I Would Vote for Gov Romney if He Was a Democrat

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Now that i created a headline that got your attention. Sorry, this is a 140 character headline world, right ?

I couldn’t resist writing about the irony of the race to be POTUS..

What are two of  the biggest, if not the biggest issues in this presidential election  ? Healthcare and the Economy

Consider the following:

1. Who invented ObamaCare and has the most successful implementation to date ?

2. We are in a period where the government is borrowing money at a net effective rate of less than zero percent. Who has made hundreds of millions of dollars and a career of borrowing significant amounts of money to acquire companies in heavily leveraged deals ?

It’s crazy, but true.

1. Of course Governor Romney basically invented Obamacare for the state of Massachusetts.

Can you imagine the following conversation from a Democratic candidate Romney with a hypothetical Republican candidate

“Business in the US needs certainty over healthcare costs.  With my RomneyCare program instituted across the country big businesses will no longer have to deal with the variability and uncertainty from state to state in healthcare costs and benefits. They will no longer have to face the uncertainty of state and local politicians pushing their agendas that can create annual changes and huge cost increases at the expense of well negotiated and time tested plans like RomneyCare. Ask my Republican opponent which state , other than Massachusetts has been able to get their Healthcare costs and services under control ? It’s not like they all haven’t been trying.  Massachusetts is the only state which has been able to create any level of certainty in healthcare costs and services.  Which is exactly what businesses want and why we need RomneyCare as a national program. ”

2. As the head honcho at Bain Capital, a private equity firm, Governor Romney made huge profits by borrowing heavily to acquire companies and then operate them with the goal of getting an operating return on capital or selling the companies for a profit. He turned the art of using leverage into an art form.  I should add here that I fully understand that Bain was not and is not a slash and burn Private Equity firm. They put people in their acquired companies to try to improve operations rather than just slash costs. But that is not really the issue here. Governor Romney knows how to invest using debt.

The real issue is that rather than saying that he thinks its a horrible idea for the government to invest in companies and that he would not permit it, I really, really would love to see him take the opposite approach and own and crow about the fact that he is a MASTER of USING DEBT.

Lets get back to our debate with a Democratic candidate Romney and a hypothetical Republican candidate

“No one knows how to get a return on capital better than I do. I’m great at it. Look at my history. With the government’s ability to borrow at an effective tax rate of less than zero, I promise you as President that I will know better than anyone how to get a return on investment for the American people. In this time when we need to grow the economy and create jobs, we need to cut ineffective and inefficient government spending in bureaucracy and administrivia and increase investment where we can get the greatest return for the American people. And you know what makes my approach all the sweeter ? We are borrowing money from China DIRT CHEAP and I will invest that to create American jobs !

We need to invest in American companies. We need to invest in new technologies. We need to invest in Research and Development. We need to invest in new medicines and healthcare options.  Now some people might say that it will be very difficult to pick winners and losers and they are right. It will be very difficult. There will be losers. More importantly there will be winners. Winning investments will create jobs. Winning investments will create new technologies and medicines that improve the standard of living for all of us and does so at a lower cost. We won’t compete with private investment, we will complement it.

Right now my friends the economy is growing. No its not growing as fast as we like and too many people don’t have jobs or are underemployed, but it is growing and that growth is accelerating, led by an improvement in the housing market.  My plan is to  let that growth continue to accelerate and to also continue the existing Bush Tax Cuts with the exception of an increase in  individual taxes from 35pct to 39pct for those earning more than 1mm dollars.  I will also increase capital gains from 15 pct to 20pct and eliminate the advantages of carried interest.

I believe in America. I believe our future is bright. I will do what corporate America is not doing and no amount of effort to manipulate the tax code will make them change, I will invest in America and create jobs.

My Republican friends on the other hand,  believe that if you reduce tax rates, large corporations hoarding cash will miraculously bring that cash back to the US and invest and hire . Trust me. I know investment. That won’t do it. They can borrow money so cheaply there is no reason to bring it home and it certainly won’t lead to jobs. If they had something to invest in that would generate a return, they would. They haven’t.

Again, they won’t invest in America. I will.

As a long time investor, I have never turned down an investment because of tax rates. I was just as successful investing when capital gains were much higher. I was just as successful investing when individual tax rates were much higher.  No smart investor turns down a good deal because of tax rates. I always remind people you only pay taxes on profits. And if you make more than 1mm dollars in profits, whether through capital gains or ordinary income,  you should pay more taxes. 

Now look at the alternative my Republican opponents are proposing. The Republican candidate is trying to convince us all that it is going to be easy to convince both sides of Congress to come together and figure out at what number they can cap individual tax deductions. He is also saying  that he is going to reduce corporate taxes AFTER he is able to get consensus on which corporate deductions to eliminate.  That is not going to happen unless we outlaw corporate lobbyists. Everyone is for eliminating all deductions other than their own. The idea that everyone will happily agree to compromise is not consistent with the actions of this Congress and not going to happen.

It’s not going to happen. He is not going to be able to get anyone to agree on which deductions to eliminate.   Not only that, he believes that the net result of these improbable actions is that tax revenues from corporations will go up. Do we really believe that corporations will gladly accept an increase in their net tax bill ? I don’t think so.

So my friends it comes down to this. Do you trust my Republican opponent to convince Congress to do the right thing and work together like a big happy family and do it quickly, or do you trust my track record and ability to get this economy back on track through smart investments in the ingenuity and ambition of the America people . There is no greater opportunity than here in America. Lets invest in America. Let’s create jobs.

Now is the time to vote Democrat. Now is the time to Vote for Romney

Hey, this is all fiction but hopefully you can see the same irony I did.

Damn, I am so ready for a 3rd party.

Maybe I will start one on KickStarter.

and as always i write these fairly quickly. feel free to comment on typos

119 thoughts on “I Would Vote for Gov Romney if He Was a Democrat”

  1. Reblogged this on HerkeseMobilya byElsaOfisMobilya.

    Comment by elsaofis.com -

  2. mark as u say many times on shark tank when u try to take your business nation wide it fails miserably. the same thing works with romneycare its like the post office at a state level it would work but on a national level you know fair well it would fail its too big. if they would try with state by state maybe you have a chance. for example food stamps i have many friends that are on food stamps with illegal papers i.e. they are not eligible. how do they get away with it? because its too much for the government too handle especially when they cant fire workers who don’t produce like you would in a second if it ruins the profits.

    so when it comes too health care it would fail because its not a possible feat to accomplish thats what romney was saying (and you see this with every stimulus program including the bailout of the auto companies ford is the only profitable company out of all fiat is moving back to Italy and Chrystaler sells 75 percent of their cars too governmant not a good sales team at all

    Comment by shneur pershin (@shneurpershin) -

  3. Typo report or, maybe a lapse in thought process. In this article you claim you would never make an investment decision based on tax rates. Two post ago you wrote: “I would change to zero the taxes on any gains from the sale of stock or bonds purchased during an IPO and held for 5 or more years. All dividends/interest paid by that stock/bond would be tax free. If you sell it prior to the 5 years, you are taxed at your personal regular income tax rate.”

    Why drop the rate for those holding 5 years then?

