The candidate: Mitt Romney
Experience: Co-founder of Bain Capital, organized the 2002 Winter Olympics, Governor of the state of Massachusetts (2003-2007).
Bio: Mr. Romney is a very unique person, this much can’t be denied. The son of a Detroit auto giant- turned governor-turned-failed presidential hopeful. It’s hard to imagine Romney not being consumed by the shadow of his father’s failed 1968 presidential bid. Commentators and politicos believe his father’s defeat has led him to become overly cautious and afraid to slip up in front of the camera, thus explaining his robotic and artificial demeanor when trying to convey his sympathies for the common man. These fears have also made him risk adverse in business. When he headed the Bain & Company spin-off, Bain Capital, he only agreed to it after he was assured by head honcho Bill Bain, that if the start-up failed, he would be guaranteed his position back at the company, including his benefits.
Another aspect of Mr. Romney’s life that doesn’t get a lot of attention is his religion. He doesn’t like to talk about it much but his Mormonism is a vitally important part of who he is and how he views the world. He grew up in and went on missions for the church and eventually become Stake president for the church’s Boston area. He was known to be very generous to his parishioners and kind to people seeking advice. Though his devotion to his religion is admirable, there are accounts of his lack of compassion for single mothers and other types of family units.
Why you may or not vote for him
Pros: Mr. Romney has had years of business experience in the financial services market. The company that he helped co-found; Bain Capital was and is a very successful company. He obviously has a good understanding of Wall Street and could use that skill and knowledge to fix the broken financial sector.
Cons: Unfortunately Romney’s close ties with Wall Street also comes with some baggage. We know he understands the market, but will he protect the American public from the predatory practices of some of his most craven friends? We saw what happened last time when we gave the keys to our economic engine to these guys. Can we really trust someone from their inner circle? Coupled with his non-inclusive viewpoints, this might turn off certain voting demographics.
The candidate: Rick Santorum
Experience: Associate at the law firm Kirkpatrick & Lockhart in Pittsburgh, Congressman for Pennsylvania’s 18th district (1991-1995), Pennsylvania Senator (1995-2007)
Bio: Rick Santorum was born to a clinical psychologist and a nurse in Winchester, Pennsylvania. He had a short career in law and then turned to politics. His politics have been marked by a strong sense of social conservatism and hawkish foreign policy position. Though a Catholic, he has found more common ground with Evangelicals, strongly opposing abortion and contraception, though he has flip-flopped on whether it should be allowed legally. These questions have hounded him on the campaign trail and to a certain extent have defined him.
He has positioned himself as the anti-Romney and is hoping to use Romney’s more moderate positions taken while he was Governor of the liberal state of Massachusetts. Whether he will emerge victorious out of the primary election is largely reliant on him edging out Newt Gingrich as the conservative alternative.
Why you may or not vote for him
Pros: He has a certain knack for connecting with conservative voters and a great deal of passion for “family issues.” To voters not sold on Romney’s conservative credentials, Santorum provides an exciting alternative.
Cons: He has become a very controversial national figure. If Mitt Romney is vanilla ice cream, Rick Santorum is rocky road. Throughout his career he has been somewhat of a neo-con firebrand, espousing conservative values that are even to the right of America’s most conservative voices. Probably his most controversial policy is his belief that states should have the ability to make contraceptives illegal.
