comMITTed to Romney!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all of you who have contributed to contribute to Governor Romney’s presidential campaign. He needs to build the war chest for next Tuesday.   We are still short about $5,000 in the committed bucket (see commitment to Gov. Romney below).

Governor Romney is running against three HUGE opponents in these primaries:

1 — The Mainstream Media. Clearly, in the Republican Primary in Florida and beyond, John McCain is the MSM darling. Many political experts outside Governor Romney’s camp have even stated as much. They are all pulling for McDarling.

2 — Washington, D.C. Establishment. People like Lindsay Graham (senator from South Carolina) and many others are directly threatened by Mitt Romney if he is able to follow through on his promises of turning Washington, D.C. inside-out to completely reform it.

3 — John McCain. In the last several days, the driver of the “Straight Talk Express” has been blatantly lying about Governor Romney’s statements. We now know he is able, and more than willing, to do or say whatever he thinks he needs to in order to gain supreme power in Washington, D.C.

4 — Religious Bigotry.

Below is a reader’s comment left at this blog about seven days ago. I decided to post it, front and center, to make a point. Many, many of you have sacrificed greatly to assist Governor Romney in this cause to fundamentally alter the course of America for good. Many thousands of grassroots hours of work have been given by many of you in placing the get-out-the-vote calls. So many of you have been contacting neighbors, friends, and associates to influence. I have spoken to many of you who have done these things. THANK YOU!

I made a commitment over a week ago to raise a significant amount of money toward the February 5th primary states to get Governor Romney’s message out properly. I intend to keep that commitment to the campaign, but I will need a lot of help — FROM YOU. You can imagine that for Governor Romney to campaign against all three of the above opponents in Florida, he has had to spend a considerable amount.

In the last few days, I have contacted people who told me months ago they would one day contribute to Governor Romney’s campaign when it looked like he was really viable. Well guess what? He has always been viable, but now is their time to step up. I have called them on it and they will contribute. There are always early trail blazers — those have already blazed the trails for Governor Romney. We now need those who have been waiting and watching.

Please make a contribution today. Click below to do so (in the “Source Code” box, please type in ECA064):

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OFFICIAL ROMNEY ONLINE CONTRIBUTION FORM — PLEASE DONATE NOW

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Using the above online form sends the needed funds directly to the campaign chest immediately. People always ask me how much they should donate. Frankly, that is a private matter — this I will say: No contribution is too small. If all you can afford today is $25, then [click Continue Reading below]

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The following comment was left by Dana Maryla at the post below by Ann Marie showing the new, 2-minute ad by Governor Romney. Though I strongly disagree with just about every position taken by Senator Obama, his rhetoric is obviously attractive and I would dare say, mesmerizing. In part, this is because he uses language that is inviting. He uses language that all charismatic leaders use. His rhetoric is inclusive of “the people” — the founders of America used this language often in their speeches and in just about every document they drafted.

JFK and Reagan, both master communicators, used this language in one form or another in just about every speech they gave (think of the JFK speech to set the goal to place man on the moon or Reagan’s speech at the Berllin wall as he evoked the silenced voices of the people). Recall the great speeches of WWII by Churchill — “We will never surrender!” (Thank you Pink Floyd).

The great thing is that this comes naturally to Governor Romney. I was fortunate to attend every public speech (6) Governor Romney gave last Thursday in Des Moines as part of the press pool, and in every speech, he said he could not have accomplished what he did without the help of many people.

By Dana:

Mitt, I’m all for you. ….but your message is missing a key component….Too much talk about what YOU can for US in Washington. Instead tell speak about what WE can do, about what a WASHINGTON that listens to US with YOU in charge can do.

You must give the people a feeling that THEY are doing things, not just YOU.

A government that is FAIR, that LISTENS to the people, and RESPONDS is what you mean by CHANGE. The American PEOPLE are FAIR…and the answer always lies with them, even if good guys like you help it along. Don’t talk about yourself so much.