    BTW-if you don’t think tax rates can effect investment and GDP-look at the UK when their highest rates were similar to the new French rates of 75%,,,,

    Comment by Cary J Calderone Esq (@LegalCary) -

  4. HOW DO I ANSWER HIS QUESTION
    I was sitting around the house one night watching television with my 8 year old son. I just so happened that it was during the height of the campaign trail for elections, and one of several million commercials had come on the T.V. As if watching a candidate bad mouth and accuse his opponent wasn’t annoying enough, what followed stop my heart and really scared the hell out of me.
    My son looked at me, mind you he was as serious as an 8 year could ever be, and asked me “Dad, I don’t understand something. If everything I hear about the people trying to get elected is true, why does anyone vote for them? All they say about each other is how many bad things they have done. Steal money, get arrested, raise taxes, make millions of dollars and not share any of it, and a lot of other things. I thought they were supposed to be there to help us and make things better. When I get older, I don’t think I want to vote for anybody.”
    What do I tell an 8 year old? How do I defend what is supposed to be the greatest government in the world? As he learns in school that our government is one that is supposed to be “BY the people and for the people” all he sees is money taking, self-serving, politicians that depend more on mudslinging and name calling, then on the merits of what they accomplished. Where did the ethics go? Is it more important to us, the American people to vote for the lesser of two evils, then to vote for someone who actually is going to make a difference?
    Did we collectively as a people forget exactly why over 200 year ago our forefathers left England and came to settle here on American soil? To escape oppression and unfair taxes, to live a life where each of us had a voice, and to not make the same mistakes they lived through. I hate to tell you this, we are failing.
    Did we forget that “politicians” are in fact Public Service Workers? On that ask yourself, “When did any other type of public service worker (i.e. Firefighters, Police, etc.) get to vote on their own raises or benefits? Even better, when Mr. and Mrs. America lose a job they have to jump through hoops to be eligible for unemployment or public assistance, but a politician gets health care and a salary for the rest of their life, and if you are important enough, security as well. If they get elected to “help make a difference” why do we pay for all their needs, (i.e. food, travel, medical, sometimes housing) and still have to pay them a huge salary?
    Did we forget the Civil War, where brothers fought brothers to stop the oppression and slavery of people simply because they were different or had no money? Did we forget a war that united the north and south as one United States, just so we could divide it on a different basis, Democrat or Republican, Upper Class, Middle Class, and Lower Class? Because if we say that all men are created equal, again we have failed.
    How do we send our sons and daughters to foreign lands to fight in wars, that someone else has deemed important, even when we don’t understand what the issues they are fighting for mean? Even worse, when they get home after doing their “duty” we don’t give them the respect and admiration they deserve. We just tell them, go find a job.
    Did we forget a thing called the Hippocratic Oath, where all of our injured and ill are to be cared for, not for the dollars, but because it is the humane thing to do?
    Did we forget that our elderly are the reason we are even here today, or do we just push them aside like a worn out pair of tennis shoes?
    Did we forget about the Equal Rights Movements that allowed us to understand, no matter what creed, color, religion, or any other difference we may have we are all still human beings? How can we tell an employer that they are not allowed to discriminate against individuals based on so many categories, but yet tell people that they are not allowed to marry whom they want to, just because they are the same gender?
    Have we developed such a taste for hate, murder, and other criminal actions that we allow criminals to enjoy every luxury that a free man enjoys, even though the people they preyed upon will always carry the scars of the crimes committed against them?
    I feel that the time has come for Americans to understand:
    1) If only a few select are successful, we as a whole country have failed.
    2) If not everyone can be made healthy, the system itself is infected.
    3) If we separate ourselves on factors of money or political sides, that old saying becomes more important than ever “UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL”
    4) If ignorance is so costly, why do we make it so hard to get an education?
    5) If we tell one person they can’t do what they want because it conflicts with our personal beliefs, have we not just watered the seed of discrimination, allowing it to grow?
    6) Most importantly, 95% of us, The American People, are allowing the remaining 5% to dictate to us and tell us how we are going to live and what we are entitled to.
    From where I am standing, it looks like we have gone and become exactly what we ran away from. The few controlling the masses. The money making all the rules. The self-righteous making rules that we have to follow, but are not applicable to themselves. Taxation without representation. Throw the sick into the street and let someone else clean up the bodies. Have we become exactly what we hate?
    IT’S TIME FOR A REAL CHANGE…MORE TO COME
    Mark, let me know how to answer him If you come up with a good answer i will check your blog regularly to see if we can talk.

    Comment by Tim Shepley -

  5. MC – Naysayers often decry attempts to form a viable 3rd party & recent history gives credence that it’s a David vs Goliath undertaking. As an admirer of your biz cred & political acumen – you’re positioned in a unique standing to make a positive change on our grid locked & counterproductive federal government. Along similar lines that engaged the Tea Party, I believe a Centrist or Moderate movement would be attractive to the majority of American voters. My view is instead of forming a 3rd party with an individual platform, you build a ‘movement’ accepting of Dems & GOP reps that campaign & adhere to compromise & productive governing. Make use of your significant like-minded influential contacts to get the steam-roller moving. Engage the masses via social media & with buy-in & support the movement will demand attention. Now utilize your broadcast influence, imagine the interest & ratings on AXS.tv with fresh new political programs that champion cooperation & condemn obstructionalist behavior of elected officials. Form a team of respected pundits who are willing to disavow their former roles as partisans & shed light on the very processes that are dominating the discourse on the partisan cable & talk show programs. Assemble a panel of experts to arbitrate contentious bills to eliminate the ploys politicians use to avoid passage. In doing so, you educate the audience & expose the politics in play. Similar to the NRA, this movement becomes an endorser of candidates & an exposer of bad politics in play. You’re already doing this with ‘Dan Rather Reports’ – this is an expansion of this idea & a critical piece to building momentum. Most importantly you employ me, a Denver based broadcast professional with tons of ideas in this area – hit me up man!

    Comment by James Jacobs -

  6. Pingback: POTUS | The (Semi-Regular) Roaming Lama

  7. i agree with voting democratic if not to clean up the lobby a bit

    Comment by squeezedwords -

  8. One thing I really hate about smart guys like Cuban is their blindness to the plight of small business. Reducing tax rates on small businesses actually does help them invest in America. Screw big corporations. I think we all know they’re prostitutes. So can we please, please stop bashing Romney for wanting to lower tax rates on SMALL BUSINESSES, by claiming they’re tax cuts for big corporations.

    Comment by Tom Anderson (@TomTomJAnderson) -

  9. Folks,
    This is a good post but a little more research would show that we do have an alternative. We do have other candidates that we can vote for. If Mark Cuban wants a fiscal conservative and a social moderate, that would be Gary Johnson, Libertarian. I am not advocating any candidate in this context (although i have made up my mind) but here is a lit of all the candidates running in 2012:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2012

    Now if we, the People want to sit on our behinds and complain about the electoral system but do not want to even do enough research to check out all the candidates, i guess we have no one to blame but ourselves . . .

    Comment by S Raja Gopalan -

  10. If you don’t speak up, who will? Great Mark! Path of success!

    Comment by A Guleed (@AGuleed) -

  11. Mark has the guts to put thoughts out here, and it helps us get new ideas, I think that is really beneficial. Many people just like to criticize. Thanks for the wisdom Mark. #new ideas always have to evolve #blog maverick #think tank.

    Comment by John Stehmeyer -

  12. How can you endorse someone who lies about Jeep and when confronted the the company itself, issues a new lie the next day.

