Susan Katz: What’s The Difference Between Romney And Bush? [View all]

[Segami]

This was one of my favorite questions of the second presidential debate. It was asked by Susan Katz, who inquired, “Governor Romney, I am an undecided voter, because I’m disappointed with the lack of progress I’ve seen in the last four years. However, I do attribute much of America’s economic and international problems to the failings and missteps of the Bush administration. Since both you and President Bush are Republicans, I fear a return to the policies of those years should you win this election. What is the biggest difference between you and George W. Bush, and how do you differentiate yourself from George W. Bush?”




The reason this question is so apt is because she hits the nail on the head: she lists one of the truly valid reasons that Obama might be a questionable pick. She didn’t say that the economy and job markets are his fault. She put the blame where it goes, on Bush and the recession. However, she did point out that the progress that has been made hasn’t been enough or come fast enough for her. To me, that is the fault of the congressional obstructionism that has hogtied the president with regard to policy. However, her question is still valid. Romney immediately replied, “Thank you. And I appreciate that question.” He then decided to show himself a liar and go back to answering the question before. (I’ll start where his answer gets back on the topic of Romney versus Bush.)

ROMNEY: President Bush and I are – are different people and these are different times and that’s why my five point plan is so different than what he would have done.

What a stellar opening line! First of all, saying something is “so different than what [Bush] would have done” is a fallacy. There is no possible way to know that. Second, isn’t “[we] are different people and these are different times” a statement of the obvious? I mean, it sounds good at first, but if you think about it a bit, he isn’t actually saying anything at all.

ROMNEY: I mean for instance, we can now, by virtue of new technology, actually get all the energy we need in North America without having to go to the – the Arabs or the Venezuelans or anyone else. That wasn’t true in his time, that’s why my policy starts with a very robust policy to get all that energy in North America – become energy secure. Number two, trade: I’ll crack down on China. President Bush didn’t. I’m also going to dramatically expand trade in Latin America. It’s been growing about 12 percent per year over a long period of time. I want to add more free trade agreements so we’ll have more trade. Number three, I’m going to get us to a balanced budget. President Bush didn’t. President Obama was right, he said that that was outrageous to have deficits as high as half a trillion dollars under the Bush years. He was right, but then he put in place deficits twice that size for every one of his four years. And his forecast for the next four years is more deficits, almost that large. So that’s the next area I’m different than President Bush.


Notice he’s only saying what he will do. He’s missing the vital how.


ROMNEY: And then let’s take the last one, championing small business. Our party has been focused too long. I came through small business. I understand how hard it is to start a small business. That’s why everything I’ll do is designed to help small businesses grow and add jobs. I want to keep their taxes down on small business. I want regulators to see their job as encouraging small enterprise, not crushing it.


Mitt Romney considers Trump to be a small business:


ROMNEY: And the thing I find the most troubling about Obamacare – well, it’s a long list – but one of the things I find most troubling is that when you go out and talk to small businesses and ask them what they think about it, they tell you it keeps them from hiring more people.

The only businesses that are saying this are those that don’t understand how it works. With Obamacare, healthcare prices will drop and so will premiums. If the businesses don’t provide it, the people have to buy it themselves or stay uninsured. It’s not like the employees have the money if the business doesn’t. People die from lack of insurance.





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http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/10/17/difference-romney-bush/

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