2012 Presidential Campaign Blog

Tampa Tribune Endorses Mit Romney For President

TAMPA TRIBUNE: “MITT ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT”

“President Obama may have good intentions, but he is simply taking the nation in the wrong direction. Seasoned executive Romney would come to office ready to put the country on the course to more freedom and prosperity.” – Tampa Tribune

Mitt Romney For President
Tampa Tribune
Editorial
October 21, 2012

http://goo.gl/Vez7Q

Mitt Romney is the man who can lead the nation out of its lingering economic doldrums and restore faith in the United States.

A successful executive in the public and private sector, Romney is a committed capitalist who understands that the nation's prosperity is driven by free enterprise, not government.

Under President Barack Obama's liberal and inconsistent leadership, the country has limped along, barely a step ahead of another recession.

The deficit soared, government expanded and the prospects of more regulations and taxes chilled corporate investment.
…

Romney understands a reformed tax code, one that closes loopholes but lowers overall rates, would help businesses and consumers. A growing economy can generate more revenue, even with lower rates.

It is only a slight exaggeration to say the president trusts taxes, federal regulators and unions while Romney trusts the marketplace.
…

Instead, he engaged in histrionic spending showdowns with an obdurate Congress. Now the nation faces a "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax increases and spending cuts. If compromise is not reached before the end-of-the-year deadline, the nation's military defense could be compromised and the economy could nosedive. So much for leadership.

Romney's record as a determined, detail-oriented leader who demands results strongly suggests he would find a workable middle ground in such conflicts.

When he took over the faltering organization charged with putting on the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, he restored order and a sense of mission in a hurry. As governor of Massachusetts he worked effectively with Democrats.

You can trust him to fulfill his pledge to slash the overabundance of federal regulations. We expect he will tackle the growth of entitlement spending methodically, understanding caution is necessary when revising important programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.
…

But we are reassured by Romney's history as a deliberate leader of strong conservative values who will listen to others and carefully evaluate the facts.

President Obama may have good intentions, but he is simply taking the nation in the wrong direction.

Seasoned executive Romney would come to office ready to put the country on the course to more freedom and prosperity.

The Tampa Tribune, with confidence and enthusiasm, endorses Mitt Romney for president.

**In compliance with copyright laws, this version of the editorial is excerpted**

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Endorses Mit Romney For President

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW: “MITT ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT”

Mitt Romney For President
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Editorial
October 21, 2012

http://triblive.com

It sounds cliched, but it is a truism: America is at a crossroads. It can continue down the path of Leviathan government and an increasing dependence on it, or America can return to the path of limited government and the kind of prosperity-producing independence on which the Founders based this great republic.

The choice is yours. Our choice is the latter. And that’s why we enthusiastically endorse Republican Mitt Romney for president of the United States.

He’s an exceptionally good and decent man who is a proven leader, administrator and deft politician.
…

Mitt Romney, on the other hand, has excelled in service private and public, showing great mastery in keeping the steed steady and in some quite unfriendly and even treacherous waters.
…

And he showed great political adroitness in working with a Democrat legislature as governor of Massachusetts for the betterment of all Bay State residents.

Mitt Romney offers a seasoned, strategic and mature public policy mind so sorely needed in the White House and so necessary to enable our great nation and its people to excel.

It’s time to begin restoring America. It’s time to elect Mitt Romney as president of the United States.

**In compliance with copyright laws, this version of the editorial is excerpted**

Fort Worth Star-Telegram Endorses Mit Romney For President

FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM: “MITT ROMNEY: NEW LEADERSHIP FOR MORE ECONOMIC GROWTH”

Mitt Romney: New Leadership For More Economic Growth
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Editorial

October 21, 2012

http://www.star-telegram.com

Given the final two minutes to speak during Tuesday's second presidential debate, President Barack Obama quickly spotlighted what he said was the key distinction between his re-election candidacy and the campaign of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

"There's a fundamentally different vision about how we move our country forward," Obama said.

