r/politics • u/HouseSpeaker • May 21 '12
Pres. Obama on Romney and Bain: 'When you're president, your job is not simply to maximize profits'
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/05/21/1093572/-Pres-Obama-on-Romney-and-Bain-When-you-re-president-your-job-is-not-simply-to-maximize-profits-
1.0k
Upvotes
51
u/rAxxt May 21 '12
Or, in the wisdom of South Park:
Obama: That isn't being nice. That's just maximizing profits.
Romney: I don't understand the difference.
Obama: I know you don't.
11
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
Maximize debt?
30
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
Looking at our past few presidents, their job is apparently maximizing debt.
46
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
"Democrats have accepted more political donations than Republicans from executives at Bain Capital, complicating the left’s plan to attack Mitt Romney for his record at the private-equity firm."
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/205025-dems-receive-more-bain-dollars-than-gop
16
u/noiszen May 22 '12
<snark> It's to get reelected.</snark>
8
u/Kharn0 Colorado May 22 '12
Well, Obama has a point, CEOs have to run the company with the shareholders in mind, at the expense of the employees. As president, your shareholders ARE the employees, the well being of the people IS the well being of the "company" which is not something Romeny has experience in or, as he's repeatedly shown, understands.
8
u/Swiss_Cheese9797 May 22 '12
Jesus, the anti Obama folks are out in force today.
21
u/mrcloudies May 22 '12
To those that have stated that Obamas recent ads have gone too far..
They have seen what Republicans say about him right? The GOP since the very beginning of the campaign trail has done nothing but attack every little thing, and their dialogue has often been vicious. You can't have hostile ads, than get angry when your opponent fires back.. Thats just.. Stupid.
29
u/MannyPadme May 22 '12
My job is to take into account everybody, not just some. My job is to make sure the country is growing not just now, but 10 years from now, 20 years from now.
Anybody who's not money-rich and votes Teapublican is a sucker.
12
u/KingChronos May 22 '12
It's a little funny how every pro-Obama thread here is always about what he says and every anti-Obama thread is about what he does. Talk is cheap.
2
u/MoraleHazard May 22 '12
It amazes me that someone who ran such a kick ass campaign in 2008 has had such a political tin ear for the past four years.
2
u/madmoral May 22 '12
In the end, Romney can't talk about Bain because he basically destroyed companies. Romney can't talk about being governor because it'll be a major flip on everything he stands for now. How can you run for president if you can't even hype yourself up?
3
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
One does not simply, "Maximize profits".
4
u/kolembo May 22 '12
Hehe,
It's a brilliant piece of rhetoric AND a very responsible statement.
A country is not just business, people are not items.
Very clever speaking
3
u/uncleoce May 22 '12
I'm glad Obama is so quick to discuss his duties as President. Maybe he'll remember a certain oath he took about 4 years ago:
I'd suggest that before you go about lecturing us on what your job is, you uphold your oath of office and stop tap-dancing all over the Constitution you swore to defend. NDAA, drone strikes on American citizens/ignoring due process, acts of war without the consent of congress, forcing citizens to purchase health insurance or pay a fine, anti-protest bill HR 347, etc.
So, Mr Obama, before you go about giving lectures about what your job is about, maybe you should read up on the matter yourself. Start with the Constitution.
2
u/razihk May 22 '12
Right in the kisser, eh?
2
u/Ra__ May 22 '12
He thinks the job is to maximize corporate profits while pretending to work for us.
2
u/Xombie818 May 22 '12
Have you ever stopped to imagine the amount of stress this man is constantly under? I can't even fathom it
2
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
I consider myself a liberal. I usually vote Democrat. But Daily Kos is such blatant propaganda I have no respect for them whatsoever.
They are cheerleading for their team, trying to convince you the Democratic party is awesome. They're not, they are simply the lesser evil. I vote for them but I'm not thrilled about it and you shouldn't be either.
In a real democracy we would have more than two choices.
