I confess, despite being outraged by the Occupy Republicans, I feel a secret delight today: I am once again one of the conservatives in the Republican Party. For more than a year now, I’ve been on the outs. A big RINO supporter. First Tim Pawlenty, then Mitt Romney. I couldn’t seem to help myself. Perry’s wit and brilliance was too abrasive; Newt’s baggage too light and whimsical; Cain’s experience too vast and unplummable. I wandered off into the far corridors of the Republican Party, where lay Nelson Rockefeller’s and William Scranton’s graves.
Today, I was given a new lease on conservatism. Because if capitalism is not sacrosanct, then the very raison d’etre of the anti-Romney critique- that there are principles which should not be abandoned or hedged for the sake of winning an election- is exposed as rank hypocrisy and fizzling incoherence. So it is with great pleasure that I abandon my RINO tendencies, and embrace the True Conservative in the race: Mitt Romney. It’s truly good to be a conservative again.
January 9th, 2012 at 10:27 pm
The readiness with which some of the other candidates are willing to savage the fundamentals of capitalism is truly astonishing.
January 9th, 2012 at 10:33 pm
Yep idiots like Rush Limbaugh, the fat ass Erick Erikson, most others at Redstate, etc have sold out conservatism in this latest episode of Romney Derangement Syndrome.
January 9th, 2012 at 10:34 pm
Well said mate!
January 9th, 2012 at 10:35 pm
Not really astonishing here. Because I never believed these folks were conservatives in the first place. Wanna know what’s conservative? To look at a weak field, beg, beg, and beg for better entrants and then, when none arrive, to make an objective assessment of the remaining contenders, factoring in both ideology and candidate skill. Time was, conservatives understood the idea of “the most conservative electable candidate”. Time was, it was perfectly respectable to back a moderate, when everyone else running was effectively moderate but had flaws that went far beyond ideology. For months now, though, only one thing made you conservative: opposing Mitt Romney at all costs. Glad the pretense is dropped though. Happy to have so many True Conservatives out themselves as fundamentally unconcerned with the foundation of conservative ideology.
January 9th, 2012 at 10:38 pm
Well said.
I was kind of in shock today with all this anti-capitalisim coming from so-called conservatives….I was starting to wonder what is wrong with this country….I have thought it was just liberals, OWS, Michael Moore, Obama, Pelosi, etc. But when Newt and our governor of a red state likeTexas starting sounding like socialists I start to wonder if the liberals have won and changed this country’s direction permanently.
January 9th, 2012 at 10:38 pm
#2, True dat, mcon.
But is anybody really attacking capitalism besides Newt and his dummy sidekick Perry? And the only reason they are is to blindly, mindlessly attack Mitt.
This all redounds to Mitt’s benefit IMO as everybody is circling the wagons around captitalism and in the process around Mitt.
More to the point when are people in the press going to catch on the Newt is crazy. He’s not a well man and he’s a danger to himself and others. Put him under house arrest or something.
On the other hand, Newt’s nuttiness is sucking up all the oxygen so that could help Mitt. Who will pay attention to any of the other candidates (Santorum?) while Newt the nutty rodeo clown is @ center stage?
January 9th, 2012 at 10:40 pm
Here, here, MEM. I join you in your happiness.
January 9th, 2012 at 10:42 pm
Romney? Conservative? AHHHHHHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Thanks, I needed a laugh. It’s so conservative to pass gun bans, be against tax cuts (before he was for them), Romneycare, oh the list goes on.
Yeah, conservative.
January 9th, 2012 at 10:45 pm
I hope you’ve read Jay Nordlinger’s column at NRO. The modern Republican party wraps itself up in capitalism but when pushed to embrace it, recoils!
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/287606/conservatives-vs-capitalism-jay-nordlinger#comment-442808
January 9th, 2012 at 10:47 pm
15 Minutes Until Dixville Notch!
January 9th, 2012 at 10:47 pm
Rush said some weeks ago that he is “a business. And his business is to sell advertising.” Well, to sell advertising, he must have listeners.
In 2008 and earlier in this season, Rush said good things about Mitt and got blowback from listeners who could not tolerate hearing support for the member of a “cult.” I heard the same thing on Hannity. My suspicion is the coolness toward Mitt (and outright hostility by some) while touting to the high heavens all of the ABRs has more to do with pandering to their audience than their sincere ideology.
Sell-outs all. If and when the time comes that it’s OK for conservative talk to support Mitt, they will embrace him as long their long lost brother.
In the meantime, we have Bauer endorsing Santorum and Richard Land (who heartily endorsed Mitt last time in favor of Huck) and other “conservative leaders” holding an emergency meeting in TX to rally around someone to stop Mitt.
However, if Land and the rest would meet, come to their senses, (they are not stupid) and endorse Mitt, Rush, Fox et al would have a little bit of cover.
January 9th, 2012 at 10:50 pm
It’s like I said before Iowa, if Romney was struggling in New Hampshire and solid in Iowa everyone would be running to his left. Romney’s the most conservative candidate left in the race, and he appeals to independents as well.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:02 pm
10. when will start seeing results tomorrow?
January 9th, 2012 at 11:03 pm
You damn capitalists
January 9th, 2012 at 11:06 pm
Dixville Notch Voting Results “First In The Nation”
Total of 9 Voters Participated
Romney 2
Huntsman 2
Gingrich 1
Ron Paul 1
January 9th, 2012 at 11:07 pm
Barack Obama got the other 3 votes
January 9th, 2012 at 11:09 pm
Huntsman SSSSSUUUURRRRGGGEEEEE!!!!!!!!!
January 9th, 2012 at 11:09 pm
WOOT! Dixville Notch!
January 9th, 2012 at 11:10 pm
ain’t the a second place that votes…Something Hart?
January 9th, 2012 at 11:11 pm
Still waiting on the results from Harts Landing as well.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:11 pm
3 votes for Obama in Dixville Notch
January 9th, 2012 at 11:13 pm
*Harts Location*
January 9th, 2012 at 11:15 pm
The truth about Bain Capital (must read):
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/287565/romney-derangement-syndrome-avik-roy?pg=1
Stop listening to the dishonest propaganda of Newt, Perry, Jon, teledude, SoJo, and Smack. This is the truth from a source that isn’t all that pro-Romney (NRO has been gaga over Santorum lately … to the point of not covering his record). Anyone who tries to use Bain against Newt is either stupid or a socialist.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:15 pm
Vote from Dixville Notch:
Romney 2
Huntsman 2
Paul 1
Gingrich 1
January 9th, 2012 at 11:16 pm
against Romney*
January 9th, 2012 at 11:17 pm
Looks like all this is just another big round of hypocrisy from Newt:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/01/gingrichs-past-buyout-tie-110240.html
January 9th, 2012 at 11:19 pm
Sean
10 Minutes to late buddy
January 9th, 2012 at 11:22 pm
So how does this work in NH? Each precint votes at a certain time? All during the night? Or just the first one is a big deal?
January 9th, 2012 at 11:24 pm
Newt spent pre-primary night at Common Man tavern in Dover watching the BCS game, sipping a Guiness. My kind of guy.
