Mitt regrets not having served in the military? Mitt is my age (60) and believe me, there were no shortage of opportunities to serve in the Armed Forced during the period of 1965-1975. At the time I enlisted the only conceivable way to avoid military service was to work very diligently to avoid it.  But perhaps all the recruiting stations near Harvard Law and Business School were closed during that period.

Another wealthy scion of a famous father who found it inconvenient and risky to find the time in his life to serve his country, but now competes for the top job telling you that he has always loved his country, and "regrets not having served."

Of course he likes the guy better than the plant.  The guy can get him POWER, and the plant can't.  Once again, folks: This George Bush redux was born with a silver spoon up his rectum, understands NOTHING aobut struggling on two incomes, and has no foreign policy experience.  you might as well just re-elect W!

I am a former Huckabee supporter. I have realized that he will not win, and I just gave a donation to Mitt Romney. I will support Gov. Romney on Tuesday. I have changed because I see that McCain is not a true conservative. Winning the White House is the most important thing. Mitt Romney has the best chance to do that for our party. It is hard for me to admit that a vote for Gov. Huckabee is a vote for John McCain. I urge all Huckabee supporters to come to terms with this fact. And vote for Mitt Romney!

America needs to realize that Mitt Romney is not the usual candidate.  People like Romney do not usually run for office.  He is doing this because he feels that he is the right person for the job at this time in Americas history. I think when the topic of the economy comes up in the White House our President should be the smartest person in the room.  That person is Mitt Romney.  He is not a polished politician or comedian.  He is a serious man for a serious time for America.  I am tired of Washington insiders running this country.  I am ready for new ideas outside of Washington.  Republicans should wake up and vote for Mitt Romney.  

Here is the dirty BIG secret that Dick Morris, the Democtrats and libereal media don't want McCain and Huckabee supporters to understand:

1. a vote for Huckabee at this point in the race is a vote for McCain. Huckabee CANNOT win the primary and is almost out of money.

2. a vote for McCain in the Primary is a vote for Obama or Clinton in the general election. McCain CANNOT win the general election and he knows that without the base of the party he like Dole before him will loose. The base will never support liberal McCain. Independants will flock to Obama.

For the reasons previuosly stated in this post, McCain who is hated by the Republican base will go down in flames in the general election. Anyone voting on super Tuesday and beyond who is considering McCain or Huckabee needs to think long and hard about who they are rally voting for. Do these folks prefer Obama or Clinton over Romney. If so my friends, you are playing right into the Democrat playbook to win the Whitehouse in '08.

ALL REPUBLICANS NEED TO FLOOD THE INTERNET WITH THIS MESSAGE, SAHRE AND DEBATE IT WITH MCCAIN AND HUCKABEE SUPPORTERS AND TAKE BACK OUR PARTY.........IT IS NOT TOO LATE.....AND WE CAN WIN THE WHITEHOUSE IN '08

America needs to realize that Mitt Romney is not the usual candidate.  People like Romney do not usually run for office.  He is doing this because he feels that he is the right person for the job at this time in Americas history. I think when the topic of the economy comes up in the White House our President should be the smartest person in the room.  That person is Mitt Romney.  He is not a polished politician or comedian.  He is a serious man for a serious time for America.  I am tired of Washington insiders running this country.  I am ready for new ideas outside of Washington.  Republicans should wake up and vote for Mitt Romney.  

WOW!!!
this is a perfect post!!
Yes, this is what those of us who are never asked by the media are wanting to shout from the rooftops!!!
Enough picking on stupid little things, if you want to avoid an economic catastophe you have to put in a expert and quit picking!! Of course the media does not want to air our view...they just want to keep pushing the same people on us who are just peddling a different message disquised as change. Unfortunatly florida showed us that they really dont want change by voting for the most stale politicians we had to choose from. Maybe America is truly afraid of change!

