convictions; I've been arguing he needs to plead for restoration of key American values, e.g., self-reliance.
Trent Lott, former Senate Majority Leader
“It is always difficult to run against a sitting president, but he does need to be clearer about what his vision is and what he would do. People are ready to vote against Obama, but Romney has not yet sold the deal. Now is the time to do that.”Well-said. I would argue a po-growth initiative including tax simplification, spending cuts, with emphasis on streamlining government and means-testing benefits.
William Kristol, editor, The Weekly StandardI agree. I have yet to see Romney's game plan. I don't think Obama's promises have worked out well. Among other things, I would have the Obama campaign playing defense on broken promises and set priorities.
“Mitt Romney in particular will have to speak up. Barack Obama went into the conventions a bit ahead in the race. We suspect he leaves the conventions still ahead — perhaps a little further ahead.… As the examples of Ronald Reagan in 1980 and Bill Clinton in 1992 suggest, successful challengers don’t just jab lightly, parry punches, and circle the ring. They go for at least a few knockdowns. It’s not enough to float like a butterfly. You have to sting like a bee. No sting, no victory.”
Isn't It Time To Get Real About Teacher Union Abuse?
The AP is reporting that the Chicago teachers, whom reportedly earn an average of $76K/year (Can I see a show of tears for these poor "underpaid teachers" among the 23 million unemployed or underemployed?) are still on strike as Mayor Emanuel threatens to go to court? I bet collective bargaining reform sounds better all the time, right, Rahm? With high dropouts and below-average reading scores, they've really earned their pay....
A new movie is coming out reflecting parent trigger laws, enacted in a growing number of states. According to USA Today,
"Details in each state vary, but in California, birthplace of the first trigger law, parents can convert their school into a charter school or force the district to remove staff, including teachers or even a principal. They can also bargain for "different or nuanced changes that will help fix their children's failing school," according to Parent Revolution, the non-profit group that has pushed for parent trigger laws nationwide.'
Musical Interlude: My Favorite Groups
Commodores, "Easy"