Authentic.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:24 pm
K.G.
Just the first one is a big deal, all the other polls don’t open until the morning, this is a tradition that was started over 50 years ago in Dixville Notch
January 9th, 2012 at 11:26 pm
Newt might need allot more than a Guiness tonight.
LOSer
January 9th, 2012 at 11:28 pm
Looks like Santorum has gotten his talking points from Smack:
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/287615/romneycare-and-obamacare-rick-santorum
What dishonest dreck!
January 9th, 2012 at 11:29 pm
29 – LOL … the BCS game he thought was a basketball game which he thought was on Saturday night? LOL!
January 9th, 2012 at 11:29 pm
harts landing
Romney 7
Paul 5
Huntsman 4
Newt 2
Perry 1
January 9th, 2012 at 11:30 pm
33. That’s Authentic.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:31 pm
#32 How many flip/flops is that for Rummy? Counting his 2008 ringing endorsement of Mitt?
January 9th, 2012 at 11:32 pm
Thank you Matt…today I’ve been especially upset…I’ve been posting at rightspeak all d ay because today was the day that broke the camel’s back for me…I’ve never been so embarrassed for the anti-Romney crowd. They have soooo much material on Mitt (that we’ve heard about ad nauseum) to distrust the man on and so many reasons to genuinely hate the man…but then they have to go and abandon the basic foundation of our ideology.
To see as many people around the web commenting o n on Mr: Corporate Raider today, people who’s opinions I have admired reguardless of their support for Mitt, turn on free markets today so casually has been disheartening to say the least. They’re just marching on to the final “command/argument” to take out Mitt…because apparently Romneycare, flip-flopper, moderate/liberal labels, fake, lame/uninspiring, Robot, Mormon, unelectable, etc. Etc. arguments don’t seem quite enough to take this Massachusetts Moderate out.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:32 pm
33
A man of the people. Most people forget sports schedules, right?
At least, Noot’s consultants told him so.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:35 pm
29. Tele don’t you mean he watch the basketball national championship game? Authentic indeed.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:36 pm
#36 Who is it? The few people I’ve heard, Kudlow, Rove, Krauthammer, Stuart Varney, some on Townhall have been attacking Newt over this.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:36 pm
6
Huntsman joined the fray, too. The knucklehead.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:37 pm
8. You are wrong, Spud.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:38 pm
Gordon,
Indeed. True conservatives just can’t stand the thought that all the legitimate arguments about Romney have been aired, and YET voters still see him as less flawed than his opponents. I’m still open to Bobby Jindal draft, for goodness sake, so I’m far from blind to his flaws. But enough is-e-damn-nough. Those who would toss the free-market overboard to help wildly flawed candidates, with no chance of winning the nomination, have abandoned any pretense of principle. And whatever they say about their opposition to Romney, we can state conclusively that it has nothing to do with his moderation and inconsistency.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:38 pm
#40: That’s right. And he was completely disingenious about the “fire people” dust up. I called him something else (to Mr. K.G.) that I cannot write here. Knucklehead doesn’t begin to do him justice.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:42 pm
#43 Make that “disingenuous.” But “disingenius” kind of works too maybe.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:43 pm
Bravo Matt! I am so happy to hear people like you declare your conservatism. My story is similar to yours.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:43 pm
Guys, the Junk Bond corporate raiders of the 80′s are no more a legitimate part of capitalism and free markets than the toxic debt derivatives sold by investment banks in the early 2000′s are. It is a form of crony capitalism and predatory economics that has nothing to do with creating jobs or wealth for anyone but the wall street wizards who cook up these schemes.
No one is attacking capitalism or free markets. Just the opposite. It is the distortions of the free market, where corporate raiders load a company up with unsustainable debt and cash out all the equity leaving a bankrupt shell, while profiting hundreds of millions. It is not the ideal of free market capitalism that built this country into the strongest economic engine in the world…it has facilitated our decline in manufacturing, bankrupted pension plans, and outsourced jobs and profits overseas.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:44 pm
Thank you Matthew Miller for a brief breath of sanity.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:45 pm
The Republican party is feeling the birthing pains of a new Reagan emerging from the unlikiest of origins: a Mormon from Massachusetts.
But in Obama we have a Carter, and in Mitt, a new Reagan. I can understand that it’s hard to accept that we have another Reagan emerging, when we all liked the old one so much.
Rush will come along and eventually be singing his praises. Maybe even erickson?
I truly believe it will happen: everything is setting up nicely, and Mitt will prove to be no liberal.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:46 pm
46–precisely. This is why Mitt’s record at Bain, saving more than 70% of the companies in which he invested, is so powerful. He bought them with private money. He shored them up, trimmed them down, re engineered and re tooled and then sold them. What’s wrong with that?
January 9th, 2012 at 11:48 pm
48. That Sir is blasphemy.
You guys will say anything!
The timid Massachusetts Moderate is no Reagan.
Do not be foolish.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:48 pm
46. That’s rich! Is this the same Newt that praised Mitt and Bain just last year? Yes, it is. Just like it’s the same Newt that praised RomneyCare. You and Newt are pathetic. Take your ball and go home.
http://www.creators.com/conservative/david-harsanyi/bain-over-newt-any-day.html
January 9th, 2012 at 11:49 pm
The worst part about it is that their argument against him makes no sense at all. They throw around words like “corporate raider” and try to demonize him for conducting “LBOs” (as if LBOs in themselves are evil). Well, if they had half a brain they would realize that the two concepts are diametrically opposed to each other. You can’t be a “corporate raider” and an LBO guy. LBOs magnify risk. When you are successful in turning around a company that was purchased with an LBO, you win big. When you fail, you lose big.
It makes absolutely no sense at all to go and purchase a company with an LBO only to let it die on the vine. The losses from doing that would be sky high. The only way to justify an LBO is if you think you have a good chance of turning a company around. Of course, sometimes your hopes are dashed and you don’t succeed (although Romney was quite successful). Romney is well known for meticulously studying companies before he bought them to see whether he could help them. He was wildly successful.
The dishonest crap that Newt and the others are pushing is not just anti-capitalist. It is absolutely false. It is nothing but liberal talking points that don’t make any sense in the real world.
I wish this country weren’t so economically illiterate. That is one of the biggest problems we face. People just don’t know how any of this stuff works, and are therefore vulnerable to the populist leftist bullcrap that gets spewed by both sides in elections (Huckabee did it in 2008 as well). It is discouraging.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:50 pm
46 – Case in point. Complete illiterate nonsense.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:50 pm
#48 Did you hear Paul Ryan on Hannity this afternoon? Ryan was conservative, articulate and empassioned and sounded EXACTLY like Mitt in his policies and patriotism. Because of Ryan’s leadership position in the GOP, he’s not allowed to endorse in the primary. He did, however, call Mitt’s NH speech on entitlements “brilliant.”
It’s just the media talking heads who have to pander to their listeners who are against Mitt. Savvy people in political office get it.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:51 pm
46 & 49 – educate yourselves:
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/287615/romneycare-and-obamacare-rick-santorum
Break the chains of your ignorant prisons!