What I think is great about this suggestion is that it would be very easy for Governor Romney to incorporate into just about everything he communicates in interviews, ads, debates, etc. (as Obama does). There is something inspirational and motivational that transforms a person who feels invited and included by a great leader. The language shifts from a focal point being on the leader to the focal point of a small group — the group that includes me, Governor Romney, and our team. That is transforming communication that converts language from merely hearing the spoken word, to a message that envelopes the person; his feelings. That is a powerful, rhetorical difference.

I believe Governor Romney could easily make this simple, but powerful change because it is what he is all about. Just read his book Turnaround. Clearly, he views himself as the classic servant leader. Governor Romney has been an inspirational leader his entire life.

Thanks Dana for the great suggestion!

~ Vic

Governor Romney Needs YOUR Help to Win a National Campaign — PLEASE CONTRIBUTE NOW, HERE

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Fox News’ commentary said Mitt had “hit a home run.”

Fox’s Frank Luntz said “With just two days to go, Mitt Romney hit a home run tonight.” Other key quotes about responses from Luntz’s focus group: “Mitt Romney consistently got the best responses throughout the evening…incredibly favorable.” “When Mitt Romney talked about where he stood on immigration, the dials shot through the roof.”

The overwhelming response in blogs is positive. Mitt really helped himself tonight.

From the National Review:

Kathryn Jean Lopez says:

“The fighter is out in him tonight. No one is going to call him a wimp tonight, that’s for sure. He’s taken initiative, from minute one. And he’s turned the tone of his campaign around. He’s letting Romney be Romney — the confident, forward-looking candidate with a conservative temperament he is — it was those qualities that first made me pay attention to him when he was in the statehouse. I think he’s being himself tonight. We saw him be himself during the religion speech. And we’re seeing it tonight. This Mitt is the Mitt we have to see everyday from hereon out. It took a while for him to be unleashed but I don’t think it’s too late by any stretch. Let Mitt be Mitt and Mitt might win.”

From Rich Lowry:

“Politics is a game of adjustments, and Romney adjusted to the debate from last night, realizing that he’d be under constant attack tonight and he’d better gird himself and go on offense. He spoke forcefully and put the case for himself as the reformist businessman in the best possible light. I think he basically dominated the first hour, and fell off a tab after that, but otherwise was truly excellent. His best performance yet, in very high pressure circumstances. His answers on taxes, job creation, and immigration were top notch … [I]f he somehow wins NH, tonight will be a big reason why.”

McCan’ts “Experience” Question; I.e., Why Not McCain?

McCain wants us to believe with 20+ years in Washington, and over the age of 80 at the end of a 2d term, he’d change his stripes and try to improve the system he’s helped construct and has benefited from for 2 1/2 decades. Sorry, but if he was serious about fixing something before he would have done it by now. And because of his age he’s a lame duck president on day 1. A nearly 80 year old with a history of a temper with his finger on the button? Quack quack. Others also noticed the McCain slam on Bush (the remark about governors). This is why McCain is NOT a republican candidate. I’ve heard one Senator say that if a secret poll were taken on the Senate floor, they’d nearly unanimously support Mitt over McCain, which McCain seems to acknowledge in his comment he hasn’t won any congeniality contests in the Senate. And he’s supposed to suddenly “change” and work with these people to get things done? GOP: IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. MCCAIN WILL CONTINUE TO DO WHAT HE’S DONE FOR THE PAST 24 YEARS.

Here’s another quote from Mark Levin tonight at the National Review in that regard:

“[C]ome on John McCain. You’re known in Washington as, well, very temperamental and holding grudges. Let’s not pretend you are Mr. Positive when, in fact, you are not.”

Expect mainstream republicans to reject this man, starting tomorrow in the AM radio shows when they call out his school-yard tactics with cohort Huckabee.