    Comment by Lou Adzima -

  13. I can’t wait for the Kickstarter video. Please hire Will Ferrell for a role in it…

    Comment by Michael A. Yonker -

  14. How to fix US Healthcare system:

    Third payer system – is the biggest problem with American healthcare. People that have insurance don’t always value what they have and use the system liberally, people that don’t have insurance can hardly afford any healthcare at all. To solve this problem America has to find a way to go back to a direct payer system, and I have a plan to do just that.

    To make my plan work we need one prerequisite. We already have medical savings accounts but the way these accounts are set up right now makes these accounts not very practical. Employees have to decide at the beginning of the year how much they are willing to put into these accounts and whatever’s is left unused in these accounts at the end of the year is lost, so people don’t put a lot of money into these accounts and don’t use them to really pay for their healthcare.

    Here’s my plan:

    1. Change the law governing the medical savings accounts. Essentially these accounts should function like 401Ks. Money go in tax free and what haven’t been used will keep accumulating for future use. There are already mechanisms to make sure the funds in these accounts are used for the right purposes, so that shouldn’t change.

    2. Encourage all employers to instead of paying for employee’s health insurance directly just deposit the monthly premiums into each employee’s medical savings account. And if employees don’t want to change their current situation and are happy with their current health insurance they can jus pay the premiums to the insurance company just like their employers would.

    That is it! This is the plan. With this new plan people will see real money being deposited into their accounts (in addition to their own contributions) and will be a lot smarter with these funds. People will seek out better insurance alternatives and may even pay for medical expenses directly to the doctors. But the bottom line is people will start comparison shopping and normal economic forces will be in play to reduce or at least contain rising cost of US healthcare services.

    Another action the US government should take is to encourage immigration of doctors and other medical professionals, but immigration is a whole new subject, much more political, so I will leave it for a lot smarter people.

    D. A. Raykhman

    Comment by Dan Raykhman -

  15. Problem with your entire post is: Romney is NOT a Democrat, and has therefore tied himself to the oppressive Taliban ideas on women’s rights that plague the GOP.

    Furthermore, Romney is on record as wanting to repeal Obamacare (aka Romneycare). He can’t take credit for it and denounce it at the same time and maintain credibility. Here’s a hint: has has no credibility.

    I also have to point out that the Federal Government is not a private corporation. Romney made his fortune by buying businesses, improving their profitability, and reselling them. Most of this was done by eliminating waste (laying off American workers and outsourcing those jobs abroad). I’m not knocking Romney’s ability as a business man, but as POTUS you can’t fire your way to a balanced budget without hurting thousands of people – who will then need government assistance to survive because they lost their jobs.

    Also, Romney’s tax plan is laughable to anyone with 3rd grade math skills.

    Stop schilling for the billionaire robber baron who will give you tax breaks Mark. I am losing all respect for you.

    Comment by Adam James -

  16. The word “idiot”, comes from the Greek word for a private person uninvolved in public affairs.
    The Greeks thought any free man, who failed to interest himself in his own present and future was an idiot.

    Comment by Gary Stonecipher -

  17. yup, good words. To paraphrase Chris Rock, if you decide that you are going to vote, or just ‘be’ a certain way before you’ve heard the issues, you are an idiot!

    Comment by Mark Stuart Curr -

  18. Romney stands for nothing, and a man who stands for nothing will fall for anything. He’s a man so desperate to sit on the throne that he has abandoned his own history and his own beliefs… gives me chills. No telling who would show up in the White House. I’m not against a rich person for president or a Republican. I’m against the wrong person for president. He’s even scarier than George Bush.

    Mark get that 3rd Party started! We’ll kick it with you, “PARTY OVER HERE…”

    EH

    Comment by visiontele2012 -

  19. I am not saying anything about who is or isn’t going to haven… Mat19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples: Amen, I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. Luk 6:24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

    I am just quoting what Jesus said… Yes, “God will determine who gets into Heaven” but, he has given us guide lines to follow and he has also pointed out the consequences if we don’t follow these guide lines…

    Your position is giving excuses for the hypocrites to justify their bad actions… Edmund Burke said; “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” He also said; When good men do nothing, they get nothing good done. To be good, one must do good.

    I will not turn a blind eye and remain silent… I will not allow evil to silence me…

    “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s” but a funny thing happened to Caesar along the way to today… Caesar morphed into “We the people…” so, Render unto us that which is our’s!

    Comment by Gary Stonecipher -

    • “Governor Romney will not go to heaven because, he practices Mammon Economics and is unapologetically rich… ” If you’re not saying Romney will NOT go to Heaven, what does the above statement mean? Caesar died like you and I will die (at least our bodies) so citing what happened to Caesar seems ludicrous. Mammon “material wealth or possessions especially as having a debasing influence .” You have made the claim that Romney because he is rich is evil, that he worships money and material wealth. Does that mean because I’m poor I will get into Heaven guaranteed?

      “Your position is giving excuses for the hypocrites to justify their bad actions.” Having or acquiring money is not inherently evil, it’s what you do with the money that determines whether you are evil or not and that’s still God’s judgment not ours.

      “Judge not for you shall be judged.”

      We the people are a metamorphosis of Caesar? That’s a stretch.

      Go in Peace my brother.

      Comment by Patrick Harrison -

  20. Uh, just an idle note: I know many people forget that Hawaii is a state, but they’ve had a state-run healthcare system since 1974.

    Massachusetts is not unique, and wasn’t even when Governor “I Worked in a Bipartisan Way, That’s Why the Legislature Overrode more than 85% of my 800 vetoes” Willard was in charge.

    Comment by klhoughton -

  21. If government debt lead to real growth, we’d be in the greatest boom of all time. Comparing more government spending to private investment firms putting money at risk in wise investments is ignorant at best, and completely disingenuous at a minimum. Government taking money by force or borrowing from future generations, and then spending it with whoever donated to their campaign is not a route to economic growth. This is what we have seen in the past few years. Crony capitalism is not a route to success, and Cuban of all people should be wise of enough to understand the difference.

    Comment by Fiscal Conservative (@nobiggovt) -

  22. Mark, thanks for sharing wisdom with us.

    Comment by John Stehmeyer -

  23. WTF?? Mark, did Donald Trump hack your blog?

    If there was one person I thought would be the last to say “let’s create jobs” from a POTUS perspective, it was a successful entrepreneur like you.

    “No one knows how to get a return on capital better than I do. I’m great at it. Look at my history.” …didn’t Trump say that back in the 90s before he went bust?

    Governments don’t create jobs. Or more so, they don’t create productive jobs. One of the biggest issues with ‘the parties’ that you, and most independent voters distrust, is that they think they can create jobs. I think Friedrick Hayek and Milton Friedman were a couple of great economists that understood this. They would probably say that the biggest tax you can put on the public is inflation, which tends to happen when countries borrow what they think is “free money” for what they think are “sure things”.

    You say our country is better off with a man in charge that knows how to get a good ROI on the free money its borrowing.. sorry but I think on a sovereign level, that strategy would be catastrophic. There is something to be said about running a country like a business.. mainly unlike a business, there are massive amounts of moral hazard with investments from government. The one place it may make sense is in cost cutting.. your strategy there I think would be incredibly interesting!

    Btw.. Curious as an investing POTUS how you would not compete with private investment? It would be like having Obama sit next to you on Shark Tank. Given that he would have no personal risk with the public money he’d be using, you as a private investor would never be able to win a round. How could you compete with the low balling?! Sounds more a new financial bubble in the making.

