A reader, who says he’s on the fence but leaning Romney, emailed a few questions. I thought it would be good to respond as a post and as an opportunity to make the case for Romney again.

His first question asked about electability in the general election. This is a point that McCain and Giuliani try to harp on. They argue that somehow looking out a year before the general election, before even the nominees are chosen, that the polls would show an accurate reflection of electability of the different candidates. Not only are there historical examples of the changes in support once the nominees have been set, but we can look to the dynamics of the primary election so far as evidence of how quickly and dramatically things can change. Take these polls with a ton of salt. Particularly be skeptical when the advocates of the “electability” test have 100% name recognition.

The reader also asks what the story was behind the illegal immigrants working on Romney’s lawn. This is a simple story and certainly not worthy of the hoopla that other candidates have made of it. Romney, like most homeowners, hired a company to do his lawn work. Personally, when I’ve hired a company to do my lawn work, I have not asked for proof of immigration status of its employees. Likewise, I imagine that Romney took little thought as to what the immigration status of that company’s workers was. Nor should he have been required to do so. When we go to a restaurant or hotel we do not ask if there are any illegal immigrants working there. As consumers we don’t ask our grocery stores to check whether illegal immigrants picked the fruit or vegetables they sell. That is the federal government’s duty, not the duty of individual consumers, which Romney was in hiring a company to do his lawn work.

The reader continues by asking about Romney’s healthcare plan. Romney’s national healthcare plan is a combination of positive incentives and smarter use of government spending. On the individual level, it allows people to spend on healthcare without reducing their post-tax income. On the state level, Romney redirects current government spending on mandated healthcare programs to encourage the states to find a better, more affordable way to get access to healthcare. This uses the states as “laboratories of experiment” in finding the best ways to deregulate the market and reducing the number of “free-riders” who are receiving healthcare at hospitals without paying for the services they receive.

The reader finishes by asking about Romney’s ability to curb federal spending and balance the budget, especially in light of expenses due to the Iraq war, NCLB, and the prescription drug plan. This is one of the areas where I find Romney so appealing. He has proven time and again in business, the Olympics, and in Massachusetts that he is able to balance a budget and find a surplus (or profit). There are definitely challenges in the federal government. Romney has proposed to do a top-to-bottom review of all federal programs. He has first looked to eliminate duplicative and wasteful programs. He has also talked about reducing the overall number of federal employees. One thing is for sure, Romney has been creative and diligent in demanding a balanced budget from all organizations that he has lead. As president I would look for that trend to continue.

Labels: mitt romney