Romney: No Question I Would Have Been A Better President Than Obama

Romney: No Question I Would Have Been A Better President Than Obama


Mitt Romney appeared on 'Fox News Sunday' and was asked by Chris Wallace about the potential that he’d run for president in 2016 and whether or not he believed he was the best man for the job.

Romney: “Iv’e spoken on this topic so many times, I don’t really have anything new to do add". “I’m not running, I’m not planning on running.”

Wallace: “In your heart, do you still think you would make the best president than all the people out there?”

Romney: “There’s no question in my mind that I think I would have been a better president than Barack Obama has been." “I wish it were me. But my time has come — come and gone. I had that opportunity. I ran, I didn’t win. Now it’s time for someone else to pick up the baton.”

Romney also took some time to criticize the frontrunner for the 2016 Democratic nomination Hillary Clinton. “Her record is Barack Obama’s record on foreign policy, and it’s a disaster." “Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are two peas in the same pod, and the American people have tasted that, and said look, that’s not a good taste.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaMOLWLT04A

Full Transcript Of Mitt Romney's 'Fox News Sunday' Interview
Joining us now, the GOP's 2012 nominee, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

Governor, welcome back to FOX NEWS SUNDAY. ROMNEY: Thanks, Chris. Good to be with you.

WALLACE: You had a tough article in "The Washington Post" this week in which you really went after President Obama for shrinking our military. In the article, you write this, "The history of the 20th century teaches that power hungry tyrants ultimately feast on the appeasers."

Back in 2012, the president mocked you for that. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You mentioned the Navy, for example, and we have fewer ships than we did in 1916. Well, Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military's changed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Governor, how do you feel when you listen to that and the president treating you as a somewhat dim bulb?

ROMNEY: Well, you know, the president has a very different foreign policy than that has been followed by our country over the last 50 or 60 years. His view instead of having a strong American military that's able to keep other nations in check, that we ought to instead put in place a policy based on what he calls common humanity.

Well, humanity is not common in its views. What one people called evil and other people called good. The world relies upon and America must rely upon a strong military.

And, by the way, China understands the importance of a navy. Its navy will be larger than ours within seven years. That's the consequence of the president's policies.

WALLACE: In that same presidential debate, Mr. Obama also made fun of your views on Russia. Let's take a look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: Governor Romney, I'm glad that you recognize that al Qaeda is a threat, because a few months ago when you were asked what's the biggest geopolitical threat facing America, you said Russia. Not al Qaeda. You said Russia. In the 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because, you know, the Cold War has been over for 20 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Governor, when you look at Ukraine and the decision not to keep U.S. troops in Iraq and the decision not to arm the rebels in Syria from the start, what do you make of the choices that this president has been making particularly here in the second term?
ROMNEY: Well, I think the president is really out of touch with reality when it comes to what's happening in the world. And I don't know why that is. Perhaps it's political philosophy, it's foreign policy views.

But, look, he looked at Russia and thought that was a friend we should reset relations with. He looked at al Qaeda and said they're on the run. Just more recently, he looked at ISIS and said, oh, they're just the junior varsity. He looks at Iraq and says, hey, they're strong and able to care for themselves.

Look, he is so out of touch with reality that he hasn't taken the action necessary to prevent very bad things from happening.

A strong America that stands up for its beliefs is an America able to defend itself and to defend our principles around the world. When America is seen and the president is seen as being weak, bad people do bad things. And you're seeing that all across the Middle East. You're seeing that was well in other parts of the world, including, of course, Afghanistan, Ukraine, it's a real tragedy.

WALLACE: I want to pick up on another campaign issue, because during the 2012 race you also accused President Obama of covering up the mishandling of the terror attack in Benghazi. This weekend, FOX has been running a documentary in which two special operators -- special security operators told Bret Baier that they were told repeatedly to stand down and not to go rescue the American diplomats at the U.S. consulate.

Here's a clip from that documentary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All I can talk about is what happened on the ground that night.

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: To you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To us, to myself twice and to Tig once. It happened that night, that happened. We were told to wait and stand down. We were delayed three times.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Governor, do you think a Benghazi cover-up is still going on?

ROMNEY: Well, I think this raises a lot of questions. I mean, one, why did the administration talk to these people a long time ago, why were they out there with a story saying the reason for what happened in Benghazi was because of a video which these guys said was total baloney. They knew that from the beginning. How come the administration can't check into that?

And number two, who was it that told these guys to stand down? Were they in contact with people higher up, particularly from the United States? What was the reason they were told to stand down, when they were ready and able to go in and support the security of our people there in the embassy annex? This is -- this goes on and on and on.

