Top Ten Reasons To Dislike Mitt Romney

[alteregoliz]

This was recently forwarded to me from a long time friend and current Romney supporter. Since it is clearly written to show how Romney contrasts Obama, let’s examine it from that perspective:

(My comments shown in italics.)

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"A lot is being said in the media about Mitt Romney not being 'likable' or that he doesn't 'relate well' to people. Frankly, we struggled to understand why. So after much research, we have come up with a Top Ten List to explain this 'unlikablility'."

1. Drop-dead, collar-ad handsome with gracious, statesmanlike aura. Looks like every central casting's #1 choice for Commander-in-Chief. - This is research? Seriously?! And it’s fact?! Um … isn’t this purely subjective? Yes, Romney is a handsome guy. (When exactly did this become a requirement for the presidency?) I would say the same about Obama. And Commander-In-Chief?! Hahahahaha!!!  "Though an early supporter of the Vietnam War, Romney avoided military service at the height of the fighting after high school by seeking and receiving FOUR draft deferments, according to Selective Service records."  Your argument is invalid.
2. Been married to ONE woman his entire life, and has been faithful to her, including through her bouts with breast cancer and MS. - His entire life?! Was he married when he was born? Isn’t that a bit creepy? In all seriousness, though, the Obamas have been married to each other their whole lives. They’re not as old as the Romneys and therefore haven’t been together as long, but they seem to be just as happy a couple despite what one particular gossip-monger has to say. Any relationship between strong, independent, passionate people will have it’s ups and downs. In the Obama marriage, there are two such persons working in a solid partnership. The Romneys … um, just one. It is easier when you keep wifey barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen, isn't Mitt?
3. No scandals or skeletons in his closet. (How boring is that?)  - Scandals? Skeletons? Did I miss something? Or is that just the severely outdated and irrelevant social norms of the 1950’s trying to go all McCarthy on us again?
4. Can't speak in a fake, southern, "black preacher voice" when necessary. - Are you Fucking kidding me? If you think that Obama’s manner of speaking evokes a kind and spiritual leader … well, I can’t argue with you on that one. It most certainly does because that IS WHO HE IS. News Alert: He's not faking. And speaking of that word - Fake. Also Southern and Black. The way this is stated is derisive and flat out RACIST. Yes, I'm talking about You, the Asshat who wrote this.
5. Highly intelligent. Graduated cum laude from both Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School ...and by the way, his academic records are NOT sealed.  - So what? I don’t givea damn about either of their grades. This is just another Trumped-up red herring. We know Obama went to Columbia University and Harvard Law and that he was editor and then president of the Harvard Law Review. And at least we know Obama isn't stupid enough to suggest that we should be able to open the windows on a pressurized airplane at 30,000 feet. Good grades are not an indicator of common sense. (see more below under ::cough:: "Mitt Romney is Trustworthy")
6. Doesn't smoke or drink alcohol, and has never done drugs, not even in the counter-culture age when he went to college. Too square for today's America? - Not at all - in either direction. It's a personal choice. Last I heard there were still a lot of Americans having a drink and a smoke now and then. As for experimenting a bit in college ... the 1950's called; they want their hypocritical morality back.
7. Represents an America of "yesterday", where people believed in God, went to Church, didn't screw around, worked hard, and became a SUCCESS! - What planet were you living on? My history books report that there have always been atheists, philnderers, alduterers, and ne'er-do-wells aplenty. Or perhaps you miss the days of Women and African Americans being restricted from voting? Maybe the back alley, coat hanger abortions? You took the blue pill, didn't you?
8. Has a family of five great sons....and none of them have police records or are in drug rehab. (Um ... neither have the Obama girls. Are the Romneys somehow better because they had boys instead of girls? Or is it because the Obama girls are black? Oh darn, there's those pesky anti-misogyny and anti-racism things again.)  But of course, they were raised by a stay-at-home mom, and that "choice" deserves America 's scorn - No it does not. NO incarnation of motherhood - single, married, stay-at-home, working - that produces healthy, happy, well-rounded children deserves scorn.
9. Oh yes......he's a MORMON. We need to be very afraid of that very strange religion that teaches its members to be clean-living, patriotic, fiscally conservative, charitable, self-reliant, and honest. - There is much to be admired about the Mormon faith, I'll give you that, and Romney does seem to adhere to their tenets. I don't object to his being Mormon. I do vociferously object to his attempting to legislate his religious beliefs in contradiction to America's long held value (since BEFORE this nation was founded) of the Separation of Church and State.
10. And one more point.....pundits say because of his wealth, he can't relate to ordinary Americans. I guess that's because he made that money HIMSELF.....as opposed to marrying it or inheriting it from Dad. Apparently, he didn't understand that actually working at a job and earning your own money made you unrelatable to Americans. My goodness, it's a strange world, isn't it? - Gawd, you are a tool. I'll just quote this Salon article here: "It's technically true that Romney "inherited nothing" when his father died. ... He "inherited nothing" because by the time his father died, in 1995, Mitt Romney was already a very wealthy man, thanks in large part to the many advantages he enjoyed as the son of a prominent politician and corporate executive. Romney could affored, at that point in his life, to give away his father's estate. (To charities and notably, to his children - both common means of avoiding the brunt of the estate tax.) He gave his father's estate away because he'd already enjoyed its many advantages."

Each of these items could have just a few of the details changed and they would describe my father. He is intelligent, well-educated, spiritual, faithful to his wife of 51 years, never drank, smoked or did drugs. He was a successful businessman and educator for years before his retirement. He worked hard to succeed and, as the son of a carpenter, is far more of a self-made man than Romney ever was. My father signed up for (ie: did not run from) military service during the Korean War (was not called due to a physical condition stemming from a childhood illness). He also served his community both as an involved and caring church member and as an elected official.

