The American Dream Remains Acceptable to Americans–But Only if You’re a Democrat???
Imagine, if you will, a Massachusetts politician so dizzily wealthy that the common folk can’t relate to him.
How does a quarter of a billion dollars grab you? Someone who has served his country by committing to the support of charity work like no other; someone who has redefined political leadership in his state; someone beloved and hailed with much fanfare by his base supporters for his commitment to purpose.
And his vast wealth is a mere afterthought…
You think, of course, that can’t be referring to Mitt Romney–and you’d be correct.
I am, in fact, referring to the media view of Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts. Remember him of the $500.00 haircuts, botox injections and $3,000 silk and mohair suits?
When John Kerry was required to release his financial disclosure forms, the final tally was a whopping $260,000,000 net worth. A good portion of it came from his marriage to his (demonstrably insane) second wife, Teresa Heinz-Kerry. She, too, inherited her fortune from her first husband–a Heinz heir that died suddenly.
Senator Kerry’s charity work–and giving, was minimal.
It was all a media story for about one week, as the press spun the yarn (since proven false) of a Vietnam war hero that ascended to the throne of the Democrats, with aplomb and splendor.
Governor Mitt Romney’s financials were finally released yesterday. He’s worth around $250,000,000. The Governor earned around $43,000,000 for 2010-2011 and as a result of capital gains and dividends paid a blended 14.3% in taxes. He earned every penny of it himself while in a business known for deep and successive failures. He rescued just over 100,000 jobs and 10,000 businesses. He’s not broken a single tax law and played completely within the rules, even going so far as fully declaring offshore investments and a $100,000,000 trust for his five sons.
Oh, and his charity? An astounding $3,000,000 per year (and an additional $4,000,000 to his church).
Mitt Romney made a massive amount of money and is an extremely wealthy, generous man–something we’ve known for over a decade.
And the cacophony has been endless. It’s a bad thing to be successful. He shouldn’t be president. Huh?
The shameful idiots at Fox News (that have proven a deep disappointment, to the extent that I may cancel my subscription) who are bent on anointing an entirely unelectable, pig-headed liar and hypocrite like Newt Gingrich, are leading the charge against Gov. Romney.
He’s unelectable says ABC News, because “he’s way too wealthy.”
“He’s definitely part of the 1%,” pipes up the far-left Huffington Post.
What a shameful, despicable group of whores.
John Kerry married into vast wealth and not a peep beyond one week’s tepid foaming.
Mitt Romney earns every penny of it after a double degree from Harvard and an unblemished life, and he’s being torn to pieces.
George Bush was part of the ridiculously referred to “1%”. Same with Barack Obama. In fact, the only two Presidents of the last ten that weren’t marvelously wealthy entering into office were Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.
But because Mitt Romney spent most of his years in business and not in government–and had unusual financial smarts–even if you ask his few enemies–this is all bad.
Did I lose the plot somewhere? What happened to being given an opportunity to do the best that you can, within the rules you’re provided? What happened to being an honest guy, who loves and is faithful to his family–and also happens to have made himself rich?
What happened to the American dream?
Why is being wealthy a bad thing? For the vast majority in that position, it’s come by honestly and with integrity. The ‘Romney Way’–which his advisers should market!
Warren Buffet wants a greater tax on the rich but has spent the better part of eight years in a legal battle with the IRS–TO PAY LESS TAXES!!! And the media hail the his grandstanding while glossing over the real story.
So for the whiners, let’s recap: if you’re poor you must hate the rich because you’re not like them. If you’re not as incredibly wealthy as your neighbor, you must hate him because he has several millions more than you. If you’re a Democrat running for president, then it’s okay to be worth a quarter of a billion dollars (even though you married into almost every penny). If you’re a Republican running for president and you’ve earned every dime, nickel and quarter, forget it, you’re no good.
And then people wonder why we elected frauds as public officials???
The bad we reward and the good we vilify.
What a tremendous example we are setting for future generations. If you feel you’re not far enough ahead, take to the streets and occupy anything someone else has built–screw the system so there is nothing left to support you and the good people are your enemies. Adopt positions which make no sense and hypocritically demand the unreasonable s that the screaming headline or six o’clock hit will make you a hero of the willfully and literally unwashed).
But woe betide anyone who gets ahead. That’s not good.
The supreme maggotry of all this will be society’s total undoing–just watch.
But then who to blame?
Exactly right, as usual, Alex. The entrepeneurial spirit, hard work, and risk taking is what made America the country it is. A lot of people profess hatred of the United States but they come from all corners of the world desperate to live there.
The vilification of successful people like Mitt Romney is always expected from the left-leaning corners of the Democratic Party and most of the mainstream media (while they adore the Kerrys, the Kennedys et al who never did a day’s work in their lives and inherited their wealth) but why Fox News is jumping on this bandwagon is simply beyond me.
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Because he’s not a far right nut job and the far right evangelicals (most of them) are destructive bastards. Total hypocrites, they’d rather see Obama on than have Romney save the country from itself.
