who are we to say it won't be Romney?

[Lincoln Republican]

It should be Romney.

Romney is the most qualified to be Vice President.

Romney is the most qualified to be President.

But, I do not believe McCain will pick Romney, even though he should.

He will pick Pawlenty, who is a safe, compromise choice, not nearly as capable or as qualified as Romney, but a pick who McCain would be more comfortable with.

[Lincoln Republican]

It should be Romney.

Romney is the most qualified to be Vice President.

Romney is the most qualified to be President.

But, I do not believe McCain will pick Romney, even though he should.

He will pick Pawlenty, who is a safe, compromise choice, not nearly as capable or as qualified as Romney, but a pick who McCain would be more comfortable with.

scene kids tend to italicize random words.

Your statement is completely irrelevant to this discussion.

[Lincoln Republican]

The big problem with Romney is that he's a slimeball.  The man has no integrity, and flip-flopped on almost every major issue, just so he could run for President.  Disgusting.

That said, he should be strongly considered by McCain anyway.

Let me get this straight, on the one hand, you think Romney is a slimeball, has no integrity, and is a flip flopper.

On the other hand, you believe Romney should be strongly considered for the Vice Presidential nomination by McCain, meaning that Romney could become Vice President of the United States.

In other words, you have no problem with someone you say is a slimeball, has no integrity, and is a flip flopper becoming Vice President of the United States.

One can only conclude from your statement that even though you believe that Romney is all these things you claim him to be, you still believe that he is qualified to be Vice President.

[Lincoln Republican]

Romney is the most qualified to be Vice President.

Romney is the most qualified to be President.

He has less experience in elected government than Barack Obama and any of the other Republican candidates.

He tried to translate his business experience to executive government in Massachusetts. It was a big failure. He's used to being in total control, and the Governor of Massachusetts and President of United States do not have that power. He totally failed at working with a legislature of the opposite party, which is a necessary skill of a Republican Administration in 2009 and onward. He's supercilious, arrogant, and dishonest in his promises and his views. (The guy met with gay groups at a gay bar in 2002 to promise them he'd support gay rights in Massachusetts, for goodness sake.) He has no ideological grounding, no firm beliefs except in his own competence and the general idea that wealth is good. All he could do as governor was to pick fights with selected opponents in the Democratic Party and blow his capital on personal squabbles with people like Billy Bulger and Tom Finneran. He comes across as a blow-dried dork in media appearances, so he can't even be McCain's attack dog.

Instead of repeating like Rainman how Romney is the best candidate, why not address some of the specific criticisms of his record and leadership skills?

Strident anti Romneyism runs rampant on this forum, and you are no exception with your spin.

I have laid out in great detail on many occasions on this forum Romney's specific accomplishments and attributes, and have addressed the many criticisms levelled against his record and leadership skills, and I do not choose to repeat them here, yet again. 

With the exception of a very few individuals, most of this forum seems to have a fanatical dislike of Romney, sometimes bordering on hysteria, and does not pay any attention to anything positive about Romney anyway, so I feel I am only wasting my time in addressing these issues yet again. 

[Lincoln Republican]

I have a huge problem with him, and I don't think he is qualified to shine my shoes, but the McCain campaign needs to consider him, because he was a Governor, and has lots of money.

You could not afford to have Romney shine your shoes, my friend.

[Lincoln Republican]

I have a huge problem with him, and I don't think he is qualified to shine my shoes, but the McCain campaign needs to consider him, because he was a Governor, and has lots of money.

You could not afford to have Romney shine your shoes, my friend.

Ooh, great comeback

Thanks.  I thought so too. 

[Lincoln Republican]

The problem Winfield, is that the rap on Romney, that he will flip for political convenience without batting an eye, and make up stories ala Hillary, has considerable verisimilitude. He also has a certain robotic quality (he just is too up tight, and didn't really mix it up with the voters like McCain did - did you ever watch his townhall meetings where he droned on with his same tired speech, and then took 3 questions, and called it a rap?), plus a tin ear. Repeating ad nauseum  that immigration policy, and social policy flexibility (to which he once subscribed until he had multiple epiphanies), degraded the "GOP brand," suggests he is marketing soap or something - totally plastic, and a sure "groan" line.

Sure he is competent, and might be a good president. But I consider him too much of a trimmer and prevaricator, and not a "very good liar" ala Clinton, and so at a minimum, ineffectual as a politician at present.

His being on the ticket will in my opinion to a clear and convincing degree (2-1 odds), render McCain unelectable, no matter how much of a money dump he does. This election is not all about money, as Obama himself might come to realize.

Thank  you for acknowledging Romney's competence.  At least you have something positive to say.

Anyway, I have already stated earlier on this thread, on July1, that McCain will not pick Romney.  He will pick Pawlenty.