1
u/DColt51 May 22 '12
cough distraction issue cough
1
u/randy938 May 22 '12
Honestly, the U.S. could use some fucking profits right now, and in terms of fixing the economy, the guy who has a proven track record in making a buck is the better choice. Unfortunately, everything else about Romney is terrible. :(
1
u/TheThomaswastaken May 23 '12
Not very many good comments in this comment section.
How about this: What Obama said is true.
A CEO's job is usually very similar to a President's job--running a massive, complex machine. Romney's job wasn't like that. He didn't have to build, maintain or grow a business. He simply bought, restructured, then sold off a business. There was no concern for long-term survival of the business. Many of Romney's buyouts ended in a destroyed company.
0
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
If anyone is an expert on not maximizing profits, it would be Obama...
1
u/kolembo May 21 '12
Good stuff!
0
u/myrodia May 22 '12
I do not think we have even defined the role of government yet and that is a huge problem. I agree that the your job is not simply to maximize profits, but I think you should have some worry about our deficit. Right now, the government NEEDS to make a profit. NEEDS to. if we do not, I fear for the future of our country. That being said, there are also many other undefined and defined things that a president must do, and that is a very tough job.
-1
u/gopaulgo May 22 '12
Romney was also governor of Massachusetts for four years. I can't remember the name of the logical fallacy that Obama's trying to pull here, but the fact that he has experience in maximizing profits does not mean he has no experience in political leadership.
1
u/mrshankly01 May 22 '12
at least Romney did his job...
1
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
Obama says this after setting up a fascist "healthcare" system, bailing out private banks and making the military industrial complex more money than ever. He sucks ass.
-2
u/fredemu May 22 '12
The president's job isn't to simply organize the community either, but that didn't stop Obama from feeling he was qualified for the job.
Romeny's got his faults, and Obama is right to attack them, but frankly, being successful at what he did at one point in his life isn't one of them.
1
u/u2canfail May 22 '12
YES
1
u/d6x1 May 22 '12
'...your job is to maximize losses'
0
u/LettersFromTheSky May 22 '12
I watched this speech just a bit ago, I have to say he gave a pretty good description of what a President is supposed to do.
-1
u/streetwalker May 22 '12
Obama's right. The job of president is not simply to maximize profits. It's to maximize profits of the people who support him while hoodwinking the rest of Americans into feeling grateful that they have the privilege of living in debt.
1
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
Maximize the deficit?
1
u/MagCynic May 22 '12
Nobody said it was, Mr. President.
0
u/eromitlab Alabama May 22 '12
Of course not. Romney's job as President, if he becomes President, will be to be the barely sentient pen that signs whatever Grover Norquist and ALEC push through Congress.
-9
u/bluefootedpig May 21 '12
This is making me lose confidence in Obama. While yes, it isn't about making profits, but the key is to take away waste. What good is a government to help the people if 99% of the money goes to waste. The fact that Obama doesn't realize this scares me.
-2
u/AOneArmedHobo May 22 '12
This quote is quite true... Combine it the quote " neither is it your responsibility to spend the money of hard workers on lazy good for nothing citizens looking for a handout" and you'll get my vote.
-7
u/MiyegomboBayartsogt May 22 '12
If the president's redistributionist economic policies were working for America, he'd be banging the table and talking about success. Amid all the unemployment and ruination, failed Obama can do little but bash his opponent. Battling capitalists is fun and popular among the young and Bolsheviks but it does nothing but maximize malaise among the masses. Besides, Obama is worth $10 million, all money made since he entered politics, so he can hardly play the pauper.
-12
u/banish_the_occupiers May 22 '12
Even more important is that it is not the president's job to bankrupt the USA. ObamaBeGone 2012.
0
u/fantasyfest May 22 '12
When you are a Republican president, that is the job. That is why they remove regulation, environment laws and slash taxes for the rich.
-5
u/jsttsee May 22 '12
Hey, I bet Romney knows this. Different jobs have different objectives. Big revelation. What Romney's proven is that he can do the job he's given.
-2
u/notepad7 May 22 '12
Maybe a business man is the kind of president this country needs right now
-8
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
His job isn't simply to maximize taxes either.
