The Economy is Lagging So Romney Must Be Awesome!?

I'm eager to know what it is about Mitt Romney that has made a portion of the electorate's squishy center believe that his skill at turning over the nation's economic engine is better than Barack Obama's. That is to say that I am hoping that there is something that makes them think Romney is better. I hope their criteria is more than just the fact that Romney is "someone else." 

I wonder if these centrists have fallen for the argument that because Romney has created wealth for himself and others, he will somehow produce wealth for the nation. It is probably the most compelling argument Romney has going for him, but not one that stands up to scrutiny. Businessmen have not had a good record as successful presidents. Using the term "businessman" loosely turns up these names: Harding, Hoover, Truman, Carter, Bush, and Bush. With the exception of Truman who was a men's clothier for two years before going bankrupt, none of these names are equated with golden eras. As a matter of fact, most of them are equated with recession, depression, malaise, and downturns in no particular order. 

Voting for Romney because of his business experience takes very little into consideration. For example, what if Congress got out of the way and let Obama spend money on his work/infrastructure plans? Republicans say they oppose this because "SPENDING IS OUT OF CONTROL!" Of course to them, spending was not out of control until the second Barack Obama took office. Republicans act as if our national debt did not exist until Inauguration Day, 2009. They were all curiously quiet when Dick Cheney said in the 2004 vice presidential debate "deficits don't matter." The fact is, between a stalled economy and our debt, the stalled economy takes precedence. Spending money to put people to work so they can in turn spend money is much smarter than closing up shop in the name of debt reduction. You WILL stimulate the economy and eventually reduce debt through the right spending, but you can NOT increase employment through austerity. The fact that Republicans argue the opposite is what feeds the belief that they are intentionally trying to stymie any recovery. 

If Mitt Romney were president, he would have two options. He could turn around and enact those types of programs Obama is pushing for, or he could stick to his Republican prescription of more tax cuts. We have never seen simultaneous prosperity and debt reduction through the latter. It's been almost ten years since the Bush tax cuts went into effect and the most obvious result they have had has been their toll on our budget. And biz whiz Mitt Romney thinks that more tax cuts will get us back on track? People who support Mitt Romney and his logic deserve Mitt Romney. Fortunately for the rest of us, odds of them getting what they deserve are getting slimmer.