Mr. Romney, we hardly know you!

By Juanita Bratcher

 

Mitt Romney has concentrated more on trying to define President Barack Obama and his Administration than he has spent time on defining himself and Bain Capital. He has failed to tell the American people, specifically voters, what a Romney presidency will mean for America and the difference between his agenda for the country and Obama’s agenda. After all, voters will be the determining factor as to his and Obama’s fate in the November 6^th General Election.

Frankly, I think Obama has done a pretty good job of defining himself to the American people. And while Obama released 12 years of income taxes, Romney has released only one, says another one is on the way, and after that, he will release nothing else. He even got an extension on his 2011 tax return. Even Romney’s wife, Ann, when making an interview appearance with ABC’s Robin Roberts, stated, “We’ve given all you people need to know” about their financial information, when asked about her husband’s refusal to release multi-income tax returns. She further stated that “there are so many things that will be open again for more attack…”

The election, Ann Romney said, will be decided on who is going to turn the economy around and how jobs are going to come back to America. Of course, there are other factors, too, that will determine this election…and who will occupy the White House and lead this country for the next four years.

According to a recent poll by USA Today/Gallup, 54% of Americans say Mitt Romney should release additional tax returns, while 37% say he should not. Most voters would like to take a serious look at Romney’s record and tax returns to determine whether he is capable of leading this awesome country.

If there’s nothing to hide, there shouldn’t be a problem releasing them. Most politicians release their income tax returns. Romney’s father, George, released 12 years of returns when he run for office. And anyone running for the highest office of the land – the Office of the Presidency – should be upfront with the American public. It doesn’t seem feasible to do otherwise. Certainly, politicians who take the route that Romney is taking, especially for the powerful office of the presidency, shouldn’t be rewarded with the gift of that office or to lead this country without putting the cards on the table for examination; in this case his tax returns. What is he trying to hide by not releasing his income tax returns?

Mitt Romney has repeated over and over again and so has his Washington Republican colleagues that Obama is running away from his record, his failing policies (their words), but what is Romney running away from? Why is it that Romney can never make a straight statement about anything without dragging Obama’s name in it? Where does he stand on the issues? He does more flip-flopping on issues than anything else. Mr. Romney has changed opinions on so many things. He has been on both sides of the fence on many issues. One day he rallies around something, and the next day his version is different than the day before. One of his aides said during the primary election that Romney would do an etch-a-sketch on issues in the General Election campaign. It is obvious that Romney is out of touch.

The election is four months away, but it’s still unclear as to where Romney stands on various issues. Why can’t he take a definitive stand on the issues?

When the auto industry was struggling, Romney said let the auto industry go bankrupt. Yet, when the auto industry made a successful, complete turnaround he wanted to take credit for it. Mitt Romney continues to dance and skip around the issues, and the American people certainly don’t need any of the following:

• Don’t need a flip-flopper making decisions in times of crises
• Don’t need a flip-flopper that can’t make on-the-spot decisions
• Don’t need a flip-flopper who’ll wait to see if it’s okay to make a move on something that should be taken care of right away
• Don’t need a flip-flopper where someone other than him is in the shadow calling the shots
• Don’t need an “Outsourcer-in Chief that sends jobs to other countries and don’t create jobs in this country to put many Americans out of jobs back to work

I’m still not convinced that Mitt Romney is a job creator as he likes to espouse. There are no specific numbers available as to his job creation efforts here in America.

 It’s not enough to say that because you’re a businessman you know how to fix the economy and create jobs, Mr. Romney. You must show or tell the American people how you’re going to fix the economy and create jobs; not after the November 6^, 2012 election but before the November 6, 2012 election.

 Juanita Bratcher is the Publisher of www.copylinemagazine.com, the author of several books, songwriter and poet. She has been a Journalist for more than 35 years covering politics, education and a wide-range of other topics.