We've tried to understand why it is that this administration is unwilling to be transparent. This was a policy they said they would have, which is open transparency, but they've instead not been forthcoming in what's happened there. And that's something which, by the way, doesn't just land at the feet of the president. It lands at the feet of Hillary Clinton as well. She keeps on saying, you know, there's nothing to see here, just move on. Well, people want to understand exactly what happened.

WALLACE: I mentioned at the top of the show the president's 38 percent approval rating now in the Gallup poll, tying an all-time low. In July, they did a poll of voters asking them if they had 2012 all to do over again, how would they vote? You'll be happy to know this time you won 53 percent to 44 percent. Obviously, that doesn't put you in the Oval Office.

But the question I have for you, Governor, is this -- do you think Americans are having buyer's remorse about 2012?

ROMNEY: Oh, I think they have some buyer's remorse about President Obama. I'm not sure how they feel about me. But that's kind of irrelevant.

The real question is, how's this president doing? And, frankly, they recognize the president has not been engaged. The idea that we have a group known as ISIS or ISIL, that we've known about for almost year, where members of Congress have said to the president, prepare for this, get ready for them, make sure they don't make incursions into Iraq. I mean, we've fought long and hard to provide security and freedom for those people.

Yet, the president was too busy on the golf course to pick up the phone and meet with the leaders around the world and to say what happens if? You know, the Pentagon was going through what-if scenarios. But the president apparently wasn't, hasn't developed a strategy.

I don't know whether you can't see reality from a fairway, but the president has not seen the reality internationally and domestically. We've got, what, 92 million people that have stopped looking for work, that are out of work in this country? It's unacceptable.
The American people are struggling, having a hard time. This president's policies, both at home and abroad, are hurting people and people are responding in the way they review him.

WALLACE: I am sure that a bunch of people watching right now are thinking, gee, where was that guy, wasn't he making all of those points in 2012?

But the fact is, if we're going to look back and I want to just for a moment in 2012, you also did make your fair share of mistakes. And here are a few of them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

ROMNEY: I brought us whole binders full of women.

I was a severely conservative Republican governor.

I like being able to fire people.

There are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

WALLACE: The bottom line among voters who said "cares about people like me" was the most important candidate quality, among those voters, Obama beat you 81 percent to 18.

Governor, why do you think it was that so many people saw you as an unfeeling rich guy and does that perception still bother you?

ROMNEY: Oh, look, I'm much more concerned about what the country's going to be doing going forward. I want to make sure we have a nominee and a lot of terrific Republican individuals that are looking at the race, we have a nominee who can win, and we can get the country back on track, helping the middle class and helping the poor.

(CROSSTALK)

WALLACE: But, sir, you're kind of ducking the question, which is: did you contribute to this perception that you don't care about average Americans?

ROMNEY: Oh, there's no question that I and my campaign made some mistakes. I think it's going to be a long time before we see a perfect campaign and a perfect candidate.

Look, I have weaknesses. I don't get every sentence up perfectly. Sometimes I misspeak. That was a parade of horrible (INAUDIBLE) that makes me cringe.

But the reality is that the opposition did a very good job picking up on those mistakes and just beating the heck out of me, and I didn't do as good a job as I wish I would have, describing who I am to the American people.

But look, that's -- you know, that's the past. The future is, how do we make sure that we get a president that spends time running the country, running the government, running the administration in such a way as to help the middle class of this country regain its footing, to help the poor get out of poverty and to protect our interests around the world? This president is not doing it.

WALLACE: Governor, let me -- let me look to the future because voters seem willing to give you another chance. There was a "USA Today" poll just a couple weeks ago of Iowa voters in which you swamped the field there. You had 35 percent. Huckabee was second with 9 percent, and the rest of the field trailed after that. And recently, you gave an interview, and when asked about running again, you gave a whole lot of reasons why not, but then you also said circumstances can change.

Question, what does that mean?

ROMNEY: Well, you know, I spoken on this topic so many times. I don't really have anything new to add, Chris. I'm not running. I'm not planning on running.

I'm going to be supporting our nominee -- hopefully, a strong individual that's able to take our message to the American people and get this country back on track for the people who need help and there are a lot of people who do.

WALLACE: But are you making a Shermanesque comment -- commitment, absolutely will not run; if nominated, will not serve? Or are there circumstances under which you would consider running again?

