Why the Bain story won't have any legs

[quaker bill]

122. It is not the details that matter

The broader narritive is what matters. He claims to be a successful business leader as his qualification for this office. His quite successful business experience involved gutting the manufacturing sector, plundering pension funds, and sending jobs overseas.

To the extent that the details are very complex, confused, hidden, and involve offshore corporations and tax shelters only adds to the total package.

A businessman / hero creates a product that everyone likes, works hard, brings it to market, makes a mint, pays his taxes, and gives a bit back to the community. A businessman / villian, makes nothing new, doesn't work hard, brings nothing new to market, manipulates in finances, avoids taxes and disclosure, destroys the careers of others, and makes a mint anyway.

A hero can and does sing his own praises and wants you to see what he as done. A villian wants to work in the dark and keep things murky. The fact that the story is complex and confusing adds negative context all by itself.