Standing on the rostrum of American exceptionalism, Mitt Romney, a Michigan native and former Governor of Massachusetts, takes a leap of faith in what some may call a campaign book, with No Apology: The Case for American Greatness. Although he has eschewed questions of his running for President again in 2012, this book at least positions him as a sought-after fillip to Republican candidates for 2010. Not a memoir, but a response to America's challenges is what Romney offers us here. While he only dedicates roughly one chapter to an idealist approach, he soon moves on to a more realist, pragmatic and learned stance. In other words, he wants the reader to see that he knows what he is doing: He is the man in charge, a viable leader.
With regards to foreign policy, after criticizing President Obama for his attempt at making amends for his predecessor's hardline policy, he takes on a more balanced and embracing attitude. To defend liberty around the world, threatened by China, Russia and the jihadists, Romney appeals to America's allies, such as the European Union and Israel. Alongside the hope that they will send more troops to secure our freedom, he calls upon us all to spread our common values of democracy and opportunity. To reform health care, he proposes a bi-partisan effort as he implemented with the late Senator Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts, whereby everyone buys their own coverage, thus removing a sense of entitlement. Should a person not be able to meet all the costs, however, the state would then step in as a sign of generosity. As for Medicare, Romney heralds an increase in the retirement age that would match our rising life expectancy. To improve public education, Romney taps into his expertise as a CEO. In an effort to decrease taxpayers' withholdings, he suggests fewer teachers with higher salaries, a crackdown on “fatcat” unions, and easier access to e-learning.
Although he supports traditional marriage as congruent with his personal stance on the American Dream, Romney's focus remains a fiscal one, unlike his 2008 campaign when he voiced more opinions on social issues. In his view, a marriage between a man and a woman is simply the best environment for a child to grow up, take to education, develop a work ethic and prosper. In the same way as the book does not intimate a socially conservative regulation of social mores, Romney does not expound upon his Mormon faith. Even though he briefly mentions his tenure as a part-time Mormon pastor, he shies away from proselytizing or engaging in culture wars. Instead, he takes us back to job creation, with the reiterated assurance that while profit leads to laying workers off, it also sets them free to pay less taxes in the long run, and to be bold in their future enterprises. Personal responsibility, more than religious doctrine, seems to be on his agenda for America's future.
In the end, Romney offers a vision for America and the world where actions speak louder than words, and each goal has its own set of solutions. As he gives answers to the challenges triggered by the financial crisis and the war on terror, he traces a path on the way towards the triumph of responsibility over entitlement, prosperity over poverty, freedom over tyranny. While this pursuit may be “difficult,” he assures us that the outcome shall be “beautiful.”
1 comments
Is it fair to assume the author is a neo-conservative who champions this "monster"?
From my reading of this book I feel this is a self serving account of this book, since when has Romney withheld his religious and social conservative views from his support base.