January 9th, 2012 at 11:52 pm
Sorry 49 – I mispoke. Looks like teledude is the only one on this thread in need of some schooling.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:52 pm
50
Tele,
Dude, you just proved my point. Blasphemy? Really? It’s sad that you can’t recognize History in the making.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:52 pm
Hart’s Location:
Romney – 5
Paul – 4
Huntsman – 2
Gingrich – 1
Perry -1
That brings the running total with 0.01% of precincts reporting to:
Romney – 7
Paul – 5
Huntsman – 4
Gingrich – 2
Perry -1
January 9th, 2012 at 11:52 pm
46 – so you are saying Mitt and Bain are the equivalent of Michael Milken?
January 9th, 2012 at 11:53 pm
54 – Why isn’t he allowed to endorse? That is an odd rule. Has it always been that way?
January 9th, 2012 at 11:53 pm
49. Nothing wrong with that..but that’s not the whole story.
He found many many companies that he thought would be more profitable (for him) to load up with junk bond debt, sell the assets and shutter the enterprise, walking away with tens if not hundreds of millions. It was great for Bain’s bottom line.
If you happened to work for an asset rich company and Bain took you over, well, let’s just say it sucked to be you.
Profits over people!
Greed is good!
Gordon Gekko for President!
January 9th, 2012 at 11:53 pm
teledude is a Communist too, of course she follows the Palin religion, why should she be.
Now we know where the ever changing definition of “Conservative” leads.
People who work all their lives for the government, like Gingrich and Perry have no clue what is legitimate business and what is not. They can’t even begin to understand what it takes to make a successful company. People like this in government is how we have gotten to this state.
It Palin’s jumped on the Communism train today as well.
I guess Romney has shown us what real conservatism really means and who is, and who isn’t a real conservative.
And all those anti-Romney losers have proven time and again, that family values, keeping your word, honest government were all expendable all in the name of keeping Romney out.
Now, capitalism itself must go. Romney is the only one left. He is the one and only real conservative left. The rest sold their souls to get a few votes.
George Orwell was right. When people start changing the definition of words… like Conservative… totalitarianism is the result.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:53 pm
#52 Quite right, Jax. I always said that if the OWS people are so hard up for money, they need to go sue their economics professors for malpractice. Gulls, all.
Newt’s problem isn’t economic ignorance, though. It’s mental illness straight up.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:55 pm
Not that it means a whole lot but Santorum went 0 for in the two locations that voted at midnight.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:55 pm
Sorry OT: I have to say, I’m getting concerned about the New Hampshire primary. It’s not that I think that Romney isn’t going to win. But I think that a less than landslide margin will be amplified and turned into a disaster.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:56 pm
61 – Complete bullcrap. You cannot back a word of that nonsense up.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:56 pm
New Hampshire primary is TODAY!!
Montreal time.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:57 pm
59. Have you seen this trailer?
http://www.kingofbain.com/
Just like Milken.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:58 pm
I’m pretty excited!!
January 9th, 2012 at 11:58 pm
#60 I’m not sure what his title or function is; GOP finances or fund raising or something? I heard it once but cannot remember the exact details. Hannity confirmed it today saying, “I know you can’t endorse, but what do you think of the candidates. Other got honorable mention, but Mitt is “brilliant.”
Also, when asked about VP, Ryan said: “None of us have any say in it; it’s up to the nominee. I’ll worry about it if and when the subject comes up. Until then I have work to do.”
January 9th, 2012 at 11:59 pm
61.
Gordon Gecko?
Hollywood succeeded in making you believe that capitalists are evil.
How sad. Guess you can vote with the democrats. Let’s redistribute the wealth, lest a Gordon Gecko be allowed to emerge.
January 9th, 2012 at 11:59 pm
68 – Have you graduated from High School? Not surprising that you would be taken in by such vile dishonest crap. Get an education!
January 9th, 2012 at 11:59 pm
Nonsense – these are perfectly legitimate attacks and it’s ironic to hear Romney supporters complain after they criticized Gingrich for getting rich off consulting for the government.
If this “attacking capitalism” nonsense is all Romney’s got, he’ll need to rethink. Negative advertising (along with stories in the media and viral media like the Gingrich movie) is going to get very specific about Romney’s time at Bain Capital.
Would people be proud to support Michael Milken or the CEO of Enron for President just because they have “business experience?” Of course not. There is obviously some business behavior that is unethical or crosses the line. The question is where Romney sits on the spectrum. Having read some of what he did at Bain I can tell you he skates right up to that line if not over it. But either way, let’s have the debate on the specifics.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:01 am
#65 – Jonathan,
I hate to say it, but prepare for disaster. I’m HORRIBLE at prognostication, so I may be way off, but I think that unless Romney wins by 20+ points, the media will create the narrative that he did not meet expectations, and therefore there is a “rift” in the (R) party. Heck, Romney could probably win by 30+ and MSNBC, CNN, et al would say he underperformed expectations. No matter what, many in the media will try to create drama and intrigue where none exists. They will not allow SC & FL to simply sew up the nomination and end all their political coverage until August. But, then again, I’m a conspiracy nut (sometimes).
January 10th, 2012 at 12:01 am
Romney will under perform in New Hampshire and will not win South Carolina.
Negative campaigning works…he’s the one who proved it.
Good for the goose…oh you know the rest
January 10th, 2012 at 12:01 am
65. Unless Mitt is 45%+ (which I doubt he will be this high), the entire anti-Mitt consortium (GOP, Dems, and MSM) will spin it as weakness. Just watch.
I don’t mean to sound like oliver stone but I can’t believe how much negativity there is for Mitt from the GOP side. He’s a strong candidate to compete against and beat Obama. He’s not perfect but no one is. I wonder how Reagan would have faired in this 24/7 soundbite, internet media age….
January 10th, 2012 at 12:01 am
If the “true conservatives” want to pick a fight on declaring what a conservative really is and want to make Corporate Raiding and essentially free enterprise be put on trial then I’m all in. I care FAR more about capitalism and free markets than I do about Mitt Romney. I am definitely not a true conservative if being a true conservative means I am going to gleefully engage in class envy/warfare. I have to strong of principles to condone such efforts.
I strongly urge ABR’s to abandon this urge to personally use Bain as a part of their talking points, and just push harder on the forty or so reasonsns to hate Mitt Romney. Don’t sowe the seeds of of class envy into your ideology.
Besides, do you think this line of attack hasn’t been prepared for extensively by Mitt??? It’s just sad that it is coming from so many of the people who I always thought I at least shared this basic principle with.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:02 am
46. What Bain did was not part of the junk bond mess.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:04 am
70 – That makes some more sense. He is probably chair of the campaign committee.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:04 am
The problem is that he new Conservative Movement has become more like an Authoritarian/Autocratic Movement where free thinking is not tolerated…Just listen to Rush and Levine and watch FOX for a couple of days.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:05 am
77 – I agree
January 10th, 2012 at 12:06 am
73 – They are not “perfectly legitimate attacks”. They are certified bull crap. The fact that you compare Mitt’s experience at Bain to Newt’s lobbying tells me everything I need to know about your understanding of capitalism and the economy. You have no idea what even happened at Bain.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:06 am
73 – Why don’t you tell us about some of these “specifics” then, since you are so smart and all?
