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The Real Romney
“Absorbing and fair-minded.”— New York Times“Romney’s story in full and clear detail…fascinating in-depth stuff.”— Los Angeles Times“A fascinating story [that] sheds next light on an elusive subject.”— Boston GlobeDespite his political prominence, Mitt Romney remains an enigma to many in America. Who is the man behind that sweep of dark hair and the high-wattage smile? A savvy politician or someone who will simply say anything to win? A business visionary or a ruthless dealmaker? In this definitive, unflinching, and widely-acclaimed biography by Boston Globe investigative reporters Michael Kranish and Scott Helman, readers will finally discover the real Mitt Romney. Based on hundreds of interviews and more than five years of reporting, The Real Romney offers for the very first time a full understanding of this complex political figure.
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 10, 2012
22 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Michael Kranish
8 books21 followersMichael Kranish is an investigative political reporter for The Washington Post. He is the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Trump Revealed, John F. Kerry, The Real Romney, and the author of The World’s Fastest Man and Flight from Monticello: Thomas Jefferson at War. He was the recipient of the Society of Professional Journalists Award for Washington Correspondence in 2016.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
March 14, 2013
UPDATED - March 13, 2013 - see link at bottom
I have my opinions about this book, and they are firmly held. But I am interested in hearing your thoughts and will consider alternative positions if you will only vote for my review.
What sort of man is Willard Mitt Romney, and if he should become the next president of the United States, what might we expect from his administration? I found The Real Romney to be a fascinating look at the history of this White House hopeful. The authors are two Boston Globe reporters, who have followed Romney for many years. They have written a very informative account, one that puts some flesh on the wooden creature we have seen on the campaign trail insisting that “corporations are people, my friend.” We all know that anyone who refers to you as “my friend” is anything but, and his use of the phraseology, aside from the asininity of the content, was telling, as to how he sees voters.
K&H paint a portrait of Romney family history that is quite interesting, including ancestors who had been chased out of the USA for their religious practices, then chased out of Mexico back to the States. Fortunes were made, lost and made again. His father, George, did well for himself, running American Motors and promoting a compact car when most Americans were driving large gas guzzlers and driving something smaller was considered uncool. Later he became governor of Michigan and ran, unsuccessfully, for president. He was a complicated guy, a Republican with actual moderate positions. He even had the audacity to concede that American generals and diplomats had hoodwinked him about the Vietnam war, securing his support for that conflict for a time, before he saw past the lies and changed his position. It is clear that George Romney was a huge source of inspiration for his son.
You and I see the public persona of candidate Mitt, but there really is more to the man. It is actually pretty sweet that he fell in love with his future wife when they were still teens, and he knew immediately that Ann was the woman he was destined to marry. Kranish and Helman report on many instances in which Romney showed impressive generosity, to people he knew only slightly, not just to close friends. They show that Mitt was a natural leader, citing examples throughout his life where he took charge, organized whatever it was that needed organizing and did so effectively and cheerfully.
While at Stamford, Romney was an eager protester, not against the Vietnam war, but against those who protested the war. But he did endure some actual hardships, while enjoying his Vietnam era draft deferral. He was working as a missionary in darkest France when he was almost killed in an auto accident when an inebriated priest struck head-on the car in which he was riding.
There is no question that Mitt Romney is an extremely bright guy. He was one of only fifteen students, out of a group of eight hundred, who completed a four year combination law and business degree program at Harvard. This feat, in addition to his well-connected family name, brought him a flurry of lucrative offers from Boston financial firms. He would wind up at Bain, where he did rather nicely for himself and his partners. But don’t let him get away with claiming that he has first-hand knowledge of the riskiness of capitalism. As part of his agreement to run the new company known as Bain Capital, he got a sweetheart deal that protected him from any personal losses despite losses that Bain might incur. No one can say exactly how much he is worth today, but estimates range upwards of two hundred million. He has no clue about the lives of those who are not ridiculously well off.
The authors look at some of the deals that Romney did while heading Bain Capital. It is a mixed lot, but there are enough skeletons there to fill up, say, Paris Hilton’s closet. The leveraged buyout model Bain used resulted in thousands of job losses and a host of companies, which had been subjected to Bain’s help, crushed to death or close by massive indebtedness, while Bain scooted off with huge fees. He may not be Gordon Gekko, but he certainly shares some of that dark character’s views of the world. It is also noted that when he is challenged his skin becomes noticeably thinner. Expect him to surround himself with close advisers who toe the line. And as for portraying himself as a great business manager, well, for the Olympics yes, but not for his Bain activities.
Having scaled the mountain of corporate success, well having scaled at least some of it, given that he got to start half way up, he turned his sights to politics, following in his father’s path. While it was made clear in the book that some sort of public service was expected from someone who had been given so much, I never got a sense of this being a truly heartfelt pursuit by Romney. It is possible that his leap into politics had more to do with a sense of inevitability rather than any real call to help people. It is possible that his political career was an attempt to live up to and even exceed the accomplishments of his father. The authors do not really offer much in this area, which seemed to me rich with possibility. Maybe it is an ego trip. Maybe he really thinks he has the clearest vision forward for the nation. Who knows? But it became clear in short order that running a corporation was a very different animal from running for office.
He thought an aging, bloated Teddy Kennedy would be a soft target, but he found that there were still a few canines left in the aging lion, and Romney learned that he had underestimated the rough and tumble of contact politics. For a CEO used to getting his way, this big loss was a big disappointment.
He jumped back into the fray with renewed vigor when the Massachusetts governor’s office beckoned. It is primarily here that we get to meet “flip-flop” Romney. There is no question that Massachusetts is a Democratic stronghold. In order to appeal to voters, it was necessary for Republican candidates to temper their inner scourges. And so, Romney became a supporter of abortion rights and gay rights, although not gay marriage. Was this real commitment or merely a commitment to winning? Mike Murphy is a close adviser to Romney, the equivalent of Karl Rove to Dubyah. In an interview with the conservative National Review magazine, Murphy described Romney as a “prolife Mormon faking it as a pro-choice friendly.” Given other tales in this book, that sounds like an accurate portrayal. In a United States that features the state of Virginia attempting to require vaginal probes before permitting abortions, or what I like to think of as “state rape,” a president who is committed to the elimination of abortion rights is a serious danger to the rights of women.
Finally, Mitt seems averse to actual socializing. He has a history of working very hard and spending whatever time remains with his family. If you are looking for a buddy, keep looking. He relates to people to the extent that they serve his purposes, tossing over people who have felt that they were more than just tools when their usefulness expired. Unlike the space aliens who are competing with him for the GOP presidential nomination, I would be surprised to find his basement filled with a torture chamber, a sound-proof room where a candidate off the trail might have unnatural relations with captive children or farm animals, or a magical being, chained to a spindle, spinning straw into gold. But while he may be better able, intellectually, to cope with the 21st century, it does not seem that he has demonstrated the ability to see beyond himself and those he considers like-minded. It is not about making the world a better place, but improving his position within it.
=================================UPDATES
Paul Krugman, of the NY Times posted an excellent piece on Romney - Feb 23, 2012 - Romney’s Economic Closet
4/27/12 - For a peek into what a Romney Supreme Court might look like consider this: Robert Bork, Romney Standard-Bearer. Be afraid, be very afraid.
5/12/12 - Charles Blow op-ed re Mitt the Mean Boy
5/14/12 - Timothy Egan op-ed re weaseling
9/17/12 - David Corn's Mother Jones article breaking the story of Romney's disdain for most of us caught on video
3/13/13 - Ed Schultz's interview with Scott Prouty, the bartender who just came out as the man responsible for the infamous 47% film, in which Mittens let some fat cats see the real Romney. Good stuff.
I have my opinions about this book, and they are firmly held. But I am interested in hearing your thoughts and will consider alternative positions if you will only vote for my review.
What sort of man is Willard Mitt Romney, and if he should become the next president of the United States, what might we expect from his administration? I found The Real Romney to be a fascinating look at the history of this White House hopeful. The authors are two Boston Globe reporters, who have followed Romney for many years. They have written a very informative account, one that puts some flesh on the wooden creature we have seen on the campaign trail insisting that “corporations are people, my friend.” We all know that anyone who refers to you as “my friend” is anything but, and his use of the phraseology, aside from the asininity of the content, was telling, as to how he sees voters.
K&H paint a portrait of Romney family history that is quite interesting, including ancestors who had been chased out of the USA for their religious practices, then chased out of Mexico back to the States. Fortunes were made, lost and made again. His father, George, did well for himself, running American Motors and promoting a compact car when most Americans were driving large gas guzzlers and driving something smaller was considered uncool. Later he became governor of Michigan and ran, unsuccessfully, for president. He was a complicated guy, a Republican with actual moderate positions. He even had the audacity to concede that American generals and diplomats had hoodwinked him about the Vietnam war, securing his support for that conflict for a time, before he saw past the lies and changed his position. It is clear that George Romney was a huge source of inspiration for his son.
You and I see the public persona of candidate Mitt, but there really is more to the man. It is actually pretty sweet that he fell in love with his future wife when they were still teens, and he knew immediately that Ann was the woman he was destined to marry. Kranish and Helman report on many instances in which Romney showed impressive generosity, to people he knew only slightly, not just to close friends. They show that Mitt was a natural leader, citing examples throughout his life where he took charge, organized whatever it was that needed organizing and did so effectively and cheerfully.
While at Stamford, Romney was an eager protester, not against the Vietnam war, but against those who protested the war. But he did endure some actual hardships, while enjoying his Vietnam era draft deferral. He was working as a missionary in darkest France when he was almost killed in an auto accident when an inebriated priest struck head-on the car in which he was riding.
There is no question that Mitt Romney is an extremely bright guy. He was one of only fifteen students, out of a group of eight hundred, who completed a four year combination law and business degree program at Harvard. This feat, in addition to his well-connected family name, brought him a flurry of lucrative offers from Boston financial firms. He would wind up at Bain, where he did rather nicely for himself and his partners. But don’t let him get away with claiming that he has first-hand knowledge of the riskiness of capitalism. As part of his agreement to run the new company known as Bain Capital, he got a sweetheart deal that protected him from any personal losses despite losses that Bain might incur. No one can say exactly how much he is worth today, but estimates range upwards of two hundred million. He has no clue about the lives of those who are not ridiculously well off.
The authors look at some of the deals that Romney did while heading Bain Capital. It is a mixed lot, but there are enough skeletons there to fill up, say, Paris Hilton’s closet. The leveraged buyout model Bain used resulted in thousands of job losses and a host of companies, which had been subjected to Bain’s help, crushed to death or close by massive indebtedness, while Bain scooted off with huge fees. He may not be Gordon Gekko, but he certainly shares some of that dark character’s views of the world. It is also noted that when he is challenged his skin becomes noticeably thinner. Expect him to surround himself with close advisers who toe the line. And as for portraying himself as a great business manager, well, for the Olympics yes, but not for his Bain activities.
I never actually ran one of our investments. That was left to managements. - p 130Mitt was very active in his church, serving for a time as the bishop of the Boston stake, LDS-speak for parish. It was during his time in that role that he used his position in the church to show some of his underlying concerns. A young woman, a single mother in her twenties, had become pregnant again. She sought help from the church. What Romney told her, in his capacity as head of the Boston stake, was that she had to make a decision. She could put her expected child up for adoption or she could leave the church. Who says the guy is anti-choice?
Having scaled the mountain of corporate success, well having scaled at least some of it, given that he got to start half way up, he turned his sights to politics, following in his father’s path. While it was made clear in the book that some sort of public service was expected from someone who had been given so much, I never got a sense of this being a truly heartfelt pursuit by Romney. It is possible that his leap into politics had more to do with a sense of inevitability rather than any real call to help people. It is possible that his political career was an attempt to live up to and even exceed the accomplishments of his father. The authors do not really offer much in this area, which seemed to me rich with possibility. Maybe it is an ego trip. Maybe he really thinks he has the clearest vision forward for the nation. Who knows? But it became clear in short order that running a corporation was a very different animal from running for office.
He thought an aging, bloated Teddy Kennedy would be a soft target, but he found that there were still a few canines left in the aging lion, and Romney learned that he had underestimated the rough and tumble of contact politics. For a CEO used to getting his way, this big loss was a big disappointment.
He jumped back into the fray with renewed vigor when the Massachusetts governor’s office beckoned. It is primarily here that we get to meet “flip-flop” Romney. There is no question that Massachusetts is a Democratic stronghold. In order to appeal to voters, it was necessary for Republican candidates to temper their inner scourges. And so, Romney became a supporter of abortion rights and gay rights, although not gay marriage. Was this real commitment or merely a commitment to winning? Mike Murphy is a close adviser to Romney, the equivalent of Karl Rove to Dubyah. In an interview with the conservative National Review magazine, Murphy described Romney as a “prolife Mormon faking it as a pro-choice friendly.” Given other tales in this book, that sounds like an accurate portrayal. In a United States that features the state of Virginia attempting to require vaginal probes before permitting abortions, or what I like to think of as “state rape,” a president who is committed to the elimination of abortion rights is a serious danger to the rights of women.
Finally, Mitt seems averse to actual socializing. He has a history of working very hard and spending whatever time remains with his family. If you are looking for a buddy, keep looking. He relates to people to the extent that they serve his purposes, tossing over people who have felt that they were more than just tools when their usefulness expired. Unlike the space aliens who are competing with him for the GOP presidential nomination, I would be surprised to find his basement filled with a torture chamber, a sound-proof room where a candidate off the trail might have unnatural relations with captive children or farm animals, or a magical being, chained to a spindle, spinning straw into gold. But while he may be better able, intellectually, to cope with the 21st century, it does not seem that he has demonstrated the ability to see beyond himself and those he considers like-minded. It is not about making the world a better place, but improving his position within it.
…in the words of one longtime Republican, “His main cause appears to be himself.” - p 195
=================================UPDATES
Paul Krugman, of the NY Times posted an excellent piece on Romney - Feb 23, 2012 - Romney’s Economic Closet
4/27/12 - For a peek into what a Romney Supreme Court might look like consider this: Robert Bork, Romney Standard-Bearer. Be afraid, be very afraid.
5/12/12 - Charles Blow op-ed re Mitt the Mean Boy
5/14/12 - Timothy Egan op-ed re weaseling
9/17/12 - David Corn's Mother Jones article breaking the story of Romney's disdain for most of us caught on video
3/13/13 - Ed Schultz's interview with Scott Prouty, the bartender who just came out as the man responsible for the infamous 47% film, in which Mittens let some fat cats see the real Romney. Good stuff.
February 15, 2012
This may sound like a loaded question, but, "How much difference is there really between Obama and Romney?" Both men seem to be basically nice guys of moral character with wholesome family values. They both have unconventional family histories. They are both moderates - there are several similarities between their stances on many policy issues (one created RomneyCare, the other created ObamaCare). And when we see Obama being criticized for not being liberal enough by Liberals and Romney criticized as not being conservative enough for the Conservatives, it often looks as if these two savvy political players are nothing more than two sides of the same coin. There is one obvious difference between these two men's public demeanor however. Obama is (as even his harshest critics admit) an eloquent orator, an excellent debater and an articulate interviewee. Romney on the other hand has a tendency to sound rehearsed and stiff. And then in those rare unguarded moments of candor, he has a tendency to say some very strange things. In his climb for the 2012 Republican Presidential Nomination for instance, he let slip such statements as he "likes to fire people", that he's "not concerned about the poor people" and possibly most puzzling of all that "corporations are people".
These quotes are taken out of context and easily spun by Romney's opposition. Still though, when I hear things like "corporations are people" I find it pretty baffling. I know that Romney spent the majority of his adult life as a corporate sapien, but does he really believe that corporations are people? And are there really other people out there who think corporations are people?
