Mitt Romney Campaign Literature

No link, but I've recieved some campaign literature from the candidate, and I've been giving some blog time to others, so it's probably overdue to give a short spiel on him. Right on the heels of the Mayor's 12 point plan I get the Governor's 10 point plan in the mail. Interesting. Of course, I'm still throwing away all the crap John McCain's been sending me.

1. Defeat the Jihadists - no argument here, he suggests it will take both military and diplomatic efforts, and some attitude adjustments from Muslims. Pretty clear thinking here.

2. Compete with Asia - Aren't we already doing that? Blurb says something remotely pro-trade, welcoming investment and educating our children. Not sure what his point is, but I think we have to compete globally, not just with one particular area.

3. Stop Runaway Spending - Good luck getting the other party to agree to that one, but I do appreciate the sentiment.

4. Getting Immigration Right - wants to increase legal immigration for skilled workers, and strongly enforce the border. Best thing I've heard since #1.

5. Achieving Energy Independence - Refers to domestic drilling, conservation efforts, and alternate energy sources, just like almost every other Republican candidate.

6. Affirming America's Culture and Values - a fairly innoculous list pandering for the social conservative vote. Nice rhetorical flourishes. Not sure superpower status relies exclusively on these values, however.

7. Simplifying the Tax System - doesn't explicitly endorse making the Bush cuts permanent, but does say he wants to keep taxes low and reduce the complexity of the code, both items I favor.

8. Investing in Technology - Oh, boy. Corporate welfare. Which industries and companies do you pick? Mentions American firms spend more on tort liability than R & D, sounds to me like some justified legal reforms are long overdue rather than having my tax money being spent on solar panels or what have you so some business can bring a product to market on my dime.

9. Extending Health Insurance to All Americans - this guy is a Republican? Says it won't be a government program, but ??? What it going to cost? What if I'm young and healthy and don't like forking out half my paycheck to an insurance company?

10. Raise the Bar on Education - another UGHHH issue, the federal government's involvement with this subject has been conclusively proven to be entirely counterproductive. Says nothing about school choice or vouchers.

I can certainly tell he's from Massachussets. While I have some issues with these issues, he's almost certainly better than any Democrat with the possibly exception of Governor Richardson.
I've been getting alot of mailings from the major players beggin for money, this is the first I can recall that had the candidate's laundry list of issues. McCain's been sending me surveys for over a year, and the Mayor's sent me a number of deals as well.

I sure hope Fred gets his campaign together soon. A couple of pundits believe, like I do, that it will come down to the Mayor and Fred. Romney did not impress me before, and this list, while it has some good elements, does not inspire a great deal of confidence in the candidate from my perspective.