Jack Welch has sold me on Mitt Romney

We don't need another career politician in the White House. Our nation is in an economic hole. A big hole. And the hole was dug by career politicians buying and selling votes, Republicans and Democrats. Congress has its share of businessmen, but not enough to sway the votes in favor of business and capitalism, the things that truly are what made America greater than other nations in the past. And we've lacked a business-led President for decades. Think about it. Can you think of any President who was a capitalist and businessman before becoming a politician? The last one I can recall was Harry Truman, and his business endeavors failed. Maybe this deficit is what's led to the deficit? It's time for a change of pace, one that will address the one glaring problem in our nation's leadership. We need a capitalist, someone who knows how to run a business, in good times and bad.

I admit it. This is a clear change in my earlier opinions, sort of. Actually, now that I think about it, it's not really. I loved Herman Cain, a businessman first, politician second (actually, more like 10th or 11th). We know how that story ended. My second choice was Michelle Bachmann. She wasn't a businessman to the degree of Cain. She is an attorney who left her law career behind to go home to raise her family, and while there started a foundation that helped foster kids find homes. She even raised more than 20 herself. Her big problem is that there's no chance that she'll crawl out of the basement, which leaves just three or four viable candidates in the Republican field.

As an aside, it seems to me that when a candidate with business experience emerges, the career politicians on both sides (even his own) crush him like a bug. Maybe career politicians have an ethics problem? Or are just jealous?

Rick Santorum qualifies as a Conservative. But he's not what we need. He was a lawyer, then started running for office. Most of his background now consists of...you guessed it...politics. He's a career politician like all the others, only he's sold himself to the right hook, line, and sinker.

Newt? Please. Going from history professor to politician, to lobbyist, then back to politician does not show any practical business experience whatsoever.

Ron Paul? Great, he delivered over 6,000 babies as a doctor. But the professions, legal and medical, it seems to me, are not indicative of the kind of business experience it takes to turn bad businesses around, or to even run a "business" the way it needs to be run to keep it growing. The medical and legal professions are a simple matter of putting the shingle on the wall and waiting for the clients to roll in, with a little marketing in the early going. Once the doctor or lawyer sees a patient, there is no attrition. The average net income of an OG/Gyn, for example, is $261,000. Moreover, they tend to work for practice groups and not for themselves, as is the case with Paul. So, no practical business experience for Paul, either. Sorry, Paul Bots.

You can go down the line with the rest of the Republican candidates and reach the same conclusion, except for one, Mitt Romney.

Until last week I assumed I'd probably hold my breath when voting for Romney if it came down to him or Obama. He's a Mormon, my Christian brethren would say, and we need a "true" Christian. He got behind Romneycare in Pennsylvania, fiscally conservatives would say, so how can he oppose the author of Obamacare? He's a progressive, both groups would tell me, not cut out of the same cloth as Ronald Reagan, and we need Reagan again. Simply put, Romney haters scream at the top of their lungs the typical, ideological mantras they hear from their circles without considering the one aspect to Romney that should make them think with their brains and not so much their hearts. He's what we need at this point in time. What changed my position so dramatically? Two words: Jack Welch.

Last week former CEO of GE, the one who actually took a failing business and turned it into a manufacturing juggernaut (and without government subsidies for green energy, like his successor), Jack Welch, came out and said that Romney was the most qualified presidential candidate in more than 75 years. Consider his points.

One, Romney has a Harvard Law and MBA degree. (BTW, George W. Bush had an MBA and at least some business experience, but unlike Bush, Romney's businesses are still making money.)

Two, after coming on board of Bain Consulting, he spearheaded the spin off of Bain Capital.

Three, when Bain Capital was on the brink of bankruptcy, he came back and turned it around so swiftly that the following year it generated its best, most profitable year in its history.

Four, when Massachusetts was also on the brink of economic collapse, he became its governor and turned a multi-year deficit into surpluses. And yes, part of that plan was Romneycare. But, his issue with Obamacare has been the federal government's takeover of something that the Constitution leaves to the states. So if it was adjudged as a good thing for Massachusetts to do for Massachusetts, shut up! See the 10th Amendment, for goodness sakes. To paraphrase, if the power is not listed in the Constitution as retained by the federal government, it is up to the states to address it as they see fit!

Finally, after 9-11-2001, Salt Lake City was on the verge of canceling its bid to host the Winter Olympics. Instead, they hired Mitt Romney as a consultant to save their bacon. He did. Not only that, but it ended up being one of the most profitable Olympic games in history, and all thanks to Mitt and his ability to lead business. In this case, he sold many major U.S. corporations sponsorships, and the money generated by those sponsorships righted the ship. His salesmanship, the sin quo non of American business, turned lemons into sweet, satisfying lemonade.

It was these business successes that Jack Welch emphasized last week. More important, it was such practical business successes that Welch pointed out were totally and utterly lacking in all other candidates, as well as Obama, that compelled him to think that we should feel lucky to have a candidate like Mitt Romney. I am beginning to think he is right.

Two final points. First, Romney is smart enough to know what will happen if he doesn't get on board with the socially conservative issues we evangelicals think are important, such as abortion, and conservative judges on the courts. He is saying the right things now and we will hold him to them. Second, he is brilliant and polished enough to hold his own against the best and brightest (Gingrich?). He will pulverize Obama in those debates. He has proof that his business philosophies are better than the Marxist in Chief's. And he knows how to sell that position. If he starts to stumble, just press play on the Jack Welch YouTube video.