To figure this thing out, I did what any inquiring 21st century mind would do: I posted a question on a Conservative Republican internet message board to provoke a discussion and perhaps get my explanation. Here's what I got (my user name on this site is Jack btw):
Jack (me): Question. Are corporations people? Yes or No.
Nellie: Yes.
KMD: Corporations are designed BY PEOPLE, operated BY PEOPLE, employ PEOPLE and are made or broken by people....so yes, Corporations are PEOPLE!
Mertle: Yes they are!
Me: KMD, movies are designed by PEOPLE, operated by PEOPLE, they employ PEOPLE and are made or broken by PEOPLE. So therefore following your line of logic. Movies are People also. And so are lamps and so are poems and so is Preperation H. If that is your argument, then you are sounding like the Steve Carill character in the movie Anchor Man "I love lamp!
And Romney's statement that "Corporations are people" sounds like it belongs in a Matrix movie...If corporations are people and corporations can own other corporations that means that people can own people. Which is slavery. I'm not sure but I imagine if you polled all the people in America at LEAST 80% of those people would disagree with Romney's statement that 'people are corporations'. Of course if you polled corporations the results would be much less. Oh wait a minute...you can't poll a corporation, can you?
Dr. Rose: yes, they are people!
Me: If you are a Republican then I think you have to worry about this quote by Romney, because this question is going to splinter your Republican party. The goofball knee-jerk Right-wing exrtremists will HAVE to side with Romney. And that will only make them look like fools as they trip all over themselves trying to rationalize this bizarre Gordon Gekko-esque statement.
The more Independent thinking Republicans here will realize that Romney is completely off his rocker with this statement and it will make them look like fools if they vote for a man who would say such a thing.
Butch: Corporations are people in the legal sense.
Me: So if Romney is saying that corporations are people in he legal sense, then does he think that the U.S. Constitution should be changed to "We the Corporations of the United States...
Mertle: Do you even know what Corporatism is Jackhole?
KMD: Jack Squat - please run along and sue the ever living crap out of your UNION TEACHERS and the Dep of Education for scr3wing you out of a proper education and then your Parents for scr3wing you out of some common sense!! Thanks - the 53% of us who pay taxes!!!
Me: Come on, face reality people. It is idiotic to think or say that a corporation is a person. Does a corporation have a soul? If you believe that God created people, then you cannot believe that corporations have souls and that they are people. Maybe Romney thinks that corporations go to heaven/hell when they die--I mean he has some pretty unconventional religious beliefs anyway.
KMD: Jeffrey Dhalmer didn't have a soul, but he is considered a person! Just sayin'!
Me: So you are comparing corporations to Jeffrey Dalmer then Krysynda? Oh there's a real peak to strive for!
KMD: I was making a point Jack Squat - I do not expect you to comprehend this
KMD: Do animals have souls Jack Squat? Yes they do, but animals are not people...... can you get THIS point?
Me: So you were making a point that you were not expecting me to comprehend KMD??? That's weird. I mean why bother to make the point if you don't think I'm going to get it...And now you are comparing corporations to animals??? Its wall to wall entertainment here!!
KMD: TO sum it up - Clearly Jack Squat - you do not know JACK SQUAT~~~
Me: Look, if any of you women here have souls and have given birth to a child, you should be able to understand what humanity is all about. You should be able to understand that people can love. Can corporations do that? Can corporations love?
KMD: Jack Squat - I have TWO CHILDREN you tool ......and yes, if it were not for compassionate CORPORATIONS whom give money to CHARITIES, the homeless, help the poor go to college, then those people would be SCR3WED.......
Rose: I work for a corporation. In exchange for my contribution towards the success of this corporation, I am awarded a salary, health insurance, paid vacation, annual raises and bonuses based on my contribution and the success of this corporation. I am an asset to the corporation, therefore I am the corporation along with the other individuals who contribute to the success and, therefore the existence of the corporation. Corporations ARE people!
Me: Corporations give to charities for tax breaks and to improve their public image. It has NOTHING to do with Love. Corporations are NOT about love. They are about the bottom line. They are about money. Plain and simple. And if you or anyone here is comparing the love they feel for a child with what they feel for a corporation, then I truly feel sorry for that child...
Harvey: Corporations ARE people. Deal with it, hippie!
Me: Let me ask you folks this - If corporations are people, then can I marry a corporation? And if I am a mormon, can I marry multiple corporations???
...This discussion went on, quickly descended into a rash of schoolyard name calling and nonsense. However it did show me that some people actually DO think that corporations are people--or at least that is what they say they believe. But what about Romney? Did he actually believe his own statement? To seek the answer to this I headed to my local library and picked up a copy of The Real Romney by Michael Kranish. And after reading it I feel that I gleaned a better idea of what makes Romney tick. A person's values have quite a bit to do with who they are. Romney has some very good values, but I honestly think that his values include the idea that corporations are people. And this value, is the worst possible value a President of the United States could have. The worst thing for this country would be if we elected a CEO-in-Chief. (CEO=Creating Employment Overseas). Because not only are corporations not people, but the United States is not a corporation, or at least it shouldn't be. Corporations put monetary concerns ahead of humanitarian ones. And if that principle was ever to become the core of our nation--the greatest, most powerful nation on Earth--then quite frankly, humanity is doomed.
Anyway, The Real Romney was easy to read and well researched and it rates 3 out of 5 WagemannHeads.
NEXT!
These quotes are taken out of context and easily spun by Romney's opposition. Still though, when I hear things like "corporations are people" I find it pretty baffling. I know that Romney spent the majority of his adult life as a corporate sapien, but does he really believe that corporations are people? And are there really other people out there who think corporations are people?
To figure this thing out, I did what any inquiring 21st century mind would do: I posted a question on a Conservative Republican internet message board to provoke a discussion and perhaps get my explanation. Here's what I got (my user name on this site is Jack btw):
Jack (me): Question. Are corporations people? Yes or No.
Nellie: Yes.
KMD: Corporations are designed BY PEOPLE, operated BY PEOPLE, employ PEOPLE and are made or broken by people....so yes, Corporations are PEOPLE!
Mertle: Yes they are!
Me: KMD, movies are designed by PEOPLE, operated by PEOPLE, they employ PEOPLE and are made or broken by PEOPLE. So therefore following your line of logic. Movies are People also. And so are lamps and so are poems and so is Preperation H. If that is your argument, then you are sounding like the Steve Carill character in the movie Anchor Man "I love lamp!
And Romney's statement that "Corporations are people" sounds like it belongs in a Matrix movie...If corporations are people and corporations can own other corporations that means that people can own people. Which is slavery. I'm not sure but I imagine if you polled all the people in America at LEAST 80% of those people would disagree with Romney's statement that 'people are corporations'. Of course if you polled corporations the results would be much less. Oh wait a minute...you can't poll a corporation, can you?
Dr. Rose: yes, they are people!
Me: If you are a Republican then I think you have to worry about this quote by Romney, because this question is going to splinter your Republican party. The goofball knee-jerk Right-wing exrtremists will HAVE to side with Romney. And that will only make them look like fools as they trip all over themselves trying to rationalize this bizarre Gordon Gekko-esque statement.
The more Independent thinking Republicans here will realize that Romney is completely off his rocker with this statement and it will make them look like fools if they vote for a man who would say such a thing.
Butch: Corporations are people in the legal sense.
Me: So if Romney is saying that corporations are people in he legal sense, then does he think that the U.S. Constitution should be changed to "We the Corporations of the United States...
Mertle: Do you even know what Corporatism is Jackhole?
KMD: Jack Squat - please run along and sue the ever living crap out of your UNION TEACHERS and the Dep of Education for scr3wing you out of a proper education and then your Parents for scr3wing you out of some common sense!! Thanks - the 53% of us who pay taxes!!!
Me: Come on, face reality people. It is idiotic to think or say that a corporation is a person. Does a corporation have a soul? If you believe that God created people, then you cannot believe that corporations have souls and that they are people. Maybe Romney thinks that corporations go to heaven/hell when they die--I mean he has some pretty unconventional religious beliefs anyway.
KMD: Jeffrey Dhalmer didn't have a soul, but he is considered a person! Just sayin'!
Me: So you are comparing corporations to Jeffrey Dalmer then Krysynda? Oh there's a real peak to strive for!
KMD: I was making a point Jack Squat - I do not expect you to comprehend this
KMD: Do animals have souls Jack Squat? Yes they do, but animals are not people...... can you get THIS point?
Me: So you were making a point that you were not expecting me to comprehend KMD??? That's weird. I mean why bother to make the point if you don't think I'm going to get it...And now you are comparing corporations to animals??? Its wall to wall entertainment here!!
KMD: TO sum it up - Clearly Jack Squat - you do not know JACK SQUAT~~~
Me: Look, if any of you women here have souls and have given birth to a child, you should be able to understand what humanity is all about. You should be able to understand that people can love. Can corporations do that? Can corporations love?
KMD: Jack Squat - I have TWO CHILDREN you tool ......and yes, if it were not for compassionate CORPORATIONS whom give money to CHARITIES, the homeless, help the poor go to college, then those people would be SCR3WED.......
Rose: I work for a corporation. In exchange for my contribution towards the success of this corporation, I am awarded a salary, health insurance, paid vacation, annual raises and bonuses based on my contribution and the success of this corporation. I am an asset to the corporation, therefore I am the corporation along with the other individuals who contribute to the success and, therefore the existence of the corporation. Corporations ARE people!
Me: Corporations give to charities for tax breaks and to improve their public image. It has NOTHING to do with Love. Corporations are NOT about love. They are about the bottom line. They are about money. Plain and simple. And if you or anyone here is comparing the love they feel for a child with what they feel for a corporation, then I truly feel sorry for that child...
Harvey: Corporations ARE people. Deal with it, hippie!
Me: Let me ask you folks this - If corporations are people, then can I marry a corporation? And if I am a mormon, can I marry multiple corporations???
...This discussion went on, quickly descended into a rash of schoolyard name calling and nonsense. However it did show me that some people actually DO think that corporations are people--or at least that is what they say they believe. But what about Romney? Did he actually believe his own statement? To seek the answer to this I headed to my local library and picked up a copy of The Real Romney by Michael Kranish. And after reading it I feel that I gleaned a better idea of what makes Romney tick. A person's values have quite a bit to do with who they are. Romney has some very good values, but I honestly think that his values include the idea that corporations are people. And this value, is the worst possible value a President of the United States could have. The worst thing for this country would be if we elected a CEO-in-Chief. (CEO=Creating Employment Overseas). Because not only are corporations not people, but the United States is not a corporation, or at least it shouldn't be. Corporations put monetary concerns ahead of humanitarian ones. And if that principle was ever to become the core of our nation--the greatest, most powerful nation on Earth--then quite frankly, humanity is doomed.
Anyway, The Real Romney was easy to read and well researched and it rates 3 out of 5 WagemannHeads.
NEXT!
March 3, 2012
This book is interesting, easy to read, and neutral.
Despite the fact that I have been very busy, I found this book interesting enough to read quickly. Writing a review has been another matter.
This book begins with Romney's ancestors starting with nothing, working hard, and becoming successful. That includes Romney's father, George. Although Mitt has never had to worry about money, he has worked hard.
Mitt attended Stanford, went on a 2 year mission for the LDS Church, finished his undergraduate degree at BYU, and then went to Harvard where he obtained his MBA and law degree.
The highlights of the book: Bain, Romney's family, Romney's relationship to the LDS Church, the Olympics, Romney's political career.
As I was reading this book and keeping up with the current political news, I often thought of the TV show "Survivor" where contestants form alliances and curry favor with groups. It gives you a headache after awhile.
Ever since Obama took office and ramped up the Bush policies of rapidly increasing the deficit and national debt, I have thought, "We could have had Ron Paul and he never would have passed all of the burdensome spending and he would have reigned in the power of the Fed. And why would Obama pursue Afghanistan?"
Yes, I know this book review is not about Ron Paul.
While Ron Paul has some great ideas, he is not going to get the nomination.
I had hopes for Herman Cain. How smart can you be if you try to run with his skeletons?
Newt took $1.6 million from Freddie. Is there a bigger symptom of what is wrong with our politicians? Sure he can get on the stage and deliver some powerful blows, but he can't understand the problem with taking money from Freddie?
I have heard some good interviews awhile ago from Rick, but he is totally played by the press and the left. Oh I forgot press=left. I could care less about anyone's personal choice on BC. I do think forcing the Catholic Church to go against their ethics is wrong from a Constitutional point of view. Also the more mandates for insurance, the higher the price tag. Isn't that the opposite of the goal?
So, that leaves Romney, who keeps saying the oddest things. I'm probably the only person with this hope: Romney may not have enough delegates going into the convention. Given his friendship with Ron Paul (even their spouses are friends), they throw in together. Romney becomes president, and Ron Paul keeps him in check concerning war, the Fed, spending, the Constitution, etc.
Even if you don't share my political leanings, you may find this book interesting. Read it, but if you aren't interested in politics, watch some video clips on the riots in Greece. Why? Because it could be our future. Now is the time to change course!
Despite the fact that I have been very busy, I found this book interesting enough to read quickly. Writing a review has been another matter.
This book begins with Romney's ancestors starting with nothing, working hard, and becoming successful. That includes Romney's father, George. Although Mitt has never had to worry about money, he has worked hard.
Mitt attended Stanford, went on a 2 year mission for the LDS Church, finished his undergraduate degree at BYU, and then went to Harvard where he obtained his MBA and law degree.
The highlights of the book: Bain, Romney's family, Romney's relationship to the LDS Church, the Olympics, Romney's political career.
As I was reading this book and keeping up with the current political news, I often thought of the TV show "Survivor" where contestants form alliances and curry favor with groups. It gives you a headache after awhile.
Ever since Obama took office and ramped up the Bush policies of rapidly increasing the deficit and national debt, I have thought, "We could have had Ron Paul and he never would have passed all of the burdensome spending and he would have reigned in the power of the Fed. And why would Obama pursue Afghanistan?"
Yes, I know this book review is not about Ron Paul.
While Ron Paul has some great ideas, he is not going to get the nomination.
I had hopes for Herman Cain. How smart can you be if you try to run with his skeletons?
Newt took $1.6 million from Freddie. Is there a bigger symptom of what is wrong with our politicians? Sure he can get on the stage and deliver some powerful blows, but he can't understand the problem with taking money from Freddie?
I have heard some good interviews awhile ago from Rick, but he is totally played by the press and the left. Oh I forgot press=left. I could care less about anyone's personal choice on BC. I do think forcing the Catholic Church to go against their ethics is wrong from a Constitutional point of view. Also the more mandates for insurance, the higher the price tag. Isn't that the opposite of the goal?
So, that leaves Romney, who keeps saying the oddest things. I'm probably the only person with this hope: Romney may not have enough delegates going into the convention. Given his friendship with Ron Paul (even their spouses are friends), they throw in together. Romney becomes president, and Ron Paul keeps him in check concerning war, the Fed, spending, the Constitution, etc.
Even if you don't share my political leanings, you may find this book interesting. Read it, but if you aren't interested in politics, watch some video clips on the riots in Greece. Why? Because it could be our future. Now is the time to change course!
February 1, 2012
I think an evaluation of The Real Romney turns on whether it provides new information to the reader, information that would help a swing voter make up his or her mind. I think Kranish & Helman succeed on that metric. We learn that Romney’s family history is deeply intertwined with the history of Mormonism and that he served an important role as a lay leader in the church. We learn that as a lay leader Romney counseled a woman facing a woman facing a difficult birth against having an abortion. We learn that Romney keeps most acquaintances distant, but can be silly (or more, dorky) with his family and close friends. We learn that Romney assiduously courted gay voters during his run for the U.S. Senate. We learn that Romney ran the first post-9/11 Olympics (ok, I probably already should have known this one). We learn that Romney’s advisors counseled against his ill-fated decision to focus on social issues during his 2008 presidential run.
