[Chuck Hamrick]

Fridays are slow on the forum, affiliates are counting their millions and merchants are busy recruiting. Going to start two threads on the upcoming election. Vote here if you support Mitt Romney.

Post your comments and opinions on Mitt Romney. Remember we are all friends here so no name calling, let's keep the debate civil.

[Chuck Hamrick]

I'll kick this off. I have been a registered Republican since Ronald Reagan but I don't always vote straight ticket. I am so tired of the conservative rhetoric and see Romney as more of the same. Personally I don't trust him and see him as a pragmatist, saying what he has to hoping to win over the audience he is speaking to. I don't want to return to the politics of the past Bush administration but I would like to see more fiscal constraint and a balanced budget.

[davidh]

Having rubbed elbows with "Harvard People" for many years, I have known many of a certain type of people who have never needed to want or worry for anything at any time in their life. Though it would be an oversimplification to call these people "overprivileged", I cannot think of any better word for their lot. They are easy to spot, and it is clear that Mr. Romney is one of these people who is so out of touch with the human condition, that he is simply not capable of human compassion. It would be irresponsible and reckless to let a person with this handicap assume any position where he is responsible for the well-being of many people from many lots of life.

[Chuck Hamrick]

that reminds me about George H. W. Bush's comment that made people realize he had no idea what it cost to pay for basic living expenses. Seems Romney has been working on changing his aloof image, not sure its working.

[Chuck Hamrick]

Will the Religious Right vote for a Mormon? If not who would they vote for?

[Chuck Hamrick]

I'm more than willing to pay my fair share of taxes, but when 51% of the inhabitants of our nation take some form of government assistance ( heard that number on a TV show)

I have heard this too mainly on conservative talk shows. If Romney gets elected will he cut spending on Food Stamps, Medicare and Medicaid?

Where is the November election at for swinging both houses to Republicans?

[Chuck Hamrick]

Removed inappropriate comment. gamweb61 you are welcome to rephrase your post if you can keep it within the lines.

[gamweb61]

No thank you. I am not the one who insulted a forum member.

[Jardonhu]

Don't worry, we know, we know.

[ecomcity]

Originally Posted by davidh

Having rubbed elbows with "Harvard People" for many years, I have known many of a certain type of people who have never needed to want or worry for anything at any time in their life. Though it would be an oversimplification to call these people "overprivileged", I cannot think of any better word for their lot. They are easy to spot, and it is clear that Mr. Romney is one of these people who is so out of touch with the human condition, that he is simply not capable of human compassion. It would be irresponsible and reckless to let a person with this handicap assume any position where he is responsible for the well-being of many people from many lots of life.

ROLMAO as this is a hilariously untrue portrait of the real Romney as the historical facts of his life, and his families life disprove this. Read the real facts on Romney and see how grounded he and his father was... common honest hard working self made family men of faith who never lived a day of privilege in their formative years....

First off George Romney the dad... What a man... George W. Romney - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

George Wilcken Romney (July 8, 1907 – July 26, 1995) was an American businessman and Republican Party politician. He was chairman and president of American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1962, the 43rd Governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969, and the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1969 to 1973. He is the father of former Governor of Massachusetts and 2012 Republican presidential presumptive nominee Mitt Romney and was the husband of former Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Lenore Romney.

Romney was born to American parents living in the Mormon colonies in Mexico; events during the Mexican Revolution forced his family to flee back to the United States when he was a child. The family lived in several states and ended up in Salt Lake City, Utah, where they struggled during the Great Depression. Romney worked in a number of jobs, served as a Mormon missionary in England and Scotland, and attended several colleges in the U.S. but did not graduate from any. In 1939 he moved to Detroit and joined the American Automobile Manufacturers Association, where he served as the chief spokesman for the automobile industry during World War II and headed a cooperative arrangement in which companies could share production improvements. He joined Nash-Kelvinator in 1948, and became the chief executive of its successor, American Motors Corporation, in 1954. There he turned around the struggling firm by focusing all efforts on the compact Rambler car. Romney mocked the products of the "Big Three" automakers as "gas-guzzling dinosaurs" and became one of the first high-profile, media-savvy business executives. Devoutly religious, Romney presided over the Detroit Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Romney entered politics by participating in a state constitutional convention to rewrite the Michigan Constitution during 1961–1962. He was elected Governor of Michigan in 1962 and was re-elected by increasingly large margins in 1964 and 1966. Romney worked to overhaul the state's financial and revenue structure, culminating in Michigan's first state income tax, and greatly expanded the size of state government. Romney was a strong supporter of the American Civil Rights Movement. He briefly represented moderate Republicans against conservative Republican Barry Goldwater during the 1964 U.S. presidential election. He requested the intervention of federal troops during the 1967 Detroit riot.