He's right, and "fundamentally different" is what the nation needs. For that reason, Romney should be elected president on Nov. 6.

The slow U.S. economy and its discouragingly high unemployment overshadow the other important issues in this election. Economic recovery must be spurred to a faster pace, and a change to Romney's leadership would do that.
…

But the middle class has suffered disproportionately in the 2007-2009 recession and its aftermath. Opportunity is lacking and must be restored.
…

The more relevant question is how to move forward.
…

The House is expected to remain under Republican control, the Senate Democratic. Absent change at the White House, the economy will be left to its own devices, most likely a continued but very slow recovery. But slow isn't what the country needs.

Romney is an agent of change whose primary campaign thrust has been the economy and his plans and qualifications to improve it.

On this front, he is highly qualified, both by business experience and public service.

No one should doubt that his economic recovery plan -- a 20 percent cut in tax rates, additional tax breaks for upper-income individuals and reducing the budget deficit, all with no increase in taxes on the middle class -- is but a loose sketch of a policy approach.

Details will have to be developed through working with legislative leaders from both parties who thus far have not made much progress on the nation's fiscal problems.

Romney has laid out a consistent theme focused on encouraging business innovation and growth, reducing government spending and its economic footprint and educating and retraining people to take new jobs.

That theme is a winner, and Congress will be receptive when Romney brings it.

**In compliance with copyright laws, this version of the editorial is excerpted**

Columbus Dispatch Endorses Mit Romney For President

COLUMBUS DISPATCH ENDORSES MITT ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT

“In 2008, Americans made a leap of faith when they elevated the inexperienced Obama to the White House. That faith was not rewarded. This time, voters should place their hopes for change in experience, by electing Romney.” – Columbus Dispatch

For President
Columbus Dispatch
Editorial
October 21, 2012

http://www.dispatch.com

After nearly four years of economic stagnation, massive unemployment, record-setting debt and government intrusions into the economy that have paralyzed the private sector, the United States needs a new direction. For this reason, The Dispatch urges voters to choose Republican Mitt Romney for president in the Nov. 6 election.
…

Four years after promising hope and change, and after a deficit-driving $787 billion stimulus program, here is the result:

• 12.1 million unemployed, with an unemployment rate above 8 percent for 43 of the past 44 months.

• 8.6 million working part time because they can’t find full-time work

• 2.5 million who wanted to work, but have stopped looking for jobs.

• In 2009, real median household income was $52,195. By 2011, it had fallen to $50,054

• In 2009, the U.S. poverty rate was 14.3 percent. By 2011, the poverty rate climbed to 15 percent.

• On Obama’s watch, 12 million more Americans joined the food-stamp program, which has reached a record of more than 46 million enrollees.

• Annual federal budget deficits above $1 trillion for the past four years, increasing the national debt to an all-time high of $16 trillion.
…

Obama has failed. That is why Mitt Romney is the preferred choice for president. Romney’s adult life has been spent turning around troubled private and public institutions. These turnarounds include scores of companies acquired and restructured by Bain Capital, the investment firm he founded in 1984. Not all were successes, but that is because to a significant degree, many of the companies Bain took on were high-risk. In 1999, he was asked to take over the scandal-plagued and fiscally mismanaged 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. He quickly streamlined its management, fixed its finances and guaranteed its security, turning it into a success. As governor of Massachusetts, he made tough decisions to lead the state out of a budget deficit, and he did so in a state dominated by Democrats.

As a career businessman and former governor, Romney brings a wealth of executive experience in the private sector and the public sector that dwarfs that of Obama. From working both sides of the government/private-sector equation, he understands how that relationship can aid or impede prosperity. His election would be an immediate signal to the private sector that someone who knows what he is doing is managing the nation’s economic policy. The effect on business confidence would be dramatic and immediate, and business confidence is the vital ingredient needed to spur investment and hiring, the two things that the United States so desperately needs.