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great colmn as usual.
i caught the highlites of obama^s speech m i am disappointed.
claiming he is going after the fraudsters and no more bail outs is like locking the pasture after you ler the cows out.
romney lives the american dream to work hard be ethical. pay your taxes and support charities.
on a percentage of income he gives more than obama and the newt.
obama is saying you are stupid to work hard and try to create a good life for your family. just let the rich pay.
sooner or later the rich will move away then what? let the unemployed middle income pay
oops to late their employers moved out of the country
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And that’s EXACTLY what he and the Occupy IDIOTS don’t get. Just a little short term gain and we’ll whether the storm later. IDIOTS! Once those businesses because you pushed them away, they’re gone forever!!!!!!
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You wonder how much Jealousy plays into all this. People, be they Joe Sixpack or a News reporter may want to tear him down BECAUSE of his success.
These people urinate on the shoes of the qualified, the hard working, the honest candidates that may acutally make a difference.
“Gee ? Who do I vote for? A poor man that borrows money from every multinational corp to get elected OR a self made millionaire that can spend his own money to get elected and not owe anyone a favour”
Seems like a no brainer to me.
Besides, after Bush Jr. how bad can it be?
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For the most part I agree. I believe everyone has the right to maximize their earning potential, whether they become rich, or remain in the so called ’99%’. For the record, I hate that percentage crap, I am not in the high income territory for sure, but nor do I consider myself disadvantaged. I don’t envy anyone their income, we are all entitled to the spoils we work so hard to get. I also agree that society, ours and theirs, have become one of entitlement. I don’t like the thought of becoming one of Greece’s territories. Having said that, a couple of things just irk me about the Republican dogma in general. Low taxes is something everyone understands and embraces, but in our country we seem to bemoan our taxation while we forget where our money goes. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had several family members, including myself and own son, spend time in hospital wards, in one case for several weeks. I would have to declare bankruptcy in the Republican world if I or my family didn’t have sufficient wherewithal to pay for sky high health insurance plans. Gays are persona non grata for most Republicans, never mind marriage or equality. Some engage in really sick demonstations and protests condemning them all to hell. There is more of course, and I could easily write comments regarding the Dems policies as well. I just don’t see where America has any middle ground for those who lean right, but with some Liberal tendencies. But, I’m probably wrong.
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Superb comment. Complete agreement.
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HI Alex,
Romney is being “swiftboated” by his own party which to me is the ultimate in hypocrisy, coming for a crowd that spouts individualism and ” low taxes, vote for me”.
As much as I despise many versions of modern conservatism as little more than ethical and sometimes religious hypocrisy on the grand scale while running up debt while no-one is looking, Romney stands out as a decent man, ook at the others, Palin, Gingrich, Ron Paul, Bachmann et. al.. I’m quite sure that in his business life he has done some things that weren’t to kosher, however, that is the nature of the U.S. system that the GOP profess to embrace.
I understand that he has to play to the nutcase base of his party, but hopefully at some stage of the game a genuine Romney will be able to show up, as anyone else on that platform will sink any hope of winning in November, not that I want to see the GOP in. The U.S. and the rest of the world doesn’t need another dose of an unregulated 3 ring circus controlled by whoever pays to play.
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Better than the current Marxist in the White House.
Obama keeps lofting grenades at the successful and wealthy, but i’ve not seen a poor person run a successful business or hire people.
The class warfare tactic is so destructive and counter productive to what the US needs to get back on the right track.
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Nor have we seen any poor people at any of Obama’s fundraising dinners. Nor have we seen Obama playing golf with any poor people.
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And you won’t.
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Amazing how much Obama hobnobs with the ultra-rich that he constantly vilifies!
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YUP!
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Alex, you’ve hit the nail on the head.
I call what you described the “politics of envy”.
It is alive and well.
I’ve known people that have steadfastly maintained that if you have ONE NICKEL more than them, you must be a crook.
They are very unhappy folks…………………….
But, hey, it’s their choice.
Cheers
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Do you seriously have any understanding of the US political system ? I mean not the puppett show we see on TV
OMG….
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Frankly the moral of the story is you can’t run for president anymore unless you are a multi millionaire.
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Actually, I think the story is that if you have done well you should run off somewhere and die because being successful means you should be ashamed.
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$500 haircut? I’ve been cutting mine myself because the last few months I couldn’t afford my hairdresser who only charges $40. And I have roots growing down the side of my head, let’s not even talk about the price of color! Good thing my hair’s gotten so dark over the years! Botox? It was great when my extended medical paid for it, but they won’t anymore. No more Botox for me. Don’t even talk to me about $3000 suits. Haha!
Charities? I’d love to donate to an animal rescue but lately…. yeah. However, my altruistic self did give my last six dollars to a friend lying in her death bed in Joshua Tree, CA, dying of brain cancer. She passed today. She was only 41.
I really don’t care that there are people out there that are wealthy. Someone I know is a self made millionaire and he never graduated high school. I get cranky when people like Warren Buffet bitch they pay too much in taxes. 13%? I bloody wish! I’m probably one of the few who doesn’t hate the rich, because the majority of rich friends I have earned every damned penny.
Okay, done with my whining diatribe. Can you tell it’s been a crap week?
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Bang on.
By the way, what’s with all these people going on about 30% income tax on middle income here in the US? RE Buffett’s secretary. It’s just not true! How this crap keeps getting repeated is unbelievable.
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I know. Total lies and complete crap and yet the media just keeps repeating it.
Buffet is the biggest fraud on the planet. He talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk.
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And not just the media and WB repeating it, the President did again in his State of the Union!
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I know, just appalling.
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