# Does anyone actually like Romney? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 28, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-actually-like-romney/629704 "2012-07-28T19:36:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-actually-like-romney/629704/221 "2012-08-02T17:18:16Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > It is liberals who are trying to portray Romney as uniquely bad. Singling him out. If anything, conservatives have been quite open about their misgivings about Romney. Bullshit, that’s exactly what you’ve been doing in every political thread on this board for the last week or so, trashing Obama as uniquely horrible, and extolling the virtues of Romney’s qualifications, whatever it is that they may be. Pot - kettle - black. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-actually-like-romney/629704/222 "2012-08-02T17:27:41Z")
I have not. I’m not blaming you for getting that impression, but it’s just no what I’ve been saying. All I’ve done is point out that Obama has most of the same flaws Romney does. And since the subject of the thread did involve posting positive things about Romney, I did so. While still making it clear that I’m not a big fan. I’m just not casting a purely anti-Obama vote. Had the nominee been Rick Santorum, I would likely have supported the President’s reelection. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-actually-like-romney/629704/223 "2012-08-02T17:40:28Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > All I’ve done is point out that Obama has most of the same flaws Romney does. And in every other thread you’re posting in trashing Obama in almost every post? Same motivation? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-actually-like-romney/629704/224 "2012-08-02T17:53:25Z")
If there’s something that needs to be said that isn’t being said, yes. But I do not think the PResident is uniquely bad and I acknowledge that there are good reasons to support him over Romney. I recognize the legitimacy of the other side’s arguments, do you? ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-actually-like-romney/629704/225 "2012-08-02T18:03:00Z")
I don’t believe I ever said or implied that it would be impossible for someone to legitimately support Romney and genuinely believe that he’d be better for the country. Wherever did you get the idea that I don’t recognize the legitimacy of the other side’s arguments? Just because I disagree does not mean I’ve delegitimized the other side’s arguments. Obviously an argument can be both bad and legitimate at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-actually-like-romney/629704/226 "2012-08-02T19:10:40Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Romney was my 4th choice. But he’s still head and shoulders above Obama. Hell, I’d vote for a conservative one-legged leper over Obama. If one had run, the Tea Party would have rejected him for spending too much on healthcare. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-actually-like-romney/629704/227 "2012-08-02T19:30:44Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > “Desperately needed cash” was the phrase used to describe Sports Authority’s predicament when Bain invested in them. I’ll be charitable and just assume you know nothing about business. Here is the paragraph on Sports Authority from your link: > [@](#): > > 1. Bain played a role in Sports Authority’s success > Romney and Co. were “among a handful of venture-capital firms that helped found the Sports Authority” by forking over much-needed cash in exchange for a minority stake, says The Washington Post. At the time, Sports Authority had fewer than 10 stores, and was hungry for money to fuel its expansion. By the time Romney left Bain, Sports Authority had exploded, and employed nearly 14,000 people across the country. If a company is desperate for cash because it is losing money, then giving it money might be called contributing to a turnaround. If it is desperate for money because it is doing so well it needs more (typical of second rounds of venture funding) then it does not need to be turned around. So your very cite disproves your contention. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-actually-like-romney/629704/228 "2012-08-02T19:49:32Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > If a company is desperate for cash because it is losing money, then giving it money might be called contributing to a turnaround. If it is desperate for money because it is doing so well it needs more (typical of second rounds of venture funding) then it does not need to be turned around. Right. Sports Authority is not an example of a company which Bain “turned around”. It’s an example of a company in which Bain got in at the ground floor, and funded its aggressive expansion plans. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-actually-like-romney/629704/229 "2012-08-02T20:23:49Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Right. Sports Authority is not an example of a company which Bain “turned around”. It’s an example of a company in which Bain got in at the ground floor, and funded its aggressive expansion plans. And, judging by the number of companies in on this investment, it seems like a no-brainer. This is a positive use of capital, but doesn’t show any management skill on Romney’s part. ---
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-actually-like-romney/629704/230 "2012-08-03T15:26:06Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Romney was my 4th choice. But he’s still head and shoulders above Obama. Hell, I’d vote for a conservative one-legged leper over Obama. That was such a spectacularly silly bit of hyperbole I searched for it on the internet to see what choices you might have and I see it is the presumptive [Senator elect](http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20120719-senate-candidates-david-dewhurst-ted-cruz-make-pitches-to-texas-republican-groups.ece) for your state. Judging from his Tea Party pedigree and some of his more interesting ideas ( eg. the UN is teaming with George Soros to eliminate golf courses in the US :eek: ) it should be a fun time in Washington next year. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-actually-like-romney/629704/231 "2012-08-04T02:35:46Z")
Ok so we have 2 turnarounds: the Salt Lake City Olympics and Bain capital. Points to **adaher** for creativity with the latter, and I hope we can put the other nonexamples to rest. In both cases, Romney turned the situation around by locating a sugar daddy: the founder of Bain coughed up some dough for Bain Capital and lobbyists tapped federal largesse for the Winter Olympics. The Bain link adaher provides is a puff-piece: it just quotes some of his former business partners and doesn’t bother tracking down any dissenting opinions. There’s a dearth of examples in the article. I see from wikipedia that Romney was one of the initial partners at Bain Capital: the 1989 event was basically a reorganization. At that point they shifted from exclusively funding startups to focus on LBOs and growth capital investments. That’s a little different from buying distressed companies. Bain Capital didn’t compete much with private equity concerns like Versa Capital or Lone Star Funds as far as I know. Romney might have done some turnaround work as a consultant though: I’m not sure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-actually-like-romney/629704.md?page=11)