Most of the book is devoted to the history of Romney’s patriline post-Mormonism conversion sparked immigration, his work for his church, his career at Bain, his U.S. Senate run, his tenure as head of the Winter Olympics, and his tenure as governor of Massachusetts. His 2008 and 2012 presidential runs are given pretty cursory review. An entire chapter is devoted to Romneycare.
The Real Romney compares very favorably with a similar just-in-time-for-the-election biography from 2008—Obama: From Promise to Power by Chicago Tribune reporter David Mendell. Mendell’s biography was pretty thin and wound up relying heavily on Obama’s own book to cover Obama’s early life. Romney has a much longer political career (going back to his U.S. Senate run) than Obama did in 2008, and the Boston Globe has been covering him much longer than the Chicago Tribune had Obama. It shows. This isn’t a Robert Caro work, but it’s an extremely valuable voice about Romney right now.
The Real Romney very much reads like a series of long newspaper articles. That’s both good and bad. Kranish & Helman give the facts. But they don’t engage in a lot of in-depth analysis. So the critical portions consist of repeating the attacks of his critics. This is unsatisfactory for a couple reasons: those statements are not explored in greater depth and they come off as sour grapes, both of which makes them difficult to judge.
Most of the book is devoted to the history of Romney’s patriline post-Mormonism conversion sparked immigration, his work for his church, his career at Bain, his U.S. Senate run, his tenure as head of the Winter Olympics, and his tenure as governor of Massachusetts. His 2008 and 2012 presidential runs are given pretty cursory review. An entire chapter is devoted to Romneycare.
The Real Romney compares very favorably with a similar just-in-time-for-the-election biography from 2008—Obama: From Promise to Power by Chicago Tribune reporter David Mendell. Mendell’s biography was pretty thin and wound up relying heavily on Obama’s own book to cover Obama’s early life. Romney has a much longer political career (going back to his U.S. Senate run) than Obama did in 2008, and the Boston Globe has been covering him much longer than the Chicago Tribune had Obama. It shows. This isn’t a Robert Caro work, but it’s an extremely valuable voice about Romney right now.
The Real Romney very much reads like a series of long newspaper articles. That’s both good and bad. Kranish & Helman give the facts. But they don’t engage in a lot of in-depth analysis. So the critical portions consist of repeating the attacks of his critics. This is unsatisfactory for a couple reasons: those statements are not explored in greater depth and they come off as sour grapes, both of which makes them difficult to judge.
February 13, 2012
'The Real Romney' is the first volume to comprehensively chronicle the notoriously distant politician. Tediously researched and engagingly written, this dense book outlines Romney's family history, childhood, teen years, and later ascent to personal and political success. The authors' even-handed approach allows Mitt Romney's actions and words to speak for themselves. A dignified and impressive piece of political biography.
February 26, 2012
Interesting background on the (presumptive?) GOP nominee...I was especially intrigued by the in-depth look at his family's role in the history of early Mormonism. And it's nice to read an ANALYTIC account of time with Bain, as opposed to parsing the tet-a-tet between TV talking heads.
...but of course I'm still voting for Obama. And I'm all the more convinced that Romney will do just about anything to secure the nomination/get elected. He's a perennial student council president candidate and has about as much political conviction as Newt has fidelity.
...but of course I'm still voting for Obama. And I'm all the more convinced that Romney will do just about anything to secure the nomination/get elected. He's a perennial student council president candidate and has about as much political conviction as Newt has fidelity.
November 19, 2012
p. 23-24
George Romney (Mitt's dad) ran as a liberal-to-moderate politician, playing down his Republican Party affiliation, and worked hard to win the votes of groups that didn't always support the GOP, including the black and labor votes.
...
Watching his father, Mitt learned that George had a disarming way of rebutting arguments against him. Sometimes George did so by distancing himself from his party and speaking sympathetically about an opponent's viewpoint. For example, George had been attacked by labor groups, one of which published a pamphlet titled "Who is the Real George Romney?" The booklet accused Romney of doublespeak, such as when he said that Michigan needed a hundred thousand new jobs but then declared that he had never promised he could deliver them. But George, who had mixed relations with the unions at American Motors, sometimes sounded sympathetic to his labor antagonists, as when he lamented that the Republican Party was identified "too much as a business party."
My comment: The apple truly doesn't fall far from the tree.
I was going to note quite a few things from this book, but what really is the point now? It was an interesting read and has been hailed as a very fair and impartial account of Mitt. There are definitely some things to admire about Mitt: his intelligence and analytical mind, his adoration and pursuit of Ann, his family values, his dedication to his faith, etc. There is also much to look at with concern: his self aggrandizement, dogged pursuit of political office and what he was willing to do, people he was willing to use, to achieve it; and his seemingly incomprehensible understanding of his own convictions on certain issues and an inability to stick with his own words... leaving many, many betrayed people in his wake. Just the simple fact that much of his political career was spent running as someone who said "People of integrity don't force their beliefs on others. They make sure that others can live by different beliefs they may have," as his justification for his pro-choice and pro-gay rights stance, to completely do a 180 later and come out as pro-life and crusade against gay marriage and other gay rights... well, I don't know how anyone could trust him, I certainly couldn't.
In a nutshell, this was a good book if you are interested in reading about Romney's life and foray into politics. It was well written and I do think it was impartial. Many reviews mention that there's plenty to find to support your admiration of Mitt if you already like him and plenty to support your doubts (disgust?) if you dislike him, and I think that comment is right on. I don't like him and am awfully glad he's not our President.
George Romney (Mitt's dad) ran as a liberal-to-moderate politician, playing down his Republican Party affiliation, and worked hard to win the votes of groups that didn't always support the GOP, including the black and labor votes.
...
Watching his father, Mitt learned that George had a disarming way of rebutting arguments against him. Sometimes George did so by distancing himself from his party and speaking sympathetically about an opponent's viewpoint. For example, George had been attacked by labor groups, one of which published a pamphlet titled "Who is the Real George Romney?" The booklet accused Romney of doublespeak, such as when he said that Michigan needed a hundred thousand new jobs but then declared that he had never promised he could deliver them. But George, who had mixed relations with the unions at American Motors, sometimes sounded sympathetic to his labor antagonists, as when he lamented that the Republican Party was identified "too much as a business party."
My comment: The apple truly doesn't fall far from the tree.
I was going to note quite a few things from this book, but what really is the point now? It was an interesting read and has been hailed as a very fair and impartial account of Mitt. There are definitely some things to admire about Mitt: his intelligence and analytical mind, his adoration and pursuit of Ann, his family values, his dedication to his faith, etc. There is also much to look at with concern: his self aggrandizement, dogged pursuit of political office and what he was willing to do, people he was willing to use, to achieve it; and his seemingly incomprehensible understanding of his own convictions on certain issues and an inability to stick with his own words... leaving many, many betrayed people in his wake. Just the simple fact that much of his political career was spent running as someone who said "People of integrity don't force their beliefs on others. They make sure that others can live by different beliefs they may have," as his justification for his pro-choice and pro-gay rights stance, to completely do a 180 later and come out as pro-life and crusade against gay marriage and other gay rights... well, I don't know how anyone could trust him, I certainly couldn't.
In a nutshell, this was a good book if you are interested in reading about Romney's life and foray into politics. It was well written and I do think it was impartial. Many reviews mention that there's plenty to find to support your admiration of Mitt if you already like him and plenty to support your doubts (disgust?) if you dislike him, and I think that comment is right on. I don't like him and am awfully glad he's not our President.
May 5, 2012
In a journalistic-like manner, Kranish and Helman deliver a well-written report on the family background, business career, church leader experiences, term as Olympics chief and the political career of Mitt Romney. The authors succeed at providing a relatively balanced and fair accounting of Romney's decisions and actions in all of these different parts of his life.
Perhaps because of this straight-forward reporting without pushing the reader one way or the other, it occurs to me that the book will sustain whatever opinion the reader holds prior to picking it up. Those who are already in favor of Romney will find this book supportive of him, praising him as it does for his apparent talents and achievements, and those who are opposed to him will find this book delivers the proof of his perceived inadequacies and politically incompetent traits.
In my view, that is good reporting. For the informed reader who has paid attention to presidential politics over the past six years, there will be very few revelations in this book. Proponents and opponents alike will both enjoy this book. The uninformed will gain good insights into Romney's life that go well beyond the normal mass media nonsense.
Kudos to Kranish and Helman.
Perhaps because of this straight-forward reporting without pushing the reader one way or the other, it occurs to me that the book will sustain whatever opinion the reader holds prior to picking it up. Those who are already in favor of Romney will find this book supportive of him, praising him as it does for his apparent talents and achievements, and those who are opposed to him will find this book delivers the proof of his perceived inadequacies and politically incompetent traits.
In my view, that is good reporting. For the informed reader who has paid attention to presidential politics over the past six years, there will be very few revelations in this book. Proponents and opponents alike will both enjoy this book. The uninformed will gain good insights into Romney's life that go well beyond the normal mass media nonsense.
Kudos to Kranish and Helman.
February 13, 2012
This book reminded me of all the good things that I liked about growing up Mormon :) The book feels a lot like a testament about the power of community and while Romney has definitely had a very illustrative career, you can't help but wonder where he would be if it wasn't for his dad, who seems to lurk behind all of Romney's business successes. Overall, an excellent histoire, and not too biased a book though there is a definite conservative tilt.
April 23, 2012
The Real Romney is an incredibly well-balanced and genuine portrayal of Mitt Romney's life and presidential pursuits. In many ways it made me admire and view him as a more layered individual than the stiff, flip-flopping millionaire as the media has portrayed him. He was capable of great acts and great destruction and though, I believe he took a pretty opportunistic turn in the middle of his only term as the governor of Massachusetts, the book never goes too far into Pro-Romney or Anti-Romney territory.
One thing for certain, I am now a George Romney fan after reading about Mitt's father in this book. The man was a bulldog of ethics. He even went as far to storm out on Barry Goldwater during the 1964 Republican National Convention when he was pushing against civil rights.
I won't be voting for Mitt in 2012, but after reading this book, I certainly won't be among the liberals vilifying him. He's just a man with whom I disagree on many issues, but now feel a lot closer to understanding.
One thing for certain, I am now a George Romney fan after reading about Mitt's father in this book. The man was a bulldog of ethics. He even went as far to storm out on Barry Goldwater during the 1964 Republican National Convention when he was pushing against civil rights.
I won't be voting for Mitt in 2012, but after reading this book, I certainly won't be among the liberals vilifying him. He's just a man with whom I disagree on many issues, but now feel a lot closer to understanding.
May 13, 2012
An informative though biased biography of Mitt Romney. The authors' liberal views colored their coverage. I would say I have a better understanding of Romney and where he comes from.
My key takeaways:
Romney strengths:
Extremely smart, dual MBA/JD from Harvard one of 15 people to earn dual degree (out of 800 MBA, 500 law)
Driven, disciplined, hard worker
Draws insights from analyzing the data
Devoted to wife and family
Strong moral compass, church leader, bishop & Boston leader
Understands the real economy
Believes in and practices meritocracy rather than cronyism
Has a lot of accomplishments in business, community and politics
Weaknesses:
Privileged, wealthy community, prep school, difficulty connecting with ordinary people
His flexibility, adaptability can be perceived as lack of firm values
Leveraged Buyouts at Bain Capital resulted in harm to ordinary people, and Romney doesn't seem sufficiently sensitive to this impact
As governor, he did not build personal relationships with legislators
My key takeaways:
Romney strengths:
Extremely smart, dual MBA/JD from Harvard one of 15 people to earn dual degree (out of 800 MBA, 500 law)
Driven, disciplined, hard worker
Draws insights from analyzing the data
Devoted to wife and family
Strong moral compass, church leader, bishop & Boston leader
Understands the real economy
Believes in and practices meritocracy rather than cronyism
Has a lot of accomplishments in business, community and politics
Weaknesses:
Privileged, wealthy community, prep school, difficulty connecting with ordinary people
His flexibility, adaptability can be perceived as lack of firm values
Leveraged Buyouts at Bain Capital resulted in harm to ordinary people, and Romney doesn't seem sufficiently sensitive to this impact
As governor, he did not build personal relationships with legislators
May 21, 2014
Not bad for a political biography -- easy to read -- these Boston Globe reporters did a great job!
It's also very balanced, which is difficult to do in today's world -- there's good, there's bad ...
Willard Mitt Romney was born on March 12, 1947. He is the youngest of four children (a miracle baby if you will).
He is named after J. Willard Marriot, a family friend, fellow Mormon, and future hotel magnate & Milton "Mitt" Romney, a cousin and a former Chicago Bears quarterback.
The Mormon church follows "Articles of Faith", which were propounded by church founder Joseph Smith and are typically memorized by followers. "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." This is just the beginning -- there is a chapter plus a bit more in the book that explains the faith of Mormonism.
If you want to learn more about Mitt Romney and what he has done, check out this book!
It's also very balanced, which is difficult to do in today's world -- there's good, there's bad ...
Willard Mitt Romney was born on March 12, 1947. He is the youngest of four children (a miracle baby if you will).
He is named after J. Willard Marriot, a family friend, fellow Mormon, and future hotel magnate & Milton "Mitt" Romney, a cousin and a former Chicago Bears quarterback.
The Mormon church follows "Articles of Faith", which were propounded by church founder Joseph Smith and are typically memorized by followers. "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." This is just the beginning -- there is a chapter plus a bit more in the book that explains the faith of Mormonism.
If you want to learn more about Mitt Romney and what he has done, check out this book!
February 6, 2015
The book was well written, well documented, well worth reading to have facts I did not know. It was written by journalists of the Boston Globe, writing the good and bad of every issue and I don't argue with the conclusions but I do not accept gossip written as the truth. For example, Romney's "outreach to social moderates was undermined by contrary things he was reported to have said in private settings." Obviously those who disagree, especially with controversial figures like political candidates, are going to varnish the truth. The news media reports such opinions but they have no place in a biography that is supposed to be factual. I like all I learned about Romney but I don't feel I know the 'real Romney.' It is the opinions of people who have worked or lived successfully with Romney whose opinions matter and only saw glimpses of those opinions.
July 17, 2012
I start with a disclaimer that I am a member of the LDS Church. So, I am always interested in seeing how issues about the Church are treated in widely read books. I felt the authors did a good job in the research and presenting matters of religion in an unbiased manner. I wanted to know more about Romney and Bain Capital and did find that in the book. It is well written and is an interesting read. I don't think it will change anyone's positive opinion of Mr. Romney. If one likes and backs him now, I don't see much in the book that will change that. If one is strongly against Romney, I don't see opinions changing there either. However, for people who are ambivalent or are fence-sitters, I do think the book paints a mostly favorable picture of the Republican candidate.
October 25, 2012
I felt that this was a very good, unbiased biography of Mitt Romney. The author recounted the real story, neither attacking nor embracing Romney, his life and policies. I enjoyed the first half of the book, the part dealing with his ancestry, his early life, schooling,romance with his high school sweetheart, Ann, and his mission to France more than the second half which dealt with his businesses and politics. But, I did learn a lot about what he did as a business leader and as the governor of Massachusetts. I now understand why people who are on the opposite political side say that he has "flip-flopped" on some issues. I also now appreciate why is views have changed. I am very glad I read this book prior to the presidential election of 2012.
April 6, 2012
This book was written by journalists, which is evident by the straight-forward writing style. It lacks emotion and, despite a couple fallacies about Mormonism, seems very factual and neutral. The last thing I wanted was a sideways, biased account so I can give up some zeal, I guess! I feel much more informed about Romney's upbringing, background, and experiences that have molded him into what he is today. He strikes me as a work in progress with real potential to be a smart, open-minded, effective president.