ROMNEY: Chris, I'm not going to add to the story. I've got nothing new for you. I've spoken at this time and time again.
I'm not running. I'm not planning on running. I'm going to be helping the person who takes the banner for us.

WALLACE: Let me ask you about this a different way. In your heart, do you still think that you would make the best president of all the people out there?

ROMNEY: Look, there's no question in my mind that I think I'd have been a better president than President Obama has been. No question in my mind about that. And there are other good people who I'm sure will be able to lead the country in the future. I wish it were me.

Let me tell you, it was a great experience running for president. I loved that. But my time has come. I had -- come and gone. I had that opportunity. I ran, I didn't win.

And now, it's time for someone else to pick up the baton.

WALLACE: You mentioned Hillary Clinton. Do you think you'd make a better president than Hillary Clinton?

ROMNEY: No question about that in my mind. The American people may disagree with me.

But, look, you've got to get this economy going. You have to have people who understand what it takes to create jobs and to help people come out of poverty, to help the middle class to have a better and prosperous future. You've got to have that understanding.
You've also got to have people who've actually run something. The government of the United States is the largest enterprise in the world. You watched a president who just doesn't understand how to make an administration work, how to interact with Congress, how to get things done. You have to have those things.

I don't think Hillary Clinton has that experience. And I look for instance at her record as secretary of state, look, her record is Barack Obama's record in foreign policy. And it's a disaster.

The president went to Egypt and said we're going to have this new wonderful relationship with the Muslim world, and now, the Middle East is burning. The president won't even call the invasion by Russia into Ukraine an invasion. Look, if you can't -- if you can't speak decisively, you can't be decisive.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are two peas in the same pod. And the American people have tasted that and have said, look, that's not a good taste. It's not right for the American people.

WALLACE: We've got about two minutes left, and I want to do your old favorite, the lighting round -- quick questions, quick answers.
President Obama now says he's going to delay action on immigration reform until after the election. He says because he needs to explain how he is dealing with the question of the unaccompanied minors coming over the border.

Here's what he said to Chuck Todd on "Meet the Press".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The politics did shift midsummer because of that problem. I want to spend time even as we getting all our ducks in a row for the executive action, I want to make sure the public understands why we're doing this, why it's the right thing for the American people, why it's the right thing for the economy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Briefly, Governor, what's going on there?

ROMNEY: Well, he should spend less time on the golf course and more time thinking about ISIS and Ukraine and in this case immigration. He should follow the law and work with Congress instead of trying to do things unilaterally.
What's happening, of course, is cynical and political.

WALLACE: Cynical and political in what sense? Putting it off until after the election?

ROMNEY: Yes, the president is saying, look, I'm going to violate the law after the election when what I do won't have serious electoral consequences.

He's basically saying he's going to do something the American people won't like and he wants to make sure to do it after the midterms when it won't have consequence for him.

WALLACE: And, finally, about a minute left, sir. In 2012, you had Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell on your short list of potential running mates. As you well know, he was convicted this week of taking bribes, some even before you were considering him as a running mate to help a businessman.

I guess two questions, what does that say about your vetting process? And, frankly, did you misjudge Bob McDonnell?
ROMNEY: Well, I'm not going to say anything about the vetting process. We communicated to all the individuals that we vetted that that would be completely off the record and confidential and it is.

But I can say this, with regards to Bob McDonnell, which I'm very sorry for him and for his family. It's a family tragedy obviously and a political tragedy for the state of Virginia, commonwealth of Virginia, for the people there, for the people associated with him. I've called him, I've expressed my sympathy. It's a very sad setting.

And I wish he and his family the very best in very difficult circumstances.

WALLACE: Governor Romney, thank you. Thanks for coming in today. Always good to talk with you, sir.

ROMNEY: Thanks, Chris. Good to be with you.
http://nation.foxnews.com/2014/09/07...resident-obama

Rothman: MSNBC’s Most Embarrassing Mockery of Romney’s Russia Warnings

Watch all of the video clips at the link.
by Noah Rothman


|March 3rd, 2014The smug self-assuredness that often suffices for expertise on cable news was perhaps never more smug than when former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney warned the American public that Russia was rapidly positioning itself as America’s “number one geopolitical foe.” Among the worst offenders were the hosts and guests who provide MSNBC with content on a daily basis.

In early 2012, President Barack Obama was caught on an open microphone telling Russia’s then-President Dmitry Medvedev that he would have more “flexibility” after the presidential election in his dealings with Russia. Romney reacted strongly to that comment. Appearing on CNN, the GOP nominee said that the United States should regard Russia as a geopolitical adversary and should work to limit Russia’s flexibility rather than to secure it. His observation was soundly criticized by the president’s defenders who, at the time, were still attempting to rehabilitate Obama’s floundering “Reset” with Russia.