January 10th, 2012 at 12:06 am
46. Bain was a LBO (Leveraged Buy Out) company.
The idea behind leveraged-buyout (LBO) investing, sometimes called “private equity” investing, is to buy a struggling company — typically, one that the stock market thinks very poorly of — and restructure the company in order to make it profitable again. (Think GM, before it was bailed out by the government, or Research in Motion, the downtrodden maker of Blackberrys, today.)
Usually, these companies suffer from one of three problems:
(1) high labor costs, often because of over-generous union contracts;
(2) mismanagement at the CEO level, such as wasting precious resources on flawed product lines; or
(3) a new competitor that threatens the old company’s core business model (e.g., Borders trying to compete against the onslaught of Amazon).
If the LBO succeeds in turning around the company, resulting in an increased stock price when the company’s shares are publicly re-listed, the investors stand to reap financial rewards. If they fail, they stand to lose their investment in the company. It is a high-risk, high-reward line of work.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:07 am
Michael Lewis book “Liar’s Poker ” has Milken has a character. Very interesting stuff.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:07 am
75 – So now you are admitting that Newt is going negative? Telling the truth for once … it is refreshing.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:08 am
Milton Friedman on Greed. A classic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWsx1X8PV_A
January 10th, 2012 at 12:09 am
50
Hah! It’s only blasphemy if it isn’t true.
DISCLAIMER: I’m NOT comparing Mitt to Jesus…
But since you brought up blasphemy, remember that Jesus was accused of Blasphemy for claiming that he is I AM.
Again, it’s only blasphemy if it isn’t true.
And, it’s looking more and more like Romney will, indeed, be the newest Regan. Your denials notwithstanding.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:09 am
#73 Let’s have that debate. Nobody believes Newt’s attacks are “honest.” The irony is so rich here: Newt cries like a big fat baby that the PACs told lies about him. But we’ve never heard what the lies are nor does he refute them.
Then he goes out in a egomaniacal rage, telling obvious lies about Mitt. And this is not just from a defensive Rombot. Listen to Krauthammer tonight. The attacks against Newt in IA stuck because they are true–”of substance” I believe were Kraut’s words.
Newt’s attacks against Bain will not stick because they do not represent the truth.
Newt is digging himself in deeper and deeper. Now we know why his friends and former collegues came out some time ago and warned: Do not vote for this man.
None of this has anything to do with Mitt; it only has to do with Newt and his illness. However, it might pay off for Mitt in the end. Obama would have attacked Bain too–expect now a crazy man has done it in the most ridiculous manner and that could innoculate Mitt against a more reasonable Obama-attack.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:09 am
@84 – I see you read my link:
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/287565/romney-derangement-syndrome-avik-roy?pg=1
January 10th, 2012 at 12:11 am
61
Tele, you’ll have to back that up with evidence before it will be accepted.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:11 am
If Romney scores below his 2008 result, tomorrow, it will be spinned as a loss…
January 10th, 2012 at 12:11 am
84. they didn’t all work out like that.
this is the issue.
Take Kansas City’s Worldwide Grinding Systems for example.
Kansas City’s Worldwide Grinding Systems went belly-up less than a decade after Bain became its majority stakeholder, the company, which had been in operation since 1888, had to turn to a federal insurance agency to bailout its pension program in large part because Bain had “saddled” it with “such a heavy debt load”
Less than a decade later, the mill was padlocked and some 750 people lost their jobs. Workers were denied the severance pay and health insurance they’d been promised, and their pension benefits were cut by as much as $400 a month.
What’s more, a federal government insurance agency had to pony up $44 million to bail out the company’s underfunded pension plan. Nevertheless, Bain profited on the deal, receiving $12 million on its $8 million initial investment and at least $4.5 million in consulting fees
January 10th, 2012 at 12:12 am
teledude,
I ask again, any idea how many companies in the United States were initially supported by outside equity? How many companies had capital infusions during rough patches? Let me give you a quick list: Dunkin Donuts, Baskin Robbins, Home Depot, Booz Allen Hamilton, Nabisco, Staples, Office Depot, Dominos, Sports Authority, Safeway, Duracell, Spalding, Regal Cinemas, Hawker Beechcraft, American Casino & Entertainment Services, Hilton Hotels, The Weather Channel, Houghton Mifflin, HealthMarkets, Legoland, Continental Airlines, J. Crew, Oxford Health Plans, Burger King, Small Smiles Dental Centers. That’s just a very, very, small list. No doubt all of these companies were contaminated by the disease of private equity firms. Or insane to trust these firms with investments and turnarounds. No doubt they’re not part of the “real” American economy. No doubt we’d be better off without the contagion. Just get back to good ole-fashioned capitalism where people make things and stuff. Like buggies and transistors and felt-tipped hats. Good times, good times.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:12 am
61. Greed IS good. Greed moves forward human innovation, destroys weaker enterprises, and makes everyone better off. People like me don’t start business or invest our wealth so that other people can have jobs, we do it because we want MONEY. Profit isn’t a bad word.
Jesus, its called being a capitalist, and I love it.
We create and we destroy, and in all that chaos there is an order.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:12 am
93 – Of course they didn’t! Do you know anything about the FREE market?
January 10th, 2012 at 12:13 am
61
Profits FOR people!
The right kind of greed IS good. The greedy person brings many people with him.
Did Bill Gates help or hurt people?
Did Steve Jobs help or hurt people?
Did Jeff Bezos help or hurt people?
Did they make people poorer or richer?
Come on, Tele. Let’s be honest, here.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:14 am
87- very good, thanks!
January 10th, 2012 at 12:15 am
93 – Educate yourself. Of course there were failures. There are always failures in the free economy. There were very few failures in Mitt’s company, and like I said, when you buy a company with debt you magnify your loss when you fail (which is why you never buy a company you intend to drive into the ground with debt).
You have no clue what the hell you are talking about. Go borrow a book on economics or business strategy from the library and free yourself from your ignorance!
January 10th, 2012 at 12:15 am
93. Good Point. Thats exactly why I have fought for socialism my whole life. Capitalism is unfair. ;(
Newt Gingrich / Bill Ayers 2012
January 10th, 2012 at 12:15 am
93 – The federal government didn’t have to do a damn thing!
January 10th, 2012 at 12:16 am
No matter what Mitt does tomorrow, it will be spun as a loss. Plan on it. I predict around 29% but I’m a pessimist. Mitt could lose SC, but I don’t see who wins it. But let’s pretend Mitt gets dinged with the Newt attacks, the SC pastors endorse Santorum and he wins SC.
Even so, you have to stop Mitt with someone in FL. Who?
January 10th, 2012 at 12:16 am
Here’s an example of what we will be hearing about endlessly if Romney is the nominee.