Fairness, I am with you. Love the post...it will appear in other forums. Vote Mitt for the real change!!

Ron Paul has experience in the public and private sectors, military and civilian. None of the other candidates can match that.

In response to earlier posters Huckabee has a better chance of coming out strong on super tuesday than the former liberal republican governor of Massachusetts. Huckabee is going to have a strong showing in all of the southern states.

Besides, the last thing this country needs is a position changer who takes no hard stances on issues like Romney or the Clintons. They'll lie to you and betray the american interest in office. If they'll do it on the campaign trail, they'll certainly do it in office.

Mccain needs to retire  , not run for President.  He will never be elected  , the only Guy that has a chance (and a good one) is Mitt Romney , he knows the economy ,  and he is a buisness man that can get the job done ...

Vote for Mitt Romney  !

I don't appreciate Obama's remark that those
who support him will not support Clinton if she
gets the nomination, while those who support her
will go to him if he gets the nomination.  That\
is so arogant.  I like both of them but am so
tired of his being put on some pedestal.  Pat
in New Jersey

John Mccain needs to retire  , not run for President .
 The republican party does not have a chance if he is the candidate come super tuesday  , The economy is only getting worse and it will continue if you have someone like him in office  , There is only one person that can handle the job and that is  MITT ROMNEY   , he has the know how and experience do get the job done  , and that is a fact !

Vote for  MITT ROMNEY if you want a good economy !

Has regrets huh?  Only having five children is a regret.  He can afford to have that many.  Many people can't afford the two or three children they have.  

As for serving the country, why didn't he skip his year he was wandering around for his church and go straight into Army boot camp?  Could he have gone to boot camp right after the year serving his church?  He could have served in the National Guard or the Army Reserves and found other ways to not fight in Vietnam after his graduate degrees.  His regret not serving his country rings hollow to me.

I am an Obama supporter...But I will tell you if Hillary wins the nomination I would vote for Romney over McCain...I will not vote for Clinton but I will not vote for the WAR LOVER McCain.

mittflip regrets not serving...what is it with all of these flag waving faux patriots on the right anyway? They never actually serve but they sure make good cheerleaders and they support the troops but they were never one though.

America needs to realize that Mitt Romney is not the usual candidate.  People like Romney do not usually run for office.  He is doing this because he feels that he is the right person for the job at this time in Americas history. I think when the topic of the economy comes up in the White House our President should be the smartest person in the room.  That person is Mitt Romney.  He is not a polished politician or comedian.  He is a serious man for a serious time for America.  I am tired of Washington insiders running this country.  I am ready for new ideas outside of Washington.  Republicans should wake up and vote for Mitt Romney.  

WOW!!!
this is a perfect post!!
Yes, this is what those of us who are never asked by the media are wanting to shout from the rooftops!!!
Enough picking on stupid little things, if you want to avoid an economic catastophe you have to put in a expert and quit picking!! Of course the media does not want to air our view...they just want to keep pushing the same people on us who are just peddling a different message disquised as change. Unfortunatly florida showed us that they really dont want change by voting for the most stale politicians we had to choose from. Maybe America is truly afraid of change!  I agree,  I definitely will vote for Romney.

A Vote For Huckabee is a Vote For Change - A Vote For Hope and a Vote For A Better America...

Governor Huckabee can regain the momentum...If you are looking for a true conservative who wants to take back the republican party and lead our nation into a bright and prosperous future where we are no longer dependent on the good nature of our foreign counterparts for our everyday functions and for the prosperity and defense of the United States,
VOTE MIKE HUCKABEE!

The people claiming that his vote is one for McCain, thus for the Democratic party in Nov., are the very ones who are desperate for the conservative republican vote. As long as he is still in the running, a vote for Huckabee is a VOTE FOR HOPE!