[Lincoln Republican]

I have laid out in great detail on many occasions on this forum Romney's specific accomplishments and attributes, and have addressed the many criticisms levelled against his record and leadership skills, and I do not choose to repeat them here, yet again. 

You repost your comments about Romney all the time. I provided solid, factual reasons, and you declined to respond to them. Since you've laid out your case, it should be simple for you to cut and paste it here and point out how it addresses his failures as Governor of Massachusetts, his demonstrated lack of a political ideology, and his documented inexperience in elected office.

If you don't want to defend Romney, that's your choice, but that puts your repetition of positive Romney spin in a different light.

All you have done really is to state some events and then put your own biased spin to them, and then inject some of your own negative opinions about Romney into the mix.

If I have time, I will, yet again, spell out, very clearly, Romney's real record and qualifications. 

[Lincoln Republican]

Some actual facts outlining some of Mitt Romney's outstanding accomplishments in the academic, private, public, and political fields, leaving no doubt whatsoever that Romney is an extremely intelligent, capable, and gifted leader and executive.

(Taken from Wikipedia)

Romney graduated from the Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan in 1965 and earned a perfect score on his SAT, after which he attended Stanford University for two quarters.

Subsequently, Romney attended Brigham Young University, where he graduated as valedictorian, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude in 1971.

(summa cum laude being a term used in diplomas to grant the highest of three special honors for grades above the average)

In 1975, Romney graduated from a joint Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration program coordinated between Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School. He graduated cum laude from the law school and was named a Baker Scholar for graduating in the top five percent of his business school class.

After graduation, Romney remained in Massachusetts and went to work for the Boston Consulting Group, where he had interned during the summer of 1974.  From 1978 to 1984, Romney was a vice president of Bain & Company, Inc., another management consulting firm based in Boston. In 1984, Romney left Bain & Company to co-found a spin-off private equity investment firm, Bain Capital.  During the 14 years he headed the company, Bain Capital's average annual internal rate of return on realized investments was 113 percent, making money primarily through leveraged buyouts.  He invested in or bought many well-known companies such as Staples, Brookstone, Domino's, Sealy Corporation and Sports Authority.

In 1990, Romney was asked to return to Bain & Company, which was facing financial collapse. As CEO, Romney managed an effort to restructure the firm's employee stock-ownership plan, real-estate deals and bank loans, while increasing fiscal transparency. Within a year, he had led Bain & Company through a highly successful turnaround and returned the firm to profitability without layoffs or partner defections.

Romney served as president and CEO of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games held in Salt Lake City. In 1999, the event was running $379 million short of its revenue benchmarks. Plans were being made to scale back the games in order to compensate for the fiscal crisis.  The Games were also damaged by allegations of bribery involving top officials, including then Salt Lake Olympic Committee (SLOC) President and CEO Frank Joklik.  Joklik and SLOC vice president Dave Johnson were forced to resign.

On February 11, 1999, Romney was hired as the new president and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.  Romney revamped the organization's leadership and policies, reduced budgets and boosted fundraising. He also worked to ensure the safety of the Games following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 by coordinating a $300 million security budget.  Despite the initial fiscal shortfall, the Games ended up clearing a profit of $100 million, not counting the $224.5 million in security costs contributed by outside sources.

Romney contributed $1 million to the Olympics, and donated the $825,000 salary he earned as President and CEO to charity.  He wrote a book about his experience titled Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games.

Romney was sworn in as the 70th governor of Massachusetts on January 2, 2003.  Upon entering office, Romney faced a projected $3 billion deficit, but a previously enacted $1.3 billion capital gains tax increase and $500 million in unanticipated federal grants decreased the deficit to $1.2 billion.  Through a combination of spending cuts, increased fees, and removal of corporate tax loopholes, by 2006 the state had a $700 million surplus and was able to cut taxes.

[Lincoln Republican]

Your accounting of Romney's Governorship conveniently fails to mention the horrendous fiscal situation that Romney inherited, and his amazing deficit slaying prowess and expertise, and the outstanding job he did in slaying the deficit dragon.

[Lincoln Republican]

his amazing deficit slaying prowess

Ok, I'm sorry that I didn't get that this was a game for you, and not sincere. I've talked about his fiscal policy twice already, but no one strings words together like that in earnest.

I do, and I am serious.

Do you deny that Romney left the state with a $700 million surplus upon leaving office?   

If so, you had best advise Wikipedia immediately so they can correct this entry.

I am not talking about how he accomplished this deficit feat, but the mere fact that he did accomplish it.

I do not take issue with your statements about Romney's methods of eliminating the deficit or the impact that his deficit elimination plan had on the state, other than to say that tough times sometimes call for tough measures, in order to pay dividends in the long run.

I do appreciate the fact that you acknowledge Romney would do very well as a cabinet secretary.  I have been touting Romney for some time as Secretary of the Treasury should McCain win. 

I do not believe that Romney will get the VP nod from McCain.