There were few who defended Romney’s comments. Even snake-bit Republicans, chastened by the swift backlash in the media, hedged when asked to back up Romney’s assessment of the challenges posed by Moscow. But MSNBC’s wagons circled particularly quickly in defense of the president. Volley after volley of snark was lobbed in the GOP nominee’s direction.
“I don’t know what decade this guy’s living in,” MSNBC host Chris Matthews said with a sigh on March 28, 2012. “Is he trying to play Ronald Reagan here, or what?”

“This is Mitt Romney’s severely conservative problem,” University of Georgia professor Cynthia Tucker opined on-the-air. “It made Romney look dumb. He’s not a dumb man, but he said something that was clearly dumb.”

Huffington Post reporter Sam Stein agreed that Romney’s statement was evidence of an “antiquated worldview.” He fretted further about how Romney, should he become president, would enter the office having severely complicated America’s bilateral relations with Moscow given his carelessly provocative statement.

“I personally am worried about what it says to the Russian people,” Matthews added to a chorus of sagely nods. Watch below:


MSNBC hosts Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell got in on the self-satisfied ridicule, too. Promoting Maddow’s latest book about the “unmooring of American military power,” O’Donnell asked the flagship MSNBC host if Romney was merely reflecting on what he might have read in that book.

“He read about Reagan’s private, outside-the-CIA cabal of team-B zealots who were telling him that Russia had all the stuff they didn’t have so he could justify a giant defense budget,” Maddow submitted scornfully.

“It is amazing that Mitt Romney can flip like that just as soon as he hears something to exploit in foreign policy,” O’Donnell remarked. Watch that below:


Maddow took her observations about Romney’s position on Russia one ill-advised step further on her MSNBC.com blog:

I can appreciate why the Romney campaign would try to make Obama’s “hot mic” story interesting, but the problem is the former governor just doesn’t have any real policy chops in this area. He’s out of his depth, and struggles when the subject takes center stage.

It’s not just that Romney is uninformed; it’s that he hasn’t figured out how to fake it.

Appearing on Andrea Mitchell Reports in April of that year, Romney surrogate and former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour was confronted by the MSNBC anchor. Calling Romney’s comments “a throwback to the Cold War,” Mitchell insisted that “we work with Russia all the time.” “Hardly an ally but certainly not an adversary,” she declared. Video below:


But the worst offender was one who should have, and likely did, know better, former Secretary of State Colin Powell. The former Army general greatly entertained his MSNBC hosts with some of the most snide commentary about Romney’s observation.

“Come on, Mitt. Think,” Powell said of Romney’s remark in May to the chuckles of host Joe Scarborough. “That isn’t the case.”

He went on to suggest that Romney’s assessment of the threat posed by Russia was so dubious that it was possible he was being disingenuous or he was coached to make that statement. Video:


“I think he really needs to not just accept these cataclysmic sort of pronouncements,” Powell admonished. “Let’s not go creating enemies where none yet exist.”

“Does this mean that we should trust Putin or Medvedev?” he continued. “No. Let’s be mature people and look at the reality of the situation and not find ways to see if we can hyperbolize the situation.” Video here:


Just shy of two years later, Russia would invade its neighbor on a trumped up pretext with the aim of annexing that territory. They would justify this action by insisting that Moscow has the legal right to protect by military force ethnic Russians in territories abroad – a second flagrant violation of international law and norms in the space of a decade.

The president and his political appointees were the worst offenders when it came to mocking Romney’s clearly vindicated assessment of the threat posed by Russia. “The 1980s called, they want their foreign policy back,” Obama told Romney during a presidential debate. “Romney talks like he’s only seen Russia by watching Rocky IV,” Secretary of State John Kerry announced to a squealing crowed at the Democratic National Convention.

This habit has apparently died hard. Obama’s advisors are still scoffing at their Republican counterparts in the flailing effort to mask their own readily apparent failures even as Russian heavy artillery rolled across the border.

These and other dubious assurances are forgivable from the political class, but they are inexcusable coming from self-described members of the press. Their job is to determine accuracy or validity of the statements made by political actors in order to separate fact from fiction. That responsibility was abdicated by the personalities above in 2012 in defense of their preferred political outcome. That kind of behavior is so many things, but one thing it is not is journalism.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/rothman-m...ssia-warnings/