Super Tuesday--NY for Mitt!

Tweet

WANTED: THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

I spent a fair amount of my blogging time writing to combat the false perceptions about Mitt Romney over the last week or two. But that hasn't left me with as much time as I'd like to discuss Mitt Romney, the REAL Mitt Romney, for why he's my choice to lead the country. So, let me take this last minute opportunity to do so, in case anyone is doing a little last minute research before the vote tomorrow.

Let's pretend for a moment that we know nothing about any of the candidates in this year's race. What would you like to see in a leader for this country? Perhaps, like many Americans, you have a pet issue or two that are particularly important to you personally. You may choose your candidate based solely on who reflects your views. Maybe you don't care too much about politics and you just want someone who you can trust to do right by America. Maybe you want someone who can close the deal--someone who can get the job done and push us out of the partisan bickering rut our leadership has been in for years.

Here's my ideal candidate:

• A person who is motivated to be President in the spirit of public service, not self advancement.
• Someone who respects the views of others and who can disagree without being disagreeable. My ideal candidate doesn't throw out pat answers to complex problems, but carefully persuades and explains without dogmatism.
• My ideal candidate is inclusive of all Americans: rich and poor, black and white, male and female, old and young.
• The leader I want will need to have demonstrated not just good ideas, but an ability to compromise with the ideas of others--an aptitude for complex problems.
• The most ideal choice will need to have an endless supply of energy. Leadership is work, and work takes effort and energy.
• Don't forget that my ideal leader needs to be wicked smart and able.
• Finally, my candidate needs to be a wholesome person--someone with mature feelings about autonomy and freedom, interpersonal respect, and the individual values.

As this blog has been a little heavy on the opponent bashing recently, I'll refrain from discussing the merits of Huckabee or McCain in terms of the list I've just made and say only this: neither McCain nor Huckabee need apply.

Where does Mitt Romney fit into this want ad for the ideal candidate? Let's have a look.

A person who is motivated to be President in the spirit of public service, not self advancement

Romney has made it clear on many occasions that he is in it for the future of America. He's got hundreds of millions of dollars, in case you hadn't heard, and he doesn't need an ego trip in the White House to enjoy his self-made success. He could very easily coast through the rest of his life enjoying the abundant fruits of his labors, but he knows that his children and his grandchildren will inherit this country, and that's what propels him.

This is not the first time Romney has made personal sacrifices to help society when there is a need.

Romney first gained national recognition for his role in
turning around the 2002 Winter Olympics. With the 2002 Games mired in
controversy and facing a financial crisis, Romney left behind a successful
career as an entrepreneur to take over as President and CEO of the Salt Lake
Organizing Committee.

Governor Romney has said he felt compelled
to assume the seemingly impossible task of rescuing the Games by both the
urgings of his wife, Ann, and by the memory of his father, George Romney, who
had been a successful businessman, three-term Governor of Michigan, and a
tireless advocate of volunteerism in America.

Volunteerism is the heart of Romney's campaign from the top down. Romney was Governor of Massachusetts, I'm sure you know, but you may not know that he didn't accept a salary for that position. Nor did he accept a salary for the Olympics. And, I might add, I have flatly refused the salary associated with writing this post (hee hee).

Someone who respects the views of others and who can disagree without being disagreeable. My ideal candidate doesn't throw out pat answers to complex problems, but carefully persuades and explains without dogmatism.

I have personally been wrestling with the issue of abortion for years. I'm both a physician and deeply spiritual person who believes there are eternal consequences to this issue, so I clearly see that there are no pat answers to that one. Other social issues are equally perplexing to me, but I don't want to spend this post writing about them in particular. I just want to say that Romney gets it. He understands the complexity and the moral weight of these issues and he has NEVER acted recklessly on these issues. That his views have crystalized over time, have distilled into something different, has never bothered me in the least--even when I disagree with them. It's the fact that we CAN disagree about such things in America, and that we'll have a leader who respects the people on both sides of the issue that makes me support Romney.

My ideal candidate is inclusive of all Americans: rich and poor, black and white, male and female, old and young.

Some have tried to marginalize Romney (I'll resist pointing fingers at other candidates). Identity politics has cropped into this race in all the familiar places, but ironically, it's the most old-school appearing candidate who captures the most inclusive position. He's not a special agenda leader for a particular minority, and he's demonstrated his inclusiveness and respect for others for years.

The leader I want will need to have demonstrated not just good ideas, but an ability to compromise with the ideas of others--an aptitude for complex problems.