February 14, 2012
Current biography but lacking any real depth or analysis. Written by journalists and it shows. In fact it would have been nice if they had tried to interview Mitt himself for this bio rather than rely on clips and soundbites. Lots of facts here but too little to say about the "real" Romney. I did like the part about how McCain found Romney to be really likeable once he got to know him better.
April 29, 2012
This was a great book about Romney. Comes across as very smart, and a committed family man - a good human being. So the book is very fair to him. But he also seems to lack profound political convictions on issues like abortion, etc. And I was surprised at how risk-averse he was in his Bain career - more of an LBO guy than a innovation-supporting VC.
January 26, 2012
I thought this was a very well written biography of Mitt Romney. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about his personal as well as his professional life.
September 17, 2012
http://philadelphiareviewofbooks.com/...
The week of the Republic National Convention in Tampa, Florida seemed to offer Mitt Romney an opportunity to pivot his campaign (if not to pivot his policies once again) into a more personal trajectory, one in which voters learned more about the former governor of Massachusetts and executive at Bain Capital an extremely lucrative venture firm. Those two old jobs and Romney’s Mormonism, along the idea that his wife Ann was an ace up his sleeve in an effort to humanize him for the electorate, were some of the only key points of Romney’s biography known to most casual observers. Most knew his father was governor of Michigan, some that his Mormon mission took place in France. Not much changed during the RNC, and one must assume that Romney will keep a tight lid on many of the details of his work as governor of a liberal state, where he compromised with a Kennedy, and his leadership role in his church, which for many Americans, particularly evangelical Christians, is an alien institution which perverts the story of their faith, if not many of their core beliefs.
Juan Williams, a controversial figure who was fired by NPR in 2010 for taking “personal public positions on controversial issues,” according to Vivian Schiller, NPR’s president, and has since become a popular analyst on Fox News, said after Ann Romney’s speech, “Ann Romney … looked to me like a corporate wife. The stories she told about struggles — eh! It’s hard for me to believe. I mean, she’s a very rich woman, and I know that, and America knows that.”
While Williams has made his name, since leaving NPR, as someone who speaks perhaps a little too freely, the point of his remark holds true. Ann’s comments about her and Mitt’s struggles as young parents in graduate school, while factual, strike many as disingenuous because sacrifice does not mean the same thing as struggle.
With her nervous smile and seamless complexion, Ann said, “We were very young. Both still in college. There were many reasons to delay marriage, and you know? We just didn’t care. We got married and moved into a basement apartment. We walked to class together, shared the housekeeping, and ate a lot of pasta and tuna fish. Our desk was a door propped up on sawhorses. Our dining room table was a fold-down ironing board in the kitchen. Those were very special days.”
Many Americans have roughed it during grad school, but few are able to put themselves through school and still pay for pasta and tuna fish by selling stock inherited from their parents, as the Romneys did.
Eighteen years earlier, according to The Boston Globe, Ann said, of those days, “ Neither one of us had a job, because Mitt had enough of an investment from stock that we could sell off a little at a time. The stock came from Mitt’s father. When he took over American Motors, the stock was worth nothing. But he invested Mitt’s birthday money year to year—it wasn’t much, a few thousand, but he put it into American Motors because he believed in himself. Five years later, stock that had been $6 a share was $96 and Mitt cashed it so we could live and pay for education.”
A blogger at samefacts.com, did the math, and figured the value of those stocks in 1969, was approximately $377,000 in today’s dollars. Not so rough, after all.
But beyond this, the graduate school crowd is not the demographic in the direst trouble because of the economic crisis and in need of reassurance that Mitt Romney can relate to them. Ann addressed the people most hard hit, and skeptical, earlier in her speech.
“They are here among us tonight in this hall; they are here in neighborhoods across Tampa and all across America. The parents who lie awake at night side by side, wondering how they’ll be able to pay the mortgage or make the rent; the single dad who’s working extra hours tonight, so that his kids can buy some new clothes to go back to school, can take a school trip or play a sport, so his kids can feel like the other kids.
“And the working moms who love their jobs but would like to work just a little less to spend more time with the kids, but that’s just out of the question with this economy. Or that couple who would like to have another child, but wonder how will they afford it.”
These sentiments are spot-on, but Ann immediately undercut herself with her failed bit of commiserating. After her speech, all we know is that the Romneys led and are leading a charmed life. We knew this already, and for many, the reminder does not humanize Mitt, at all.
Frank Luntz, a political consultant and Republican Party strategist, once told a breakfast of Pennsylvania Republicans, “If you have to assert you are human, there’s no way you are going to be elected.” Luntz was speaking about Al Gore, another politician who seemed less (or more) than human, both in his presentation and his pedigree. The same applies for Romney.
Furthermore, robot or human, if people don’t view you as more likeable than the other candidate, you generally will not win the election. According to The Washington Post, “voters had a more positive view of Walter Mondale in 1984 (47 percent viewed him favorably), Michael Dukakis in 1988 (50 percent favorable), George H.W. Bush in 1992 (53 percent favorable), and Bob Dole in 1996 (50 percent favorable) than they do of Romney.”
According to a Real Clear Politics aggregation of eight major polls, Romney’s favorable is at 44%, slightly lower than his unfavorable at 44.4%. The Washington Post found that 33% of Republicans found Obama more likeable than their own party’s nominee.
Though all these popularity polls and beer tests (would you have a beer with the candidate?) mean little in the long run as far as a person’s ability to lead a country and enact effective economic policies, the Romney campaign must tackle these issues in order to stand a fair chance of winning.
Mitt told Politico, three times in a 30-minute interview, “I am who I am.”
This should not be so much of a liability considering Romney’s life and acts, chronicled in a recent biography The Real Romney, by Michael Kranish and Scott Helman as well as other reporters at The Boston Globe who have followed Romney’s political career – and incidentally his private life – for the last twenty years.
Nathaniel Stein, in The New Yorker, on July 31, wrote satirically in the voice of Ann about Mitt’s problems coming off as a person.
“One of my absolute favorite things about Mitt is the way he constantly inhales oxygen and expels carbon dioxide and water vapor. He just can’t get enough of that—no matter how many times me and the boys poke fun at the silly way his lungs physically expand to contain the air entering his clusters of alveoli. And if there’s one thing I know about Mitt, it’s this: he’s going to keep on respirating, no matter what. He’s incorrigible.”
While the joke is sophomoric and extreme, the satire is relevant. You’ve got problems if people can’t imagine you functioning as they function. If you need to convince the general population that you’re human, doesn’t this distract you from convincing legislators to compromise? Surely, if Romney gets elected he won’t need more humanizing, so voters get this one chance at scanning his insides.
In the September issue of Harper’s, Dan Halpern wrote, “His manner, much mocked, is that of a stiff Fifties high school class president who has been forced to take a theater class, and although he’s doing the improv exercises diligently to make his A, you can tell he hates it and knows he’s no good at it and detests the dirty beatniks cavorting around in their leotards and is just grinning in agony while miserably waiting for someone to point all this out.”
This image of Mitt Romney as a relic of a twice or thrice bygone generation is borne out by his biography. As Kranish and Helman tell it in The Real Romney, Mitt’s politically formative years happened to coincided with very formative years for the country as a whole, and even though he was thrust into the upheaval of the 60s at Stanford University, he escaped it and the growth of the country’s social consciousness, concerning war and poverty, via his Mormon mission to France. Before setting out to convince Frenchmen to embrace a religion steeped in American exceptionalism and eschew the pleasures of wine and coffee, Romney managed to protest a student sit-in at the office of Stanford’s president, holding a picketed sign reading, “Speak Out, Don’t Sit In.” When he returned to the States for his sophomore year of college, he transferred to Brigham Young University, where he won back the heart of Ann Davies, married her and convinced her to move east and rough it while he earned duel degrees from Harvard’s business and law schools. Talk about checking out from the social thrust of your generation.
But this should come as little surprise. The Romney family, which like many Mormon families is well-documented through many generations, always stood apart from the mainstream of American culture. Immigrants from England, where they were converted by one of the first missionaries sent abroad by Joseph Smith, the Romneys followed the path of the early Mormon church, from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the inhospitable Utah and Arizona deserts, down into Mexico where Romney’s own great-grandfather Miles fled to uphold the newly outlawed Mormon edict of polygamy. These ancestors had direct contact and took what they believed to be divine counsel from Brigham Young himself.
Mitt’s father George, born in Mexico, moved with his family to the United States, fleeing the Mexican Revolution. He grew up in Salt Lake City, suffered with the rest of the country through the depression and courted Mitt’s mother, a fellow Mormon with aspirations of movie stardom. George Romney led a storied political career as governor of Michigan, where he bucked the conventions of his political party, sticking firmly to his beliefs and convictions concerning social justice, when so many of his fellow Republicans clung to the Southern strategy, using racial anxieties to assure the white vote. In this respect, though, Kranish and Helman demonstrate, Mitt fell far from the tree and became a vacillating flip-flopper letting his political and social convictions change with the face of the Republican Party.
Romney’s commitment to his church and family, his readiness to help his friends and community when in need, show through as unequivocal positives and character strengths, which makes his reluctance to speak about this aspect of his life seem ironic. In the course of his two presidential bids, Romney has had no qualms with talking up his experience as a businessman in a cut throat industry. His religion, it seems, prevents him from marketing his charity and service and demands he tout the advantages of free market aggression. Kranish and Helman never force interpretation on Romney’s life and his political actions, but enough commentary has floated around the ether of this overlong election cycle that it’s impossible to ignore these themes. Mitt’s business practices contrast so much with his personal life – the reckless excess and omnivorous manipulation of regulations and arcane financial complexities not at all “conservative” – one is left wondering how he compromises these divergent parts of his life.
Romney’s comment to Politico, “I am who I am,” might indicate a successful tack for the rest of his campaign. People distrust politicians, and one thing Mitt Romney has had trouble with is being a shrewd politician. Despite his extreme caution in all of his personal and professional decisions (that angelic little voice at the back of his head always says, “I might run for public office one day”) when Romney came up against Ted Kennedy in his Senate campaign in the early-90s, the paradox of his claim to have created tens of thousands of jobs while Bain Capital continued to force its firms to lay off hundreds rose to the surface. The party that would call itself the champion of small business in the new millennium first prided itself on the deregulation that allowed companies like the Bain-supported Staples to destroy all small businesses within core niche categories. When the delegates at the RNC, all beholden, whether consciously or not, to a financial system in which the regulations that would keep a free market free have been stripped, shouted, “We built this!” the subtext was that this economy was built on the bones of small businesses and the labor movement that allows big business and the public sector to support a middle class. All of this subtext is left hidden in The Real Romney.
While some evidence exists concerning Romney revitalizing and saving the Salt Lake City Olympics from ruin – such as his cutting of the food budget for the trustees – the overwhelming evidence points to the committee needing Romney’s squeaky clean image to secure sponsorships, not his business acumen. Still, presidential candidates have run on shakier resumes. But Romney’s record as Massachusetts governor, something he often hides, shows him to be too analytical and businesslike to run a government, which is thoroughly unlike a business. He has since disowned his signature health care bill there, mostly because it necessitated a crossing of the aisles, a thwarting of the party line, and a big push from Ted Kennedy’s approval.
Some of the more revelatory facts from Romney’s political past that Kranish and Helman explore in The Real Romney, are his changing stances on key social issues. No one wants voters to know about this – not the Romney campaign, for fear of alienating the base, and not the Obama campaign, for the appeal of moderation (as vacillating as it is) to independent voters. The older Mitt Romney, pro-choice and embracing of gay rights, reasonable on gun control and non-partisan on important key issues, may have had a better chance in the general (if not primary) election than the new pro-life, anti-gay marriage Mitt. And then Mitt threw that all out the window and picked Paul Ryan as his running mate.
Kranish and Helman finished The Real Romney before the Republican nomination was decided and so the end of the book explores Mitt’s ineptitudes in running his presidential campaign. Surprisingly, for such a successful business strategist, Romney ran a reckless, misdirected campaign, in 2008, and didn’t listen to the smartest people in the room, particularly the advisors in the individual state primary and caucus races. Instead of showing how he could get the country back on track, he spent too much time and energy (not to mention too much of his own money) verifying his conservative credentials. But the book, much like Romney himself, provides little actual economic policy or any proof that business acumen translates to an ability to fix a nation’s economic woes. Here, and at the RNC, Romney has benefited from other people willing to show how good of a man he is, but he’s said little, other than salesman-like platitudes, about what he’s going to do, and how he’s going to work with Congress to get it done.
Don’t the voters deserve to hear that argument?
The week of the Republic National Convention in Tampa, Florida seemed to offer Mitt Romney an opportunity to pivot his campaign (if not to pivot his policies once again) into a more personal trajectory, one in which voters learned more about the former governor of Massachusetts and executive at Bain Capital an extremely lucrative venture firm. Those two old jobs and Romney’s Mormonism, along the idea that his wife Ann was an ace up his sleeve in an effort to humanize him for the electorate, were some of the only key points of Romney’s biography known to most casual observers. Most knew his father was governor of Michigan, some that his Mormon mission took place in France. Not much changed during the RNC, and one must assume that Romney will keep a tight lid on many of the details of his work as governor of a liberal state, where he compromised with a Kennedy, and his leadership role in his church, which for many Americans, particularly evangelical Christians, is an alien institution which perverts the story of their faith, if not many of their core beliefs.
Juan Williams, a controversial figure who was fired by NPR in 2010 for taking “personal public positions on controversial issues,” according to Vivian Schiller, NPR’s president, and has since become a popular analyst on Fox News, said after Ann Romney’s speech, “Ann Romney … looked to me like a corporate wife. The stories she told about struggles — eh! It’s hard for me to believe. I mean, she’s a very rich woman, and I know that, and America knows that.”
While Williams has made his name, since leaving NPR, as someone who speaks perhaps a little too freely, the point of his remark holds true. Ann’s comments about her and Mitt’s struggles as young parents in graduate school, while factual, strike many as disingenuous because sacrifice does not mean the same thing as struggle.
With her nervous smile and seamless complexion, Ann said, “We were very young. Both still in college. There were many reasons to delay marriage, and you know? We just didn’t care. We got married and moved into a basement apartment. We walked to class together, shared the housekeeping, and ate a lot of pasta and tuna fish. Our desk was a door propped up on sawhorses. Our dining room table was a fold-down ironing board in the kitchen. Those were very special days.”
Many Americans have roughed it during grad school, but few are able to put themselves through school and still pay for pasta and tuna fish by selling stock inherited from their parents, as the Romneys did.
Eighteen years earlier, according to The Boston Globe, Ann said, of those days, “ Neither one of us had a job, because Mitt had enough of an investment from stock that we could sell off a little at a time. The stock came from Mitt’s father. When he took over American Motors, the stock was worth nothing. But he invested Mitt’s birthday money year to year—it wasn’t much, a few thousand, but he put it into American Motors because he believed in himself. Five years later, stock that had been $6 a share was $96 and Mitt cashed it so we could live and pay for education.”
A blogger at samefacts.com, did the math, and figured the value of those stocks in 1969, was approximately $377,000 in today’s dollars. Not so rough, after all.
But beyond this, the graduate school crowd is not the demographic in the direst trouble because of the economic crisis and in need of reassurance that Mitt Romney can relate to them. Ann addressed the people most hard hit, and skeptical, earlier in her speech.
“They are here among us tonight in this hall; they are here in neighborhoods across Tampa and all across America. The parents who lie awake at night side by side, wondering how they’ll be able to pay the mortgage or make the rent; the single dad who’s working extra hours tonight, so that his kids can buy some new clothes to go back to school, can take a school trip or play a sport, so his kids can feel like the other kids.