And my father supports Barack Obama.

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Mitt Romney's Personal Information:

• His full Name is: Willard Mitt Romney.   He was Born: March 12, 1947 and is 65 years old.
• His Father: George W. Romney, former Governor of the State of Michigan
• He was raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
• He is Married to Ann Romney since 1969; they have five children.
• Education: BA from Brigham Young University, JD and MBA from Harvard University
• Religion: Mormon - The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints
• Working Background: After high school, he spent 30 months in France as a Mormon missionary. After going to both Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School simultaneously, he passed the Michigan bar exam, but never worked as an attorney. In 1984, he co-founded Bain Capital a private equity investment firm, one of the largest such firms in the United States. In 1994, he ran for Senator of Massachusetts and lost to Ted Kennedy. He was President and CEO of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. In 2002, he was elected Governor of the State of Massachusetts where he eliminated a 1.5 billion deficit.

Some Interesting Facts about Romney:

• Bain Capital, starting with one small office supply store in Massachusetts , turned it into Staples; now over 2,000 stores employing 90,000 people.
• Bain Capital also worked to perform the same kinds of business miracles again and again, with companies like Domino's, Sealy, Brookstone, Weather Channel, Burger King, Warner Music Group, Dollarama, Home Depot Supply and many others. - Miracles like this one?
• He was an unpaid volunteer campaign worker for his dad's gubernatorial campaign 1 year. - My dad didn't pay me to work on his campaigns, either. I think that's fairly standard. Your point?
• He was an unpaid intern in his dad's governor's office for eight years. - THAT'S WHAT INTERNS DO.
• He was an unpaid Bishop and Stake President of his church for ten years. - Since when do you expect to get paid for your service to your church? Seriously?
• He was an unpaid President of the Salt Lake Olympic Committee for three years. - Don't kid yourself, he earned a fortune in PR equity that he could easily afford.
• He took no salary and was the unpaid Governor of Massachusetts for four years. - More PR equity.
• He gave his entire inheritance from his father to charity. - See #10 above ... again.
• Mitt Romney is one of the wealthiest self-made men in our country but has given more back to its citizens in terms of money, service and time than most men. - He clearly has been willing to give of himself and that is admirable. But no amount of giving can make up for what he wants to take away.
• And in 2011 Mitt Romney gave over $4 million to charity, almost 19% of his income. (His 20 year average is 13.45%. The Mormon church requires members give it 10% of their income. Redirect to previous note from Item #10 above - This almost certainly skewed his average. Drastically increasing his donations in the year before his bid for the presidency seems a bit calculated, doesn't it?) Just for comparison purposes, Obama gave 1% (wrong again, he averages 7%) (The Obamas' "charitable giving has increased with their income.") and Joe Biden gave $300 ro 0.0013%. (wrong yet again! it was only $995 or 0.30% - with a number that low, why wouldn't you go ahead and use the correct one?)

Mitt Romney is Trustworthy: (SNORT)

• He will show us his birth certificate - You can get Obama's printed on a coffee mug!  :D
• He will show us his high school and college transcripts. - ::head-wall::  Give it up, FFS! "That rationale may strike some as a little flimsy, given that Obama was president of the Harvard Law Review, taught constitutional law, has two bestselling books to his credit and is, at the moment, leader of the free world. ... He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, which cannot happen with poor grades."
• He will show us his social security card. - Okaayy ... I guess, if he wants to. (What? Why? Don't they have people in the HR office to handle this?)
• He will show us his law degree. - Pretty sure neither of them would have been admitted to the Bar without it. I'm gonna not care about this one.
• He will show us his draft notices. - ::gasping-laughing:: The one he dodged?! (see #1 above)
• He will show us his medical records. - Again ... Why? What? Eew.
• He will show us his income tax records. - ::looks-at-watch:: Well, it's about damn time. (I seriously cannot believe you used this one.)
• He will show us he has nothing to hide. - Can he show us his Nobel Peace Prize? Oh, right, he doesn't have one. Kinda hard to get when you're constantly insulting our allies.

Mitt Romney's background, experience and trustworthiness show him to be a great leader and an excellent citizen for President of the United States. - Entirely subjective. And how exactly do you trust someone who changes his mind every five friggin' minutes? The only thing he has made clear is that he will say anything he thinks will get him elected. He has shown no integrity, common sense or connection to 47% of Americans.

You may think that Romney may not be the best representative the Republicans could have selected. (Ya think?!)  At least I know what religion he is (Some of us don't actually care - that whole pesky Separation of Church and State thing again), and that he won't desecrate the flag (so it's okay when Sarah Palin uses the flag in her campaigns, but not the President. Well, alrighty then), bow down to foreign powers (aka: he's perfectly willing and capable of infuriating our allies over the most trivial of topics), or practice fiscal irresponsibility. I know he has the ability to turn this financial debacle that the current regime has gotten us into. (Wait, when did that happen again? Oh yeah, BEFORE OBAMA EVEN TOOK OFFICE. So you meant the PREVIOUS regime, right?) We won't like all the things necessary to recover from this debt, but someone with Romney's background can do it. (Oh reeeaally?! You mean his plan to increase the deficit?)

But, on the minus side, he never was a "Community Organizer", never took drugs or smoked pot, never got drunk, (see #6 above) did not associate with communists or terrorists (is that a new tin foil hat you're wearing?), nor did he attend a church whose pastor called for God to damn the US. (Yes, that was unfortunate, but the Obamas kicked that asshat to the curb when he showed his true colors.)

In closing, I'll just leave this here...