After acquiring medical equipment maker Dade Behring, Bain slashed its research and development budget and froze employee pensions.
Meanwhile….
Yeah, that’ll play great in a country where a majority of independents (and even of Republicans in many polls) think there is too much inequality and rich pay too little in taxes.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:17 am
The problem obviously is cronyism and wild money printing. And fraud.
Not capitalism.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:17 am
The good thing about the Newt attacks is that it is taking attention off the laughable Santorum “surge”.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:18 am
73
Andrew, not the same thing, at all.
1) Newt lied about what he did for them. History lessons? Really? To tell them not to do what they did anyway?
Look, he reported to their chief lobbyist.
He got paid for one thing and one thing only: for his relationships and insight into members of congress so they could get the votes they needed.
2) Newt, et al are attacking the core fiscal principle of conservativism. AND, they’re misrepresenting the kind of work Mitt and Bain did.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:20 am
I think these attacks by Newt, et al, will backfire, tomorrow. NH knows the difference between what Mitt did and what they’re saying. NH knows that Newt, et al, are attacking conservatism.
Mitt will be the beneficiary of the attacks, not the victim.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:20 am
Newt to win a single primary has dropped to 21%…
January 10th, 2012 at 12:20 am
Quotes above are from the book “The Buyout of America” BTW, which is a look at private equity. There is an entire chapter on Romney and Bain.
It’s also notable that the material above doesn’t even appear in Gingrich’s anti-Bain movie. Gives you an idea of how much there is to work with there.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:21 am
103 – Oh the horror!!!! Mitt cut costs at a company on the edge of bankruptcy! What an evil, evil man!!!! We couldn’t possible want someone like that in the White House. Oh wait …
January 10th, 2012 at 12:21 am
89
Any idea how I can watch that, online?
January 10th, 2012 at 12:22 am
107- Newt’s unfavorables will skyrocket.
Could huntsman be the recipient?
January 10th, 2012 at 12:22 am
110 -
Obviously you didn’t read what I posted. He loaded the company up with debt and used the debt to pay off Bain and Goldman Sachs.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:22 am
103 – I good tell that same story about Chris Christie and Governor Walker in Wisconsin, only they were doing it to public employees (and were praised as conservative heros).
January 10th, 2012 at 12:23 am
#106 Keith, and even more than what Newt did, is what he DIDN’T do. If Newt were the brilliant, prescient, keen sighted person he claims to be, he should have seen the precarious house of cards Freddie and Wall St. presented and cried out a warning to the American people. He was in the middle of it and saw nothing; said nothing.
Is that who we want for a POTUS? A blind weinie?
January 10th, 2012 at 12:23 am
Just look at the Dow 30 and how it is has changed over the years, Sears and Union Carbide used to be on it. Now you have Home Depot and Microsoft replacing them. There are many, many examples of this. It is the nature of free enterprise and capitalism. Socialist and Communist societies try to manage winners and loser from the top down. It doesn’t work. Just look at history. tele dude there will be winners and losers. But even the disruptive process creates future success out of ‘losing’ companies. People get laid off, they create new businesses or join other business.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:23 am
Bain bought troubled companies. It specializes in small companies in trouble.
Companies that are in trouble most often fail.
Nearly all of them would have failed… and all the jobs would have been lost if not for Bain.
This haterd of Capitalism is a sickness.
I am sorry you all find the French system, were companies cannot fire employees so attractive. Why don’t you move there. This is American, we are free here, except for were the unions have destroyed capitalism…
Give me liberty or give me death! Give me Romney as the President to stop all this anti-capitalism crap comming from so-called conservatives!
January 10th, 2012 at 12:23 am
113 – You are an idiot!!! There is nothing wrong with debt.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:24 am
93
Really, Tele? That’s the liberal line!
“Oh, look at the people who got hurt; the people who lost. We can’t have that! Let’s punish the successful and take their money and distribute it to the losers. Then everyone will feel great!”
Are you REALLY going there, Tele? You’ve had a decent rep, here. And, we all appreciate your volunteer work at the Iowa caucuses. So, where is this liberal line coming from?
January 10th, 2012 at 12:25 am
#111: He was on Fox; O’Reilly, I think.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:25 am
Andrew you go to France why don’t you… I’m sure their system will make you very happy.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:25 am
Tele..I was the one Rombot that also loved me some Palin and so I’ve always appreciated a lot of your arguments even though they differed from my own…but today you lost me and proved my point…the masses who call themselves “true conservatives” are simply marching to their latest line of attack…ideology be dammed. There’s countless other conservatives that are sowing the seeds of class warfare into their own political talking point. A very disturbing day indeed…
January 10th, 2012 at 12:25 am
118-
Nothing wrong with debt? And a lowered credit rating…that was all part of the plan too, huh?
Keep in mind, Romney then abandoned the company, having lined his own pockets.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:27 am
So, to rehash, a great “turn around” artist is a guy who buys up a troubled company, forces it to take out huge loans, uses the loans to pay himself a dividend, and then abandons that company.
That’s the management approach we want in the next President? lol…
January 10th, 2012 at 12:28 am
KG
I don’t think the actual percent of votes will be the key. It will be the spread. Anything less than 10 points above 2nd will be spun as a loss. Mitt will be fine with double digits, but the higher the better.
And, you’re right. No matter what, plenty will try to minimize Mitt’s performance. But, double digits will make it hard for them to be credible.
And, plenty will still understand that a win is a win.
And, even a win by a few votes will be a new record. No non-incumbent Republican has ever won both IA and NH. THAT will get some news.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:29 am
jax, name calling reflects so poorly on your parents.
I know they tried to raise you better, but their teachings you denied.
That leaves only you to blame cause your mama tried.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:29 am
Anti-Romney forces are going ballistic.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:29 am
123. Tell me who Mitt or Bain FORCED his mal-practice on? You act like he held a gun to someones head and they had no idea what Bain does. Liberals are showing their true colors tonight.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:30 am
115 Good point, KG.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:31 am
123 – You know everything you are saying is straight off the Daily Kos, right? No, there is nothing inherently evil about debt. When companies go BK their credit ratings off fall. In a free economy, some companies go BK. Welcome to the free economy. What would you prefer? That we all live off the government teet and starve to death live communist Russians?
January 10th, 2012 at 12:32 am
124 – Not even close to true. Another liberal talking point that is pure lie. Are you even a conservative?
January 10th, 2012 at 12:33 am
126 – You must have really bad parents then.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:33 am
#125: Yes, you are right. But the spread between Mitt and Paul might not be that great. Paul’s kind of irrelevant in the grand scheme. So if none of the pygmies get close to Mitt in NH, none come out of it with much.
Mitt will be fine–even if things go crazy in SC. They have to stop him with somebody in FL–and I don’t see a somebody. I’m not worried about the long haul. Just sayin’ that anything less than 35-40 and people will say Mitt “underperformed.”
Well, who gives a rat’s behind what they say. It doesn’t really matter.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:34 am
#84 Keith Price….Didn’t Herman Cain as CEO of Burger King make the company profitable by closing 100 stores…..