“And the working moms who love their jobs but would like to work just a little less to spend more time with the kids, but that’s just out of the question with this economy. Or that couple who would like to have another child, but wonder how will they afford it.”
These sentiments are spot-on, but Ann immediately undercut herself with her failed bit of commiserating. After her speech, all we know is that the Romneys led and are leading a charmed life. We knew this already, and for many, the reminder does not humanize Mitt, at all.
Frank Luntz, a political consultant and Republican Party strategist, once told a breakfast of Pennsylvania Republicans, “If you have to assert you are human, there’s no way you are going to be elected.” Luntz was speaking about Al Gore, another politician who seemed less (or more) than human, both in his presentation and his pedigree. The same applies for Romney.
Furthermore, robot or human, if people don’t view you as more likeable than the other candidate, you generally will not win the election. According to The Washington Post, “voters had a more positive view of Walter Mondale in 1984 (47 percent viewed him favorably), Michael Dukakis in 1988 (50 percent favorable), George H.W. Bush in 1992 (53 percent favorable), and Bob Dole in 1996 (50 percent favorable) than they do of Romney.”
According to a Real Clear Politics aggregation of eight major polls, Romney’s favorable is at 44%, slightly lower than his unfavorable at 44.4%. The Washington Post found that 33% of Republicans found Obama more likeable than their own party’s nominee.
Though all these popularity polls and beer tests (would you have a beer with the candidate?) mean little in the long run as far as a person’s ability to lead a country and enact effective economic policies, the Romney campaign must tackle these issues in order to stand a fair chance of winning.
Mitt told Politico, three times in a 30-minute interview, “I am who I am.”
This should not be so much of a liability considering Romney’s life and acts, chronicled in a recent biography The Real Romney, by Michael Kranish and Scott Helman as well as other reporters at The Boston Globe who have followed Romney’s political career – and incidentally his private life – for the last twenty years.
Nathaniel Stein, in The New Yorker, on July 31, wrote satirically in the voice of Ann about Mitt’s problems coming off as a person.
“One of my absolute favorite things about Mitt is the way he constantly inhales oxygen and expels carbon dioxide and water vapor. He just can’t get enough of that—no matter how many times me and the boys poke fun at the silly way his lungs physically expand to contain the air entering his clusters of alveoli. And if there’s one thing I know about Mitt, it’s this: he’s going to keep on respirating, no matter what. He’s incorrigible.”
While the joke is sophomoric and extreme, the satire is relevant. You’ve got problems if people can’t imagine you functioning as they function. If you need to convince the general population that you’re human, doesn’t this distract you from convincing legislators to compromise? Surely, if Romney gets elected he won’t need more humanizing, so voters get this one chance at scanning his insides.
In the September issue of Harper’s, Dan Halpern wrote, “His manner, much mocked, is that of a stiff Fifties high school class president who has been forced to take a theater class, and although he’s doing the improv exercises diligently to make his A, you can tell he hates it and knows he’s no good at it and detests the dirty beatniks cavorting around in their leotards and is just grinning in agony while miserably waiting for someone to point all this out.”
This image of Mitt Romney as a relic of a twice or thrice bygone generation is borne out by his biography. As Kranish and Helman tell it in The Real Romney, Mitt’s politically formative years happened to coincided with very formative years for the country as a whole, and even though he was thrust into the upheaval of the 60s at Stanford University, he escaped it and the growth of the country’s social consciousness, concerning war and poverty, via his Mormon mission to France. Before setting out to convince Frenchmen to embrace a religion steeped in American exceptionalism and eschew the pleasures of wine and coffee, Romney managed to protest a student sit-in at the office of Stanford’s president, holding a picketed sign reading, “Speak Out, Don’t Sit In.” When he returned to the States for his sophomore year of college, he transferred to Brigham Young University, where he won back the heart of Ann Davies, married her and convinced her to move east and rough it while he earned duel degrees from Harvard’s business and law schools. Talk about checking out from the social thrust of your generation.
But this should come as little surprise. The Romney family, which like many Mormon families is well-documented through many generations, always stood apart from the mainstream of American culture. Immigrants from England, where they were converted by one of the first missionaries sent abroad by Joseph Smith, the Romneys followed the path of the early Mormon church, from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the inhospitable Utah and Arizona deserts, down into Mexico where Romney’s own great-grandfather Miles fled to uphold the newly outlawed Mormon edict of polygamy. These ancestors had direct contact and took what they believed to be divine counsel from Brigham Young himself.
Mitt’s father George, born in Mexico, moved with his family to the United States, fleeing the Mexican Revolution. He grew up in Salt Lake City, suffered with the rest of the country through the depression and courted Mitt’s mother, a fellow Mormon with aspirations of movie stardom. George Romney led a storied political career as governor of Michigan, where he bucked the conventions of his political party, sticking firmly to his beliefs and convictions concerning social justice, when so many of his fellow Republicans clung to the Southern strategy, using racial anxieties to assure the white vote. In this respect, though, Kranish and Helman demonstrate, Mitt fell far from the tree and became a vacillating flip-flopper letting his political and social convictions change with the face of the Republican Party.
Romney’s commitment to his church and family, his readiness to help his friends and community when in need, show through as unequivocal positives and character strengths, which makes his reluctance to speak about this aspect of his life seem ironic. In the course of his two presidential bids, Romney has had no qualms with talking up his experience as a businessman in a cut throat industry. His religion, it seems, prevents him from marketing his charity and service and demands he tout the advantages of free market aggression. Kranish and Helman never force interpretation on Romney’s life and his political actions, but enough commentary has floated around the ether of this overlong election cycle that it’s impossible to ignore these themes. Mitt’s business practices contrast so much with his personal life – the reckless excess and omnivorous manipulation of regulations and arcane financial complexities not at all “conservative” – one is left wondering how he compromises these divergent parts of his life.
Romney’s comment to Politico, “I am who I am,” might indicate a successful tack for the rest of his campaign. People distrust politicians, and one thing Mitt Romney has had trouble with is being a shrewd politician. Despite his extreme caution in all of his personal and professional decisions (that angelic little voice at the back of his head always says, “I might run for public office one day”) when Romney came up against Ted Kennedy in his Senate campaign in the early-90s, the paradox of his claim to have created tens of thousands of jobs while Bain Capital continued to force its firms to lay off hundreds rose to the surface. The party that would call itself the champion of small business in the new millennium first prided itself on the deregulation that allowed companies like the Bain-supported Staples to destroy all small businesses within core niche categories. When the delegates at the RNC, all beholden, whether consciously or not, to a financial system in which the regulations that would keep a free market free have been stripped, shouted, “We built this!” the subtext was that this economy was built on the bones of small businesses and the labor movement that allows big business and the public sector to support a middle class. All of this subtext is left hidden in The Real Romney.
While some evidence exists concerning Romney revitalizing and saving the Salt Lake City Olympics from ruin – such as his cutting of the food budget for the trustees – the overwhelming evidence points to the committee needing Romney’s squeaky clean image to secure sponsorships, not his business acumen. Still, presidential candidates have run on shakier resumes. But Romney’s record as Massachusetts governor, something he often hides, shows him to be too analytical and businesslike to run a government, which is thoroughly unlike a business. He has since disowned his signature health care bill there, mostly because it necessitated a crossing of the aisles, a thwarting of the party line, and a big push from Ted Kennedy’s approval.
Some of the more revelatory facts from Romney’s political past that Kranish and Helman explore in The Real Romney, are his changing stances on key social issues. No one wants voters to know about this – not the Romney campaign, for fear of alienating the base, and not the Obama campaign, for the appeal of moderation (as vacillating as it is) to independent voters. The older Mitt Romney, pro-choice and embracing of gay rights, reasonable on gun control and non-partisan on important key issues, may have had a better chance in the general (if not primary) election than the new pro-life, anti-gay marriage Mitt. And then Mitt threw that all out the window and picked Paul Ryan as his running mate.
Kranish and Helman finished The Real Romney before the Republican nomination was decided and so the end of the book explores Mitt’s ineptitudes in running his presidential campaign. Surprisingly, for such a successful business strategist, Romney ran a reckless, misdirected campaign, in 2008, and didn’t listen to the smartest people in the room, particularly the advisors in the individual state primary and caucus races. Instead of showing how he could get the country back on track, he spent too much time and energy (not to mention too much of his own money) verifying his conservative credentials. But the book, much like Romney himself, provides little actual economic policy or any proof that business acumen translates to an ability to fix a nation’s economic woes. Here, and at the RNC, Romney has benefited from other people willing to show how good of a man he is, but he’s said little, other than salesman-like platitudes, about what he’s going to do, and how he’s going to work with Congress to get it done.
Don’t the voters deserve to hear that argument?
June 8, 2015
This is an outstanding biography of Governor Mitt Romney, written by two reporters from The Boston Globe. They describe Governor Romney as incredibly bright, hard working and ambitious.
Faith and family are an integral part of Governor Romney’s makeup. He has a strong support system in his wife, Ann, his children and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon). His father, George Romney, served three terms as governor of Michigan and then lost his bid for the presidency.
The book recounts Governor Romney’s business qualifications and knowledge of our economy, with its enormous debt, deficits, obsolete tax system and a bloated government; it is time for an amazing rescue by Governor Romney, a man who loves a challenge. He sums up his message in a way that I consider quite honest and desperately needed: “I know how business works…(and)… why jobs come and why they go.” I don’t believe President Obama could sincerely make that claim.
Mitt was born five years after his brother Scott, becoming the fourth and last child of George and Lenore Romney. A gap like that, five years and more, makes him, I’ve been told, another “oldest child” (psychologically).
George Romney became Chairman and CEO of American Motors Corporation. He was able to turn around the company, partly using his own funds. George advised Mitt, to “dream big and work hard and pray always….” As far as Mitt is concerned he had a strong and beneficial relationship with both his father and mother. It appears Mitt’s tact came from his mother.
There were some unusual aspects of George and Mitt’s lives. When George was governor, he liked getting advice from Mitt, and generally liked when his son was with him in the governor’s office and elsewhere. And when Mitt graduated from high school, his father was the speaker.
Mitt met Ann when he was still in his teens and described falling in love with her at first sight. He was smitten, finding her smart, beautiful and independent, and he pursued her until she returned his love. When she was just sixteen years old Mitt asked her whether she might someday marry him. She said “yes” but quizzed him about his Mormon faith as she was a traditional Protestant. He gave her a brief explanation, after which he noticed she was crying. Later with George Romney’s help Ann learned about the Moorman faith and converted.
Mitt is justly proud of his Mormon ancestry. And although generations ago, some of his ancestors had multiple wives—outsiders considered polygamy one of the biggest objections to the faith—Mitt and his father had traditional marriages and family lives.
Mitt started his college career at Stanford University. One of his classmates was impressed by Mitt’s dedication. A classmate commented that Mitt was “wanted… on whatever committee or group you were doing. He would take charge or lead it.” Another complimented that Mitt was down to earth and did not put on airs. This last comment was particularly revealing in that his father was at the time governor of Michigan.
Other things that stood out with his classmates were his closeness to his father and his loyalty to Ann—he often flew home to see her.
As are most nineteen-year-old men of the Mormon faith, he was called to missionary work. His main reason for being reluctant to go was his fear of losing Ann. But he acquiesced and was sent to France. There, as always, he was very dedicated and remembered as “… charming, charismatic and passionate.” Mitt would later explain that he had converted ten to twenty people during his mission work, which was an impressive feat.
One fellow missionary said of Romney, “You saw this exceptional leadership …to inspire, uplift, bring people to focus, remember what they’re about.” Another admired his “drive.” Throughout his two years as a missionary, Mitt remained dedicated to Ann.
After returning from France, Mitt transferred to BYU to be with his new missionary friends, but mostly in pursuit of Ann. In 1969, Mitt and Ann married—a match that seems to have been made in heaven.
The BYU Cougar Club invited Mitt to join and by 1970 he became president. He started a major drive to raise money for university athletics. The club has since become a financial booster for the University and it was Mitt’s vision that made this happen.
Mitt watched his father’s political career, as he was re-elected as Michigan’s governor, featured in a Lifemagazine story, and in 1967 was ranked as a “leading presidential candidate.” George Romney lost his bid for the presidency with one public statement, “… I just had the greatest brainwashing that anybody can get.” He was talking about a trip to Vietnam where he had been extensively briefed about the war. But the “brainwashing” statement drove him out of the presidential race.
Perhaps the most important thing now is that Mitt saw his father win the Michigan governorship three times and lose his bid for the presidency. What is also important is that his father was his hero and he watched closely the ups and downs of his career.
In 1971, Mitt earned a degree in English literature with highest honors. He gave an address in which he said, “I pray that this graduating class will choose a different kind of life, that we may develop an attitude of restlessness and discomfort, not self-satisfaction.” George sat down with Mitt and encouraged him to take his next step in life—a dual endeavor—law and business degrees from Harvard. So, Mitt and Ann moved to Massachusetts.
One striking aspect of the path that George and Mitt chose, mentioned by the authors, was that out of the hundreds of business and law school classmates, only fifteen earned this joint JD/MBA degree, students who were considered the “elite of the elite”. Mitt excelled in both law and business. Romney left Harvard in 1975, graduating with honors from both law and business school. He was selected as a Baker Scholar, which signified that he was in the top five percent of his business school class. This is the sort of academic background, combined with his later rich experience, not to mention his other profound qualities, that makes him superbly suited for the presidency.
Charles Faris courted Romney for years, and upon graduation hired him for the Boston Consulting Group. This business consulting company analyzed extensive amounts of financial data seeking to “lower costs, improve productivity and gain market share.” This is the type of background that can lead to a necessary streamlining of our government. Faris, his mentor at the firm, commented about how hard Mitt worked. I believe that as president he would do the same. He would be hard-working, unlike President Obama with his frequent golf games and vacations while the national debt rises rapidly.
The authors note that Mitt and Ann’s “faith, as they began building a life together, formed a deep foundation…(in) their marriage, their parenting, their social live…” To me that foundation will serve the family well in the White House. The biographers note that the Romneys always maintained a solid, functional family life. They reared five sons, each of whom in turn served as a missionary.
Romney held important leadership positions in his church, which exposed him to “personal and institutional crises, human tragedies, immigrant cultures, social forces, and organizational challenges.” One church colleague said, “… he was warm, accessible, and a good listener… reasonable, accommodating, and imaginative.” A friend, who is a Democrat, said, “His leadership has been obvious to the people who know him best…” Romney grew as a leader throughout his life, whereas President Obama is a political science follower.
After two years with Boston Consulting Group, he continued as a business consultant for about six years with Bain and Company. When Romney was only thirty-six years old he walked into the offices of Bill Bain, his mentor and boss. Mitt was already sought after by clients, always calm and collected, analytical and effective. But this time, Bill Bain didn’t have a consulting assignment. He proposed the formation of a new venture, Bain Capital. Bain’s idea was to raise some money and invest in start-up, new companies as well as troubled companies. This way Bain Capital could both advise them as consultants and also share in their growth. Mitt was to head the firm. But Mitt stunned Bain by driving a stiff bargain for him to take the risk in his career. Bain eventually sweetened the deal until Mitt agreed.
The next fifteen years proved not only that Mitt was a superb business and investment practitioner, but a wonderful leader as well.
Mitt presided over approximately one hundred transactions. He attempted to be very prudent and careful. After a time he found the risk was less in troubled companies already operating rather than new ventures. He learned, from the bottom up and top down, business and investing with great success. He came to understand very well how jobs were created and why they were lost. That depth can be of tremendous help in the presidency.
To do this Romney had to peer into the future over and over again, which can be of tremendous benefit in controlling the budget, reforming entitlements as well as simplifying and remaking our tax system. President Obama lacks any such vision.
