Who is Willard Mitt Romney?

Many who have followed the career of George Romney's son have to ask: Who is  Willard Mitt Romney? or, Will the true Mr. Romney step forward? Since it would require a book to enumerate his many publicized flip-flops, here are some things you may know or not know -- or  not want to know:


1. His father, George, was born in Mexico, but Mitt doesn't want Mexicans to come to the U.S.
2. Mitt didn't serve in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War because he was living in a chateau in France serving as a Mormon missionary. Apparently he speaks excellent French although he considers France one of those terrible socialist countries.
3. He has stashed millions of dollars in the Cayman Islands -- not to avoid taxes, but because of its tropical scenery, so says his staff.
4. He is a Mormon bishop. If elected it would be the first time we had a bishop as president. I guess that works; an Imam is in charge of Iran.
5. He reminds us that he has been "unemployed" since 2007, or before. For most of us, "unemployed" means we don't have a job, we're spending our savings to survive, and we are in danger of losing our homes. For Mitt it means campaigning for president since money is no object.
6 .Mitt thinks "corporations are people" and makes fun of those who disagree. But on the other hand, corporations are not people when it comes to legal responsibility.


7. Willard maintained a Swiss bank account until it was decided that it looks suspicious for candidates for the U.S. Presidency to have accounts in banks famous for their secrecy. (This came to light after the initial posting)
8. Apparently Bishop Romney is a gambler. He offered Rick Perry a $10 K bet over a detail no one cares about. For him that is chump change, but for a mother raising a family $10K would buy many gallons of milk and pounds of groceries.
9.  Although "unemployed," candidate Romney refuses to release his past tax returns. Without clarifying he suggests he pays about 15% (we have to take the bishop's word for it). If so, he pays a smaller rate than a soldier serving in Afghanistan or or a family with a $60K income. By way of a footnote, the tax return would reveal whether he is tithing, as do other Mormons. (Since this was first published, Romney felt compelled to release last year's tax return. He paid at  a 13.9% tax and contributed significantly to the Mormon Church.)
10. Because he told us, we know that Mr.Romney "likes to fire" people. Most of us who have to fire someone do so with reluctance and regret. Not so for Mitt; he says he enjoys it.
11. Although "unemployed," Romney tells us he earned $374,327 in speaking fees -- an amount he dismisses as practically nothing. A struggling family could purchase a damn nice home with that kind of money.




12. Have you ever wondered why Mr. Romney does not use his first name, Willard? Or why he doesn't go by "Will" instead of "Mitt"?  Granted "Mitt" has that preppy undertone whereas "Will"  has a Midwestern normalcy about it.
13. He insists he is not, as has been charged, a "corporate vulture" even though he and his Bain Capital pals made fortunes by buying companies, laying off workers, closing plants, and then selling them for a large profit.
14. He maintains that he can't do anything about his Super Pacs who are running false and negative ads against his opponents. Why not disavow and oppose these ads? Seems simple enough.
15. Mitt does not cry in public. Can he be a true Republican? Obviously no one can do it as well as John Boehner, but still, it's a Republican thing to do. Albeit, John, Newt, Rick and others are crying about their own personal problems, not for those killed in combat or dying due to lack of health care.
16. He loves the "free enterprise" and thinks he and his wealthy friends should be praised for "taking risks," although economists point out that the wealthier one is, the less risk he is taking.




17. Then there is Mitt's health care problem. Either he doesn't know that congress has  passed the Affordable Health Care Act or he can't remember its name. He and his lobbyists refer to it as Obamacare. On the other hand he doesn't refer to the similar health care legislation he sponsored in Massachusetts as Romneycare -- in fact, he doesn't refer to it at all.  President Obama is proud of his plan, although it was not everything he wanted. Romney on the other hand is running away from his plan.
18. Like George W. Bush before him, Mitt does not have a foreign policy,or he has failed to tell us what it might be. If it's like his domestic policy, it is quite simple: "I'm opposed to everything President Obama has done."  Of course, he will have a difficult time bringing Osama bin Laden back to life.
19. Mitt likes to transport his dog in a kennel on top of his car. For Fido's sake I hope he doesn't do it in the middle of a Massachusetts winter or a Salt Lake summer.
20. When he left office, Willy Mitt and his staff erased all computer records of Romney's tenure as Governor of Massachusetts. What was he hiding? And perhaps he has forgotten that he was an employee of the people and as his boss, the people of Massachusetts,  have the right to look over his shoulder when he is doing his job.


And that is small glimpse of the GOP presidential front runner, Willard Mitt Romney. The frightening thing is that he is the front runner because he is the best the GOP has, at least now that Huntsman has dropped out.