After Wyoming’s sweep by Mitt, McCain’s undignified attacks last night and Mitt’s performance tonight, expect Mitt’s poll numbers in NH to take a bounce upward. With the race being as tight as it is, Mitt’s performance tonight was big.

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Taking the Silver in Iowa.

Like Mitt said, it’s not what we’d hoped but it’s still a great finish, and preparation for the ultimate gold. We need to keep things humming along. What can you do? Make sure you make your phone calls for Mitt (if you’re not already a volunteer, contact the campaign to find out how to become one). As I said yesterday, considering where the campaign’s been and where it’s going it’s no time to get concerned about one bump in the road. Here are some facts to keep in perspective:

Wyoming’s caucuses are tomorrow, and both Mitt and McCain have big appearances on the Sunday shows. As “Richard” posted on Politico, Mitt can actually move into first place in the delegate count depending on the showing in Wyoming, and could even retain that lead with as much as a solid 2d place showing in NH.

“Isn’t it interesting people are making fun of Wyoming. That’s like football fans saying they don’t care about field goals. They would just as soon pass them up. Well, Mitt isn’t going to pass anything up. Since not very many people are aware, it takes 1191 Delegates to WIN the republican nomination. So far Huck has 20, Romney 18, McCain and Thompson 3, Paul 2 and Giuliani 1. Wyoming has 14 delegates up for grabs, New Hampshire 14 and Michigan 30. So, because the media looks to promote certain states, it truly is the number of delegates available. By the way, Romney, Thompson and Paul are the only ones that have been to Wyoming so watch them snatch up the delegates….”

I’m not sure these numbers are right but they’re roughly consistent with what I’ve read elsewhere. Mitt being in first place for delegates after NH is more than we could have hoped for a few months ago, and that’s a very achievable goal. We all knew it would be a close race; now we need to pitch in to make it happen! A quick stat: 2 of the 5 brothers were at the Des Moines airport early this morning, and at least one was headed to Wyoming, so Wyoming is clearly going to be feeling the love.

Mitt’s Game of 3D Chess

I happened to find my way into a Q&A Kevin Madden was giving to reporters before Mitt’s appearance at the Sheraton last night. Here are a few shots:

Kevin may have the best tie I’ve seen so far in the campaign, even including Mitt. Try to get a good look.

Kevin told them that Mitt’s playing 3D chess versus his opponents’ checkers, pursuing a multi-front war while his opponents have largely focused on one state. And (using my words) this race is like the Tour de France: winning a particular stage isn’t the important thing, it’s standings at the end. In Lance’s seven tour wins, he won on average fewer than 3 stages per year (20 total stages in 7 wins).

Bring on NH!

McCain is Mitt’s main competition in NH as we all know. Mitt has a new ad, as does McCain. In his, McCain blatantly spins a couple half-quotes from Mitt to make false claims. In one of Mitt’s statements Mitt said foreign policy expertise is easy to find; you can go to the State Department to find someone versed in knowledge, but that expertise (like McCain’s) alone isn’t enough. But the ad twists the statement to say Mitt would rely on the State Department for leadership, which was the exact opposite of what was intended. We need to make sure we call him on this sort of false claim and twisted quotes. So much for John remaining above negative campaiging (as if he’d ever tried).

As a result, now would be a good time to reinforce Mitt’s leadership experience and executive successes (contrasted to McCain’s 20+ years leisurely creating laws after dispatching lackeys to do the research for him). We need to remind people of Mitt’s strengths and that he’s succeeded at nearly everything he’s touched. A few talking points:

1. He had the leadership to turn around the Olympics.

2. He had the leadership to turn around a collection of companies while at Bain, solving problems people before him couldn’t. Sound like a skill we could use in our President today?

3. He had the leadership and determination to keep all the campaign promises he made in Massachusetts, while working with a democratic legislature. By contrast a “maverick” has a hard time getting things done because they don’t tend to play well with others.