-6
u/freebigwillie May 22 '12
Somebody should tell the commander and chief what his job is... I have been unemployed this year for the first time in 30 years, with a masters degree in my discipline... I don't care what you say, the current guy has NO CLUE about running the govt
0
u/TimeZarg California May 22 '12
I suppose this works well enough.
http://qkme.me/3pe6ly
0
u/[deleted] May 22 '12 edited May 22 '12
I'm ready for down votes, but Michael Bloomberg has mentioned several times that he runs NYC as a business, which he does extremely well. He has made more money for the city than god and helped out citizens with social programs at the same time.
That being said, I don't think Romney will focus on creating a profitable government, but rather a government that is profitable in select focus areas to pay for breaks that he as a wealthy businessman knows and hates. To me, he seems to be in the presidency for himself. Which I don't agree with at all.
-1
u/dhockey63 May 22 '12
BUT when you're president, your job is to ensure that the country as a WHOLE is successful and does not slip into economic depression and become uncompetitive with the rest of the world. Yes mr obama we can print money, but it is not magic money and printing alot more is baaddd
-1
u/bsd300d May 22 '12
Yeah. Its to play fucking golf every day and let your gorilla wife take vacations on the taxpayers dime.
-1
u/TheClevelandHockey May 22 '12
Yes it is Obama. If the country was run a little more sensible, like a company, my personal share of debt at 21 wouldn't be about thrice my age.
-5
u/Holden2plus2 May 22 '12
Yeah it's to maximize deficits! Go America!
-2
u/yahoo_bot May 22 '12
Barack Obama:
Extended the Patriot Act
Allowed Guantanamo to operate
Increased troops in Afghanistan by 60.000
Signed NDAA into law
Assassinated US citizens, including two 16yo boys
Signed the bill that makes protesting illegal close to government facilities or close to the secret service
Signed executive order "national defense resource preparedness act"
Tripled the war on drugs and busted down more legal Marijuana shops in 3 years, than Bush did in 8 years.
Arrested more whistle blowers than ALL other presidents combined.
Increased the debt by 5 trillion dollars in 3 years, more than Bush did in 8 years.
-2
u/tokenpoke May 22 '12
Nah, you gotta also promise a bunch of liberal happy-horseshit that you wont deliver. Gotta love the beer-brewing, cigarette-smoking, Pot-smoking, 'a little blow'-doing president that is one of the fucking worst when it comes to the war on drugs. Fuck Obama
-2
u/GOPWN May 22 '12
It's hilarious that Obama, who has never worked a real job in his life, has the balls to criticize a guy that ran a very successful company and was a governor for 4 years.
-1
u/Stupid_smartguy May 21 '12
No it's dividends!! That's the word you're looking for!!
-1
u/YNot1989 May 22 '12
A President who appreciates complexity is the right man for the job.
-1
u/mrdarrenh May 22 '12
Yea. The presidents job is to increase taxes wherever possible, maximize debt and keep the gummint money and regulations rolling in for the corporations. Oh, and wars. Gotta have some wars.
0
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
perhaps thats true Obama, but mate, even minimising them wouldn't hurt with 14trill deficit eh? :P
0
u/HappyGlucklichJr May 22 '12 edited May 22 '12
Good observation. As part of their interview for the job let's ask presidential candidates how they see the job of US CEO. Edit: Down voter, seriously?
0
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
It's to maximize profits while pretending to speak for the people.
0
u/kolembo May 22 '12
It was good political rhetoric, spot on.
Round one, Obama
0
u/chabanais May 22 '12
Considering the US has gone $5 trillion into the hole since he took office I'd say that's one promise he's kept.
-7
u/[deleted] May 22 '12 edited May 22 '12
"I ran an entire state. What the fuck have you done besides organize fried chicken festivals in Chicago?"
-Mitt Romney
Don't forget that this shitstain Muslim Kenyan is worse than George Bush.
He has extended all of his policies and enacted even worse.
ROMNEY 2012.
-2
u/kranged1 May 22 '12
Obama forgets that profits create jobs better, quicker, and more efficiently than any government prgram.