Is Mitt Romney the Right Choice for the GOP in 2024?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around Mitt Romney's candidacy for the GOP in the 2024 election, exploring participants' opinions on his suitability, positions on various issues, and comparisons with other potential candidates like Rick Santorum. The scope includes political preferences, candidate evaluations, and concerns about the current field of candidates.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express a lack of support for Romney, with one stating they would not vote for him and hoping to learn more through the discussion.
  • Several participants compare Romney to a used car salesman, suggesting a lack of authenticity or trustworthiness in his presentation.
  • There is concern about the overall quality of GOP candidates, with one participant noting the absence of strong contenders and expressing disappointment in the current options.
  • Some participants speculate that Romney may secure the nomination but question his ability to effectively contrast himself with Obama, particularly regarding healthcare policies.
  • Concerns are raised about Romney's past decisions at Bain Capital and how they might affect his appeal to voters facing economic hardships.
  • One participant highlights the need for a fiscally conservative yet socially moderate candidate, expressing frustration with the current political landscape.
  • Another participant mentions Romney's detailed policy proposals, suggesting that they appear reasonable and coherent, inviting others to review them critically.
  • There is a mention of Santorum's endorsement by the Duggars and its potential impact on his campaign, with some participants indicating a preference for Romney over Santorum.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express a lack of consensus on Romney's candidacy, with multiple competing views regarding his suitability and the overall quality of GOP candidates. Disagreement exists on the effectiveness of Romney's policies and his ability to win the general election.

Contextual Notes

Participants express various assumptions about the political landscape, candidate viability, and the implications of past actions on future campaigns. There is an acknowledgment of the challenges posed by media scrutiny and public perception.

  • #571
Char. Limit said:
I think that deciding that one arbitrary group of people is inherently better or worse at making decisions than another arbitrary, but mutually exclusive, group of people is a blanket statement that should be avoided if at all possible.
Good point, imho.
Back to Romney. My current opinion (it changes a lot, wrt lots of things): I really don't think he would, or could, do any real harm, and he might even get lucky and do something really good (ie., that precipitates some sort of major improvement in America). I think that Romney and Obama are the only candidates worthy of serious consideration. I make fun of Romney, but the bottom line is that he really does have his **** together. I very much doubt that he would make any sort of serious mistake. He's a business as usual guy. Prima facie, he would be an acceptable president. I might actually vote for him ... if I happen to be in experimental mode on election day.
 
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  • #572
ThomasT said:
Good point, imho.
Back to Romney. My current opinion (it changes a lot, wrt lots of things): I really don't think he would, or could, do any real harm, and he might even get lucky and do something really good (ie., that precipitates some sort of major improvement in America). I think that Romney and Obama are the only candidates worthy of serious consideration. I make fun of Romney, but the bottom line is that he really does have his **** together. I very much doubt that he would make any sort of serious mistake. He's a business as usual guy. Prima facie, he would be an acceptable president. I might actually vote for him ... if I happen to be in experimental mode on election day.

The man has a track record of success. He has a mix of executive level experience in business, the Olympics, and as Governor (of a Democrat controlled state). A vote for Romney is quite reasonable.
 
  • #573
ThomasT said:
He's a business as usual guy.

Do presidents get any choice? Wasn't Obama sold as a mould-breaker who went straight into BAU-mode?

But the derivation of BAU is probably quite amusing.

"The maxim of the British people is 'Business as usual'." - Winston Churchill, speaking at Guildhall, 9 November 1914.

Crisis? What crisis?
 
  • #574
Business as usual can have several different meanings. IMO-President Obama owes a major share of his legislative accomplishments to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid - they controlled the House and Senate during his first 2 years.
 
  • #575
apeiron said:
Do presidents get any choice?
It depends, I think. For example, the Bush administration wasn't just BAU. It seems that it was extreme, to a fault, and that we'll be paying for it in one way or another, or many ways, for a long time.

I don't see Romney as an extremist. So, it's, imho, a coin toss between him and Obama at this time.
 
  • #576
ThomasT said:
I don't see Romney as an extremist. So, it's, imho, a coin toss between him and Obama at this time.

He may not be an extremist, but the people I know in my country definitely like him less than Obama (especially because of Romney's American exceptionalism). I don't know how it is elsewhere, of course, but diplomatically speaking, Obama would - in my opinion - be a better choice.
 
  • #577
Hobin said:
He may not be an extremist, but the people I know in my country definitely like him less than Obama (especially because of Romney's American exceptionalism). I don't know how it is elsewhere, of course, but diplomatically speaking, Obama would - in my opinion - be a better choice.
Do you believe that your criteria for why he would be a better choice would also apply to Americans?
 
  • #578
russ_watters said:
Do you believe that your criteria for why he would be a better choice would also apply to Americans?

That depends. Do these Americans care about how the rest of the world sees them? If they do, and I'm right (which is obviously debatable, considering I can only speak for myself and the people I've talked to), and Romney and Obama would be equally good/bad for America on all other points, then yes.
 
  • #579
Hobin said:
That depends. Do these Americans care about how the rest of the world sees them? If they do, and I'm right (which is obviously debatable, considering I can only speak for myself and the people I've talked to), and Romney and Obama would be equally good/bad for America on all other points, then yes.