Romney and his team averaged significant returns during the time that he lead Bain Capital. Most of this astounding success came from a relatively few companies. That’s somewhat characteristic of small cap companies. But Bain Capital was a pioneer in leveraged buyouts and applying intense management consulting.
Romney engaged in leveraged buyouts in which a troubled company would be purchased with funds from Bain Capital and much more money from debt supported by the company’s business. Romney favored friendly takeovers in order to get the cooperation of management in the endeavors. Intense analysis, possibly restructuring, would follow. Some businesses would involve layoffs while others were roaring successes. The debt and dividends to Bain Capital at times led to bankruptcy of the companies, but in other cases the risk was highly rewarding, sometimes to all, sometimes mainly to Bain Capital.
Perhaps the greatest lesson from Romney’s two years with Boston Consulting Group, six years with Bain and Company, and fifteen years as head of Bain Capital was a deep top-down, bottom-up knowledge of business and investment. Another very important aspect of Romney’s record was that he “surrounded himself with great people who know how to execute his vision,” as expressed by Thomas G. Stemberg, co-founder of office supply giant Staples, later a Bain Capital investment.
The story of how Romney saved his previous consulting firm was a superb example of his executive abilities. He was called back from Bain Capital because of severe financial problems in his old employer, Bain and Company. He intensely analyzed the problem, did some restructuring and then called all the partners (about forty of them) into a meeting. He expressed confidence that the firm could survive and thrive if they would take a pay cut even though at the time many of these partners could earn higher salaries elsewhere. He left the room and gave them thirty minutes to decide, saying anyone who wanted to leave the firm should vacate the room. Only one partner left the room. The book describes this as “one of his most impressive displays of executive talent and toughness.”
Romney’s experiences at Bain Capital might be mined from Democratic viewpoints for evidence of jobs lost or business failures. But I certainly don’t expect them to be fair. The reality is that Romney gained superb background throughout his academic and business career, in contrast to President Obama who is sorely lacking in practical or academic business or investment experience.
In 1993, Romney decided to run against Senator Ted Kennedy, unsuccessfully. But in defeat he learned. George Romney commented about his son during the race, stating that Mitt had a better education, more success in business and that he had made much more money. That’s high praise, especially considering the source.
After the loss, Romney returned to Bain Capital and helped guide it to some of its biggest negotiations, as “… a confident, comfortable deal-maker.” At this point, Bain Capital was established as “one of the country’s elite leveraged buyout firms.”
In 1998, Romney’s dearly-loved wife, Ann, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The good news is that Ann discovered, over time, treatments that worked, including exercise, a special diet and riding horses.
Romney’s next venture was the 2002 Winter Olympics. It was rocked by the scandal of unethical gifts to secure the games in Salt Lake City and serious financial shortfalls.
Of her husband, Ann said, “He loves emergencies and catastrophes…. He would never have considered doing it [the 2002 Olympics] if it weren’t a big mess.” This is an echo from the past as Romney seeks and is well-suited for the most enormous challenge of his life.
Romney was instrumental in saving the games, generating a tremendous budget surplus. He also created a path to his next try for political office, the governorship of Massachusetts. Mitt was elected governor forty years after his father had been elected governor of Michigan.
Romney used his prior career as a guide, as the book annunciated his credo, “… surround yourself with smart, aggressive players and let them go to work.” This sounds like President Reagan.
Immediately upon assuming office Romney and his staffdiscovered a budget deficit of $650 million which was projected to go into the billions in the following year. Undaunted, he lead the state through a balancing of this wide gap. I believe what he did at the state level prepared him for proactive fiscal discipline in the presidency, unlike anything in President Obama’s background. A major part in Romney’s turnaround was his team’s analysis of fiscal data to identify and eliminate inefficiencies and waste, direly needed in the federal government.
A Democratic state senator said of Romney that he “brought out the best of us.” Of government, Romney said that he did not “think (it) is about doing favors for people. I think it’s doing the right thing for the folks we represent.” His desire to do the right thing was echoed by his advisors and others with whom worked closely.
Romney decided to try to achieve universal healthcare in Massachusetts. In doing so he showed “creativity and confidence, a gift for framing a problem and seeking a solution through, and the courage to disregard some political risk.” These characteristics are needed now nationally to repeal and replace Obama care.
It was easier to achieve universal healthcare in Massachusetts because the percentage of uninsured residents was among the lowest in our country. The assessment I make of Massachusetts’ healthcare program is, as Romney has said, suitable for that state, but not for the nation.
However, I believe Romney’s experience as a business consultant examining hospital costs, as well as his Massachusetts success, his academic training, deep business career and moral persistence will help him determine a way to achieve universal healthcare nationally in a sound way, not Obamacare.
In 2008, Romney campaigned for the presidency, having proven a successful businessman and governor. But he made a series of political mistakes and in the end Senator McCain got the Republican nomination. I still believe that Senator McCain might have won the 2008 election if he had picked Governor Romney as his running mate.
Romney learned from his 2008 loss, his successful governor’s race and his loss to Senator Kennedy. So, in the 2012 campaign he knows to focus on the three most vital issues: the economy, the economy and the economy. He wrote a book, No Apology, which outlined his policies. He raised money in an effective manner. Romney has superb persistence, drive, stamina and a strong underlying moral bend to do the right thing.
Romney stated that “The United States … must remain a beacon of strength and liberty in an uncertain world. If we don’t, freedom itself is at risk.” I agree. We must remain strong militarily and regain our economic growth, not only for our own good, but for the good of the world.
I believe Governor Romney is ideally suited to lead our country out of our unsustainable spending and entitlements which are dragging our economy down. I believe Governor Romney and a host of Republicans can fix the economy in a kind, moral way.
Faith and family are an integral part of Governor Romney’s makeup. He has a strong support system in his wife, Ann, his children and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon). His father, George Romney, served three terms as governor of Michigan and then lost his bid for the presidency.
The book recounts Governor Romney’s business qualifications and knowledge of our economy, with its enormous debt, deficits, obsolete tax system and a bloated government; it is time for an amazing rescue by Governor Romney, a man who loves a challenge. He sums up his message in a way that I consider quite honest and desperately needed: “I know how business works…(and)… why jobs come and why they go.” I don’t believe President Obama could sincerely make that claim.
Mitt was born five years after his brother Scott, becoming the fourth and last child of George and Lenore Romney. A gap like that, five years and more, makes him, I’ve been told, another “oldest child” (psychologically).
George Romney became Chairman and CEO of American Motors Corporation. He was able to turn around the company, partly using his own funds. George advised Mitt, to “dream big and work hard and pray always….” As far as Mitt is concerned he had a strong and beneficial relationship with both his father and mother. It appears Mitt’s tact came from his mother.
There were some unusual aspects of George and Mitt’s lives. When George was governor, he liked getting advice from Mitt, and generally liked when his son was with him in the governor’s office and elsewhere. And when Mitt graduated from high school, his father was the speaker.
Mitt met Ann when he was still in his teens and described falling in love with her at first sight. He was smitten, finding her smart, beautiful and independent, and he pursued her until she returned his love. When she was just sixteen years old Mitt asked her whether she might someday marry him. She said “yes” but quizzed him about his Mormon faith as she was a traditional Protestant. He gave her a brief explanation, after which he noticed she was crying. Later with George Romney’s help Ann learned about the Moorman faith and converted.
Mitt is justly proud of his Mormon ancestry. And although generations ago, some of his ancestors had multiple wives—outsiders considered polygamy one of the biggest objections to the faith—Mitt and his father had traditional marriages and family lives.
Mitt started his college career at Stanford University. One of his classmates was impressed by Mitt’s dedication. A classmate commented that Mitt was “wanted… on whatever committee or group you were doing. He would take charge or lead it.” Another complimented that Mitt was down to earth and did not put on airs. This last comment was particularly revealing in that his father was at the time governor of Michigan.
Other things that stood out with his classmates were his closeness to his father and his loyalty to Ann—he often flew home to see her.
As are most nineteen-year-old men of the Mormon faith, he was called to missionary work. His main reason for being reluctant to go was his fear of losing Ann. But he acquiesced and was sent to France. There, as always, he was very dedicated and remembered as “… charming, charismatic and passionate.” Mitt would later explain that he had converted ten to twenty people during his mission work, which was an impressive feat.
One fellow missionary said of Romney, “You saw this exceptional leadership …to inspire, uplift, bring people to focus, remember what they’re about.” Another admired his “drive.” Throughout his two years as a missionary, Mitt remained dedicated to Ann.
After returning from France, Mitt transferred to BYU to be with his new missionary friends, but mostly in pursuit of Ann. In 1969, Mitt and Ann married—a match that seems to have been made in heaven.
The BYU Cougar Club invited Mitt to join and by 1970 he became president. He started a major drive to raise money for university athletics. The club has since become a financial booster for the University and it was Mitt’s vision that made this happen.
Mitt watched his father’s political career, as he was re-elected as Michigan’s governor, featured in a Lifemagazine story, and in 1967 was ranked as a “leading presidential candidate.” George Romney lost his bid for the presidency with one public statement, “… I just had the greatest brainwashing that anybody can get.” He was talking about a trip to Vietnam where he had been extensively briefed about the war. But the “brainwashing” statement drove him out of the presidential race.
Perhaps the most important thing now is that Mitt saw his father win the Michigan governorship three times and lose his bid for the presidency. What is also important is that his father was his hero and he watched closely the ups and downs of his career.
In 1971, Mitt earned a degree in English literature with highest honors. He gave an address in which he said, “I pray that this graduating class will choose a different kind of life, that we may develop an attitude of restlessness and discomfort, not self-satisfaction.” George sat down with Mitt and encouraged him to take his next step in life—a dual endeavor—law and business degrees from Harvard. So, Mitt and Ann moved to Massachusetts.
One striking aspect of the path that George and Mitt chose, mentioned by the authors, was that out of the hundreds of business and law school classmates, only fifteen earned this joint JD/MBA degree, students who were considered the “elite of the elite”. Mitt excelled in both law and business. Romney left Harvard in 1975, graduating with honors from both law and business school. He was selected as a Baker Scholar, which signified that he was in the top five percent of his business school class. This is the sort of academic background, combined with his later rich experience, not to mention his other profound qualities, that makes him superbly suited for the presidency.
Charles Faris courted Romney for years, and upon graduation hired him for the Boston Consulting Group. This business consulting company analyzed extensive amounts of financial data seeking to “lower costs, improve productivity and gain market share.” This is the type of background that can lead to a necessary streamlining of our government. Faris, his mentor at the firm, commented about how hard Mitt worked. I believe that as president he would do the same. He would be hard-working, unlike President Obama with his frequent golf games and vacations while the national debt rises rapidly.
The authors note that Mitt and Ann’s “faith, as they began building a life together, formed a deep foundation…(in) their marriage, their parenting, their social live…” To me that foundation will serve the family well in the White House. The biographers note that the Romneys always maintained a solid, functional family life. They reared five sons, each of whom in turn served as a missionary.
Romney held important leadership positions in his church, which exposed him to “personal and institutional crises, human tragedies, immigrant cultures, social forces, and organizational challenges.” One church colleague said, “… he was warm, accessible, and a good listener… reasonable, accommodating, and imaginative.” A friend, who is a Democrat, said, “His leadership has been obvious to the people who know him best…” Romney grew as a leader throughout his life, whereas President Obama is a political science follower.
After two years with Boston Consulting Group, he continued as a business consultant for about six years with Bain and Company. When Romney was only thirty-six years old he walked into the offices of Bill Bain, his mentor and boss. Mitt was already sought after by clients, always calm and collected, analytical and effective. But this time, Bill Bain didn’t have a consulting assignment. He proposed the formation of a new venture, Bain Capital. Bain’s idea was to raise some money and invest in start-up, new companies as well as troubled companies. This way Bain Capital could both advise them as consultants and also share in their growth. Mitt was to head the firm. But Mitt stunned Bain by driving a stiff bargain for him to take the risk in his career. Bain eventually sweetened the deal until Mitt agreed.
The next fifteen years proved not only that Mitt was a superb business and investment practitioner, but a wonderful leader as well.
Mitt presided over approximately one hundred transactions. He attempted to be very prudent and careful. After a time he found the risk was less in troubled companies already operating rather than new ventures. He learned, from the bottom up and top down, business and investing with great success. He came to understand very well how jobs were created and why they were lost. That depth can be of tremendous help in the presidency.
To do this Romney had to peer into the future over and over again, which can be of tremendous benefit in controlling the budget, reforming entitlements as well as simplifying and remaking our tax system. President Obama lacks any such vision.
Romney and his team averaged significant returns during the time that he lead Bain Capital. Most of this astounding success came from a relatively few companies. That’s somewhat characteristic of small cap companies. But Bain Capital was a pioneer in leveraged buyouts and applying intense management consulting.
Romney engaged in leveraged buyouts in which a troubled company would be purchased with funds from Bain Capital and much more money from debt supported by the company’s business. Romney favored friendly takeovers in order to get the cooperation of management in the endeavors. Intense analysis, possibly restructuring, would follow. Some businesses would involve layoffs while others were roaring successes. The debt and dividends to Bain Capital at times led to bankruptcy of the companies, but in other cases the risk was highly rewarding, sometimes to all, sometimes mainly to Bain Capital.
Perhaps the greatest lesson from Romney’s two years with Boston Consulting Group, six years with Bain and Company, and fifteen years as head of Bain Capital was a deep top-down, bottom-up knowledge of business and investment. Another very important aspect of Romney’s record was that he “surrounded himself with great people who know how to execute his vision,” as expressed by Thomas G. Stemberg, co-founder of office supply giant Staples, later a Bain Capital investment.
The story of how Romney saved his previous consulting firm was a superb example of his executive abilities. He was called back from Bain Capital because of severe financial problems in his old employer, Bain and Company. He intensely analyzed the problem, did some restructuring and then called all the partners (about forty of them) into a meeting. He expressed confidence that the firm could survive and thrive if they would take a pay cut even though at the time many of these partners could earn higher salaries elsewhere. He left the room and gave them thirty minutes to decide, saying anyone who wanted to leave the firm should vacate the room. Only one partner left the room. The book describes this as “one of his most impressive displays of executive talent and toughness.”
Romney’s experiences at Bain Capital might be mined from Democratic viewpoints for evidence of jobs lost or business failures. But I certainly don’t expect them to be fair. The reality is that Romney gained superb background throughout his academic and business career, in contrast to President Obama who is sorely lacking in practical or academic business or investment experience.
In 1993, Romney decided to run against Senator Ted Kennedy, unsuccessfully. But in defeat he learned. George Romney commented about his son during the race, stating that Mitt had a better education, more success in business and that he had made much more money. That’s high praise, especially considering the source.
After the loss, Romney returned to Bain Capital and helped guide it to some of its biggest negotiations, as “… a confident, comfortable deal-maker.” At this point, Bain Capital was established as “one of the country’s elite leveraged buyout firms.”
In 1998, Romney’s dearly-loved wife, Ann, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The good news is that Ann discovered, over time, treatments that worked, including exercise, a special diet and riding horses.
Romney’s next venture was the 2002 Winter Olympics. It was rocked by the scandal of unethical gifts to secure the games in Salt Lake City and serious financial shortfalls.
Of her husband, Ann said, “He loves emergencies and catastrophes…. He would never have considered doing it [the 2002 Olympics] if it weren’t a big mess.” This is an echo from the past as Romney seeks and is well-suited for the most enormous challenge of his life.
Romney was instrumental in saving the games, generating a tremendous budget surplus. He also created a path to his next try for political office, the governorship of Massachusetts. Mitt was elected governor forty years after his father had been elected governor of Michigan.
Romney used his prior career as a guide, as the book annunciated his credo, “… surround yourself with smart, aggressive players and let them go to work.” This sounds like President Reagan.