As a Republican, if I cannot vote for Mit Romney I will vote Democratic instead.  I will NOT vote for McCain! When are Republicans going to wake up and see that McCain is more left than Billary. McCain's "I'm a hero so don't question me" attitude doesn't get it with me.  The "foot soldier" needs to watch from the sidelines.  Romney can get it done better than any other candidate running. Wake up!

This is who should be our President:

Romney, known for salesmanship, relies on data

By Thomas Beaumont, The Des Moines Register
What makes a leader?
We examine this year's leading presidential candidates through that prism.

Our leadership categories are adapted from standards developed by Fred Greenstein, a Princeton scholar and author of "The Presidential Difference."

Greenstein says the modern presidency is so powerful, voters should take careful stock of the strengths and weaknesses candidates might bring to the job — from their psychology, emotional maturity and vision to the way they process information, manage and communicate.

Using Greenstein's work as a jumping-off point, we assess candidates in the following areas: political skills, communication skills, policy vision, decision-making style and management skills.

The eight profiled candidates have double-digit support in the latest national USA TODAY/Gallup Poll.

Political skills

Mitt Romney's political skills were forged in board rooms as a successful management consultant and in two statewide campaigns in Massachusetts.

By taking his business CEO experience into elected politics, Romney followed his father, George Romney — a top auto executive, Michigan governor and unsuccessful presidential candidate.

But Romney's path took him far from the political battleground of Michigan and into the vastly Democratic state of Massachusetts. There, he learned valuable lessons in defeat at the hands of the state's Democratic icon, Sen. Edward Kennedy, in 1994, and came back to carry the governorship in 2002.

"I think he is a businessman through and through and is very good at making the sale," said Shannon O'Brien, the 2002 Democratic nominee for Massachusetts governor. "On about every single important issue of concern to our predominantly independent voter base — socially liberal, fiscal conservative — he convinced them that he was selling what they wanted."

Romney won in 2002, the only election to the only political office he has ever held, as a pro-business reformer in part by calming fears that he would restrict abortion rights. He has faced criticism as a presidential candidate for his changed position on abortion since then. Romney, whose mother Lenore Romney ran for Senate in 1970 as an abortion-rights Republican, now opposes abortion rights.

In office, he was known for governing the way he conducted business as a management consulting executive, private equity company founder and president of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City — relying on hard data more than political ideology or instinct.

An exception to his preparedness for public presentations served as a formative political experience. In his first debate in his 1994 challenge of Kennedy, Romney said he did not know how much the health care plan he had proposed would cost. Kennedy exploited the answer as a sign Romney was not prepared.

It was seen as a turning point in the campaign, sparking momentum for Kennedy, who won.

Romney's politics as governor involved outreach to Democrats, who made up 85% of the Massachusetts Legislature.

He included Democrats in his Cabinet and was known for holding official and private discussions with opposition party leaders.

"They would have their political disagreements, but they would keep the lines of communication open," says Eric Fehrnstrom, a top aide to Romney's 2002 campaign and an adviser to his presidential campaign.

As a presidential candidate, Romney has presented himself as a reliable social conservative, despite his well-documented statements supporting abortion rights as late as 2005. His 2008 platform emphasizes strengthening the economy, military and families.

Communication skills

Mitt Romney is known as a disciplined public speaker. He does not stray far from his standard speech in front of potential supporters and has admitted he is not a natural comedian.

Romney's speech in Ames at the Iowa GOP's straw poll in August was positive, and it was consistent with his effort to simultaneously court loyal Republicans while setting himself apart from Washington.

"If there's ever been a time that we needed to see change in Washington, it's now," he told thousands of supporters and GOP activists. "We need someone in Washington who will get the job done, who will get Republicans and Democrats, pull them together and actually deal with the problems we have."

Romney seldom speaks with the aid of notes, a product of his years making presentations to investors as the president of Bain Capital. Routinely, Romney caps questions from prospective voters with an efficient and courteous, "Thanks, great question." That kind of message control is clear in the few exceptions where Romney has strayed from the script, as he did in August.

