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

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

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

Romney wasn't on the ballot - (McCain/Palin vs Obama/Biden).
 
WhoWee said:
Romney wasn't on the ballot - (McCain/Palin vs Obama/Biden).
He wasn't the nominee. He was a candidate.
 
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.
 
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?
 
mheslep said:
Do you think it important to poll the American viewpoint when assessing PM Rutte?

Nope. And I disagree with Hobin.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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:
 
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.
 
It still surprises me how frequently posts are a made on behalf of the thoughts of the entire world.
 
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.
 
apeiron said:
Are you saying ...
Actually I am saying what I said.
 
mheslep said:
Actually I am saying what I said.

So what is your point exactly?
 
He's saying that people make posts claiming to speak on behalf of the entire planet
 
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.
 
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
 
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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