Willard “Mitt” Romney: Double Guantanamo For Us All

I don’t like Mitt Romney. Here’s a piece I wrote about him:

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Willard Mitt Romney: Worst of Several Evils

 

            I try to make no secret about my disdain for the field of Republican presidential candidates in this race; I mean, I have little love for Republicans in general, but this group of candidates is particularly piss-poor (if anyone sends me an email saying “Maybe you haven’t heard of a certain man named RONPAUL,” it’s going straight in the trash can). But if there’s a single one of them wherein the thought of him becoming president actually scares me, it’s former Massachusetts governor Willard “Mitt” Romney.

 

            First of all, a look at his tenure in political office is enough to scare any moderate away from him. His ascension to the position of Governor was due mostly to his vast personal wealth and the obvious glaring flaws of his competitors; like our esteemed George W. Bush, he vowed to run his executive branch “like a business” (if you want eight more years of a corporate boardroom-style White House, this is your man). In order to decrease the ballooning Massachusetts deficit, he initiated a bold tax plan: increase the fees on things regular people actually use (drivers’ licenses, marriage licenses, gas, etc) while cutting taxes for corporations. He also decided to slash funding for higher education, forcing colleges in the state to increase tuition by 63% and ensuring that you had to be even wealthier to get into college there. As a bonus, he worked for years to keep gay marriages banned in his state against the wishes of the legislature, courts and general populace; he obviously supports the notion of a unilateral executive championed by Bush and his Krazy Konservative Krew. Romney ended his term as Governor with a 28% approval rating, which is even lower than our current president’s.

 

            Most frightening in my eyes, though, is Romney’s strong puritan streak. His position on social issues ranging from gay rights to torture are reactionary almost to the point of being Draconian, and he has made it clear that he would use all of the powers of the presidency to make federal law conform to his backwards beliefs. His exuberance on this matter is probably due partially to the suspicion Christian conservatives hold against him due to his being a Mormon; as a result, he has positioned himself to work harder for their oppressive cause than the only actual evangelical in the race, Mike Huckabee, who has proven to be more moderate in his policies than in his religious beliefs.

 

            As bad as the Bush presidency has been for the cause of civil rights and sound policy in this country, I fear that President Romney would do his predecessor one worse. I plea to any Republicans reading this: unless you want America to become a “Double Guantanamo,” cast your vote for someone, anyone else.