Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney gave a speech at Lansing Community College on the economy.
The New York Times blog "The Caucus" Ashley Parker writes that Romney cast the presidential election as a choice between the past and the future:
“President Obama chose to apply liberal ideas of the past to a 21st century America,” Mr. Romney said. “Liberal policies didn’t work back then, they haven’t worked during these last four years, and they will not work in the future. New Democrats had abandoned those policies, but President Obama resurrected them, with the predictable results.” Standing in front of a backdrop a [sic] six flags — two Michigan state flags, and four American flags, one of which bore a steel border meant to invoke manufacturing strength — Mr. Romney seemed to prefer the “New Democrat” policies of President Bill Clinton, whom he touted as counterpoint to Mr. Obama.
Romney said “Americans are tired of living on the edge, tired about wondering about what kind of country they’re going to leave their children. They’re tired of being tired. This wasn’t what we expected from President Obama. He promised change and hope, and he said we could do anything we wanted together. But rhetoric met reality and reality won.”
Here's the text of Romney's speech.
And here's some reaction from those who came to see Romney speak at Lansing Community College today:
http://environmentreport.org/audio/Romney_reax.mp3
Romney supporter Harry Kost of Lansing says he liked the candidate’s remarks about business creation.
(He’s) Gonna make it easier for businesses to start and then not be taxed to death in that. And I think he’s going to give us the chance to have more people go to work,” said Kost.
Kost also agrees with Romney about ending so-called ‘Obamacare’ and building a U.S./Canada oil pipeline.
Norma Jean Wiley voted for Newt Gingrich in the Michigan primary. But the Hillsdale County resident says Governor Romney is growing on her.
“The more that I see of him, I can see that he has a more human, conservative side that I appreciate,” said Wiley.
She feels he has “a good plan for the future.”
Lynn Taylor of Ann Arbor says she plans to follow the details of Romney policies as they take shape. For now, she is solidly behind the republican.
“He promised he’d end Obamacare and that’s important to me. And he will fix it. He said he would do a partnership with the government and the private industry, so I thought that was good,” said Taylor.
Taylor says she thinks Romney is committed to innovation and moving forward.
In a speech in Ohio yesterday, Romney brought up his position on the auto bailouts, going so far as to take credit for the U.S. auto industry's comeback.
It was a topic that The Caucus' Parker says he did not mention once in his speech today.
He did, however, make sure to say that he would “help usher in a revival in American manufacturing.” “I’m convinced, if we take an entirely new direction in energy and in trade policy and in labor policy, we’re going to see more manufacturing jobs come back to America than those that have left America,” Mr. Romney said. “I am absolutely convinced of this. This is real. With the right policies and the right leadership we can see a resurgence in American manufacturing.”