I would think the world's view of Romney would be favorable - given his success with the Olympics?
 
  • #580
russ_watters said:
Do you believe that your criteria for why he would be a better choice would also apply to Americans?

They did in the last election, apparently.
 
  • #581
lisab said:
They did in the last election, apparently.

Romney wasn't a candidate in the last general election.
 
  • #582
WhoWee said:
Romney wasn't a candidate in the last general election.
Perhaps she was referring to the last Presidential election.
 
  • #583
Jimmy Snyder said:
Perhaps she was referring to the last Presidential election.

Romney wasn't on the ballot - (McCain/Palin vs Obama/Biden).
 
  • #584
WhoWee said:
Romney wasn't on the ballot - (McCain/Palin vs Obama/Biden).
He wasn't the nominee. He was a candidate.
 
  • #585
The conservative base may be demanding too much of Romney the candidate for purposes of accomplishing their goals (which I share). It may be that all that is required is a non-obstructionist president, and the popular, respected innovators in Congress (e.g. Rep Ryan) can do the rest. That line of thinking depends on getting the gavel out of Harry Reid's hand in the Senate, but then that is probably a requirement of success in any scenario.
 
  • #586
Hobin, if I may:
...Do these Americans care about how the rest of the world sees them? ..
Do you think it important to poll the American viewpoint when assessing PM Rutte? Or, say, UK or French or Russian opinion?
 
  • #587
mheslep said:
Do you think it important to poll the American viewpoint when assessing PM Rutte?

Nope. And I disagree with Hobin.
 
  • #588
mheslep said:
The conservative base may be demanding too much of Romney the candidate for purposes of accomplishing their goals (which I share). It may be that all that is required is a non-obstructionist president, and the popular, respected innovators in Congress (e.g. Rep Ryan) can do the rest. That line of thinking depends on getting the gavel out of Harry Reid's hand in the Senate, but then that is probably a requirement of success in any scenario.

I think I would vote for Rep Ryan if he ran...maybe next time, but I would prefer now.
 
  • #589
Oltz said:
I think I would vote for Rep Ryan if he ran...maybe next time, but I would prefer now.
Me too. Or Mitch Daniels. Or Marco Rubio. Woulda coulda. My point above is I may be able to get Ryan's works with a Romney presidency.
 
  • #590
Hobin said:
He may not be an extremist, but the people I know in my country definitely like him less than Obama (especially because of Romney's American exceptionalism). I don't know how it is elsewhere, of course, but diplomatically speaking, Obama would - in my opinion - be a better choice.

russ_watters said:
Do you believe that your criteria for why he would be a better choice would also apply to Americans?

lisab said:
They did in the last election, apparently.

WhoWee said:
Romney wasn't a candidate in the last general election.

Sorry for the confusion. I thought Russ's comment was about Obama.
 
  • #591
WhoWee said:
I would think the world's view of Romney would be favorable - given his success with the Olympics?

Oh, please. Until this thread, I didn't even know he had anything to do with the Olympics. Tell me again what medals he won, I've forgotten.

Anyway, whatever he did must have been a failure, considering they are having to rerun the whole games again in London this year ... :smile:
 
  • #592
mheslep said:
Do you think it important to poll the American viewpoint when assessing PM Rutte? Or, say, UK or French or Russian opinion?

The rest of the world tends to be interested in whether a potential US president actually knows where the rest of the world is. History suggests that isn't a prerequiste for getting the job, and certainly not for applying for it.
 
  • #593
It still surprises me how frequently posts are a made on behalf of the thoughts of the entire world.
 
  • #594
mheslep said:
It still surprises me how frequently posts are a made on behalf of the thoughts of the entire world.

Are you saying the US exercises no power over the rest of the world?

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) is just one current example where people have great sovereignty concerns.

http://tppwatch.org/2012/01/19/beware-the-trans-pacific-partnership-agreement/

So yes, the qualities of future presidents is an issue of interest.
 
  • #595
apeiron said:
Are you saying ...
Actually I am saying what I said.
 
  • #596
mheslep said:
Actually I am saying what I said.

So what is your point exactly?
 
  • #597
He's saying that people make posts claiming to speak on behalf of the entire planet
 
  • #598
Office_Shredder said:
He's saying that people make posts claiming to speak on behalf of the entire planet

I'd call that supplying context to balance a personal opinion. But still not sure how that relates to AlephZero's reply then.
 
  • #599
apeiron said:
I'd call that supplying context to balance a personal opinion. But still not sure how that relates to AlephZero's reply then.


AlephZero said:
The rest of the world tends to be interested in whether a potential US president actually knows where the rest of the world is.

Alternative hypothesis: a lot of people don't care
 
  • #600
Most people I know don't care about it. Either they don't care, or they'll put a US president into one of the US stereotypes available to them.

The discussions here are interesting to me since I am usually clueless why certain people get elected anywhere. And US politics are pretty singular to the European style.

(They'll follow the news, of course. But it's like watching the weather for tomorrow. Will it be rain or sunshine?)
 
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