That was one of his major accomplishments….Why didn’t Newt say anything about that.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:37 am
#135: Cain got zonked for adultery allegations. Too bad Mitt hasn’t committed adultery and been a government worker all his life: We could have avoided all this Bain bulloney.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:39 am
I love capitalism. More specifically, the free market.
Free market economics are what has brought mankind out of the dirt of poverty. It is the engine of progress and the only real creation of wealth in the world.
But predatory investing to liquidate assets and bankrupt a company are destructive. They may provide short term profits to the bankers or investors bottom lines, just as toxic debt derivatives may be profitable to sell, they do not advance our economy nor do they help our economic health or solvency.
It is a bastardization of free market principles.
All proponents of free market capitalism should be against this type of predatory investing to liquidate assets. It is destructive.
It is an offshoot or manifestation of our statist or corporatist economic system we now suffer under.
It is not what transpires in a true free market economy.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:40 am
120. Thanks, KG. I think I found it. Krauthammer seemed to think Mitt could have a hard time countering the attacks.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:42 am
130 -
Yes, companies take on debt and lose credit ratings…interesting how you can only talk in generalities about this stuff.
Rather than respond specifically to the charge that Romney took over companies and loaded them up with debt to pay himself off, which is the issue here.
It’s not an attack on capitalism to question or criticize what Romney did, especially given that he’s been presenting it as the central rationale of his candidacy.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:43 am
137 – More complete bullcrap. Dude, you really don’t have any morals at all do you? Any lie will do to take out Mitt. I guess we should have realized that when you went from being a Palin lunatic to a Newt supporter.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:44 am
139 – Interesting how you can only regurgitate Daily Kos talking points.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:45 am
129 -
Ever heard of a hostile takeover?
January 10th, 2012 at 12:45 am
139 – I already addressed that … and your characterization (which is a liberal talking point) shows your ignorance on the subject.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:45 am
142 – Show me where Mitt ever engaged in a hostile takeover. Now you are just making crap up.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:48 am
137
You’re making a leap of logic, here, Tele.
Yes, predatory investing is destructive.
But, that’s NOT the kind of investing Mitt did.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:48 am
I find jax’s whining and name calling particularly ineffective.
I hope His Mittne$$ has a better response or he will be toast. This is mild compared to what Axlerod has in store for the weirdo.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:49 am
142
Yes. And, I’ve heard of tar and feathering, too. I’ve heard of car bombs. And of hijackings. Mass murder. Rape. Child abuse.
None of that has anything to do with Bain Capital.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:50 am
146
Hah!. Yes, your well-wishes for Romney come across as quite sincere. Thank you.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:50 am
146-
Exactly. If Romney supporters think they can make this all go away by accusing their opponents of being socialists, that’s pretty ridiculous.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:51 am
Keith, Not every time, but often. If the situation presented itself and he could double his investment by liquidating assets and shuttering the business.
He enjoys firing people.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:51 am
149. What else do you call it when you attack the rich and the successful and cry foul for the loser and expect the rich to take care of them? That’s the very foundation of socialism.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:52 am
150. Without a link to a credible source, I can’t entertain your claim.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:53 am
If you wonder why America has lost so many manufacturing jobs overseas, look no further than Mitt Romney
January 10th, 2012 at 12:55 am
Tele (#61) – you have gone over to class warfare with your greed comment. This by itself is an proof that you are not a conservative, but a socialist. We recognize that to be human is to be greed. It is nearly impossible for us NOT to be greed. Even Christ was greed at one point, when he asked that the bitter cup be taken away, only to confirm that God’s will be done. Every single human is greed to some degree, par none!
I consider the acknowledging of this fact as the first test of whether a person is conservative or not. A conservative would recognize that the greed exists in ALL human organizations, including the governments at all level. This is why we want a limited government, to minimize the person’s capablity to be greedy for power and fame. For the businesses, they already have in the places many preventing measure – the first and last line of defense being the People. If you have no idea what those are, then you have no business (pun not intended) of judging how others run their businesses. A hint – why would an owner of mom & pop shop spent countless hours reconciling their receipts. with the amount in their cashier machine.
The socialists, or rather, statists, wouldn’t look into the mirror and acknowledge that they are as greedy as the businessmen, and attempted to control others rather than themselves. Yes, some business people are horrible, but they went under rather quick. Governmental people, not so much, or else, we won’t be stuck with the like of Ted Kennedries for so long!
January 10th, 2012 at 12:56 am
142. A hostile takeover is not necessarily a bad thing. As long as it is legal (vs the fraud done by Milken) it can unless shareholder value, form more productive/successful companies. You clearly do not understand how the free market works.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:58 am
149 – Your inability to read the previous 100 posts doesn’t excuse your ignorance.
January 10th, 2012 at 12:58 am
Tele (#153) – I suppose unions, high taxes, heavy regulations and high cost of lawsuits have nothing to do with those job losses? Nothing but some evil capitalists. Yes, you are showing what you know!
January 10th, 2012 at 1:01 am
147
Was responding to a question about when Romney FORCED his approach on companies.
The answer is that it happened quite often since Bain was known for participating in LBOs and hostile takeovers.
Don’t blame me for answering the question of another Romney supporter:)
January 10th, 2012 at 1:01 am
Just Google:
AmPad
Dade Behring
GST Industries
DDI Corp.
Stage Stores
Details Inc.
Bain would buy a company and increase its short-term earnings through firing workers and shuttering plants in order to borrow enormous amounts of money.
The borrowed money was used to pay Bain dividends, however, those businesses needed to maintain that high level of earnings to pay their debts.
When they couldn’t, that meant plant closures, more layoffs, bankruptcies, and in many cases, the end of the business. Yet these bankruptcies still meant huge profits for Bain’s investors. Furthermore, Bain continued to collect management fees even as companies failed.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:01 am
It is really sad to see such ignorance on display here. Unfortunately, I would venture to say there are more teledudes and Andrews out there than people that know what the hell they are talking about (we can thank the public schools for that).
It is our job to help Mitt educate people about freedom and capitalism. Sometimes people are too hard headed to get it (as we have seen here), but many people aren’t. The truth is easy to recognize when people take the time to listen.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:02 am
158 – When did Bain engage in a hostile takeover? That was my question. Your bald assertions mean nothing to me.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:03 am
159 – That just is not even close to true. You are completely mischaracterizing what happened. You can’t make money doing that.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:04 am
160
Once again, Jaxemer11 it is interesting how few of you are able to engage on specifics.
It seems that Romney didn’t see this attack coming and so there are no pro-Romney columns or talking points to draw from yet.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:04 am
Ampad: A controversial deal
Bain Capital put $5 million into its purchase of American Pad & Paper and quickly began charging management and other fees. It also made payments to investors. In all, Bain and its investors reaped more than $100 million even though Ampad went into bankruptcy, workers lost jobs, and stockholders were left with worthless shares. [And creditors got less than 50 cents on the dollar.]