Immediately upon assuming office Romney and his staffdiscovered a budget deficit of $650 million which was projected to go into the billions in the following year. Undaunted, he lead the state through a balancing of this wide gap. I believe what he did at the state level prepared him for proactive fiscal discipline in the presidency, unlike anything in President Obama’s background. A major part in Romney’s turnaround was his team’s analysis of fiscal data to identify and eliminate inefficiencies and waste, direly needed in the federal government.
A Democratic state senator said of Romney that he “brought out the best of us.” Of government, Romney said that he did not “think (it) is about doing favors for people. I think it’s doing the right thing for the folks we represent.” His desire to do the right thing was echoed by his advisors and others with whom worked closely.
Romney decided to try to achieve universal healthcare in Massachusetts. In doing so he showed “creativity and confidence, a gift for framing a problem and seeking a solution through, and the courage to disregard some political risk.” These characteristics are needed now nationally to repeal and replace Obama care.
It was easier to achieve universal healthcare in Massachusetts because the percentage of uninsured residents was among the lowest in our country. The assessment I make of Massachusetts’ healthcare program is, as Romney has said, suitable for that state, but not for the nation.
However, I believe Romney’s experience as a business consultant examining hospital costs, as well as his Massachusetts success, his academic training, deep business career and moral persistence will help him determine a way to achieve universal healthcare nationally in a sound way, not Obamacare.
In 2008, Romney campaigned for the presidency, having proven a successful businessman and governor. But he made a series of political mistakes and in the end Senator McCain got the Republican nomination. I still believe that Senator McCain might have won the 2008 election if he had picked Governor Romney as his running mate.
Romney learned from his 2008 loss, his successful governor’s race and his loss to Senator Kennedy. So, in the 2012 campaign he knows to focus on the three most vital issues: the economy, the economy and the economy. He wrote a book, No Apology, which outlined his policies. He raised money in an effective manner. Romney has superb persistence, drive, stamina and a strong underlying moral bend to do the right thing.
Romney stated that “The United States … must remain a beacon of strength and liberty in an uncertain world. If we don’t, freedom itself is at risk.” I agree. We must remain strong militarily and regain our economic growth, not only for our own good, but for the good of the world.
I believe Governor Romney is ideally suited to lead our country out of our unsustainable spending and entitlements which are dragging our economy down. I believe Governor Romney and a host of Republicans can fix the economy in a kind, moral way.
December 12, 2023
Who is the real Mitt Romney? Michael Kranish and Scott Helman don't exactly land on an answer, though by the end the tangled webs are unraveled to reveal a persistent, analytical man that has faith in his church, his family, and, perhaps most cynically, himself. Though the book is dated to before Romney's failed 2012 presidential race, the narrative contains the kernels of what Romney has become in 2023: a politician willing to go out on a limb and fight for certain principles beyond money and economy.
Romney is every bit the slick politician in these pages, calibrating his positions like a mechanic tunes up a car to race fast on straightaway highways and then torqued to master sharp turns and slippery weather conditions. Everything about Romney seems like its run through a political consulting machine: pro-choice when it's convenient (1994's race against ted Kennedy) and pro-life when it's the ticket to a Republican presidential nomination (2012).
There is something more to Romney, though. The authors devote an entire chapter to Romney's efforts to overhaul healthcare in Massachusetts, a fight Governor Romney could easily have passed on. Instead, he dove in, applied his vast analytical skills, and even displayed some political back-slapping with the Beacon Hill pols to get the bill to the finish line and enshrined into law.
Romney may very well be a cynic, a weathervane that blows with the winds. But there is also some bedrock principles deep within his mind and heart: a belief in American capitalism and a reverence for democratic institutions. It may be Romney's legacy that we lament that the candidate didn't fully exhibit those bedrock beliefs at earlier points in his career.
Romney is every bit the slick politician in these pages, calibrating his positions like a mechanic tunes up a car to race fast on straightaway highways and then torqued to master sharp turns and slippery weather conditions. Everything about Romney seems like its run through a political consulting machine: pro-choice when it's convenient (1994's race against ted Kennedy) and pro-life when it's the ticket to a Republican presidential nomination (2012).
There is something more to Romney, though. The authors devote an entire chapter to Romney's efforts to overhaul healthcare in Massachusetts, a fight Governor Romney could easily have passed on. Instead, he dove in, applied his vast analytical skills, and even displayed some political back-slapping with the Beacon Hill pols to get the bill to the finish line and enshrined into law.
Romney may very well be a cynic, a weathervane that blows with the winds. But there is also some bedrock principles deep within his mind and heart: a belief in American capitalism and a reverence for democratic institutions. It may be Romney's legacy that we lament that the candidate didn't fully exhibit those bedrock beliefs at earlier points in his career.
December 10, 2012
I read this back in January, when I had a higher opinion of Romney than I do now, after the election.
At the time I wrote:
"It made me like him a bit more, but left me no more likely to vote for him.
Some of this appeared in the Feb. Vanity Fair, & also elsewhere in this notebook.
The outsiderness of Mormonism as a reason why Mitt is squarer than square? Trying to fit in to the mainstream?
Romney said his mission deepened his faith, & the way he put it made me wonder if that isn't the real purpose of the mission. Or could be."
Some quotes:
On one occasion [at boarding school], he staged an elaborate formal dinner in the median strip of a busy thoroughfare. For another prank, Mitt came close to stepping over the line, if not crossing it. He dressed up in a uniform similar to that worn by a police officer, put a flashing red “cherry top” on his car, and raced after a vehicle carrying two male friends and their dates. [Busted them for beer bottles he previously stashed in the trunk] …In retrospect, the idea of a governor’s son impersonating a police officer is startling. But [old friend Graham] McDonald’s point in telling the story is that “I am surprised when I read about him being stiff and humorless. That is the opposite image I have of him. He was almost slapstick to a fault.”
“The rights of some must not be enjoyed by denying the rights of others.”~George Romney
Twenty-six years after the Romneys were forced form Mexico, the case of Gaskell Romney v. United States of Mexico was finalized in Salt Lake City in 1938. Gaskell requested $26,753 in damages. He was awarded $9,163, court records show—a sizable amount in the post-Depression years. The records say that Gaskell was to give half of the award to his son George, helping to set the family on firmer financial footing in the United States.
The [Life] article quoted a Michigan Mormon leader as saying George was “one of the greatest missionaries the church has ever had…miraculous things happen to him. We believe that we have the right to place our hands upon the heads of those who are sick, and anoint them with oil. One boy in particular, who had polio, made a very startling recovery after George participated in the blessing.” George explained to the Life magazine writer that “the same pipeline is available to all. It’s a procedure any human being can follow. I emphasize that. You simply seek such guidance as you can get from a source greater than yourself.”
“As far as I am concerned, states have no rights. Only people have rights…obstructionism masquerading as states’ rights is the height of folly.”~George Romney, 1967
[Mitt] said years later, “When my dad said that he had been brainwashed and so forth, I certainly trusted and believed him.” The younger Romney stopped giving blanket support to U.S. war policy. In other words, it seemed, the protesters at Stanford had gotten it right, even if Romney didn’t agree with their tactics…. “I think we were brainwashed,” he said. “If it wasn’t a blunder to move into Vietnam, I don’t know what is.” [1970]
When Romney moved into his Paris apartment with fellow Mormon missionaries, his eyes were immediately drawn to a wall covered with letters. They were “Dear John” breakup notes that other missionaries had received from their girlfriends back home.
Romney, despite having soured on the Vietnam war, felt at home within the conservative culture at BYU, which prohibited many rock-and-roll bands, liberal speakers and student organizations, and even long hair on male students. During Romney’s time at the school, the president of the university enlisted students to spy on professors deemed to be liberals. Students who displayed peace signs were told to take them down.
So ended the story of a deal Romney would not be likely to cite on the campaign trail: the highly leveraged purchase, financed with junk bonds from a firm [Drexel Burnham Lambert] that became infamous for its financial practices, of a department store company [Stages Stores] that had subsequently gone into bankruptcy. But on the Bain balance sheet, and on Romney’s, it was a huge win.
p. 155: the rise and fall of Lifelike, “a company that had developed a technology that enabled photographs of children to be used to create dolls that looked like them.”…Funded by Bain to $2.1M in 1996, but 2004 it was bankrupt. Production, quality problems; customers not getting dolls in time for Xmas 2003; owing $2M to HK manufacturers, ad agencies, & other creditors. Assets sold at court auction for $1.1M. “Bain lost its money. Lifelike became a deal Bain partners wanted to forget; they shook their heads when asked about it and erased mention of it from the company’s web site.”
Romney also endorsed the legalization of RU-486, the abortion-inducing drug, and appeared in June [1994] at a fund-raiser for Planned Parenthood. Ann Romney gave the group $150.
Ann Romney hadn’t helped things with an interview she’d given in which she had said that she and Mitt had struggled in college because their only money had come from his selling of stock. And she seemed not to know that West Roxbury, a wealthier, more suburblike, and mostly white neighborhood of Boston, was distinct from Roxbury, which was black and poor. Those who already thought the Romneys lived a fairy-tale life weren’t about to change their minds.
Romney became the first Olympics executive to approve a series of commemorative pins bearing his likeness. One pin depicted his face under a heart with the words: HEY MITT…WE LOVE YOU!
“My usual approach,” one former lawmaker recalled him as saying, “has been to set the strategic vision for the enterprise and then work with executive vice presidents to implement that strategy.” Andrea F. Nuciforo, Jr., then a state senator from western Massachusetts, said he had leaned over to a fellow legislator and sighed, “This is going to be a long four years.” Romney seemed to be suggesting that he was the boss and the state lawmakers his deputies. “My take on it was, here is a person who is well-intentioned and competent but unclear on the basic concept,” Nuciforo remarked.
When he used words like “poophead” and “gosh” in place of coarser constructions, hard-bitten political veterans rolled their eyes, as if to say, Who is this guy?
“From now on, it’s me, me, me.”~Gov. Mitt Romney, 2004, after his legislative slate lost badly.
“There are a lot of Iowans who view themselves as not bigoted but just don’t believe that Mormon is a Christian religion,” [Richard] Schwarm [Iowa R advisor to Romney] said. “Or worse, I heard lots of times, ‘I’m not a bigot, but my aunt and sister are.’”
At the time I wrote:
"It made me like him a bit more, but left me no more likely to vote for him.
Some of this appeared in the Feb. Vanity Fair, & also elsewhere in this notebook.
The outsiderness of Mormonism as a reason why Mitt is squarer than square? Trying to fit in to the mainstream?
Romney said his mission deepened his faith, & the way he put it made me wonder if that isn't the real purpose of the mission. Or could be."
Some quotes:
On one occasion [at boarding school], he staged an elaborate formal dinner in the median strip of a busy thoroughfare. For another prank, Mitt came close to stepping over the line, if not crossing it. He dressed up in a uniform similar to that worn by a police officer, put a flashing red “cherry top” on his car, and raced after a vehicle carrying two male friends and their dates. [Busted them for beer bottles he previously stashed in the trunk] …In retrospect, the idea of a governor’s son impersonating a police officer is startling. But [old friend Graham] McDonald’s point in telling the story is that “I am surprised when I read about him being stiff and humorless. That is the opposite image I have of him. He was almost slapstick to a fault.”
“The rights of some must not be enjoyed by denying the rights of others.”~George Romney
Twenty-six years after the Romneys were forced form Mexico, the case of Gaskell Romney v. United States of Mexico was finalized in Salt Lake City in 1938. Gaskell requested $26,753 in damages. He was awarded $9,163, court records show—a sizable amount in the post-Depression years. The records say that Gaskell was to give half of the award to his son George, helping to set the family on firmer financial footing in the United States.
The [Life] article quoted a Michigan Mormon leader as saying George was “one of the greatest missionaries the church has ever had…miraculous things happen to him. We believe that we have the right to place our hands upon the heads of those who are sick, and anoint them with oil. One boy in particular, who had polio, made a very startling recovery after George participated in the blessing.” George explained to the Life magazine writer that “the same pipeline is available to all. It’s a procedure any human being can follow. I emphasize that. You simply seek such guidance as you can get from a source greater than yourself.”
“As far as I am concerned, states have no rights. Only people have rights…obstructionism masquerading as states’ rights is the height of folly.”~George Romney, 1967
[Mitt] said years later, “When my dad said that he had been brainwashed and so forth, I certainly trusted and believed him.” The younger Romney stopped giving blanket support to U.S. war policy. In other words, it seemed, the protesters at Stanford had gotten it right, even if Romney didn’t agree with their tactics…. “I think we were brainwashed,” he said. “If it wasn’t a blunder to move into Vietnam, I don’t know what is.” [1970]
When Romney moved into his Paris apartment with fellow Mormon missionaries, his eyes were immediately drawn to a wall covered with letters. They were “Dear John” breakup notes that other missionaries had received from their girlfriends back home.
Romney, despite having soured on the Vietnam war, felt at home within the conservative culture at BYU, which prohibited many rock-and-roll bands, liberal speakers and student organizations, and even long hair on male students. During Romney’s time at the school, the president of the university enlisted students to spy on professors deemed to be liberals. Students who displayed peace signs were told to take them down.
So ended the story of a deal Romney would not be likely to cite on the campaign trail: the highly leveraged purchase, financed with junk bonds from a firm [Drexel Burnham Lambert] that became infamous for its financial practices, of a department store company [Stages Stores] that had subsequently gone into bankruptcy. But on the Bain balance sheet, and on Romney’s, it was a huge win.
p. 155: the rise and fall of Lifelike, “a company that had developed a technology that enabled photographs of children to be used to create dolls that looked like them.”…Funded by Bain to $2.1M in 1996, but 2004 it was bankrupt. Production, quality problems; customers not getting dolls in time for Xmas 2003; owing $2M to HK manufacturers, ad agencies, & other creditors. Assets sold at court auction for $1.1M. “Bain lost its money. Lifelike became a deal Bain partners wanted to forget; they shook their heads when asked about it and erased mention of it from the company’s web site.”
Romney also endorsed the legalization of RU-486, the abortion-inducing drug, and appeared in June [1994] at a fund-raiser for Planned Parenthood. Ann Romney gave the group $150.
Ann Romney hadn’t helped things with an interview she’d given in which she had said that she and Mitt had struggled in college because their only money had come from his selling of stock. And she seemed not to know that West Roxbury, a wealthier, more suburblike, and mostly white neighborhood of Boston, was distinct from Roxbury, which was black and poor. Those who already thought the Romneys lived a fairy-tale life weren’t about to change their minds.
Romney became the first Olympics executive to approve a series of commemorative pins bearing his likeness. One pin depicted his face under a heart with the words: HEY MITT…WE LOVE YOU!
“My usual approach,” one former lawmaker recalled him as saying, “has been to set the strategic vision for the enterprise and then work with executive vice presidents to implement that strategy.” Andrea F. Nuciforo, Jr., then a state senator from western Massachusetts, said he had leaned over to a fellow legislator and sighed, “This is going to be a long four years.” Romney seemed to be suggesting that he was the boss and the state lawmakers his deputies. “My take on it was, here is a person who is well-intentioned and competent but unclear on the basic concept,” Nuciforo remarked.
When he used words like “poophead” and “gosh” in place of coarser constructions, hard-bitten political veterans rolled their eyes, as if to say, Who is this guy?
“From now on, it’s me, me, me.”~Gov. Mitt Romney, 2004, after his legislative slate lost badly.
“There are a lot of Iowans who view themselves as not bigoted but just don’t believe that Mormon is a Christian religion,” [Richard] Schwarm [Iowa R advisor to Romney] said. “Or worse, I heard lots of times, ‘I’m not a bigot, but my aunt and sister are.’”