"My sons are all adults and they made their decisions about their careers and they've chosen not to serve in the military in active duty. And I respect their decision in that regard," Romney said, responding to an audience question during an event in Bettendorf, Iowa.

But Romney continued, "One of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping me to get elected because they think I'd be a great president." The comment was picked up by national media outlets and criticized by some pundits as awkward.

In internal discussions, longtime advisers and observers say Romney is direct and unabashed about quizzing subordinates about details and weaknesses of a proposal.

"He's a debater," says Cindy Gillespie, who served as a chief aide to Romney during the 2002 Olympics planning. "Whatever's being presented, he's going to argue it. And the worst thing you can do is take him a proposal and just sit there as he starts to tear it apart."

Policy vision

The policy centerpiece of Mitt Romney's one term as Massachusetts governor required virtually all state residents to have health insurance. His administration touted the policy's reliance on personal responsibility and the absence of expanded government bureaucracy or higher taxes.

The mandate was a compromise that involved Romney seeking the political influence of Sen. Edward Kennedy, his onetime opponent, and the state's vastly Democratic Legislature, as well as business leaders.

Shannon O'Brien, Romney's Democratic opponent in 2002, described the governor's policy agenda as lacking substance — until the health care bill.

"He spent his time on symbolic battles," she says. "For such a gifted and talented businessman, he could have used his skills to solve more problems." O'Brien pointed to Romney's high-profile effort to rout longtime bureaucrats suspected of unethical activity from office.

However, some of what O'Brien called symbolic battles, Romney's top aides described as challenging Massachusetts' entrenched political patronage system.

One such effort was Romney's crusade to have Matt Amorello removed as Massachusetts Turnpike Authority chairman on allegations of ethics violations. Amorello had claimed the fatal ceiling collapse in a new Interstate 90 tunnel near Boston was an anomaly, even as engineers were reporting deficiencies and warning of other problems in the project known as the Big Dig.

Amorello quit after being charged by the Massachusetts Ethics Commission with altering the turnpike commission's benefits system to his advantage.

Romney's health care bill still stands out, even though advisers include his balancing of the state's budget after taking office with a $3 billion deficit — and advances in education — among his top achievements.

"From our point of view, it wasn't perfect. But from the Democratic point of view, it wasn't perfect either, but we got the job done," says Eric Fehrnstrom, who served as Romney's communications director during his administration. "So it was an incredible achievement and an exercise in consensus-building."

Decision-making style

Mitt Romney is described by many who have worked with him as a focused problem-solver skilled at quickly divining the key causes of an issue and range of solutions.

He insists on candid give-and-take with his subordinates. His decisions are the result of often intense discussions where advisers come unprepared at their peril, they say.

"It's a process where you really have to be on your toes with him," says Cindy Gillespie, who followed Romney from Salt Lake City to work as chief counselor to the governor. "The last thing you want to do is make him look bad by not giving him all the information. Then, he won't forgive you."

Bob White started Bain Capital, a private equity firm, with Romney in 1984. Together, they helped launch Staples, the business and office supply chain.

"He surrounds himself with people with divergent opinions, and he encourages an environment where those people challenge his thinking," White says. "I think that's how you get to good decisions."

Another guiding decision-making principle for Romney: Numbers don't lie.

As governor, Romney challenged the idea that there was a relationship between per-pupil spending for education and performance on the state's standardized tests. Romney's staff found that the Cambridge district, at $18,000 per student, scored among the lowest 10% on the state exam.

Likewise with classroom size, Romney discovered that schools with more students per classroom performed worse on the exam. The findings led to education initiatives to include performance as part of teacher pay, to allow parents to choose charter schools, and to focus the state's curriculum more on improving math and science scores on the state test.

"He's not a very notional leader," Eric Fehrnstrom said. "He is more interested in data, and what the data means."