Romney was a Republican governor in one of the most liberal states in the nation. This has not been emphasized enough in this close race in which bipartisan cooperation usually brings to mind a less qualified candidate. What did he accomplish in a state with an adversarially aligned legislative branch?

Elected in 2002, Governor Romney presided over a dramatic
reversal of state fortunes and a period of sustained economic expansion. Without
raising taxes or increasing debt, Governor Romney balanced the budget every year
of his administration, closing a nearly $3 billion budget gap inherited when he
took office. By eliminating waste, streamlining the government, and enacting
comprehensive economic reforms to stimulate growth in Massachusetts, Romney got
the economy moving again and transformed deficits into surpluses.

At the beginning of Governor Romney's term, Massachusetts was losing
thousands of jobs every month. By the time he left office, the unemployment
rate was lower, hundreds of companies had expanded or moved to Massachusetts and
the state had added approximately 60,000 jobs from the low point of the
recession.

One of Governor Romney's top priorities was reforming
the education system so that young people could compete for good paying jobs in
the global economy of the future. In 2004, Governor Romney established the John
and Abigail Adams Scholarship Program to reward the top 25 percent of
Massachusetts high school students with a four-year, tuition-free scholarship to
any Massachusetts public university or college. He has also championed a package
of education reforms, including merit pay, an emphasis on math and science
instruction, important new intervention programs for failing schools and English
immersion for foreign-speaking students.

The most ideal choice will need to have an endless supply of energy. Leadership is work, and work takes effort and energy.

While every story I hear explains away Romney's success so far as largely resulting from his money (which, no doubt, hasn't hurt), few acknowledge that he has worked harder for this than any of the other candidates. He has spent more time in Iowa and New Hampshire than the others overcoming misconceptions. He has worked longer hours and put more of himself into this race than anyone. And he still smiles. Does this video look like a man who is being beaten on mercilessly in the main stream media? Does he look worn down or ready to run a marathon? I can't believe the energy he exudes, and I see that as highly beneficial in having one of the most stressful jobs in the world.

Don't forget that my ideal leader needs to be wicked smart and able.

Romney is wicked smart and able. Period. First, let's talk smart:

Governor Romney received his B.A., with Highest Honors,
from Brigham Young University in 1971. In 1975, he was awarded an MBA from
Harvard Business School, where he was named a Baker Scholar, and a J.D., cum
laude, from Harvard Law School.

Now, let's talk able:

In 2006, Governor Romney proposed and signed into law a
private, market-based reform that ensures every Massachusetts citizen will have
health insurance, without a government takeover and without raising
taxes.

I've been involved in the American Medical Association for years, and NOBODY has been able to achieve anything like this anywhere else. He's a marvel and we're very excited in medicine to see where it leads.

Governor Romney was elected to the Chairmanship of the
Republican Governors Association by his fellow Governors for the 2006 election
cycle, and raised a record $27 million for candidates running in State House
contests around the country.

Romney's record setting isn't limited to politics and healthcare system reform. Also, remember the Olympics:

In his three years at the helm in Salt Lake, Romney erased
a $379 million operating deficit, organized 23,000 volunteers, galvanized
community spirit and oversaw an unprecedented security mobilization just months
after the September 11th attacks, leading to one of the most successful Olympics
in our country's history.

Prior to his Olympic service,
Mitt Romney enjoyed a successful career helping businesses grow and improve
their operations. From 1978 to 1984, Mr. Romney was a Vice President at Bain
& Company, Inc., a leading management consulting firm. In 1984, Romney
founded Bain Capital, one of the nation's most successful venture capital and
investment companies. Bain Capital helped guide hundreds of companies on a
successful course, including Staples, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Domino's
Pizza, Sealy, Brookstone, and The Sports Authority. He was asked to return to
Bain & Company as CEO several years later in order to lead a financial
restructuring of the organization. Today, Bain & Company employs more than
2,000 people in 25 offices worldwide.

Finally, my candidate needs to be a wholesome person--someone with mature feelings about autonomy and freedom, interpersonal respect, and individual values.

A lot has been said about Romney on a personal nature. There have been calous attacks by those who are jealous of his beautiful family and his impeccable personal character and integrity. The only place you'll read about his involvement in scandal is in cleaning up after them! He's also joked about being both the Mormon and the only candidate who has had just one wife! He's genuine and sincere, despite all the negative spin that this race has foisted on his good name.

Please join me tomorrow, New Yorkers, in supporting the best person to lead our country: Willard Mitt Romney.