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Here’s the video on YouTube of Mitt Romney on Larry King Live.

You know first strikes me about this interview? His talking about Fred Thompson getting into the race seemed very genuine. Fred is going to be his political rival, and yet Romney seems to genuinely want him to enter into the race. Race42008’s blogger, HeavyM, was a part of a blogger conference call before the debate tonight (I’m so jealous - *sob*) and the question was asked tonight about Fred Thompson. Let me quote directly:

The last question asked whether or not Mitt was frustrated with the fact that Fred Thompson was getting a ton of free press and had high poll numbers despite not even entering the race yet. Their response was the Romney campaign is very realistic about this entire process, and the fact of the matter is poll numbers will go up and down a lot over time. They pointed out Thompson is subject to scrutiny just like the rest of the candidates now, and ended by saying that you can’t get frustrated in this business and succeed.

Romney isn’t running, Romney isn’t scared, Romney isn’t saying, “Let the best man win!” he is nicely and sincerely saying, “Welcome aboard.” Which just makes me think now more than ever that when Romney wins the Republican nomination, that he’ll ask Fred to be his running mate. Fred could help with the south (one of Romney’s weak spots, because he has never spent any significant amount of time in the south, which is a huge swath of Republican voters in America he’s not connecting to on a personal basis) and I think their style and personalities would compliment each other. You won’t see Romney saying negative or derogatory comments about Fred, because he’s already got him on the short list of vice presidents.

If I’m right, you can guarantee I’ll be crowing about it on here. If I’m wrong - well, forget I ever said anything.

Back to the interview with Larry - I loved the part where he talked about bringing a team together, finding a course to follow, and how even though he’s just one guy, he knows something about building a team [that can help him lead America in the right direction.]

I think this is largely overlooked in today’s politics. No person can do everything. I used to work in a small company (100 employees or less) and would come home at the end of the day absolutely overwhelmed by how much I had to get accomplished, and wondering how on earth I was going to do it all. And there were several other people working in the office with me! It just wasn’t possible for me to do it all, even at that level, and when you consider the amount of problems that need to be solved, the overwhelming amount of people who have dificulties, have questions, who want to talk to you about (whatever) you realize that even if someone were able to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without ever stopping to eat, drink, use the bathroom, or sleep, they would still become so overwhelmed by everything that needed to be done as President of the United States that they would quit within two weeks.

We are not just picking the president. We are picking the president and his team, and his team’s team, because it takes that many people to get things done. We need someone who is going to listen to outside opinion, is going to welcome outside opinion, and is going to be secure enough in their own personal beliefs and values that they will be able to listen to outside opinion. Bush has never wanted anyone but yes men (and women) around him. Wouldn’t it be such a refreshing change to see a president who not only listens to opinions contrary to his own, but asks for it and even demands it? I heard him talking once about how he had a group of people come into his office wanting his approval on a project for roads to be built in Massachusetts. He asked the group how many of them agreed with the project. They all said yes. He asked how many didn’t agree with the project. None of them raised their hands.

He said, “I can’t agree to a project when I haven’t heard the opposing view point.” So he had them leave and find someone who didn’t like the project (they found a state senator) and had that senator come in and pitch his point of view - say why he didn’t think the project should be done. Mitt Romney did end up approving the project, but before he could, he had to hear the other side. When he was at Bain Capital and discussing solutions and ideas with others in board meetings, if no one else would take the opposite view from him, he would actually switch sides and argue as a devil’s advocate, just to stir things up and make them face the problems and find solutions for them. He refused to simply let them all say, “Hey, that sounds like a good idea, let’s do it,” without ever discussing the downside to the solution.

That is who we need in the White House - someone who won’t surround himself with yes men, someone who will be willing to see all sides of the issue before coming to a solution, someone who will be a leader.

Back to the interview: Regarding to the “Mormon question” and whether Romney is getting sick of it, Romney said he’ll answer it because he takes what he is given, but then he said this, “I really think that the people of America, however, are saying enough already.” Amen brother!!!!! I don’t know about anyone else, but you can count me as one of those who are saying “enough already” because it has been hashed and rehashed and rehashed ad nauseum. Yes, the media has the right to ask the question, but eventually it’s going to come to a point where it’s going to be a backlash on them, because people are going to start protesting. “Why do you care? He’s already answered this question 5017 times before. Don’t you think you can find something else interesting to talk about? How about asking him on his foreign policy stance. You might actually learn something new.” Side note: His stance on foreign policy is absolutely amazing. He knows the countries and the people like he’s been living in their backyard all his life. Listening to him talk on foreign policy is truly like getting a lesson on world geography and world politics rolled into one.

Well, that’s it for me on the Larry King interview. Let me finish off tonight by posting a few thoughts on the debate itself. Stay tuned for my next post!

Hava

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