January 10th, 2012 at 1:05 am
Tele – it may surprise you but one of the most valuable assets within all of the corporations are the employees themselves! There are many positions that are very highly specialized that it requires months of training only to be able to execute something at a minimum level. You can have millions of dollars in equipments you could gain, but nobody would buy them unless you have the personnel behind them as well. We are not talking about hamburger flippers here, obviously, and which you seem to be if you don’t get the worthiness of specialized workforce. Yes, a saying of a glorified nut turner being worth their weight in gold is not a joke!
January 10th, 2012 at 1:06 am
163 – LOL! Why don’t you just admit the truth already … you are a liberal troll.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:08 am
Liberal troll because I don’t support Romney?! ROFL
January 10th, 2012 at 1:11 am
Oh Ampad, the same company from which a person by the name of Johnson who is beinfg paid by DNC to follow and “share his story” about why Mitt was responsible for his job loss? Are you serious? Even Johnson in his story said union refused to renegotiate their benefits and went on strike. This was why Bain closed it – they were going nowhere with it. I also saw that you listed only 5 companies, and ignoring many hundreds more that were successful.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:11 am
I remember KB Toys stores in the mall.
The 2000 purchase of KB Toys, then one of the country’s largest toy retailers, became one of the most contentious.
As in most Bain deals, the partnership put up a small fraction of the money — in this case $18 million — and borrowed the rest of the $302 million purchase price. Just 16 months later, the toy company borrowed more to pay Bain and its investors an $85 million dividend.
That gave Mr. Romney and the other partners a quick 370 percent return on their money. But it also left the toy company with a heavy debt burden. Before long, the company began closing stores around the country and laid off 3,400 workers. It filed for bankruptcy protection in 2004.
Destroyed by Romney’s predatory investment practices.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:12 am
164 – You do realize that liberals don’t know how to tell the truth, right? They take one instance, distort the truth about it, and then play it up as if it is a generalized truth about the world.
You do realize that everyone here knows you are copying and pasting directly from liberal blogs, right?
You have really embarassed yourself as of late tele. This summer, when you were stalking Palin, I thought you really believed in what you were saying. Then you jumped on the Newt bandwagon. That was a bit of a revelation … but I could see how you could possibly be fooled into thinking he has some sort of conservative foundation early on.
Now you have gone full scale liberal fire breathing bullcrap man. Spouting off liberal talking points from liberal blogs as if people would actually be fooled into thinking you were talking conservative principle or something. It makes me wonder if you weren’t a liberal troll all along, pushing the most weak and embarrassing candidates to get Obama reelected.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:13 am
167 – Liberal troll because you are a liberal.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:14 am
169 – Mitt Romney wasn’t even at Bain in 2000. You are so desperate that you have to look at stuff that happened after he left to try to smear him. How embarrassing!!!!
January 10th, 2012 at 1:15 am
There are a lot of examples.
Even the investments that didn’t end in bankruptcy often suffered serious downsizing. Bain’s first move was often to lay off hundreds of employee’s.
Good for the bottom line, but I’m not sure that’s the experience the American people are looking for to turn this economy around. We have enough layoffs and bankruptcies as it is.
The point is, Mitt says he was a job creator. He destroyed a lot of jobs as well…you have to examine the whole record, it’s only fair.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:16 am
173 – A lot of examples … and yet you have to rely on one that he had nothing to do with. Pathetic!!!
January 10th, 2012 at 1:17 am
173 – When you start telling the truth, maybe we can have a discussion of his whole record.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:19 am
Wow Jaxemer you are Romney’s #1 fan huh?
You haven’t written a sentence worth of substance in this thread so far, except to insult me and teledude and anyone else critical of Mitt.
I happen to think Romney is a flawed candidate and needs to be vetted in the same way the other candidates were.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:20 am
Romney still gets millions a year from Bain. That’s why he won’t release his tax returns.
He’s paying less than 15% on his millions and sheltering most of it offshore.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:21 am
Also Jaxemer, if Romney is as great as you think he is, it shouldn’t be necessary to shut down the debate with name calling and saying anything in the private sector is off limits.
Let Mitt’s record speak for itself.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:22 am
“I happen to think Romney is a flawed candidate and needs to be vetted in the same way the other candidates were.”
Romney has been through this before so very little vetting is needed.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:25 am
158
Link to credible source or it’s fiction.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:26 am
Tele (#173) – your point being? The company was struggling, and the first thing EVERYONE do when taking over that company is to kill the parts of business that was bled red. Yes, this resulted in letting go a few employees. We acknowledge this. The question you have been avoiding is, is it better to let go a few employees or to shut the door on EVERY SINGLE employee forever? We have people that are good at something AND lousy at something else. Not all executives are good. They killed companies all the time with their horrible performance. Think Apple and the management before Steve Job returned to the company and kicked them all out. This is a rule, rather than exception – bad mangement at some levels.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:26 am
167
No, silly. It’s because you are attacking legitimate free enterprise and misrepresenting what Bain actually did.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:28 am
176
Well, that would mean the TRUTH about his record should come out. That’s not what’s happening, here, Andrew.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:28 am
179
The main issue so far has been Romney’s conservatism (positions in MA vs in the Presidential race) That has taken center stage so much that not much else in his past has been discussed in detail.
Romney is selling his candidacy on his business background, so it’s perfectly legitimate to look at that background IMO.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:29 am
183. (continued) Before you twist my meaning…
The “vetting” that you’re referring to, where Mitt’s record at Bain is demonized is the lack of TRUTH to which I was referring.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:30 am
184.
I agree. So, let’s look at his REAL business background, not the fiction his opponents are portraying.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:30 am
182
Ridiculous. I’m the only one who actually provided links and background quotes to support what I was saying.
You may not like the conclusion, but it’s silly to say that my opinions aren’t “legitimate” just because they don’t flatter Romney.
As for LBOs, look it up. It’s what Bain specialized in. But wait, you’re the Romney supporter, so you know all about his background, right?:)
January 10th, 2012 at 1:31 am
andrew – yes, all candidates need to be vetted completely and throughoutly, but the attack angle taken by Tele is an attack on the free market. We do need to evaluate Romney’s result as the top executive of Bain Capital, but Tele is attacking what his company is doing, just like many other companies are doing. It is not just the VC that are doing it. Big corporations of the like of HP, Inte, Miscrosoft, Google and more are doing it as well. Sorry, but Tele is going at it with zero understanding of how market works.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:31 am
The point is..Mitt is being disingenuous going around talking about how great he is at crating jobs.
He was great at expanding profits, which often meant losing jobs. Sometimes permanently, putting some companies out of business (but still profiting huge)
You want to call that capitalism fine, but don’t say you’re “the best” at creating jobs….you were good at creating profits. Nothing to do with jobs and often detrimental to job creation. Record of job creation in Mass. is weak as well. it’s a false narrative.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:35 am
Nice you got your book of the month from MoveOn.org Andrew!
