One thing people don’t mention about Romney is that he does not need to lie as much as he does. Romney could have run a more honest and even moderate campaign and still won the GOP nomination because of the massively underwhelming field he was running against and he had every organizational and monetary advantage.
So it only speaks more poorly about Romney that he has no problem lying including about his GOP opponents.
So why does Romney lie so much?
First and foremost Romney’s habitual mendacity obviously says he has no personal principles but it also says more about his mentality or more specifically where this mentality brought Romney success and why he still employs it. Romney is a private equity business consult by trade and examining what these consultants do and not do explains to some extent why Romney lies as much as he does. For one thing PE consultants function in a paradigm of a world without limits because they are never the ones accountable when their advice is wrong. Romney’s bad call on the now famous ‘Let Detroit go Bankrupt’ op-ed is a great example this. Romney had no skin in the game so he could make his Nostradumbarse prescriptions all he wanted. Based on the environment Romney matured in whether he was right or wrong he and Bain Capital profited the vast majority of the time. It simply did not matter that the companies he consulted with went bankrupt or not because Bain almost always got there share.
To elaborate consultants in the private equity business operate on the notion that they tell their customers what they want to hear and then do what they want anyway. Remember the Gordon Gekko speech to the manufacturing company in the movie ‘Wall Street’. It was all platitudes about free enterprise and the American working spirit. However behind the scenes Gekko knew he was going to gut the company all along. This is the crux of why Romney will do or say anything to get elected. But again if you look behind the curtain like looking at his budget (which he is counting on most GE voters to forget) you quickly learn that his real intentions are to continue the Reagan greed is good direction of the country.
Private equity consultants with a pre-destined agenda are also very poor at tough decision making simply because it takes a certain mental rigidity and ruthlessness to be a Romney type consultant. This is a main weakness for Romney and why he would be a dangerous president. He simply does not have the inclination to take on the base of his party or offer ideas that do not fit the plan. Let us be unequivocal here Romney’s plan is to expand the American plutocracy and nothing else. Even his national security agenda which has a binary thought process and thinks the world is still us against them fits that dubious plan.
Do not get me wrong because I am not denigrating all consultants because most consultants are valuable parts of our business, technical, social and political communities. I have dealt with dozens of consultants (mostly technical consultants) in my career and while it is true that they do not have to deal with the direct consequences that the people that employ them do most of them were very good problem solvers. In fact a consultants only value is their credibility and while they can fail on a few jobs if the continue to offer bad services they simply will not get new business. Romney type of consultancy was different because at Bain because there was no value in offer tough solutions so they always took the easy path whether it was good for their clients or not. To refrain private equity consultants are different because they have a pre-destined agenda that does not mean they want what is best for the company. Private equity is basically a fixed game where the PE firm holds all the cards like the house in Las Vegas.
Based on Romney’s experiences at Bain Capital, obviously he thinks he is his own best political consultant. But Romney is running his campaign like a bad political consultant rather than as a presidential candidate. Usually candidates are sort of a foil to their own consultants. After all the candidate usually sees the big picture and is more concerned about coming off consistently and credibly. The political consultants usually have to prompt the candidate to go ultra negative because it is not their reputation on the line. Romney does not have the normal filter a presidential candidate needs. That is why he says things like ‘Russia is our #1 geopolitical enemy’ just to try and make hay off of a supposed open mic gaffe by Obama. Romney simply never even bothers to evaluate the broader consequences of what he says or does. In other words the concept of coming off as being presidential (beyond Romney’s superficial appearance) is foreign to Romney.
Fortunately President Obama is almost the anti-Romney in so many ways. Problem solving, decision making and most of all strategic presidential thinking are some of his major strengths. Not to mention the personal qualities like integrity and consistency that are the root of these higher level character traits. The president has no problem understanding complex matters and nuance, saying and doing the things that are not politically easy or even taking on his base sometimes.
Romney is an excellent private equity business consultant, poor political consultant and would simply be a terrible president. Fortunately he is a terrible campaigner with his lack of authenticity and other fatal personality flaws. But unless we remind voters on almost a daily basis what Romney is all about he still could win the presidency because we know the main stream media will not do their jobs.
