America Is Now Witnessing a Bain-Style Takeover of The Office Of The Presidency

By Tricia Erickson, Contributor/Author,  “Can Mitt Romney Serve Two Masters?”

Polls show that America is not that keen on this liberal candidate dressed in Republican clothing. Yet, because Mitt’s financial war chest is greater than his more preferred competitors, his ever flowing money is out-spending them to the extent that it is impossible to financially catch up to him in order to win the election. Because of his money, Mitt aired more than 12,000 television commercials in the Florida Primary. Because Newt did not have Mitt’s money, he was only able to air a few hundred spots.

We can expect to see the same all the way to through the election process because Romney has built an arsenal of wealth for the purpose of “overtaking” the Presidency.  And nothing, I mean nothing, is going to stop him!

What a coincidence that, in 2008, Thomas H. Lee Paretners and Bain Capital Partners acquired 49% of Clear Channel for a reported 18.7 billion dollars. Clear Channel owns Premiere Radio networks which hosts the majors in talk shows such as the Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Bob Costasshows and dominates over 1,000 radio and TV stations, nationwide. With this in mind, do you think the hosts of these thousand plus shows will say anything negative about one of its owners? I’m just sayin’.

In 2007, CNNMoney.com reported that roughly 43 percent of the Romney’s portfolio was tied up in private equity investments through Bain Capital Management. It makes you wonder what else Bain-Mitt has purchased as a possible means to his strategic acquisition of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  

Even the Mormon Church has spent millions of dollars, succinctly enacting a public relations campaign to overcome the objection to Mitt’s Mormonism with its “I Am A Mormon” campaign. Yes, it’s truly an all-hands-on-deck, winner take all takeover.

Let’s take a walk down Romney’s 2008 Presidential race memory lane:

In 2007, Michael D. Shear and Alec Macgillis from the Washing Post reported: “In fact, Romney had spent so much money in the Ames straw poll in Iowa, McCain and Giuliani backed out. The campaign purchased tickets to the event, chartered a large amount of buses and provided a barbeque lunch to in which to draw people”. “The campaign also paid 60 “super volunteers” an average of $500 to $1000 a month to “talk him [Romney] up.” They further reported that “Officials with other campaigns have complained privately that some local party activists have said they would like to support their candidate but felt compelled to back Romney because of the stipends he was offering”.  An estimated $650 was spent by Romney, per vote. Such buying of votes led to an internet blog, Iowa Values Not for Sale, criticizing the tactics. 

In the 2008 Presidential election, Ken Silverstein of Harper’s Magazine reported, “In an especially calculated move the Romney campaign has invested heavily in winning local straw polls around the country, which don’t necessarily measure popular support as much as organization and financial resources. Nonetheless, victory can win a news cycle’s worth of attention and hence be used to hype the candidate’s supposed popularity and momentum.”

Another example of the way in which Romney received money to support his political aspirations was with the Olympics:

Romney considerably increased the severance pay of the 25 senior management Olympic board members, of which many, then, donated to his gubernatorial campaign right after the Olympics ended. The severance pay, after the Salt Lake Games, was originally intended to be one year’s salary. Romney changed it to 18 months pay, plus a $10,000 donation to their retirement plans.

Consequently, seventeen of the 25 members contributed to Romney’s Massachusetts GOP campaign. Fourteen members of the Organizing Committee Board of Trustees donated to Romney’s PACS or campaign. In addition, Romney’s committees received $118,500 from Olympic sponsor NuSkin’s families and executives.

Romney also appointed member of the Mormon Quorum of the LDS Seventies and Bain co-worker, Fraser Bullock, as his top Olympic assistant. Fraser turned around and donated $53,000 to the Massachusetts GOP and Romney’s campaign committees.

Romney once again used his wealth to facilitate his quest for the White House and essentially attempted to buy future endorsements. According to Brian Mooney, Stephanie Ebbert and Scott Helman of the Boston Globe, “They [Romney advisors] conceived the Commonwealth PAC, a political action committee that enabled Romney to travel the country with a checkbook, currying favor with Republican leaders by contributing to their campaigns and causes.”

Sean J. Miller of The Hill reported in July 2010, that “Romney’s PAC had already contributed to more than 150 campaigns in 2010, with more than 70 congressional candidates, 13 senate candidates, and 9 gubernatorial candidates. He has also donated to almost 60 legislative candidates in states such as Georgia, South Carolina and New Hampshire and since 2009 donated over $30,000 to the New Hampshire state GOP with an additional $7,500 to local and state candidates in New Hampshire special elections”.

Romney has been very busy building up state parties and candidates in primary states in order to garner support in his campaign for the presidency and is calculated with his money. Another profile in courage, according to the Jonathan Martin of Politico, “Romney is mostly waiting until after primaries take place to get involved. After each primary his PAC will issue a statement of support for a state’s slate of GOP candidates and cut checks for them individually.” 

Mitt Romney’s Wall Street way of doing business has taught him well.  “Take” the competition down, using whatever means necessary as a means to his end. There is no question that Mitt Romney is performing another financial takeover. Except this time, it will be “The Peoples” Office of the Presidency of the United States of America. 

About the author: 

New Book! Former Mormon Bishop’s Daughter and Political Commentator Reveals Real Story on Mitt Romney!

Tricia Erickson

Tricia Erickson, (a Conservative) was the first Damage Control/Crisis Management Specialist in the country, as stated by Barbara Walters on the show "20/20". Tricia is also a political consultant and on-air contributor. She has opined on many local and national news and entertainment TV and radio shows/networks. She is also the author of the new book “Can Mitt Romney Serve Two Masters? The Mormon Church Versus The Office Of The Presidency of the United States of America.”

Tricia purposely became less active on-the-air in recent years and has not necessarily sought to participate in on-air interviews. However, because of the concern in her heart that for the first time in history, a prominent Mormon could achieve the Office Of The Presidency, she feels a responsibility to educate the public, both in the US and abroad, regarding what this potential Mormon President could truly mean for America. She is an expert on the well-masked cult of Mormonism and a former Mormon Bishop’s daughter who left the church in her early 20’s. 

From a political stand point, she believes it is imperative to reveal the facts on Romney’s political record, in opposition to what the Romney camp will shift the voters to believe in order to achieve the Presidency.

We have by now experienced with the current President Obama what smooth words and entertainment imagery, as opposed to substance, can bring to the highest office in the land. Will we make the same mistake again?