    —
    Def like reading your blog Mark, this post def got the juices going. Please keep them coming!

    Comment by Nate West (@nate222) -

  24. My Opinion on the Governor Romney Tax Plan

    As a business person, you work for monetary profit… As a governing person, you work in the people’s best interest… i.e. Business is about money and governing is about people…

    These two bottom lines are in complete conflict with each other… Building a road is not a financially profitable project but, it is in the people’s best interest… One cannot govern from a business perspective, one can only govern with the people’s best interest as their motivating factor…

    Romney is a business man who does not understand this… He has on many occasions proven he does not have empathy for those people in need… He believes that people must pull themselves up by their bootstraps… He does not understand that they don’t have bootstraps… Programs like food stamps, financial aid for education, health care, the Head Start program, etcetera build those bootstraps people need to pull themselves up…

    First lets examine Massachusetts — Governor Romney claims he did so much for Massachusetts… and yet Obama is up by +20 — Why aren’t the people in Massachusetts supporting Governor Romney… After all he did such a great job for them… or did he? I keep finding out the things he claims he did as Governor, were started before he took office… It’s a red flag, when your own state doesn’t support you…

    Second he says he is a Christian… He has made a lot of money and does not apologize for it… Yet Jesus said: I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

    If your business model is primarily for monetary gain then, you practice Mammon Economics… Jesus said: No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

    Governor Romney will not go to heaven because, he practices Mammon Economics and is unapologetically rich…

    Now lets get down to real Christian basics — God commanded us to tell the TRUTH… Governor Romney and the GOP don’t ever tell the truth… They will offer many excuses for lying to us but, no excuse is valid as Jesus said: For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

    Comment by Gary Stonecipher -

    • “Governor Romney will not go to heaven because, he practices Mammon Economics and is unapologetically rich… ” I’m not replying in favor of either party or candidate but as a Christian and I guess I do not support your Christianity since no one but God will determine who gets into Heaven. Also, it is more difficult for anyone who has amassed great material wealth to let go of that wealth but not impossible. We could cite scripture over and over to support each of our arguments about who will get into Heaven. “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s” gives some indication that God is not concerned about our material wealth when it comes to taxing that wealth. I’m the co-author of GOD’S JOYFUL SERVANT and LET THE CHILDREN COME TO JESUS which teaches our kids not to put any head of state before God as well as pleading with all Christians to pray to God, the Father, to return His Son to Earth yet many Christians say that’s silly.
      God will send Christ back to Earth when He wants and we need not pray for His return. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be praying to God when His Son returns than not praying. Yes, there are scriptures that support Christians whose eyes and ears are open at the time of His return since He will return as a thief in the night. So please, refrain from playing God and saying who and who will not get into Heaven. A rich man who loves Christ will toss aside those Earthly riches at the sight of Him as easily as taking off his clothes to go to bed at night.

      Comment by Patrick Harrison -

  25. Dear Mr. Cuban
    We really need to meet it is essential.
    In a rush today so I will just tell you my picks in football. You need proof to believe.
    It is 2pm in Canada., Here goes.
    1. Ny Giants- I bet this on Monday and got even money on them -8 percent commission. This is my big bet. Down with the Romo,.
    2.Atlanta Falcons- 2nd big bet. They are the underdogs vs the Eagles. So gettin 2.25 on them. Bye bye Vick fumble it Dog.
    3.Seattle Seahawks-Not as big as bet. They are underdogs at 2.15. To beat the Lions.
    Smaller bets on Chargers,Pittsburgh,Oakland, Steelers, Dolphins,Titans.

    Believe. I will write you tonight but I want this noted.

    Comment by whitewoody -

  26. Dear Mr. Cuban

    You really have to meet me in person we need to make things happen.
    I am in a rush and definitely need to write you a longer post. So I will when I get back from church.

    Comment by whitewoody -

  27. Pingback: Errors and Losers |

  28. Can you imagine a third party where the only party plank was to tell the truth? Wouldn’t that be amazing. People would talk about our ridiculous tax code and how it needs to be replaced with a national sales tax. They would require all persons who get government aid to take drug tests and to limit their purchases to needs not wants. They would scale back government spending, drastically.and get rid of inefficient workers. I could go on and on but fantasy is folly. As long as we allow lobbists to dictate and write our laws we have very little hope for the future.

    Comment by Michael Genette -

  29. The bit parodying groups that say business owners need “certainty” for everything but health insurance rates is dead-on. Before you get behind any third-party drive however, perhaps you should connect with these folks (http://reclaimdemocracy.org/us-presidential-debates-parties-corporations/) about replacing the duopoly control of presidential debates. Otherwise, no third party or independent will stand a chance.

    Comment by AMIBA (@theAMIBA) -

  30. PS… I agree with you on the pledge for HONESTY….

    THO, I am not so sure the American people want the truth… or can handle the truth….

    American citizens like everything airbrushed … photoshopped and packaged really pretty…. Style over substance….

    In Europe, we want our representatives to be the smartest people in the room…. we want them to be educated…. we don’t want them mediocre…. this is OPPOSITE in the US…. in the US… people want to vote for the guy that is most like them…. and would like to sit and have a beer with….

    After living in the USA for 40 years… and now living in Europe…. it is quite striking just how different the mind set is for these 2 continents…
    Tho, I won’t get my hopes up… as right after Obama was elected back in 2008… they made a big deal over Obama ordering a hamburger with Dijon Mustard on it… they called him snobby and elitist….
    Until people can grow up and focus on policies and working together for the GOOD of the country, instead of treating Obama as if he is NOT even an American… The USA is doomed to fail….

    Comment by JAG (@JustAGurLnSwedn) -

  31. ” Of course Governor Romney basically invented Obamacare for the state of Massachusetts.”

    This statement is just FLAT OUT FALSE….

    Romney did NOT come up with this health care plan….
    This was a plan put forward by the republicans in the 90’s…. They wanted a market based plan, and came up with the Individual Mandate……

    not only that…. this has been done in Europe for years….
    The Netherlands has this type of health care plan for the country….
    and it works VERY well for them…..

    So, PLEASE stop giving Romney credit for something he did NOT create…..

    I applaude Romney for pushing this through in Massachusetts…..

    HOWEVER… that is the ONLY thing he accomplished while governor….
    he failed at job creation in a BIG way…..

    Fact is…. CEO’s do NOT make good presidents…..

    Just look at what Bush did…..

    and lastly……

    This bears repeating….. (over and over and over again… on EVERY NETWORK…. at EVERY halftime…. at EVERY possible minute… This seems to be ONE truth that people can’t seem to grasp…. )

    “As a long time investor, I have never turned down an investment because of tax rates. I was just as successful investing when capital gains were much higher. I was just as successful investing when individual tax rates were much higher. No smart investor turns down a good deal because of tax rates. I always remind people you only pay taxes on profits. And if you make more than 1mm dollars in profits, whether through capital gains or ordinary income, you should pay more taxes.”