Quote from ‘2010’ – “HAL was told to lie – by people who find it easy to lie. HAL doesn’t know how. “
Great article KQ and brilliant method of analysis.
Romney does indeed show the characteristics you describe, those which made him the typical destructive hedge fund egoist are the same that make him a liar and unprincipled, greedy human being.
It would be interesting if the meme of Romney’s strength of his background is what would make him a horrible and dishonest president. Turning strengths into weaknesses is typically the tactic of Rove and the GOP but it seems to be such an easy task when it comes to Romney’s success as a hedge fund exec being attributable to his being unethical and that being a key reason to disqualify him as a Presidential candidate.
Cheers Adlib. Coming from you it means allot. Like I said obviously Romney has no core values and that’s the basic reason why he has no conscience when it comes to lying. However add that lying has been such a trait leading to his financial success and that’s what leads to him using lies as his main campaign strategy.
“Based on the environment Romney matured in whether he was right or wrong he and Bain Capital profited the vast majority of the time. It simply did not matter that the companies he consulted with went bankrupt or not because Bain almost always got there share.”
So how does someone with this mentality approach government? I would think that they regard every decision in terms of potential profit and loss, BUT know that if their is loss it will not be their loss – someone else, i.e. the taxpayers, will cover the cost.
“Private equity consultants with a pre-destined agenda are also very poor at tough decision making simply because it takes a certain mental rigidity and ruthlessness to be a Romney type consultant. ”
Does this explain Romney’s approach to issues of foreign policy- all black and white, no grey space? When I read this I paused – I have been thinking for a long time that Romney’s “taking it to Iranians” was just over the top macho braggadocio but your comments make me think it is how he actually will be. Yes?
“Romney simply never even bothers to evaluate the broader consequences of what he says or does. In other words the concept of coming off as being presidential (beyond Romney’s superficial appearance) is foreign to Romney.”
Is this why Romney is not a good political creature? He did one term as a governor and “The Real Romney” makes it pretty clear that not only was he facing a battle to get a second term but that he really did not like the job very much and did not have the heart to run again. Do you agree? If so, why is he running for president?
Is it as you say…”Let us be unequivocal here Romney’s plan is to expand the American plutocracy and nothing else.” Is this the ultimate act of THE Bain man?
“Romney is an excellent private equity business consultant, poor political consultant and would simply be a terrible president. Fortunately he is a terrible campaigner with his lack of authenticity and other fatal personality flaws.
Fortunately President Obama is almost the anti-Romney in so many ways. Problem solving, decision making and most of all strategic presidential thinking are some of his major strengths. Not to mention the personal qualities like integrity and consistency that are the root of these higher level character traits. The president has no problem understanding complex matters and nuance, saying and doing the things that are not politically easy or even taking on his base sometimes.”
One of the best simple, succinct summaries of the governing character of the two men. Thank you.
KQ…this article is one of the best I have read on the election. It did not get the attention it deserves. I want to copy and paste it into my archive and use it again and again and again at the four blogs I wrote on. May I have your support in doing this. Do you want direct credit….POV link etc. I will follow your wishes in this. Brilliant piece of work.
KQ….Better Late Than Never
“Based on the environment Romney matured in whether he was right or wrong he and Bain Capital profited the vast majority of the time. It simply did not matter that the companies he consulted with went bankrupt or not because Bain almost always got there share.”
So how does someone with this mentality approach government? I would think that they regard every decision in terms of potential profit and loss, BUT know that if their is loss it will not be their loss – someone else, i.e. the taxpayers, will cover the cost.
“Private equity consultants with a pre-destined agenda are also very poor at tough decision making simply because it takes a certain mental rigidity and ruthlessness to be a Romney type consultant. ”
Does this explain Romney’s approach to issues of foreign policy- all black and white, no grey space? When I read this I paused – I have been thinking for a long time that Romney’s “taking it to Iranians” was just over the top macho braggadocio but your comments make me think it is how he actually will be. Yes?
“Romney simply never even bothers to evaluate the broader consequences of what he says or does. In other words the concept of coming off as being presidential (beyond Romney’s superficial appearance) is foreign to Romney.”