4. He had the leadership to organize and motivate volunteers to turn out more voters than expected in Iowa.

5. He showed grace and leadership last night in acknowledging Mike Huckabee’s success, but motivating and convincing the troops we’ll do better in New Hampshire.

6. He has shown the strength of character to think about solutions to problems before he implements them, but then to decisively execute on his plan.

7. He’s the only one that can represent the entire republican party, as the National Review pointed out in their endorsement. In looking at all the candidates, he has the best chance of winning it all, and if you listen carefully he is still the defacto front runner. All guns seem to be pointed at Mitt.

You heard it here first: if we can remind the people of NH what Mitt has accomplished, we will win in NH. People in NH know we need real leadership in Washington. A repackaging of the same old ideas and people just won’t cut it anymore. If there was anything clear in Iowa last night, change and effective leadership are what people are looking for. John McCain is a member of a Congress whose approval rating is abysmal. He has had his chance to be an agent of change as a Washington insider for the last 20+ years. If he hasn’t had shown the leadership yet to solve the problems we have in our society, how will he suddenly start showing leadership now as President? He’s had his chance. We need to tell Washington and Johnny Mac to lead, follow or get out of the way.

Last Thoughts About the Iowa Caucuses

My wife and I drove to a northern suburb of Des Moines last night and attended a caucus of about 130 people. The process, though less complicated than for the dems, was still fascinating. The republican leader (clearly an untrained volunteer from the local community) had an envelope of instructions on how to run the show, and was learning along with everyone else. I felt like I was watching pure democracy, with all its wrinkles. After getting organized, representatives of each campaign were given a chance to speak. When Rudy’s name came up someone shouted “Rudy who?,” generating guffaws. Statements were made on behalf of Huckabee, Fred and Mitt (this last made by yours truly). Votes were cast on yellow ballots made from quartered sheets of 8.5×11″ paper. Ballots were hand-collected and sorted into stacks for each candidate. Votes were then counted and re-counted, then telephoned into GOP headquarters. My wife noted a number of people changing their party affiliations at the door, confirming anecdotally what the national press has observed, that someone out there was driving new voters to turn out, we believe evangelicals.

The Post-Game Party

At the final party Doug Gross, Mitt and Ann re-enthused the crowd.

Here are some pictures:

Now off to bed so I can come back again tomorrow. It’s now after 3 a.m. central time, so I’ve been up about 23 hours straight. Keep it up everybody out there, we all know how much this country needs a man like Mitt Romney (for a reminder see Thomas Alan’s blog on this very site). One last bit of encouragement. Close your eyes and imagine Mitt raising his hand and taking the oath of office in January 2009. Now open those eyes and let’s get it done!

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As we approach the primary voting season, there are more and more new folks finding their way to our humble blog. The information I found on this blog was extremely helpful to me as I assessed the various candidates in search of “the One.” As such, I thought it would be fitting for me to share why I am a staunch supporter of Governor Mitt Romney in his run for the White House.

In a nutshell, Mitt Romney is the only “full-spectrum” Conservative who can rally the support of all three wings of the Reagan coalition, namely, Social, Economic, and Foreign Policy Conservatives.

For a full treatment of Mitt Romney’s positions, I would refer you to his comprehensive policy book “Vision for a Strong America.” Let me summarize here, however, the highlights across the major issues:

• Foreign Policy
o War against Islamic Fascism: We are engaged in a multi-front war which will require using all of our military, economic, and diplomatic might to win; we must defeat the terrorists and those who aid and abet them as well as help the Muslim people enter the 21st century (click here and here)
o Iraq and Afghanistan: The surge is working and we must do what it takes to help Iraq and Afghanistan become stable democratic allies in the war on Islamic Fascism and support our troops (click here and here)
o Iran: Iran must not be allowed to become a nuclear state; diplomacy and economic sanctions are critical, but may not be enough; the military option must remain on the table (click here)
o Military: Need to increase defense spending to a minimum of 4% of GDP to make sure our armed forces have the equipment they need in the field and the support the need back home; the best ally of peace is a strong America (click here and here)