    Comment by JAG (@JustAGurLnSwedn) -

  32. Obama is a disaster. No budget, no plans, just lies and hyberbole. Enjoy the snake oil but I don’t think we can afford another 4 years of the Great Liar. Business aside, look at Benghazi. Americans died, the country wants answers and yesterday Obama talked in the Oval Office with “Sway” about hip hop, and the day before with Letterman about sports teams. Face it, the Emporer has no clothes. Democrats gave us slavery, the start of the KKK, and fought against Civil Rights. During the healthcare nonsense (you may like it Mark but you forget they planned to push it through without even a vote!) , one Tea Party guy had the perfect sign. It read ‘you shove this down my throat and i will shove it up your ass next election.’ Guess what? It’s next election.

    Comment by SavingAmerica2 (@savingamerica2) -

  33. My Republican party left me 30 years ago. There is no true Republican party today. Deficits, outdated social policies, nation builders, protectionism too name a few. If you are Republican vote democrat. If you are democrat vote republican. Bye bye my GOP what a shame……..

    Comment by gcele -

  34. Dear Mr. Cuban:
    I’m your fan in Taiwan, I hope you can make my dream come true…
    You are best owner in world professional sports!
    Now, Taiwan have a pro-baseball league, its called CPBL.
    In CPBL, Sinon Bulls is one of team, but this team is on sale now…
    I hope you can save this team, just like you save MAVS!
    Of course, I hope I can get one dream-job in this team, be a best GM in Taiwan.

    We hope someone real-love baseball, and can save our baseball…
    This is not only my dream, this is LOVE TAIWAN BASEBALL’s fans DREAM!
    Not everyday, everyweek, everyyear, only watch MLB or NPB’s game show…
    I know before you try to buy Pirates, Cubs and Dodgers…
    Now, you can have one baseball team, this chance in Taiwan.
    even if Taiwan’s team can’t make big news in this world.
    but, you can save Taiwan’s baseball!
    YOU CAN BE OUR GOD!
    please think about, thank you very much!

    Comment by Shori Honda -

  35. You are not stupid enough to run at the deficit individually, corporately or like our country. What about BO don’t you get?

    Sent from my HTC One™ X, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

    Comment by ttechsan -

  36. “Damn, I am so ready for a 3rd party.”
    It’s time to get started with a fiscal responsibility advocacy organization, an independent candidacy or 3rd party, our children and grandchildren will pay more taxes for every moment we fail to end deficit spending.

    Comment by Russell Verney -

  37. Pingback: I Would Vote For Governor Romney If He Were A Democrat | Delaware Reason

  38. Obama is the perfect politician in so many ways. Romney is a great business leader that I would not want to work for.

    I agree he would be a much better candidate if the people behind him weren’t so far to the right and he makes more sense as a democrat anyway. No conservative thinking person is going to leverage a company, that’s not conservative at all! I really hate Romney because of his religious views and that’s why I can’t agree with you on this subject. I do agree that a business tycoon is a better candidate for president than a career politician though. Politicians don’t understand innovation and just say jobs far too much.

    I’m voting Obama, but I would love to have a Libertarian candidate be able to come to the debates. If I knew more about Gary Johnson, maybe I would vote for him.

    Keep the separation of Church and State!

    Comment by Peter Melnik -

  39. Mark, you hit the nail on the head. If you truly want a third party, then encourage people to vote for Gary Johnson this year. If half of the people that feel like they are voting for the lesser of two evils, or don’t really like either Romney or Obama and therefore aren’t going to vote, decide to vote for Johnson, he would have a good chance to get the 5% popular vote needed to have the Libertarian party included on all ballots in 2016, as well as have access to the same federal funds that the “Big Two” have now.

    Comment by Beau Dameron -

  40. Interesting, but a bit idealistic as far employment of debt-exploitation strategies for the good of the American people.

    Also, I disagree that “Healthcare and the Economy” are the most important issues of this election. Certainly these issues dominate the rhetoric (laughable as it is), but any forward-thinking mind with any sense geopolitical awareness will realize that Education and Fiscal Philosophy are what will ultimately determine the course of our progression into the future.

    When I use the term Fiscal Philosophy, I mean to distinguish it from “Economics” or “The Economy” in suggesting that we need to reexamine the very precepts of the US/global debt-based model itself, rather than to simply rehash the policies derived from these accepted precepts.

    Issues like Healthcare (of which the US is tragically overshadowed by every other first world country) stand a decent chance of essentially correcting themselves if we choose to establish a non-toxic system of economics and body fiscal policies. (I say this because I’m convinced, at this point, that the disparities in the healthcare system are maintained as a mechanism of oppression and class-warfare. I mean, honestly, what excuse does a self-enthroned “global leader” have for this horrendous system?) Essentially, my point is this: if we eliminate this system of finance that guarantees and is inoperable without a persistent state of debt, healthcare becomes imminently more “affordable.”

    I name Education as a vital issue because the decay of scholastic integrity in the various academic machines and institutions has lead to projections that within the next hundred years, both the United States and Canada will be classified as third world countries (if judged on standards of education). And if our society’s education is third world, our society is third world. (Or, perhaps, a first-world demographic will be supported within our society upon the shoulders of a constructed mass of third-world proletarians.)

    Fiscal Philosophy and Education are the keys to a sustainable future for western culture (if we can, in fact, discount Monsanto et al. as the Messiah).

    If this country expects to be worth its (or China’s) salt on a rapidly unfolding and dynamic geopolitical and economic stage, we need to start thinking outside the box, outside the Blue/Red paradigm, and honestly begin considering how we want or expect our country to fit into the puzzle of an emerging global culture (i.e. via Warburg’s consent or conquest).

    Americans voting strictly on what happens in America is a thing of the past; we must now indeed acknowledge that we are voting (or not voting, due to lack of effective options) for what happens in the world at large over.

    And stakes is high.

    Comment by Michael 'Howie' Howard -

  41. Dear Mr. Cuban: This is a rather facile argument. In Massachusetts they do not seem to be supporting their former Great Leader. Apparently at the time Massachusetts ranked 47th in job creation.There are a great many things to whine about regarding the past 4 years but things feel quite a bit more stable than in 2007.
    Of course there may be some generic appeal for you to have a corporate magnate in the WH, perhaps not this one though…
    The future will be bright , fruitful and positive! (Bob Marley)
    I Like Obama!!!
    Dr. G.N. Gartenberg

    Comment by Gary Gartenberg (@natesandhu) -

  42. How cool would it be if you could reinvent politics with a third party candidacy! The time is right, and there’s some history of folks from Dallas getting involved in third party politics. I have some experience with third party campaigning and would be glad to connect you with some folks who understand the (annoying and complicated) mechanics to make it happen.

    Comment by Scott Sanders -

  43. How cool would it be if you could reinvent politics with a third party candidacy! The time is right, and there’s some history of folks from Dallas getting involved in third party politics. I have some experience with third party campaigning and would be glad to connect you with some folks who understand the (annoying and complicated) mechanics to make it happen.

