Would You Have Voted for Mitt Romney in 2002?
I want to be clear that I do not characterize Mitt Romney is a bad person. I can see that he is a loving husband and father. I currently live in the area of Massachusetts where he served faithfully as a Mormon Bishop and Stake President. And despite the countless attacks on his business record from the left, I can deduce that he was a brilliant business leader. In fact, I lived in Salt Lake City from 1997 to 2003. I witnessed firsthand how he transformed the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympics from an utter embarrassment to an astounding success. As the world's eyes descended on my native state of Utah, those two weeks were some of the most memorable in my lifetime. I have never been prouder to call myself a Utahn.
These are not the points with which I take issue with Mitt Romney. His tenure as the head of Bain Capital does not indicate to me in any way that he owns a record as a "job creator" as he often states. Yes, in some cases he created jobs, and in other cases he removed jobs or shipped them overseas. Jobs were not necessarily his priority. A venture capitalist's main objective is to make businesses profitable. This may or may not translate to political success, but let's be honest about what we know about his business record.
Another problem with Mitt Romney is that I do not know where he stands on any issues. As evidenced by the first presidential debate, his views are constantly shifting, even conflicting with information posted on his own website. He has changed his postion on almost every important issue. It seems to me as if he will say anything to get elected.
I once posed this question to my Mormon friends, "If you were a resident of Massachusetts in 2002, would you have voted for Mitt Romney based on the views he held then?"
Romney's views in 2002:
If 2002 Mitt Romney was running for president against 2012 Mitt Romney, who would you choose? I did not live in Massachusetts in 2002, but based on this platform I might have considered him a worthy candidate for governor. He even once described his views as progressive, a term I use to describe myself. Since then, he has reversed all of these postions.
These are not the points with which I take issue with Mitt Romney. His tenure as the head of Bain Capital does not indicate to me in any way that he owns a record as a "job creator" as he often states. Yes, in some cases he created jobs, and in other cases he removed jobs or shipped them overseas. Jobs were not necessarily his priority. A venture capitalist's main objective is to make businesses profitable. This may or may not translate to political success, but let's be honest about what we know about his business record.
Another problem with Mitt Romney is that I do not know where he stands on any issues. As evidenced by the first presidential debate, his views are constantly shifting, even conflicting with information posted on his own website. He has changed his postion on almost every important issue. It seems to me as if he will say anything to get elected.
I once posed this question to my Mormon friends, "If you were a resident of Massachusetts in 2002, would you have voted for Mitt Romney based on the views he held then?"
Romney's views in 2002:
- Pro-Choice
- Pro-Healthcare reform
- Pro-Gun control
- Believed humans were the cause of global warming
- Did not support the Bush Tax Cuts
If 2002 Mitt Romney was running for president against 2012 Mitt Romney, who would you choose? I did not live in Massachusetts in 2002, but based on this platform I might have considered him a worthy candidate for governor. He even once described his views as progressive, a term I use to describe myself. Since then, he has reversed all of these postions.
Why is Nobody Asking What Massachusetts Thinks?
In 2012 the former governor of Massachusetts has chosen not to align himself with progressive values, but in 2003 he took office on Beacon Hill in Boston with high expectations. Though I did not live here while Romney was governor, I have lived in the Boston area for three years. I have a good sense of how Massachusetts residents regard his performance as governor.
How do they feel? In short, Romney is not campaigning here and he is expected to lose the state he once governed by 15 to 20 points, or more. Why is the rest of the country not listening to us "wicked smaht" northeastern yankees?
How do they feel? In short, Romney is not campaigning here and he is expected to lose the state he once governed by 15 to 20 points, or more. Why is the rest of the country not listening to us "wicked smaht" northeastern yankees?
The Salt Lake Tribune Endorses Barack Obama.
"In considering which candidate to endorse, The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board had hoped that Romney would exhibit the same talents for organization, pragmatic problem-solving and inspired leadership that he displayed here more than a decade ago. Instead, we have watched him morph into a friend of the far right, then tack toward the center with breathtaking aplomb. Through a pair of presidential debates, Romney’s domestic agenda remains bereft of detail and worthy of mistrust.
Therefore, our endorsement must go to the incumbent, a competent leader who, against tough odds, has guided the country through catastrophe and set a course that, while rocky, is pointing toward a brighter day. The president has earned a second term. Romney, in whatever guise, does not deserve a first."
Read the whole story here.
To put this endorsement into context and as an additional interesting note about Salt Lake City, it is split evenly between Republicans and Democrats in terms of registered voters, but it has voted in Democratic mayors since 1976. Only one of whom was Mormon. Also, the University of Utah was recently named as one of the most LGBT friendly universities in the nation.
Therefore, our endorsement must go to the incumbent, a competent leader who, against tough odds, has guided the country through catastrophe and set a course that, while rocky, is pointing toward a brighter day. The president has earned a second term. Romney, in whatever guise, does not deserve a first."
Read the whole story here.
To put this endorsement into context and as an additional interesting note about Salt Lake City, it is split evenly between Republicans and Democrats in terms of registered voters, but it has voted in Democratic mayors since 1976. Only one of whom was Mormon. Also, the University of Utah was recently named as one of the most LGBT friendly universities in the nation.