In 2008, Americans made a leap of faith when they elevated the inexperienced Obama to the White House. That faith was not rewarded. This time, voters should place their hopes for change in experience, by electing Romney.

Romney For President Releases Television Ad, “Find A Way”

ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT RELEASES TELEVISION AD, “FIND A WAY”

Boston, MA – Today, Romney for President released a new television advertisement titled “Find A Way.” According to President Obama, you can’t change Washington from the inside and he’s only had four years. For Mitt Romney in Massachusetts, that’s all he needed. He turned the state around—reducing unemployment and turning the deficit into a rainy day fund. Leaders find a way to get things done.

AD FACTS: Script For “Find A Way”:

VOICEOVER: “Most Americans believe we are heading in the wrong direction. Higher deficits, chronic unemployment, a president who admits he can't work with Congress.”

VIDEO TEXT: “Higher Deficits”

VIDEO TEXT: “Chronic Unemployment”

VIDEO TEXT: “Can’t Change Washington”

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: “[Y]ou can’t change Washington from the inside.”

VIDEO TEXT: “He’s Only Had Four Years”

VOICEOVER: “But he's says he's only had 4 years. That's all Mitt Romney needed. He turned Massachusetts around, cut unemployment, turned the deficit he inherited into a rainy day fund. All with an 85% Democratic legislature. Some can't live up to their promises. Others find a way.”

VIDEO TEXT: “Mitt Romney: Turned Massachusetts Around”

VIDEO TEXT: “Mitt Romney: Cut Unemployment”

VIDEO TEXT: “Mitt Romney: Turned Deficit Into Rainy Day Fund”

VIDEO TEXT: “Mitt Romney: 85% Democratic Legislature”

MITT ROMNEY: “I’m Mitt Romney and I approved this message.”

Cleveland Plain Dealer Endorses President Obama

Cleveland Plain Dealer Endorses President Obama

KEY POINTS:

. Today, we recommend President Obama's re-election. He has led the nation back from the brink of depression. Ohio in particular has benefited from his bold decision to revive the domestic auto industry. Because of his determination to fulfill a decades-old dream of Democrats, 30 million more Americans will soon have health insurance. His Race to the Top initiative seeded many of the education reforms embodied in Cleveland's Transformation Plan. He ended the war in Iraq and refocused the battle to disrupt al-Qaida and its terrorist allies. He ordered the risky attack inside Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden.

. Not only do we still believe this president can do those things, we think he can do it with policies most likely to lift Ohio and Ohioans. Obama's leadership has made a difference when it mattered most. His stimulus package helped avert an even worse economic collapse and initiated investments in education, manufacturing and green energy that should yet pay dividends. His commitment to a balanced path toward deficit reduction won't please the most zealous members of either party, but it makes sense for the nation.

. Much of what beset America during Obama's first term lay outside his direct control. The bobsled slide into recession was in full motion when he took office. The economic calamity has been global; recovery, sporadic and weak. Obama's attempts to reach across the aisle politically were met with unbending resistance, even belligerence.

. But Romney's frequent changes raise questions about his core principles and make his lack of policy details all the more troubling. They make you wonder if he would stand up to the more extreme elements in his own party, especially to the House Republicans who undercut Ohioan John Boehner's attempts to negotiate a deficit and debt deal.

. Romney's tendency to bluster on foreign policy provides more cause for doubt. With tens of thousands of young Americans still in harm's way in Afghanistan, the United States cannot afford to be drawn into new wars without clear national interests at stake or to sap its resources in further open-ended conflicts. The Benghazi killings reveal the risks of an "Arab Spring" in which terrorists have gained new weaponry and new freedom to operate. But these challenges require inventive diplomacy and international engagement, not slogans or swagger.

. Obama has shown that he favors engagement over bluster, and practical solutions over easy bromides. That's what the country needs.