    Comment by scottso17 -

  44. We do need a 3rd party. As much as they sound different they are the same. We should implement a “Shark Tank” mentality to government

    Comment by Mike Stahl -

  45. I don’t get it, Mark. We have more than a 3 party system now: Pacific Green, Progressive, Libertarian, and Constitution. What we need is for the people of America to take a more active role in determining their own destiny like vote for Senators and House of Representatives. We keep blaming others when it’s we the people who are at fault for the state of the economy and everything else. We need to educate ourselves instead of going to schools that turn out people who don’t know how to think, only pass tests. Go to 3rd world countries such as the Philippines and see private enterprise at work on every street. No, I’m not suggesting we become a 3rd world country although we might be approaching that where the rich get richer while the middle class slips into poverty, thus like the Philippines where there is so much poverty families are overjoyed creating huts out of tin and palm leaves for a family of four. Kids work the garbage to find any little thing of value that might help their families while suffering from the stench and chemical gases where they “work.” The major trouble is we do not respect nor believe politicians anymore, thus we need to be our own politician. Act locally and think globally. But what family where mother and father are working at 3 jobs while
    their kids waste their time going to our schools that have become no more than profit centers granting huge loans to students to cover the unbelievable cost of education these days which keep getting raised every semester it seems and the loans just get bigger and now Washington (our central governing body) is taking over that lending growing itself and becoming more important rather than less in each of our lives. I wish I had solutions to offer, I don’t, except we must find a way to come together on the major aspects of our lives rather than allowing us to be split into so many categories with special interests that we will never be able to see the needs of ALL of US and continue to fight for those handouts to our group over an over. I married a Filipina and know first hand how difficult it is just to communicate in a marriage of 2 customs where even the aspect of food becomes a major household concern. But I have not seen such dedication to one’s family like when I was growing up in the 50’s. My wife had to leave her country while she was very young to go to where work was and paid better wages than she could get in the her native country as the daughter of a rice farmer. My wife supported her family while paying for her 4 siblings to all get through all their schooling including college and it ain’t cheap in PI to do that. Teachers here cry about their wages and long hours with ever increasing class sizes while teachers in PI make $400. a month
    for a family of 6 to live on. Fortunately, we were able to build my wife’s parents a cement house to replace their 2 story bamboo house and give them some of the little comforts we enjoy here like a flushing toilet rather than a hole in the ground.
    Laws and regulations stifle the people’s growth while adding to the bureaucracy that rules us. We need to return the power to govern ourselves to the state, county, and cities of America. Otherwise we will continue to flap in the wind and go whichever way the wind is blowing. While we keep adding laws to the books rather than replacing the ones that are outdated by decades, and regulations that do nothing but restrict American’s ingenuity. I’m an inventor and now even patent laws that go into effect in 2013 favor the major corporations over the individual or small business inventors since no longer will inventors be able to prove they had an idea before anyone else by the logs of their inventions prove but now it’s the first to file so those with money to burn will be able to file all sorts of ingenious ideas even though they never plan to turn their patents into products. It’s just like it has been for centuries. Our government or the very rich buy up inventions only to put them onto shelves never to see the light of day. During my travels years ago I met a physicist that said we have the ability to put some little device into an ocean liner and transport it across the Atlantic from the USA to Europe by using the natural pull of the moon–a monopole that defies the laws of physics–but he went on to say since our world is used to and dependent upon oil, he doubted the invention he spoke about would ever get to market until we have nearly wiped out all our natural energy resources. We build wind power generators where the maintenance will cost far more than the material and labor to construct them all in the name of
    green energy. The real green in green energy is the dollar, follow it and you will see the true reason for going green.
    patrick g harrison, POWER Button Poker

    Comment by Patrick Harrison -

  46. I just voted for Roseanne Barr for president (she is on the ballot in Calif.). Screw Obaney!

    Comment by joea99 -

  47. Mark I know you visit the South Bay area frequently, would you be interested in participating in one of the local TEDX events to speak on this very topic? Let me know.

    Comment by Eric Fader -

  48. Why isn’t anyone talking about how Romney “wants to create jobs here” when he and Bain Capital clearly have a history of closing factories here just to open factories outside of the US? I’m neither a Democrat or a Republican, but give me a party that stands for cutting through the B#*@ SH*# that you hear on a daily basis then count me in.

    Comment by John Calcitrai -

  49. I loved every word of your column until I came to the end. Maybe sometimes a third party could help, but only if we had a different election system. (When two moderate candidates split the vote, an extremist could easily win and most of us would be very unhappy.) Chuck Gitles has it right when he says that our primary system is a real problem.

    But in this particular election, we have a worthy candidate. President Obama recognized that the healthcare system from which Romney ran away was a good deal for the country and for business. We have a candidate who is investing in all the areas you suggest, such as science, medicine, technology, education and infrastructure that can make us world leaders for the future. He has invested to create jobs. He didn’t hesitate to borrow from China to get businesses growing again here. Even his tax ideas seem quite similat to yours. He chose smart advisors, and he also has the backbone to stand consistently for what he believes.

    Observing Obama’s decisions as president, I saw a very thoughtful, savvy, rather moderate leader, who got more accomplished than most people noticed or believed possible. So why yearn for a third party now? Why not endorse Obama now and then get ready to run for 2016?

    Comment by msfannye (@msfannye) -

  50. To Mark Cuban’s Blog
    I loved every word of your column until I came to the end. Maybe sometimes a third party could help, but only if we had a different election system. (When two moderate candidates split the vote, an extremist could easily win and most of us would be very unhappy.) Chuck Gitles has it right when he says that our primary system is a real problem.

    But in this particular election, we have a worthy candidate. President Obama recognized that the healthcare system from which Romney ran away was a good deal for the country and for business. We have a candidate who is investing in all the areas you suggest, such as science, medicine, technology, education and infrastructure that can make us world leaders for the future. He has invested to create jobs. He didn’t hesitate to borrow from China to get businesses growing again here. Even his tax ideas seem quite similat to yours. He chose smart advisors, and he also has the backbone to stand consistently for what he believes.

    Observing Obama’s decisions as president, I saw a very thoughtful, savvy, rather moderate leader, who got more accomplished than most people noticed or believed possible. So why yearn for a third party now? Why not endorse Obama now and then get ready to run for 2016?

    Comment by msfannye (@msfannye) -

  51. Massachusetts lost more jobs under Romney,also the lowest in job creation. Bought companies got his money out of them caused them to go bankrupt,so what you are saying this would be a good man running our country…. it tells me you have blinders on

    Comment by Nancy Abriel Martin -

  52. Which candidate ever worked a line at a DQ? Cuban! Which candidate regularly wheels and deals with (and is trusted by) foreign individuals, Hispanics, Asians & African Americans? Cuban! Which candidate understand media, tech (let’s face it – tech is our future here), finance, CPG, banking, etc? Cuban. Which candidate is well know by the citizens of 3 of our biggest trading partners – China, Mexico and Canada? Cuban.

    My suggestion? Don’t even call it a “party”. Americans increasingly hate the very idea of a political party. You form a club, we will lump you all in together. And when someone from your new club says something stupid about rape, it comes back on you. Just run. Period. You have me vote…

    Comment by Tommy Galloway (@tommygtwo) -

  53. Mark, I believe in what you said, and I hope your keeping your blogs for History, I’d compare you to Ben Frankilin, He was never a President, but was a great man of words, Keep up the good work and I pray for American to go Forward. PEACE

    Comment by Michael E Johnson -

  54. It is absurd but this election has really all come down to rhetoric. I think if Romney ran on this ticket he would have gotten killed in the primaries…painted as the PE boss who doesn’t care about the people. I actually think part of the reason is that President Obama has done a lot to divide the country. His “millionaires and billionaires/corporate jet owners” tag line is one example. Since when has it been a negative to be successful in business. It’s crazy that Romney’s record at Bain is criticized, yet people seem to forget that Obama has been essentially doing the same thing with clean energy. The only difference is that people in Obama-invested companies are losing jobs.