Is this why Romney is not a good political creature? He did one term as a governor and “The Real Romney” makes it pretty clear that not only was he facing a battle to get a second term but that he really did not like the job very much and did not have the heart to run again. Do you agree? If so, why is he running for president?
Is it as you say…”Let us be unequivocal here Romney’s plan is to expand the American plutocracy and nothing else.” Is this the ultimate act of THE Bain man?
“Romney is an excellent private equity business consultant, poor political consultant and would simply be a terrible president. Fortunately he is a terrible campaigner with his lack of authenticity and other fatal personality flaws.
Fortunately President Obama is almost the anti-Romney in so many ways. Problem solving, decision making and most of all strategic presidential thinking are some of his major strengths. Not to mention the personal qualities like integrity and consistency that are the root of these higher level character traits. The president has no problem understanding complex matters and nuance, saying and doing the things that are not politically easy or even taking on his base sometimes.”
One of the best simple, succinct summaries of the governing character of the two men. Thank you.
KQ…this article is one of the best I have read on the election. It did not get the attention it deserves. I want to copy and paste it into my archive and use it again and again and again at the four blogs I wrote on. May I have your support in doing this. Do you want direct credit….POV link etc. I will follow your wishes in this. Brilliant piece of work.
Murph thanks for your kind comments and thoughtful insights and questions.
I have no problem with cut and paste jobs with proper reference. No use reinventing the wheel even with blog posts.
I have many things to take care of today but I’ll answer each question at some point.
Just one comment. Yes Romney is only concerned about making him and his cronies more profit. His rejection of the Detroit bailout showed he simply does not get what governing should be all about. It was never a financial issue with the GM bailout and supporting the Chrysler sale. It was a HUMAN issue. Having a million or more people out of work not even trying to bailout the auto industry would be a HUMAN disaster. So the auto bailout was a HUMAN intervention done via financing. Romney (and most Republicans) do not care about people the way Obama and most Dems do. Too many Americans have forgotten the government is suppose to be for and by the people. NOT for corporations first.
I will provide the link to the Planet and to your article when I use this material.
I believe that these three Romney comments in a major address, a public pronouncements in an editorial and in his appearance before an editorial board that a) TARP should have never been pass, b) the Auto Industry Bailout is a mistake, and c) The Housing Market should have been allowed to bottom out…..disqualify him from the Oval Office. In these three statements he makes it clear that he is manfestly unqualified to be President.
Presidents must understand that their role is a HUMAN one and not a Corporate one.
KQ, very interesting take on the ole Romney. In Romney’s line of business everything is scrap metal. Do you forge it or scrap it at the best price? Most often they are in the scrap game. There are a few “turn around” but if assets have value separate from the operation, well, money is the name of the game. And, they can do it with a smile and tell you it was the best option available.
Thanks Sally and so true. The scrap metal mentality is no way to run a country. Good presidents have empathy and treat people like human beings not raw materials that are only here to help a very few profit.
Excellent call Kquark. You hit the nail on the head about honesty and the consultant, especially in his line of business. They are only responsible to ensure the fees due to the “management” company are sufficient and the hell with the rest. They even insure such an outcome by borrowing on the equity/assets of the company they are managing. It Is NEVER their money.
Mitt is a seventh generation Mormon and by that his presidency is prohetic by the church doctrine. I will explain that in the piece I am working on for future publishing. Too bad for them and their bad judgement and ours if he actually makes it. I cannot imagine him saving any constitution that is hanging by a thread. That would mean the country is at civil war and he would have no clue how to deal with that.
There is a song somewhere that in part says, “you backed the wrong horse” but I cannot remember it right now.
Edit: I remembered the song and it is somewhat appropriate. It was in the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar
Thanks Sue I look forward to your article. I’m sure it will be insightful.
No doubt Romney only knows how to play a rigged game. Even his nomination bid this year is rigged. Because of his organization and cronies Romney is taking MORE delegates in a couple states he lost. A president needs to have some humility and experience some hardships to relate to people. Romney has had very little to mold him into presidential timber that way.
Great blog! Reminds me of the joke that ends with, “Lord, if you can’t help me, please don’t help that bear!”
Extra points for using the words Nostradumbarse and mendacity.
Cheers for the kind words Carmen.