. Consider a defining moment early in Obama's first term -- one with special resonance in Ohio: The outgoing Bush administration had used TARP funds to throw a lifeline to General Motors and Chrysler, but the two automakers were still at death's door. They wanted more cash and offered vague promises to change their ways. Public opinion opposed another bailout. Romney urged the companies to file for traditional bankruptcy -- at a time when private-sector credit was frozen even for healthy firms.

. Obama told the companies to restructure using the Bankruptcy Court and set conditions for government financing: GM's chairman had to go. Excess plants and dealerships had to close. Chrysler had to be bought out by Fiat. Contracts had to be renegotiated.

. It was unpopular but gutsy. And it worked. Ohioans today are making cars in Lordstown and Toledo. They're making parts and steel for Ford, Honda and other automakers. They're back on the job.

. That's leadership that deserves a chance to finish the job. Re-elect President Obama.

Paul Ryan Attends Victory Events In Colorado On Monday, October 22, 2012

Paul Ryan Attends Victory Events In Colorado On Monday

Boston, MA – On Monday, Paul Ryan will attend three Victory events in Pueblo West, Durango, and Grand Junction, Colorado.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Event: Paul Ryan Attends Pueblo Victory Event  

Location:     

Vision Mechanical
35 Laser Drive
Pueblo West, Colorado       

Doors Open: 8:30 AM MDT 

Invite Time: 10:30 AM MDT

Program Time: 11:00 AM MDT 

Tickets: Tickets may be picked up at any Colorado Victory Office. Hours are weekdays from 9:00 AM to 9:00 and weekends from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Tickets may also be obtained by visiting www.mittromney.com/CO.

***

Event: Paul Ryan Attends Durango Victory Event (With Speaker John Boehner)

Location:     

Fort Lewis College
1000 Rim Drive 
Durango, Colorado

Doors Open: 12:00 PM MDT

Invite Time: 2:00 PM MDT

Program Time: 2:35 PM MDT

Tickets: Tickets may be picked up at any Colorado Victory Office. Hours are weekdays from 9:00 AM to 9:00 and weekends from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Tickets may also be obtained by visiting www.mittromney.com/CO.

***

Event: Paul Ryan Attends Grand Junction Victory Event and Debate Watch Party  

Location:     

Colorado Mesa University
1100 North Avenue
Grand Junction, Colorado

Doors Open: 3:00 PM MDT

Invite Time: 5:00 PM MDT

Program Time: 6:00 PM MDT

Tickets: Tickets may be picked up at the following location during the following times:

Mesa County Victory Center
1114 N First Street
Grand Junction, CO 81501

Friday to Monday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM

Tickets may also be obtained by visiting www.mittromney.com/CO

Obama for America Releases New Television Ad: “Commitment”

Obama for America Releases New Television Ad: “Commitment”

PRESIDENT OBAMA:
Medicare and Social Security are part of the promise we've made to people that if you work hard then you're going to be able to retire with dignity and respect.

Voiceover:
Mitt Romney's plan? The AARP says it ends guaranteed benefits. Seniors could pay $6000 more a year. The President is protecting Medicare.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:
We're not going to turn Medicare into a voucher. This is all part of keeping a commitment and a pledge to your generation but also to future generations.

Grassroots Event with President Obama in Delray Beach, Florida on October 23, 2012

Grassroots Event with President Obama in Delray Beach, Florida on October 23, 2012

Date: October 23, 2012

Where:          

Delray Beach Tennis Center
201 West Atlantic Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33444

Vice President Joe Biden To Campaign In Wisconsin on Friday, October 26, 2012

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN TO CAMPAIGN IN WISCONSIN

CHICAGO—Obama for America announced today that Vice President Biden will travel to Wisconsin next week for campaign events on Friday, October 26.

Details on the Vice President’s travel to Wisconsin are forthcoming.