    Romney has really been manhandled by the republican party though, and I think that is keeping him from talking about his actual plan. Just admit that RomneyCare worked well. You found a failure in the free market and corrected it. Nothing wrong with that. There was a good quote from the Economist a few weeks ago…”It is not too late for Mr Romney to show America’s voters that he is a man who can lead his party rather than be led by it.”

    Comment by Michael Ryan (@MyklRyan) -

  55. AMEN Mark!!!!

    We need more successful entrepreneurs in your demographic telling it like it is!

    You are absolutely right. I grew up as a Republican, was a political science major in college, served the local party after school, and watched the party become more and more distanced from the values I admired.

    I cannot believe that the Republican party in particular went so off track. It has now become the puppet of tea party extremists. With extreme, backwards views on practically every social issue. With an abrasive, cold view of economics, global politics, and health care.

    I also can’t understand how the Affordable Care Act doesn’t enjoy broader support, and why the Obama administration didn’t incorporate stronger provisions to relieve businesses from being responsible for the health care of employees.

    And why the administration doesn’t more aggressively articulate growing the economy by promoting entrepreneurism, business education, technical and trade schools, global fair trade, etc.

    We don’t need a vote for Obama, or a vote for Romney. We need a third party that truly “gets it”.

    If you start a third party. I’m with you.

    Comment by Doug Kinsey -

  56. President Obama had it not been for politics is essentially a social worker. Nothing wrong with that IMO unless you want to be president of the United States. I thing Gov. Romney is a business person with an amazing track record. He’s also a winner.

    Comment by Nick Sparagis (@Sparagi) -

  57. This is your best blog post to-date. You nailed it.

    Comment by DarlaF (@DarlaF) -

  58. I find the dishonesty of the narrative that people making over a million dollars should pay thier fair share or that we only want to raise taxes on millionaires and billionaries. Since when is 250k combind income over a million $ per yr and make you a millionaire or billionaire?

    Comment by Ken Dickenson -

  59. The real problem is the primary system. The only way you get on the ballot is to appease the extreme portion of half the population that votes in your party’s primary. Here in Chicago, the mayor is voted for in a non-partisan manor. Everyone runs in the primary without party identification. If someone gets 50% +1 votes in the primary, they win the office. If no one gets to 50%, there’s a run off between the top two vote getters.

    The incentive is therefor not to appeal to a party base, but the entire population from the second your campaign starts. We need that nationally as well.

    Comment by Chuck Gitles -

  60. I really wish more people would read this blog and I hope Mitt Romney would reads this blog. He has all of the background and the intelligence, he is just not as dynamic in front of people and needs to dumb down his rethoic sometimes. I think if he could explain it as well as you do in your posts, no one halfway intelligent would question his plans for our future.

    The reality of the situation is that Obama is all smoke a mirrors but is an amazing salesman, and has everyone convinced that what he has done in 4 years in not that bad. People trust him and believe in him no matter how many times he fails because of his presence. American people have “hero” syndrome to the highest degree. We wear athletes names on our backs and praise everything they do because we want to be like them. We buy the same clothing celebrities wear becuase we hope we can look as good as they do. Obama has that quality and I think that is why he will ultimatley be elected again, because people dont listen as much as they just watch these days.

    The reason I love these posts is because you are thinking of the better good no matter the party and as a smart businessman you see who has the intelligence and background to make things work. Keep them coming, I read them all and always forward them on to others. Thanks.

    Comment by kevinm525 -

  61. Mark,

    Here’s the real question: Can America take back politics and effect the course of this country IN BETWEEN election cycles? Imagine a nonpartisan platform that was dedicated to resolving specific issues that people care about. Imagine a place that could create a collective leverage through petitions and collaborative voices. Imagine a place that could also easily inform people about an issue and give them the tools they need to stay connected and well-informed. We don’t have to IMAGINE this anymore…come to my site… VoiceHeard.com. Shoot me an email at mickey@voiceheard.com… I believe that we have much to discuss. We are already doing so many exciting things with advocacy groups and forming partnerships with big name publications to help drive traffic and create this community. Lets make America better, lets make it go forward, lets have change..real change..one issue at a time. The capability is there, the choice, is up to You.

    Comment by Mickey Costa -

  62. I always said I would have strongly considered to vote for the Mitt Romney from ten years ago – unfortunately this country is so heavily divided that no matter who wins, the other party will block/filibuster any key initiatives and hope for a better result (from their perspective) in the next election…

    Comment by Kevin Klotzbucher -

  63. Mark, You nailed it.

    I always suspected that you are my kind of businessman, entrepreneur and investor. I am that, albeit my successes are puny compared to yours. My respect for you increased whole lot more. May your voice keep getting bigger influence.

    I have never been able to understand the argument that people will not invest if taxes are higher. People make an investment if it makes money (on risk adjusted basis – for some) compared to alternatives, which may be other investments or cash. Higher taxes may reduce the profit but do not eliminate the reasons for investments. Small profit is still better than no profit.

    Same with greater infrastructure investment during so low interest rates. Wish I could get such rates for my business. Many more initaitives would become viable.

    Comment by Sunil Sharma (@susharma) -

  64. I’d back that kickstarter *and* I’d vote for Cubes.

    Comment by Shannon (@ShansMasala) -

  65. Mark you are missing the whole point of our government, I like your wishy washy nod to the left here. The role of the federal government is completely different than the state government. Massachusetts is a STATE within a REPUBLIC!!!!!!!!!!! Do you know what that means? And more importantly why it was set up this way??? Way to inject yourself and your celebrity into the election, just like the rest. P.S. Technically speaking this is not a case of irony.

    Comment by Luke Olson -

  66. This is great stuff. You have just made the best case yet against Romney. Based on his record he cannot possibly believe what he is saying. His whole campaign has been about shoring up his base among the extreme elements of his party. His past pragmatism has been cast aside; he will pander to whichever audience he happens to confront; even on foreign policy he has no position that he will adhere when buffeted and was demolished by Obama in their debate. He has been on too many sides of too many issues. Let us be done with him and with vigor and rigor address these problems in an imaginative and constructive manner.

    It’s time for people to use their common sense and vote for Obama.

    Comment by jeffreyberlin -

  67. I see so many people comment they’re ready for a 3rd party – well there is a viable 3rd party candidate – Gary Johnson. But the media (& lawsuits by the Republicans) have kept him off the polls. He doesn’t poll high enough to get in the debates – but only because he’s not included in most polls. Look him up. It’s a corrupt system and one he could fight against. If everyone in this country who said they want a 3rd party voted for the 3rd party instead of thinking it’s a wasted vote – we’d see real change.

    Comment by Darren Selberg -

  68. Mark –

    Really enjoyed this blog! Reading between the lines is a practice that we all have to become better at because of today’s political enviroment. Still I would prefer someone come at me with the facts the way you go after the ref’s on a bad call. Then I would know your position and the passion behind it.

    I agree with you that the economy and healthcareare top priorities, but I think a strong decisive leader is the most important aspect of being President. DO we have that in this race in your opinion?

    Thanks Mick

    Comment by Joe Fields -

  69. Mark….I wish there was some way to contact you. I have a proven marketing plan that does solve all of these problems and ends all unemployment. It would be the best fun you ever had in business. All you need to do is reach out of the box and work with me on this.