• Economic Policy
o Taxes: We need to keep the Bush tax cuts permanent, eliminate the Death Tax, and cut taxes on capital gains, dividends, and interest to zero for the Middle Class (click here, and here)
o Spending: We need to restrain Federal spending and close the deficit; will veto any budget where non-defense discretionary spending growth exceeds inflation minus 1%; Need to give the President a line-item veto; Strong track record of financial management from Massachusetts where he closed a $3B deficit and turned it into a $1B surplus without raising taxes; carry out a comprehensive review of government spending to increase efficiency and effectiveness (click here and here)
o Entitlements reform: Maintain benefits for current Seniors, but institute fundamental reforms combining slowing the rate of increase for benefits based on income, extending the retirement age, individual retirement accounts, and no tax increases (click here)
o Healthcare: Mitt Romney is the only candidate on either side of the aisle who implemented a universal health care plan; He covered all of the citizens of Massachusetts using market-based insurance without raising taxes; Governor Romney advocates a Federalist state-by-state approach to make health insurance more affordable for everyone (click here)
o Globalization: Continue to trade around the world but make sure we negotiate level playing fields in foreign markets and upgrade American competitiveness through investments in education and innovation (click here and here)

• Culture and Values
o Illegal immigration: Control the border first and turn of the “magnets” that attract illegal immigrants by implementing an employment verification system, no special path for illegal immigrants to become citizens (i.e. no amnesty), no sanctuary cities, increased enforcement by local police agencies (click here, here, and here)
o Traditional marriage: In favor of amending the constitution to keep marriage defined as between a man and a woman; fought the Massachusetts Supreme Court to prevent the state from becoming a destination for same-sex couples looking for marriage licenses (click here and here and here)
o Life: Much has been made of Governor Romney’s switch from being Pro-Abortion to Pro-Life; This is a critical issue for me; I have heard many times why he made this change, and I believe him; I believe that Mitt Romney will fight for the rights of the unborn and be a great leader in supporting Life (click here, here, and here)

The choice of a nominee and President, however, is not strictly a “right-brained” decision based on policy statements and positions. There needs to be something inspirational about a candidate whether it’s the way that they speak to a crowd, interact one on one, or something about their personal story that sets them apart.

Experiencing Mitt through articles and videos really helped seal the deal for me. Below, I have listed some of what I would consider the best of the best articles and videos that helped me come to the decision to support Mitt actively. I’m sure I’m missing some great material, but there is a lot down below. I would encourage you to click through as much of this as you can, and if you have a favorite that wasn’t listed, please leave a link in the comments!

Key videos, speeches, appearances, and articles:
• Articles
o Romney to the Rescue (Newsmax) – Great overview of Mitt Romney
o National Review’s endorsement of Mitt Romney
o The House that Mitt Built (Private Equity International) – Behind the scenes view of how Mitt ran Bain Capital and his leadership style
o The Making of Mitt Romney (Boston Globe) – Reasonably balanced biography of each of the major phases of Mitt’s life starting from his youth through today
o Consultant in Chief (Wall Street Journal) – Interview of Mitt where he talks about how he would fix the Federal Government
o For Romney & Company, Campaign is all Business (NY Times) – How Mitt runs his campaign and what it would mean for his Presidency
o Evangelicals for Mitt statement of support
o Mark DeMoss on why Evangelicals should support Mitt
o Ann Romney Opens Up (People Magazine) – Great interview with Ann; she would be a fantastic First Lady!

