As a Mitt Romney delegate from Maine to the Republican National Convention in Tampa this August, I was greatly impressed and moved by the display of American patriotism and love for God and country openly displayed by prayers, speeches and song each day of the four-day event.
Speakers and performers presented a refreshing unity of diversity in personality, talent, sophistication and experience in the arenas of government, politics, business, education, sports, entertainment, military service and culture.
Yet, when we arrived back at our hotel, sometimes after midnight and again in the morning, we watched the national news as if there had been a filter placed on television, radio and print media because the truth of what was really happening at the Republican National Convention was not evident.
The political filters and spin doctors of the mainstream media were continuing to present a biased, narrow and distorted view of the Republican Party and of our presidential nominee Romney.
It was, therefore, very encouraging when, along with 70 million other viewers, we saw the same Romney we had met at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, unedited, during the Oct. 3 debate on national television.
This was and is the Romney who is the best candidate for America:
* Less government. These are the key questions: Do you want more government or less? More spending or less? More regulation or less? More welfare or less? More power for unions or less? More taxes or less? Less oil drilling or more?
* Bipartisanship. As governor of Massachusetts, Romney worked with an 87 percent Democrat-controlled Legislature and was able to pass a state-based health care initiative. While opposing federal health care mandates, Romney, proved he is a 10th-Amendment, states-rights advocate, able to work both sides of the political aisle.
* Economic recovery. Romney will rebuild the foundations of the American economy on the principles of free enterprise, hard work and innovation. His plan seeks to reduce taxes, spending, regulation and government programs. It seeks to increase trade, energy production, human capital and labor flexibility. It relinquishes power to the states instead of claiming to have the solution to every problem.
* Taxes: fairer, flatter and simpler. Regulation: cutting the red tape. Trade: open markets on terms that work for America. Labor: free enterprise, free choice, free speech. Spending: smaller, simpler, smarter government. Sound money.
* Foreign policy. Peace through strength. Strongly stand by our allies such as Israel, Poland, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Colombia. Stop Iran from developing or acquiring nuclear weapons. Don’t enter into treaties or agreements that will not be honored or put the U.S. at a disadvantage. Never publicly announce military withdrawal dates from a theater of action. Allow our allies a faster path to becoming NATO members.
* Paul Ryan. Ryan is more than a vice presidential candidate. He is the author and intellectual founder of the modern Republican agenda. There can be no more profound and articulate a spokesman to defend and elaborate the Romney agenda to America and to hold the office of vice president of the United States with dignity and integrity.
On Nov. 6, we can choose to either: (1) stay on the path of division and bankruptcy, leading to a godless European-style nanny-state, where the growing tyranny of government intervention and control stifles individual thought and initiative in favor of the collective mind, will and emotion; or (2) work together to return to the path of American exceptionalism, where the unique and basic American values of liberty, “In God We Trust” and “E pluribus unum” can and will overcome the destructive assaults of radical leftism and Islamism.
At this critical moment in the history of our great nation, it is my belief that a vote for Romney is a vote for America and restoration of the values and policies that made America the beacon of freedom for individual rights and liberty in the world.
Hayes Gahagan is a former state senator from Aroostook County and serves as chairman of the Aroostook County Republican Committee. He ran as an independent for U.S. Senate in 1978.
Funny to see a mention of a “filter” in a piece like this; it would seem to me as though the author is looking at Romney through rose-colored glasses. Let’s see how long it takes for Romney to change his position again and render the author’s list invalidated by the candidate’s own views.
Perhaps we should look at the debate as the “ideal Romney”. The one who said half of Obama’s green investments had gone out of business… wait, no, it’s probably closer to 1%. The one who said he wants more teachers… um, until today. The one who said pre-existing conditions were covered by his plan… oh, sorry, there’s a bit of a clarification needed there (spoilers: they’re not).
Does the Romney displayed in the debate actually exist? Or is he glazing over what he actually believes and saying whatever he thinks we want to hear?
Worse than rose-colored glasses, the author has blinders.
Well not only that, this part here: “It was, therefore, very encouraging when, along with 70 million other viewers, we saw the same Romney we had met at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, unedited…”
Is she really implying that the live broadcast of the convention, was edited? Surely she jests.
Debate showed the “real” Romney? Which one of the multitude we’ve seen would that be? Is that the one we’d see if (heaven forbid) he were elected? Fat chance.
The real Romney showed that he could use a math tutor because there is no way his numbers add up unless he is doing Bain math.
R&R math is even worse. And inaccurate.
I think I have figured out Romney’s modus operandi, IF YOU CAN’T SELL THEM CONFUSE THEM. He sure as hell as got me confused at this point he seem pretty much like an empty suit, as nothing he says stays long enough to fill the suit. FLIP,FLOP,FLIP, FLOP–he would make a great football, basketball, baseball player as he can play any position needed at the time. When will people wake up to his shenanigans??????
OBAMA-BIDEN 2012
“where the unique and basic American values of liberty, “In God We Trust” and “E pluribus unum” can and will overcome the destructive assaults of radical leftism and Islamism.”
Do you realize how contradictory you’re being? The Islam the right complains about is on the right side of the political spectrum — Islam is incredibly conservative. Islam also instills God into everything, the exact same thing you argue we should be doing with Christianity.
You are essentially a mirror image of the exact same thing you supposedly hate.
The real Romney is a liar.