Management style

Mitt Romney's work managing the 2002 Salt Lake City Games could be viewed as a case study in his management style.

He was brought in a year before the games, which had been rocked by controversy and were already hundreds of millions of dollars over budget.

Romney's critics say he did little more than reach out to his network of corporate executives to recruit private sponsors to erase the red ink. But people who worked with him say he delegated responsibility to teams with high performance goals that ultimately paid off.

Fraser Bullock, Romney's chief financial officer for the Salt Lake City games, says Romney handed out clearly defined tasks but was no armchair quarterback.

"He has boundless energy in lifting up those around him," says Bullock, a colleague of Romney's from Bain Capital. "Every time I see him, he's always going 90 miles an hour."

Cindy Gillespie, who became one of Romney's most trusted advisers during the period, says Romney quickly organized an operating plan for the games.

The ability to home in on a project and divide it into stages is a skill Gillespie says also marked Romney's gubernatorial administration.

"He gets single-minded — very, very, very focused on the components of the mess, reaching out and pulling in resources. You go into this intense period of 'Let's figure it out,'" Gillespie says. "He asks: 'What should we know? What is not yet knowable? Who can do it?' He's a CEO."

Contributing: Grant Schulte, The Des Moines Register

© Copyright 2007 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

 

 


 
Find this article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/romney-leadership.htm  
 

As a vet I will stand by Mitt and his decision not to have served in the military. This is FREE country and I recognize that it was my decision to serve and understand there are those that do not, but I do not de-value their right of not serving in that capacity. I joined the military when there was still a draft and can say the military is mutch better off not having a draft. We served with honor and will respect those that did not serve. Those that will put down another for not serving when they have served themself never got what serving is all about. We served so that ALL Americans can be FREE...  

Bob in Asheville,
I agree with you 100%.  If McCain is the nominee I will vote for whoever the Democrats pick.  Let's face it, McCain is a liberal and might as well be a Democrat.  So, if he is the nominee, then might as well vote Democrat.  WAKE UP REPUBLICANS AND VOTE ROMNEY!!!!

If John McCain is the Republican nominee he will fail miserably debating Clinton or Obama. He will look like an old fool! The foot soldier can't even sit or stand up straight, much less debate. He's slow to speak, slow to react, slow to think. He has no presense, and looks more like what old Russia would choose. All McCain knows is the military, having never done anything else.  He has no clue about domestic issues or even foreighn policy. And simply does not understand economics at all. McCain thinks that when turning a company around, like Romney has done, it is not right to lay off people to save the company and make it stronger.  McCain also thinks it's wrong to make a profit! Duh, that's what businesses are supposed to do. Ask any shareholder...  A vote for the old "foot soldier" is a vote for Clinton or Obama. The only Republican candidate that can beat Clinton or Obama is Romney.    

Forgive me if I'm still steamed over the exchange in the Weds PM debate, but I have a question: Would Romney have won or lost points if he had simply and sternly told McCain regarding the "timetable" fiasco:

"Number 1: I'm sorry, but when I use language, I do so in a straightforward manner, not by cleverly disguising my intentions with 'inside the beltway' buzzwords and code words that apparently only you and your Washington cronies understand.

"And Number 2: If you, sir, truly could not understand the clear intent of what I was saying when the rest of the country, supporters and detractors alike, had no such trouble, then our party will have much deeper issues with you at the helm then your fiscal naivete and economic ignorance. I'm not sure our country, or our party, is ready to embrace a nominee whose first language is clearly not English!"

Perhaps it's a bit of an ad hominem, but for crying out loud, are we ready to embrace a bulldog who will fight to the death for what he knows is a lie - all because he's not afraid to get in the mud with Hillary?

Why do you think that the liberal main stream media is basically sweeping McCain off his feet right into the GOP Nomination???  Because HE CAN'T WIN.  His nomination will leave the Republican party devided.  Conservatives will never vote for him--many, like me, would vote Dem instead.