• Speeches
o “Faith in America” – Seminal address on the role of religious faith and liberty in our nation
o Address to the Value Voters Summit – Seminal address on culture and value issues
o Iowa Straw Poll victory speech
o Highlights from the Republican debates (click 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th)
o Speech at CPAC 2007 – One of Mitt’s first major addresses to the leading grassroots gathering of Conservatives; one of his best speeches in my opinion
o Presidential Campaign Announcement – Mitt announcing that he’s running and why he’s running

• Campaign videos
o Biographical overview video of Mitt Romney (click part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII)
o “Path to Victory” webcast – Mitt and Meg Whitman (CEO of eBay) discussing the 2007 campaign and discussing the plan for 2008
o Retrospective of Governor Romney’s campaign in 2007
o Online “Ask Mitt Anything” – For those of us who don’t live in an early primary state, Mitt held an online town hall meeting which provides a really good overview of his key positions
o Christmas 2006 – Behind the scenes look at the Romney family and how they made the decision together that Mitt should run for President; cynics have criticized this video as contrived, but I love the fact that he has held his family together while achieving such exceptional success; you can’t fake this stuff

• Media appearances
o Mitt on Jim Cramer of CNBC’s Mad Money – Great interview by Jim Cramer where he calls Mitt the “Best businessman in America”
o Mitt on ABC News talking about Ann – Great interview of Mitt where he discusses what he loves so much about Ann
o Mitt on Meet the Press – Tim Russert throws everything he’s got plus the kitchen sink at Mitt who proceeds to address each point in a clear, classy, and compelling way

• My favorite TV spots
o “Searched” – Compelling true story of how Mitt Romney shut down Bain Capital and moved all the employees to NYC to search for and find the daughter of one of his partners
o “Choice: Judgment” – Striking contrast ad highlighting Mike Huckabee’s 1,033 pardons and clemencies (more than 2x his three predecessors) vs. zero from Mitt Romney
o “Choice: The Record” – Ad contrasting Mitt’s record on illegal immigration vs. Mike Huckabee’s record of supporting tax payer funded scholarships and in-state tuition for illegal immigrants
o “Not Politically Correct” – Mitt’s record supporting life, English immersion education, and traditional marriage
o “Experience Matters” – Ad highlighting the lack of real world, executive experience on the part of Hillary Clinton (and equally applicable to the other Democrats)
o “Ready for Action” – Summary of Governor Romney’s stump speech in 60 seconds; user-generated ad based on a contest that was run back in September
o “Our Home” – Some precious footage of Mitt playing with his children and grandchildren; focuses on the importance of strengthening our families
o “Leadership” and “Energy” – I just love the images of Mitt jogging through the backwoods and the focus on his track record in business; I think he’s the only politician I’ve seen jogging where it looked like he was actually in shape…not just a photo op
o “Ocean” – Ad lamenting the degradation of our culture and Mitt’s thoughts on how he would like to address it; as a parent this one really resonated with me
o “Tested, Proven” – One of his early ads highlighting his track record in Massachusetts
o “I Like Vetoes” – Ad highlights his track record of vetoing excessive spending; no doubt in my mind that he’ll control spending after seeing this ad and other times when he has addressed this topic

Finally, it is one thing to support Mitt with your vote, but I’d like to ask you to consider supporting Mitt in a more active way. Like many of you, I had always followed politics, but never became active in politics (other than voting) until this year in support of Governor Romney.

This year is different. First, this is arguably the most consequential election in over twenty years. The challenges and issues that will be faced by our next President will have far reaching ramifications for our children and grandchildren.

Additionally, we face a set of candidates on the Republican side who represent vastly different positions and perspectives, some of whom threaten to tear asunder the Reagan coalition that has served us so well. Whether it is the socially liberal and sanctuary city defending Rudy Giuliani, the divisive, theocratic, soft on crime and illegal immigration, and fiscally populist Mike Huckabee, or the McCain Feingold, “Gang of 14”, and pro-Amnesty John McCain, there are clear differences in the way that each of these individuals would take the Republican Party.

If you’ve found this persuasive, please do whatever you can to support Mitt Romney’s candidacy. If you’re from Iowa, please caucus for Mitt (get more information here). Winning Iowa is job one between now and January 3.