Romney was a candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 1968. While initially a front-runner, he proved an ineffective campaigner, and fell behind Richard Nixon in polls. Following a mid-1967 remark that his earlier support for the Vietnam War had been due to a "brainwashing" by U.S. military and diplomatic officials in Vietnam, his campaign faltered even more, and he withdrew from the contest in early 1968. Once elected president, Nixon appointed Romney Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Romney's ambitious plans for housing production increases for the poor, and for open housing to desegregate suburbs


Next the Son Mitt Romney.... Mitt Romney - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party for President of the United States in the 2012 election. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts (2003–07).

The son of Lenore and George W. Romney (Governor of Michigan, 1963–69), he was raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. In 1966, after one year at Stanford University, he left the United States to spend thirty months in France as a Mormon missionary. In 1969, he married Ann Davies, and the couple had five children together. In 1971, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Brigham Young University and, in 1975, a joint Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from Harvard University as a Baker Scholar. He entered the management consulting industry, which in 1977, led to a position at Bain & Company. Later serving as Chief Executive Officer, he helped bring the company out of financial crisis. In 1984, he co-founded the spin-off Bain Capital, a private equity investment firm that became highly profitable and one of the largest such firms in the nation. His net worth is estimated at $190–250 million, wealth that has helped fund his political campaigns. Active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served as bishop of his ward and later stake president in his area near Boston. He ran as the Republican candidate in the 1994 U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts, losing to long-time incumbent Ted Kennedy. In 1999, he was hired as President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics and Paralympics; and he helped turn the fiscally troubled games into a success.

He was elected Governor of Massachusetts in 2002 but did not seek re-election in 2006. During his term he presided over a series of spending cuts and increases in fees that eliminated a projected $1.5 billion deficit. He also signed into law the Massachusetts health care reform legislation, the first of its kind in the nation, which provided near-universal health insurance access via state-level subsidies and individual mandates.

Romney ran for the Republican nomination in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, winning several primaries and caucuses but losing the nomination to John McCain. In the following years, he gave speeches and raised campaign funds on behalf of his fellow Republicans. In June 2011 ... read on and see who Obama the community organizer is facing as a man of honest hard won accomplishments... Mitt Romney - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Chuck Hamrick]

ROLMAO as this is a hilariously untrue portrait of the real Romney as the historical facts of his life, and his families life disprove this. Read the real facts on Romney and see how grounded he and his father was... common honest hard working self made family men of faith who never lived a day of privilege in their formative years....

I can see your argument for the father but not for Mitt. You lay this out as he is "salt of the earth" but other than his missionary work I see someone barn with a silver spoon in his mouth similar to George W.

[AffiliateHound]

Super busy with family in town this past week - will post more later on - but his "missionary work" was absolutely, clearly, unequivocally to avoid the Vietnam draft.

[writerguy]

Originally Posted by AffiliateHound

Super busy with family in town this past week - will post more later on - but his "missionary work" was absolutely, clearly, unequivocally to avoid the Vietnam draft.

I am neither a Romney fan nor a Mormon. But I do believe "absolutely, clearly, unequivocally to avoid the Vietnam draft," may be a tad much. It is my understanding that Mormons are obligated by their religion to serve 2 years as "missionaries." As to the timing of that, I'm not clear on whether they have any say.

But I do believe his missionary service was probably done out of sincere Mormon faith and teaching, not as a means to avoid Vietnam.

BUT -- as I said, I have no knowledge of how much control he had over the timing of that missionary work.

Gary

[AffiliateHound]

I did not intend to say anything demeaning about Mormons or their faith. There are millions of followers of that religion who are devout people who have disrupted their lives to do their missionary work. Many athletes have risked their college and even professional careers to take this time away for their beliefs.

Mitt Romney, on the other hand, has done throughout his life, what is best for Mitt Romney, and for him, a mere four years of a student deferment was not long enough to ensure that he would not be in danger of being drafted, and he received additional time in the midst of his college education for his mission. He ended up, interestingly enough, not needing the extra time at the end, as when the draft lottery has held, he received a high number that was never in danger of being called.

[purplebear]

I know better than to discuss politics amongst friends (most of the time at least I can ) Not gonna get into any discussion but got a question for ya. Am just curious. I am a really, really big animal lover so will say that first and realize may sound trivial to some of you.... but does the incident with the doggie have any hmmm not quite sure how to word this. Guess, just plain and simple. Does it mean anything at all to any of you who favor him?

As I said, nope not gonna draw me into any discussion on the issue or even my opinion of him as a person lol just a lil curious since I stumbled upon this thread if it's an issue with any of you. Not saying a deciding issue, just does it register at all in your thought process of him.