October 9, 2012
Given that it is a presidential election year, I decided to read a few non-fiction or biographical books related to politics, history, and current issues. I particularly wanted to read at least something by or about each of the current Presidential candidates, Obama and Romney. This is one book, among several in the aforementioned categories, that I have managed to finish thus far.
With small print, well over three hundred pages of roughly 34 lines of text per page, THE REAL ROMNEY takes a bit of commitment to read given the detail, but I feel much better acquainted with a man who is currently the Republican candidate in the 2012 Presidential race -- and someone whose life and background I knew previously only in fragments.
In a few words, THE REAL ROMNEY published in 2012 undertakes a wide scope beginning even before Mitt's birth -- with background about his parents and Romney forebears back to the great-great grandparent generation in England -- to about 2011 where Romney is undertaking the campaign for 2012.
The approach was objective/balanced/critical reflecting the journalistic style of the writers' heavy reliance upon years of Romney reporting at the Boston Globe; if pressed, I'd say the tone seemed slightly favorable (rather than attack 'n destroy). To illustrate, here are two examples. From the prologue: "This book is the first complete, independent biography of Mitt Romney, a man whose journey to national political fame is at once remarkable and thoroughly surprising." Later, on page 328, the authors mention Romney's own book NO APOLOGY, saying it "revealed little about himself or his family..." and a bit farther on: "It's telling, though, what Romney didn't emphasize."
As a reader who enjoys history and biography a bit more than politics or business (some chapters leaned heavily in those areas), I particularly appreciated the early chapters about his family and ancestors, including Romney ancestors in England who were converted to Mormanism and so fervent that they uprooted and immigrated to America for a very uncertain life.
I was captivated particularly by the story of his great-grandparents (especially his great-grandmother who at the age of 80 wrote a memoir which included mention of her emotional turmoil as the first wife in a monogamous relationship until the church called upon her husband to adopt polygamy -- which he did -- which eventually led him to need to flee to Mexico to escape federal prosecution under anti-polygamy laws, leaving his family behind to fend for themselves.)
For readers interested in details of ....his Bain Capital years; his failed Senate race against Ted Kennedy; his recruitment to take on leadership of the scandal-tainted 2002 Olympics planning; the Massachusetts governor race and years, including the Massachusetts health care reform legislation he championed; or his campaign bid for the 2008 Presidential race; there are chapters and lots of behind-the-scenes glimpses that aim to help us understand a complex public/private figure.
August 24, 2012
I highly recommend this book.
To me, a non-political person, this was an amazing book in that it was full of information. I have generally shyed away from politics for many reasons but living in Wisconsin, I have recently found it practically impossible to bury my head in books on other subjects of interest and continue to leave politics to others.
Michael Kranish and Scott Helman pulled together an extrodinary amount of information from several sources and managed to pack it all in 332 pages (not including acknowledgements and notes.)
What I came away with:
- Politics is a dirty business
- Super-wealthy people are human beings with Super-sized Egos
- Politicians are human beings with Super-sized Egos
- Mormons are human beings and some, if not most, of the males have Super-sized Egos
- Put all these together and you have a human being who thinks he is a god and/or a mountain(page 244 - "And so, if you will, the mountain went to Mohammed," Romney said.
- In my humble opinion, if the money that politicians raised to finance their campaigns were used to balance the budget, there would not be a trillion-dollar deficit (there should be a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on campaigns and politicians should not be allowed to accept funds from other countries) - Please excuse me if there are such measures in place, obviously I am no expert.
- Strapping the family dog in a pet carrier to the top of your car for a 12 hour road trip is not the best idea in the world and really concerns me about what other solutions to problems Gov. Romney may come up with.(I wonder if the dog survived this ordeal - it's not addressed in the book.)
To be fair and perfectly honest, Mitt Romney has some very good qualities given that he is a human being and prone to human err perhaps more frequently shown since he chooses to be in the public eye. Whether or not he should become the next President of the United States I pray that God will guide him in all his future decisions, words and actions so that he may help all living beings by using the purest intentions rather than the largest of egos.
To me, a non-political person, this was an amazing book in that it was full of information. I have generally shyed away from politics for many reasons but living in Wisconsin, I have recently found it practically impossible to bury my head in books on other subjects of interest and continue to leave politics to others.
Michael Kranish and Scott Helman pulled together an extrodinary amount of information from several sources and managed to pack it all in 332 pages (not including acknowledgements and notes.)
What I came away with:
- Politics is a dirty business
- Super-wealthy people are human beings with Super-sized Egos
- Politicians are human beings with Super-sized Egos
- Mormons are human beings and some, if not most, of the males have Super-sized Egos
- Put all these together and you have a human being who thinks he is a god and/or a mountain(page 244 - "And so, if you will, the mountain went to Mohammed," Romney said.
- In my humble opinion, if the money that politicians raised to finance their campaigns were used to balance the budget, there would not be a trillion-dollar deficit (there should be a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on campaigns and politicians should not be allowed to accept funds from other countries) - Please excuse me if there are such measures in place, obviously I am no expert.
- Strapping the family dog in a pet carrier to the top of your car for a 12 hour road trip is not the best idea in the world and really concerns me about what other solutions to problems Gov. Romney may come up with.(I wonder if the dog survived this ordeal - it's not addressed in the book.)
To be fair and perfectly honest, Mitt Romney has some very good qualities given that he is a human being and prone to human err perhaps more frequently shown since he chooses to be in the public eye. Whether or not he should become the next President of the United States I pray that God will guide him in all his future decisions, words and actions so that he may help all living beings by using the purest intentions rather than the largest of egos.
October 15, 2012
An excellent, "warts-and-all" look at numerous sides to the next potential POTUS and his entire family history. Politics are just one aspect of this tome-like account of many, many generations of Romney; by examining his entire family's genealogy we get a very vivid representation of what makes Mitt, Mitt. There is a predominant discussion of Romney's business endeavors, and acumen (including the 2002 Salt Lake City, UT Olympics); and, thankfully, it does bring up some of the businesses Romney has failed at and how he recovered from those failures. The role of Mormonism isn't shied away from, which is good, because it essentially debunks the misguided concept some have that it plays a prominent role in the overall politics of Governor Romney. The underlying theme to all of these points roots back to family - family plays a tremendous role in his life, and while they are not the impetus for decision-making, he works hard in all aspects of his life to honor his past, present, and future.
At times this book is unflattering; it recounts tales of Romney losing his cool, and why. Romney's political aspirations have faced many a hurdle, too. Because the book covers so much ground, the reader gets a sense of some of the frustration Romney faces at various times in his life. Will all readers sympathize with Romney in these cases? Absolutely not, nor should they; but these examples are clearly given to humanize Mitt Romney and to demonstrate that in the face of an obstacle, he knows how to regroup and recover.
As this book concludes right up to the start of the 2012 Presidential Campaign, you get an incredible transparency into what leads a person to run for the highest office in the land, based on events that have taken place not just during the course of their life, but before it, with their ancestral roots, right to George Romney's own political career that largely inspired his son. To anyone looking for an unbiased, unflinching and all-encompassing book about Mitt Romney, this is definitely the book to read. I recommend it highly not just for the politics of Governor Romney, but for a great look into the life of a renowned American family.
At times this book is unflattering; it recounts tales of Romney losing his cool, and why. Romney's political aspirations have faced many a hurdle, too. Because the book covers so much ground, the reader gets a sense of some of the frustration Romney faces at various times in his life. Will all readers sympathize with Romney in these cases? Absolutely not, nor should they; but these examples are clearly given to humanize Mitt Romney and to demonstrate that in the face of an obstacle, he knows how to regroup and recover.
As this book concludes right up to the start of the 2012 Presidential Campaign, you get an incredible transparency into what leads a person to run for the highest office in the land, based on events that have taken place not just during the course of their life, but before it, with their ancestral roots, right to George Romney's own political career that largely inspired his son. To anyone looking for an unbiased, unflinching and all-encompassing book about Mitt Romney, this is definitely the book to read. I recommend it highly not just for the politics of Governor Romney, but for a great look into the life of a renowned American family.
September 15, 2013
I wanted to see how the reporters, who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, thought of Mitt Romney. I think it's hard for people outside of the church, to understand how Mormon's think about serving others. Our church is not just a Sunday church. We live our religion seven days a week. Some of the comments said how square a person Romney is, and how he doesn't have a very exciting life. We don't live the kinds of lives, that many people outside of our church find exciting.
The narrator had a nice voice, and delivered the book well. He didn't know how to pronounce words, that any member of our church would know how to pronounce. He couldn't say the name of Nauvoo, and his Moroni sounded like he was speaking Italian. He pronounced Weber like a Weber grill, but that isn't the why it is said in Utah. The authors said Mitt was promoted to be the assistant to the Mission president. The word promoted would not be used in our church. He would have been said to have been assigned to be the assistant to the mission president. We consider all callings in our church to be important.
A member of our church should be more interested in helping his fellow man, than seeking power or putting himself on a pedestal. I don't think people in this country could see that in Mitt Romney during the presidential race. The authors did say that Mitt Romney was more comfortable with members of our church. We are taught to be of this world, but not in it. We are to live according to the teachings of our church, and not do the worldly things. Romney wasn't comfortable at parties with drinking, and other things going on that he didn't believe in doing.
I believe Romney wanted to help our country, but I think its better for his family, that he lost the presidency. He has a large family, with many grandchildren. I'm sure those children will get more attention from their grandparents now.
The book tells a lot of things I didn't know about his background, that I found interesting.
The narrator had a nice voice, and delivered the book well. He didn't know how to pronounce words, that any member of our church would know how to pronounce. He couldn't say the name of Nauvoo, and his Moroni sounded like he was speaking Italian. He pronounced Weber like a Weber grill, but that isn't the why it is said in Utah. The authors said Mitt was promoted to be the assistant to the Mission president. The word promoted would not be used in our church. He would have been said to have been assigned to be the assistant to the mission president. We consider all callings in our church to be important.
A member of our church should be more interested in helping his fellow man, than seeking power or putting himself on a pedestal. I don't think people in this country could see that in Mitt Romney during the presidential race. The authors did say that Mitt Romney was more comfortable with members of our church. We are taught to be of this world, but not in it. We are to live according to the teachings of our church, and not do the worldly things. Romney wasn't comfortable at parties with drinking, and other things going on that he didn't believe in doing.
I believe Romney wanted to help our country, but I think its better for his family, that he lost the presidency. He has a large family, with many grandchildren. I'm sure those children will get more attention from their grandparents now.
The book tells a lot of things I didn't know about his background, that I found interesting.
July 6, 2012
Figured it was about time to read a bio of the man who will head the Republican ticket for President in the elections this fall (2012).
Seems reasonably balanced. I smiled sometimes at the way the authors made points by stating simple facts or statistics, rather than conclusions. Last month (June) Amazon offered a Kindle version of Mitt Romney: The Heart of the "Tin Man" by Ronald B. Scott (at least I believe that is the correct match; I know it was by Scott; will check later and revise this when I do). I am currently about half way through that. A lot of the material matches. Both are very journalistic accounts. This one is based very much on work at the Boston Globe.
Each gives an account of the man from multiple perspectives, personal, professional, political, religious, relationships, family, material assets, personality, weaknesses, strengths. After reading these, I am already seeing the significance of different points being made in the current news.
To the extent possible, I encourage every citizen to acquire as balanced a view as feasible of the candidates before voting next November -- at least a richer one than can be obtained readily from news reports alone unless one is a rigorous student of them. It is rather scary how ignorant we are in vetting for this important job selection process with which we are charged. And yet somehow there ARE some rigorous things about the process, for all the propaganda one must inevitably wade through and personal values and patriotic responsibility one must assess. (I'll be at the table -- come and see us if in our district.)
Seems reasonably balanced. I smiled sometimes at the way the authors made points by stating simple facts or statistics, rather than conclusions. Last month (June) Amazon offered a Kindle version of Mitt Romney: The Heart of the "Tin Man" by Ronald B. Scott (at least I believe that is the correct match; I know it was by Scott; will check later and revise this when I do). I am currently about half way through that. A lot of the material matches. Both are very journalistic accounts. This one is based very much on work at the Boston Globe.
Each gives an account of the man from multiple perspectives, personal, professional, political, religious, relationships, family, material assets, personality, weaknesses, strengths. After reading these, I am already seeing the significance of different points being made in the current news.
To the extent possible, I encourage every citizen to acquire as balanced a view as feasible of the candidates before voting next November -- at least a richer one than can be obtained readily from news reports alone unless one is a rigorous student of them. It is rather scary how ignorant we are in vetting for this important job selection process with which we are charged. And yet somehow there ARE some rigorous things about the process, for all the propaganda one must inevitably wade through and personal values and patriotic responsibility one must assess. (I'll be at the table -- come and see us if in our district.)
September 19, 2012
I picked up this book at the library because it is about Mitt Romney (duh) and because it is written by two Boston Globe writers. Naturally I assumed that the authors would do everything they could to find out all of the negative, truly horrible, things about Mr. Romney. And they succeeded!! Yes, Mr. Romney is a Mormon. He doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, doesn't swear and never has. He has five wonderful children and a lovely wife. By all accounts he was raised in an upper middle class (some might say upper class) family. He seemingly has no skeletons in his closet, absent the facts that he has made A TON of money, done a lot of good works, very actively participated in his church, saved the 2002 Olympics from imploding (oops, that's not a negative even by liberal standards, yet), and, oh yeah, there is that dog on the roof thing. It's lucky for him that dogs can't vote. Oh, actually, I have heard of some folks here in Virginia receiving voter renewal information for their cats and dogs. So maybe dogs are voting. I don't have a problem with dogs who vote; I know most dogs has more survival sense than any Obama voter anyway.
I liked the book. I only gave it three stars because it just wasn't that exciting, much like the candidate himself, which actually seems to be a giant negative for many Obama supporters, as they require their candidate to be personable, likeable, and have a great smile, regardless of his ability to actually run a country or a lemonade stand. As for me, I'll take the boring guy who doesn't shine like a movie star, but who actually has a proven track record of creating jobs, running huge organizations, making money, and turning failing organizations around. I just wouldn't hire him as my pet sitter.
I liked the book. I only gave it three stars because it just wasn't that exciting, much like the candidate himself, which actually seems to be a giant negative for many Obama supporters, as they require their candidate to be personable, likeable, and have a great smile, regardless of his ability to actually run a country or a lemonade stand. As for me, I'll take the boring guy who doesn't shine like a movie star, but who actually has a proven track record of creating jobs, running huge organizations, making money, and turning failing organizations around. I just wouldn't hire him as my pet sitter.
April 21, 2012
I like the book, though at times I felt like the authors felt like they couldn’t say something positive about Romney without having something negative to offset it whether it was relevant or not. I did feel that I was able to understand Romney and his character better. The jest of what I learned was first, the man has his own set of values and he struggled in the past where they lay in contrast to the rights of the people that he represented. My interpretation after reading the book is, that Romney feels his personal agenda on moral issues should not be the standard for moral debate. Second, without a doubt the man loves a challenge and loves to tear into problems and work to find a solution whether he is liked or not and he demonstrates he can deal with both sides of the table to find a win win. Third, there are reasons why he is worth over two hundred fifty million. Finally fourth, Romney is not out to win friends. He doesn’t smooch and build fake relationships. I felt that he didn’t care if you like him or not, what matter to Romney was “do you understand the data and the problems or not”.
A good read if you want other perspectives on a presidential candidate. He has an interesting life. The negative about the book is; the authors are hung up on his religion, a lot of the story is spent trying to shape Romney through his religion, though at times the authors point out he runs in contrast to it.
A good read if you want other perspectives on a presidential candidate. He has an interesting life. The negative about the book is; the authors are hung up on his religion, a lot of the story is spent trying to shape Romney through his religion, though at times the authors point out he runs in contrast to it.
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