If you are not from Iowa, please stay informed by checking in here at Elect Romney in 2008 every day. Make a donation to help Mitt win the media air war. Put on a bumper sticker or put up a yard sign (get them here). And most importantly, talk with your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors about why you’re supporting Mitt Romney! Personal testimonials from trusted individuals are by far the most effective ways to gain more supporters for Mitt!

If you still have questions or remain unconvinced, leave a comment and we’ll do our best to answer your question. Or better yet, if you are also a Mitt supporter, leave a comment telling us why! Thank you for reading!

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Many say that we will have a Democrat President in 2009 simply because it is time; that over decades, whenever we have a President of a given party for two terms, the next President is of the other party. The one exception is when America wanted Reagan for a third term and elected GHW Bush. They say that will not happen this time because nobody wants Pres. Bush for a third term. In other words, history will continue the pattern and we will have a Democrat in 2009. I strongly disagree. Why?

What America wants this time in its President is change; big change. The Democrats are proposing change to simply end the war and they want change from anything related to President Bush. Clearly, Americans expect change and they will elect a person who will deliver change; of that, I have no doubt. But who is the best person to set a strategy for change and who is the person to execute against that strategy?

Here I examine the most viable candidates as to their track records as change agents and why they don’t measure up to Governor Romney’s record, talent, skills, and abilities in this regard. The order in which I placed these candidates is the order in which I think they are most likely to effectuate change, whether to the liberal or conservative.

Mitt Romney: If one had to assign a single, generic label to Mitt Romney that would typify his entire career since college, that label would likely be “change agent,” above all others. From his first days at Bain & Company in which he quickly succeeded as a gifted consultant to the days as a principal at Bain Capital, Romney has been directly instrumental in effectuating change in enterprises that were either failing outright or that had lackluster performance for years. Of the many dozens of examples of successful change he led, his taking the helm of the 2002 Winter Olympics and turning it around was nothing short of stunning. It was nearly $400 million in the red when dozens of naysayers told him that taking on that challenge was career-suicide; that the probability of failure was too high. That venture could easily have imploded at any time in his first 12 months as CEO. He not only ended with over a $50 million surplus, but received accolades that it was the most successful Olympics of its kind in history. His election as governor of Massachusetts, his first government service, is amazing as well for the changes he made; from eliminating a huge deficit (ending in a large surplus) to cutting duplicative government departments; all with the most liberal legislature in the country trying to trip him at every turn. The many dozens of ventures Mitt Romney has completely reinvented would literally require hundreds of pages to illustrate. I dare say, no other presidential candidate in our lifetime has had nearly the track record of successful change as Romney; certainly nobody among the current presidential candidates. Additionally, of all the Republican candidates, Romney has made the most sweeping course change proposals from the current administration.

Rudy Giuliani: A distant second choice is Giuliani. He has a record of change in his city, but at what cost? Based on how some Americans perceive the last seven years with Pres. Bush, do we need an autocratic authoritarian as President? Do we really want to entrust the next two to five Supreme Court appointments to a pro-choice candidate who makes us promises of conservative appointments (check his NYC record with judges)? What about his breaking the budget in NYC as spending went through the roof (excluding Sept 11th!)? Do we want to entrust change to a person whose perspective his entire career was that of atypical New York City alone? No, Rudy Giuliani would effectuate change, but unlike Romney, it would not be by disciplined analysis, but by mandate. His mandate, his way. I believe, though Giuliani would govern to the right of Clinton, he would not govern anywhere close to the strong conservative principles so desperately needed now. His experience and his track record as a change agent are mixed at best. He is a distant second choice.