(Not counting AffiliateHound lol I think I can pretty safely say I think I know what his thoughts are on this )

[Chuck Hamrick]

I vaguely heard mention of this, do you have a link to an article?

[AffiliateHound]

Originally Posted by Chuck Hamrick

I vaguely heard mention of this, do you have a link to an article?

Here is a recent one: Mitt, Ann Romney defend putting dog on car roof; fallout continues

[Chuck Hamrick]

I don't know if its enough to keep me from voting for him and I am interested in how he response to this. His answers mean more to me in the way of voting. If the crate was properly shielded from the wind then I wouldn't have a big issue with this. If it was in the slip stream going 70 miles an hour then its animal cruelty. Sounds to me they chose their comfort over the dogs because he had the runs. makes me wonder if he feels the same way about the elderly or the poor?

[ecomcity]

Originally Posted by AffiliateHound

Super busy with family in town this past week - will post more later on - but his "missionary work" was absolutely, clearly, unequivocally to avoid the Vietnam draft.

My Dad delivered Mitt Romney at Harper Hospital and had the Romney family as patients in his GP family practice prior to George getting moderately rich keeping American Motors from bankrupsy and their Union workers on the job. He then went into politics to help the people of Michigan. They loved him and his compassionate conservative policies and re-elected him by a huge margin. The son Mitt, with a important Governor as his Dad during the late 60's, got a legit Morman religious consciencious objector deferrment. To prove his position he volunteered for religious charity work in Europe on a paupers pay. Hardly a draft dodger and hopefully Obama's campaign handlers and the press falls into that trap... like the one where Dan Rather got fired for Bush bashing and making up stories about his military service.

[ecomcity]

Originally Posted by Chuck Hamrick

I don't know if its enough to keep me from voting for him and I am interested in how he response to this. His answers mean more to me in the way of voting. If the crate was properly shielded from the wind then I wouldn't have a big issue with this. If it was in the slip stream going 70 miles an hour then its animal cruelty. Sounds to me they chose their comfort over the dogs because he had the runs. makes me wonder if he feels the same way about the elderly or the poor?

2 Adults and 5 boys in a Nash Rambler station wagon, with trip luggage, meant either the dog in a doggoe wind shielded carrier or one of the kids got the roof... or left at home.

[Chuck Hamrick]

To prove his position he volunteered for religious charity work in Europe on a paupers pay.

Not today, that's for sure. Was driving by the Heber Valley airport which was full of corporate jets. The I remembered Mitt was here for a political fund raiser. Would have liked to see him in person but its $1000 a plate in a gated community. Kind of hush-hush as there was no news coverage of it this morning on the news?

[Chuck Hamrick]

Was here June 8th too:

SALT LAKE CITY —Mitt Romney returned to Utah Friday for the first time since becoming the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, raising money at big-ticket events including a gourmet dinner that cost at least $50,000 to attend.

Power to the people.

[AffiliateHound]

The Romney dinner that has highlighted his election campaign was the one at the home of Texas billionaire Harlan Crow, a small, intimate dinner the Crows, Romneys and donors giving $200,000, enjoyed in the Crow Library, decorated with paintings by and of Adolph Hitler.

One account of the event here.

[AffiliateHound]

Today's monumental Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act will be a major plus for the President's re-election, especially when the next major element of the act kicks in over the next few weeks.

First, though, the ruling itself was astounding to court watchers, in in that three of the four ultra-right wing justices, joined by right wing but sometimes swing vote Justice Kennedy all dissented, writing that they would have voided the entire act. But, the other ultra-right wing justice, Chief Justice Roberts, joined the four liberal justices to write a majority opinion upholding essentially the entire act. Amazing and totally unanticipated. Though, if you look at the history of the individual mandate and understand that it is a conservative concept, first devised by the Heritage Foundation and an essential element of every republican health care reform plan from 1990 until it was proposed by the President and the Democrats, it is not hard to understand that Roberts could look behind the politics and find it constitutional, though not on an economic basis through the Commerce Clause, but as tax policy.

The public's understanding and acceptance of the ACA will increase greatly in the next month when the requirements of the 80/20 rule kick in and all health insurance carriers begin sending refunds to their insureds or lowering premiums, based on the rule's cap on profits and costs at 20% of premiums. It is estimated that insured Americans will receive upwards of $2 Billion in refunds by August 1.

Edit to ADD: I actually meant to post this in the Obama thread, but I guess it doesn't really matter.

[Chuck Hamrick]

but as tax policy.

I think that is the operative here. Congress has the constitutional right to create taxes and this falling under those guidelines made it constitutional. It took both parties to pass this legislature so both had skin in the game. Now Romney will focus his campaign as the way to get this reversed which looks like the haves taking away from the have nots. I firmly believe that this act will improve health care, lower overall costs and increase our populations livelihood. Only time will tell.