January 10th, 2012 at 1:35 am
I’m Mitt Romney and I approved this message. I also approved the opposite of it, just in case…
January 10th, 2012 at 1:39 am
#189 – a simple thought problem for you about what Mitt does with his millions. Is he 1) swimming around in some vault like McDuck, or 2) invest them somewhere? If he is investing, then he is enabling companies, with those capitals, to hire people. Even his millions are creating jobs while they sit “idly” for Mitt.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:39 am
I wonder how many jobs could have been created in Massachusetts if Mitt hadn’t taken $700,000,000.00 out of the economy in new taxes and fees?
January 10th, 2012 at 1:39 am
188
Can’t speak for teledude, but as a small business owner, it’s ridiculous to say I’m attacking capitalism. All we’re saying is Romney’s background should be considered the same way the background of any candidate who touts that experience as qualification for the Presidency should be considered.
Think of it this way, if Jeff Immelt ran for office, would GE’s dealings with Iran (or their cronyism with Obama) not be a legitimate issue? If another Goldman CEO like Corzine ran for office, would you not expect people to discuss Goldman and its role in the credit crisis?
Is this “attacking the free market?” Nope – just vetting candidates.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:40 am
#193 answer to your question in #192
January 10th, 2012 at 1:41 am
192. SGS Yes, but investing overseas as he does doesn’t really help the U.S. economy, although I’m sure it allows him to avoid our high taxation.
Not much of a “thought problem” dude.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:46 am
187. Then, I missed your links, Andrew. Which ones point to legitimate accounts of Mitt’s record at Bain?
January 10th, 2012 at 1:47 am
#194, I’ve not following your dialogue, so I’m not in the loop with you. I merely am acknwoledging that we need to vetting Mitt, sort of being in a defending position for you. I am pointing out that Tele is going at it the wrong way. As for those companies you mentioned, that is something else. We are talking about conflict of interest. If you see a conflict of interest btween Bain, Mitt’s time as its head executive and our federal government, do enlighten us, please. But to say he went into the corporation, saddled them with debts then dumped them is not the truth of the matter here. You won’t be able to spin off a company with high debt ratio, be it as IPO or to other private entities.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:51 am
Tele (#196) and you know Mitt is investing oversea how? Is there a safe zone to invest anywhere, besides few Asian countries and Brazil? Are you sure he is not investing even one cent in USA? You did said he has quite a haul. Then do you even know what “blind trust” mean?
January 10th, 2012 at 2:02 am
169:
2000-2004 Romney was not at Bain but was busy with the Olympics and being MA governor. If you sources are that contaminated that they try blameRomney for that, that really takes all credibility from your sources.
January 10th, 2012 at 2:03 am
teledude Says:
January 10th, 2012 at 12:53 am
If you wonder why America has lost so many manufacturing jobs overseas, look no further than Mitt Romney
No Tele. The Steel industry went down because of free trade opened up in the 80′s and unions that demanded too much and put profits out of reach.
January 10th, 2012 at 2:09 am
Teledude = “I remember KB Toys stores in the mall.”
I do too, and very few people shopped there. it was poorly organized and couldn’t compete against the Walmarts and toys R us. Ours was poorly managed near where we grew up. It was a business in trouble. They were going to go out of business. My guess is Bain extended it’s life. No statistics or facts, just my opinion.
January 10th, 2012 at 2:12 am
#176..Andrew…..
It’s just amazing how little you know about the free market, capitalism and risk and reward…..
January 10th, 2012 at 2:19 am
teledude – “you were good at creating profits. Nothing to do with jobs and often detrimental to job creation”
You’re truly showing your lack of knowledge of things. of course profits create jobs. How else did Walmart grow so large, how else did Staples, Dominos, and Sports Authority grow? Bain strengthened numberous businesses with profits they received from strengthening a struggling business. They turned around and helped other struggling businesses succeed. Profits have everything to do with job creation.
January 10th, 2012 at 6:18 am
Tele and Andrew you both need to take a class in conservatism. You may also want to take a business class.Thank God for the real conservatives understanding how business works. Is business always pretty? Heck no! Yes sometimes they will take from one and give to another that will be more profitable but the way you make money in the long run is when the business itself makes money. If either of you have money invested anywhere I am sure you would leave it in a failing business right? Most of us would move the money as much as we can of it and reinvest in another business.Maybe the two of you would leave your money there and the same results would happen the business would fail and people would lose there jobs.
January 10th, 2012 at 7:59 am
Amen brother. True conservatives have staying power and that should be Romney. Your friend and mine.
January 10th, 2012 at 10:24 am
[...] exactly how I feel (odd how often that happens) last night in his outstanding piece, “It’s Good to be a Conservative Again.” I, too, have been watching the attacks on Mitt Romney’s time at Bain Capital with my [...]
January 10th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
“Captain, the team searched from pole to pole, looked in every nook and crevice. There is no sign of intelligent life on Planet Teledude. Just copious amounts of hot gas. Beam us up.”
January 11th, 2012 at 2:59 am
[...] E. Miller — Race 4 2012 – It’s Good To Be A Conservative Again submitted by Rhymes with [...]
January 11th, 2012 at 11:49 am
[...] E. Miller — Race 4 2012 – It’s Good To Be A Conservative Again submitted by Rhymes with [...]
January 11th, 2012 at 11:01 pm
[...] E. Miller — Race 4 2012 – It’s Good To Be A Conservative Again submitted by Rhymes with [...]
January 12th, 2012 at 10:55 am
[...] E. Miller — Race 4 2012 – It’s Good To Be A Conservative Again submitted by Rhymes with [...]
January 12th, 2012 at 4:28 pm
[...] E. Miller — Race 4 2012 – It’s Good To Be A Conservative Again submitted by Rhymes with [...]
January 12th, 2012 at 9:02 pm
It that was sarcasm, it’s very good. Mitt Romney is the WHITE OBAMA, in deed if not always in word.
January 14th, 2012 at 2:27 pm
THIS BLOG OWNER CAN PROVE HE’S A REAL CONSERVATIVE BY LEAVING THIS POST INTACT: Patriots, how much more proof do you need that Israel was behind 9/11? The evidence in this article effectively convicts the “jews” of the worst act of war ever perpetrated against America. And they know we’re onto them, that’s why they just had their buttboys in Congress and the Whitehouse ram through the Detainee Security Act – so they can start silencing people like us who are spreading the truth. Stop fooling yourselves, if “jews” are ruthless enough to blow up the WTC to get us to go to war for them, they’ll be ruthless enough to start making their critics disappear. They did all this when they controlled The Soviet Union. DO YOU THINK COMMUNISM HAS CHANGED ITS MIND ABOUT RULING THE WORLD? http://tinyurl.com/JewsAmericasWorstEnemies
February 24th, 2012 at 9:23 am
hello there and thanks for your info ? I’ve definitely picked up something new from right here. I did then again expertise a few technical issues the usage of this web site, since I skilled to reload the site many times previous to I could get it to load correctly. I were puzzling over in case your web host is OK? No longer that I am complaining, but slow loading cases times will often affect your placement in google and could harm your quality rating if ads and marketing with Adwords. Well I am including this RSS to my email and could glance out for much extra of your respective fascinating content. Ensure that you replace this again very soon..