Mr. Romney has lately come under fire for his inartful campaign and many gaffes. He has failed to mention our troops or the sacrifices in Afganistan. He has called foreign policy a "shiny object" that is not important enough to mention. And on the 11th anniversary of the horrors of 9/11 he announced to all the world that he did not support our embassies and staff even as they fought for their lives. While the political coverage has talked about these events as gaffes, it is time to recognize that these beliefs are a feature of Mr. Romney, not a bug. Mr. Romney did not support Americans doing the business of the American people, even as they were in mortal danger, because it did not profit him to do so. Though he dishonestly pretended that he was criticizing statements of the President, Mr. Romney knew those statements were coming from the Embassy in Cairo. And he knew why they were being made. He knew that the people making those statements were doing everything they could to keep themselves and our country safe. But instead of supporting those people in that dangerous situation Mr. Romney chose to mine it for all the ways he could profit from it. Sound familiar? More below.
Mitt Romney also didn't care about the lives of the workers in the many businesses he destroyed for his own profit. His actions as the CEO of a company are the same as what his actions would be as President of the United States. He will say and do whatever profits him. The "little people" simply aren't a part of the equation. And make no mistake, to Mitt Romney our soldiers, our embassy personnel, the people who are being killed to defend the freedoms Mr. Romney likes to talk about, are "the little people". The people not worth a mention, the people not worth his support. The people who are pawns in his political game just like people's jobs were pawns in his gaming of the financial system.
This would be just another campaign issue about his lack of character if it weren't so deadly. Not deadly, of course, to Mr. Romney or his friends. Just deadly to the people on the front lines. Those who put themselves at risk defending Mr. Romney's right to sit back and take potshots. Mr. Romney knew that by attacking those statements he was attacking U.S. personnel who were at that very moment in harms way. He knew that they knew he was attacking them. And he knew that our enemies knew he was attacking them. Even as our enemies themselves were attacking out embassy personnel.
Not supporting your employees and stripping out all of the good from their business might make you rich. But it doesn't come close to making you a leader. Anyone who has ever worked in a business where the owner undermined his staff to make himself look good knows how poorly run those businesses actually are. Those businesses operate on fear. Fear that "the boss" will turn on you at any given moment. Fear of being fired for the whimsical pleasure of the boss. (Some bosses claim they enjoy firing people). They are disorganized. There is no consistency and there is no loyalty. If a boss isn't loyal to his business he can't expect loyalty back. Only someone like Mr. Romney, who was in it for short term profits, can afford to run a business without caring about the employees. Only a vulture capitalist can afford to not care what effect his actions have on his employees and their community. Only someone who cares only about his personal profit and reputation will run a business that way. That was the Romney policy at Bain.
Unfortunately, the stakes are much higher when you are President of the United States. Because then it is about the long term success of an entire country and the hundreds of millions of people who live in and love it. It isn't about one man's short term profit of being President for four years. Once that four years is over there will still be a country full of people who have to carry on. We can't "outsource" our people. We can't afford to destroy this country for one man to strip out the profits. This is not a business and a President can't be in it just for how it profits him. A President must be a leader.
Thus, when the President of the United States speaks--it matters. It matters if you have a President who can't be counted on to support his Embassy when they are literally under attack. When their lives are at risk. And it matters because it endangers Americans. Those on the front line and those at home who need to feel safe and secure. Americans who expect their government to try to keep them safe and secure. Mitt Romney is willing to put our nation at risk with his selfish statements attacking our Embassy personnel. From giving Putin ammunition to stir up hostilities against the U.S. to letting our enemies in the Mideast know he won't support our Embassies-- even in the hours they are fighting for their lives he puts us at risk. And we are at risk when he announces to all the world that he will try to weaken our Government from the inside by dishonestly attacking our leader.
From Bain Capital to his acceptance speech to his reprehensible actions criticizing our Cairo Embassy yesterday, Mitt Romney has shown what his policy is. These were not inartful gaffes. This is what the man believes. And what he believes is what his policy is...that every decision he makes will be made on the analysis of how it best benefits Mitt Romney. And if Mitt Romney's interests put Americans at risk, well so what? This election is about how important average people--soldiers, government workers, teachers and auto workers, are going to be to the President of the United States of America. Mitt Romney has shown us his core belief is in that respect. And it isnt pretty. Our troops, our embassy personnel, our people aren't important to Him. Mr. Romney must not be allowed to turn this country into his newest expensive toy designed to reflect Mr. Romney in the light most favorable to him. A win by Barack Obama is a win for everyone who honors our country and the people who serve it.