These polls that show that McCain has the best chance against the Dems are 100% wrong.  These polls are hand picked by guess who--the main stream media.  They want McCain to win the primary because it's a guaranteed win for the Dems in November.

Romney ate McCain's lunch in Wednesday's debate, but to hear what the main stream media has to say, you'd think McCain was the shining star.

If you ever listen to talk radio, you realize that conservatives can't stand McCain and will NOT vote for him in November.  Romney is the only real chance the Republican party has to win in November.  If the party can't realize that, the Dems win.

Kathryn in Bham, I understand your enthusiasm for Huckabee and I think he would make a great political leader (someday).  But we have to face the fact that he doesn't stand a chance of winning this nomination. I really like him, but I'll have to agree with Fairness at this point.  Anyone besides McCain is my new philosophy! Most who would vote for Romney in the general, will end up voting for Obama/Hillary should McCain win the Republican nomination. That is to say if they vote at all...many are saying they just won't vote! How sad this has all become.

I am a Romney supporter.  I am also a veteran who served in Afghanistan and was at the Pentagon on 9/11.  I also agree that his comment about regretting not serving in the military does sound odd.  But I knew many people who served in the military at that time; and many who served in other ways.  My father-in-law volunteered to go over three times as a Marine, awarded 5 purple hearts, yet is positive towards Romney.  There were protesters of the war and many who treated our Vietnam veterans with contempt.  It was a different world.  I read Romney's comment as referring to how he feels looking back, not how he felt at that time.  Like his comment over a year ago about his sons not serving, he would be better off not making these statements, but it is not even close to a deal breaker.  

Anyone with any amount of common sense will be voting for MIT ROMNEY!
I already did.
:)

Romney made his statement about regretting not having served in our military--like he had no choice!!

Isn't it just so sad, ;(  for Romney that he just HAD to go to France instead of 'Nam?
What's stopped Romney all these years since then? My dad, my step-dad, my brother--EACH served in our nation's military. My son tried really hard, but was turned down for health reason. Now, HE regrets this!! HE has a Right to 'regret'!!!

Romney is letting his 'religion' show. Oh yeah, that's just ok when it's Romney showing it...France instead of VietNam...  ;(  
AND...ONLY 5 sons...
ROMNEY??? HE regrets not having MORE children!!!
Romney Didn't HAVE them!!!

WHAT A SLAP IN THE FACE TO ROMNEY'S LOYAL, SELF-DENYING, UNHEALTHY WIFE WHO HAS STOOD BY ROMNEY, ALREADY GIVING ROMNEY FIVE SONS!!!!

Romney has Already Publicly Demeaned his wife, once before, telling a room-full of strangers, on camera, that his WIFE (possibly the next First Lady of the United States) is 'HOT'...licking his finger, making the ssss sound!!!

Romney is such a disrespectful coward, he waits until his wife isn't around to make such a lowdown remark! Let her weep at home!!!

ROMNEY GO HOME!!!
This man does NOT deserve to live in our White House!
He is NOT qualified to sit in our Oval Office!
Sure he's made millions...
At the cost of Thousands of American Jobs
Through the Forced Buy-Outs of America's companies by Romney and his own Buy-Out Firm!!!
This man loses no sleep at night for the misery he causes!!!
He has NO shame!
He is a Coward.
He is proving to be a sexist coward worm!

Super Bowl vs. Super Tuesday.  There are two New England Patriots fighting for victory; The New England Patriots in the Super Bowl and Gov. Mitt Romney in Super Tuesday.  

Romney is a brilliant bold innovative visionary and a patriot.  

Romney has put his passion and his personal fortune into his high goals for a stronger, safer and more prosperous America.  Time and again Romney has taken on insurmountable tasks and worked a miracle.  Romney has the intellect, competence, courage, determination and patriotism to lead our country to greatness.  

I’m rootin’ for Romney!

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