Review: Mitt Romney's Campaign Promises
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 19, 2011
Mitt Romney released this book free on the Kindle just before the first debate between the Republican candidates for president.  The timing and benefits to Governor Romney are obvious.  This channel allows him to communicate his message quickly, outside of the adversarial, sound-bite constraints of debate, and free from the charge of, well... charging for it.  Nicely done.  There are advantages for prospective voters, too--including those certain they will not support Romney's candidacy.  He lays out a very specific plan.  Agree with him or not, readers must admit that this is more than a vague cry for some kind of unknown change.  It is clear where Romney stands and what he proposes to do.In an introductory letter, Romney outlines his approach.  "I have formulated a comprehensive and integrated plan that focuses on seven areas where reform is urgently needed:  taxes, regulation, trade, energy, labor, human capital, and fiscal policy."  He then tackles each area in turn, describing its impact on the economy, the negative effects of President Obama's policies, and the objectives of a Romney administration.  The book closes with an appendix containing fifty-nine policy proposals.  If Romney is elected, we can use this list of proposals as a scorecard to track his promises and his progress.A sample of briefly-stated policies from the appendix:- Repeal Obamacare.- Pursue new trade agreements with nations committed to free enterprise and open markets.- Open America's energy reserves for development.- Prohibit the use for political purposes of funds automatically deducted from worker paychecks.- Cap federal spending at 20 percent of GDP.The book also includes endorsements of Romney's plan.  The first is an overview of economic policy by R. Glenn Hubbard, Dean of the Columbia Business School.  There are more specifically-themed endorsements from conservative business and political figures.  They include Scott McNealy of Sun Microsystems on Tax Policy, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman on Trade Policy, former Missouri Senator Jim Talent on Energy Policy, and eBay's Meg Whitman on Human Capital Policy.  The statements by these high-profile supporters appear at the end of chapters, set off clearly from Romney's own analysis and proposals.This book is highly recommended to readers who want to evaluate Mitt Romney's approach to jobs and the economy.  Readers also interested in Romney's views on foreign policy would benefit from his previous book,No Apology: The Case for American Greatness.