Hillary Clinton: I chose her as third in line, not because of her record for change, but because I think if she were to be President, she would effectuate big change in many sectors across this nation. She has never been a true leader of any entity. Her record is thin as a change agent, but the one thing we have to review is her proposed health plan. Under her husband’s protecting wing, she was permitted to set out a detailed strategy to change the health care system forever. Fortunately, she was stopped by congress from implementing a disastrous strategy. So, I think it is fair to say that the changes she would oversee would include much bigger government spending, higher taxes, a gutting of the military (she hates them), myriad new government programs and entitlements, etc. To compare Clinton’s experience and skill to the talent of Romney as a change agent is like comparing a high school computer nerd to Steven Jobs.

John McCain: He is fourth in my book for no other reason than he is a long-time member of congress who has authored many important bills that have led to change or which proposed major change, including McCain-Feingold and the latest immigration bill. Few senators have the lengthy record of passing new legislation as he. Still, McCain is a senator; a bureaucrat. Though he knows how to work the inside-Washington system to make change the “Senate way,” it is still a legislature. “Change” is not a word that anyone thinks of when considering the work of congress or of any career politician in Washington, D.C. Except as an officer in the Navy, McCain has never led any real change as the executive of any enterprise. If by some miracle McCain were to become President, I believe we would see either no change to the status quo in American government, or change would be nominal.

Barak Obama: As a possible change agent, I place him fifth. The only reason he is fifth (as opposed to eighth) is because he has the most persistent and consistent message of change and he is a viable candidate. But his message of change is only rhetoric. He has virtually no experience at driving change or effectively challenging the status quo. He has no executive experience leading any entity of any kind. But of all the candidates talking of change, he is one of the most viable and it would not take a miracle for him to end up in the Democrat saddle.

John Edwards: He is sixth and ahead of Thompson and Huckabee based solely on his longer years as a senator, his influence in the national debate, and his current rhetoric for change. His candidacy is almost over, but his viability is still greater than that of Thompson and Huckabee. Edwards has no experience as a change agent to speak of and if somehow he were to become President, he would probably try to bring about change, but I believe he would be relatively ineffective at doing so. Edwards has no experience driving change as an executive maybe with the exception of directing his law firm as partner. I think it would be a disaster if Edwards were handed the reins of power as President.

Mike Huckabee: As a governor, he has executive experience and therefore has experience leading change. He is therefore placed as seventh in this line-up ahead of Thompson. Why not place Huckabee ahead of the senators above? Because Huckabee is not as viable. Sure, he is the flavor of the month but he has no depth or staying power. And what about the kinds of changes Huckabee has led as governor? His record is horrible on immigration all the way around. He supports benefits for illegal aliens. Huckabee’s record on keeping taxes unchanged is terrible. Government spending under Huckabee went up 50% and the number of government employees rose 20%. The next President will have to be strong against illegal aliens and tough on cutting taxes. Huckabee simply does not measure up in either of these important areas.

Fred Thompson: He is eighth among eight candidates. Thompson has led no change of any kind at any time in his life. Of the 100 or so bills he authored, it is maybe a handful he led into law. He has one of the most anemic records as a senator in driving any kind of change. It makes one wonder why he is now proposing new policy when he has virtually no experience at effectuating change in government. Thompson has never been a leader of any enterprise and therefore has no real idea how to implement change, let alone plan it. As well, he is almost not a viable candidate any longer. Yesterday on one of the talk shows, Mike Murray summed it up best in describing Thompson when he said, “Fred is like a bear trying to stand up on ice.” Also, on the Mike Wallace show after Thompson was criticized in two Fox clips by commentators, he lashed out in the most defensive replies I have seen of any candidate this whole year; it was as stunning to Mike Wallace as it was to me. Wallace asked Thompson to name any person today who is saying Thompson is running a good campaign and Thompson had no answer to that question.

Mitt Romney has more actual, real life experience in driving meaningful change in large enterprises than all of the candidates above combined.  The other candidates are novices by comparison.

~ Vic

[Because power corrupts] “Society’s demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.”

— John Adams, American Founding Father and second U.S. president (1735-1826)

Please Help Mitt Get His Message Out —-> MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

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