    Comment by bestcopy -

  70. I’m afraid I can not agree. Romney has lied every time he has opened his mouth. He has been unable to keep his facts straight, treat women with respect, outline any sort of tax plan that doesn’t further the rich while cutting any social netting for those who need help the most. How any one could vote for him Democratic or Republican is a mystery.

    Comment by Sosha R. Ruark -

  71. I couldn’t agree more Mark. Great column! I hope you can repeat this message on some of the political talk shows next week, so more people can hear it.

    Comment by Carmen Tom Christiano -

  72. Romney has been a shapeshifter on issues since the beginning of his political career.

    I acknowledge that people may change their minds on issues from time to time but how many grown men do you know that can change on so many substantive issues? Abortion; healthcare, gay rights, war and peace (Afghanistan in particular), assault weapons, minimum wage, outsourcing/off-shoring… I could go on!

    Romney talks a good game but can anyone believe a word he says?

    Comment by no_BS_Politics (@NoBSpolitics) -

  73. Mark, you may actually have a hobby career as a political pundit and columnist. Your unique perspectives are thought-provoking. I find it humorous the way you can pull in Republican supporters to hear your points, which support Democratic platform issues. I note the way you start with a premise, then infuse the principles that you believe into the personality of the piece, which is, in this case, couched as support for Romney as viewed through the lens of a Democrat … if Romney were such himself.

    Nice.

    However, your premise regarding Romney’s investment expertise is misleading. And the fact that Obama hasn’t called him on it speaks to his campaign’s limited understanding of the private equity and venture capital industry … which is currently in tumult.

    The chaos in private equity and the VC industry is not merely my opinion. The facts as spelled out by:

    The Kauffman Foundation here: http://www.bloomberg.com/video/92249035-venture-capital-a-good-or-bad-investment.html

    CalPers: http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_21275244/calpers-bows-out-venture-capital

    Fred Wilson: http://www.technologyreview.com/qa/428869/fred-wilson-on-why-the-collapse-of-venture-capital-is-good/

    NY State Pension Fund: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-09/ex-n-y-pension-officer-sentenced-to-conditional-discharge-1-.html

    Private Equity Analyst Conference (see Day 1 closing agenda discussion on Romney’s impact of the PE industry): http://peaconference.dowjones.com/program#day1

    That’s the beginning of the chaos and tumult, Mark. I’m not trying to disparage the private equity and venture capital industry. I think its an institution that drives the innovation economy at the pace it is going. But it needs an overhaul. And folks like Romney, who are responsible for it being where it is today and operating under its current constructs, are the problem … not the solution. Thus, Romney’s rep in the private equity industry is tied to the rep of the industry itself, which isn’t garnering any trust from within or without.

    Comment by Mike Green (@amikegreen2) -

  74. So you wish Romney has Obama’s positions or Obama has Romney’s experience? If that is the case, why would you vote for someone who is dishonest about their past positions and has the wrong positions now? I would rather go for the guy with less business experience, but the right plan – especially if you recognize that Congress is the political body that can make or break the economy, not the President. The President only signs and enforces the laws that Congress passes.

    If you like Obamacare, raising taxes on wealthy people, regulating wall street or investing in our economy and infrastructure, vote all Republicans out of Congress. But if you think cutting taxes and cutting spending will help the economy or the deficit, then you don’t understand the economic math. The reason unemployment went up isn’t because of high taxes – taxes are low. And the reason the debt is so high isn’t because we are intentionally spending more – it’s because the economy is suffering. Therefore investing in the economy will increase economic activity, increasing revenue and decreasing the unemployment rate. If you don’t believe me than look at history – the Reagan recovery and the New Deal brought us out of depressions and recessions by increasing spending and increasing the short term debt for long term gains – ask Bain Capital how they improved companies – it’s not by decreasing revenue.

    Comment by Rory Partalis -

  75. Mark, what do you think about Gary Johnson?

    Comment by JP -

  76. Holy Crap. I swear yesterday I almost posted a comment that Romney would have made a very interesting democrat presidential candidate.

    Comment by dailypuma -

  77. Pingback: I Would Vote for Gov Romney if He Was a Democrat « Blog Carlisle

  78. A few comments have incorrectly stated that third party votes are wasted or perceived to be wasted.
    Vote for a third party increases funding for a third party.
    Vote for a third party increases pressure on the other two parties to move to the center to get those votes.
    Vote for a third party encourages more people the next time to consider it a viable option.
    Vote for a third party creates stronger local politicians and a stronger local government since those positions are more easy to get a third party into.

    There was supposed to be a reality show about a person to run for President as a third party during this election. Do it! Do it like Shark Tank. If all of these billionaires are trying to use the current parties and SPACs to get an agenda passed, then why don’t a few get a real candidate and push him that way. Imagine how wide open and POSITIVE a SPAC with all that money could finally change things: anyone could be a candidate, not just some Washington Insider.

    Comment by disfiguredskating -

  79. So Mark, you just made an excellent case to vote Democratic, and vote Obama!!! He was smart enough to model the Affordable Health care Law after Romneycare and he’s got the right idea on investing in new ideas, clean energy and other ventures for the future…plus smart enough to know not to make the same tired old mistake of thinking that cutting taxes for the rich will magically cause companies to then hire more people…didn’t work under Bush, was part of the reason we’re in this mess today!! Companies will be happy to hire more people if there is demand for their product and that is where a strong middle class is helpful for all!! And all of Obamas policies are all about that!!! ( I actually wish he had did a little more stimulus and created government jobs like fixing the infrastructure etc or paying teachers instead of laying them off) Nothing wrong with the New Deal!!!

    So come on Mark, back President Obama and you can become his economic Advisor!! Plus you gotta love his social agenda; he got rid of Don’t ask don’t tell; he stands up for women’s rights to make decisions regarding their own bodies, .plus separation of church and state so that one religion cannot force their ideology on others…and he will likely pick Supreme Court Justices who think reasonably!!!’

    Please, do the right thing! Be a Maverick in Texas and support OBAMA!!!

    Lori Kleinfield

    Sent from my iPhone

    Comment by Lori Kleinfield -

  80. Just ONCE during this crazy election i would love to see a very powerful CEO or billionaire come out publicly and announce to the world the he wants his employees to vote for whoever the hell they want to and That their jobs are in no way affected by how they feel Like yourself Mr.Cuban or anyone of your stature please someone dont let America lose faith In those in powerful positions cause thats what is happening

    Comment by bear7677 -

  81. There’s no way a 3rd party could succeed unless it has at least one major media outlet on its side. Otherwise the ‘main stream’ will mock it as radical and on the fringes…and that’s where it will remain.

    I honestly think this country is broken right now and its going to take a crises to pull it together. Whoever wins next month will have half the country hating him and a divided congress. It’s a recipe for 4 years of nothing getting accomplished…with things getting even worse for the middle class.

    Obama is a divider, not a unifier and people just don’t trust Romney. I honestly think we’re screwed no matter who wins because that person will.have half the country hating him plus a divided congress with leadership on both sides that has no desire to compromise.

    It’s a recipe for 4 years of nothing getting accomplished…with things getting even worse for the middle class. Obama is a divider, not a unifier and people just don’t trust Romney. I honestly think we’re screwed no matter who wins.

    Comment by csfan -

  82. THIS was the year for a 3rd party candidate to step up to the plate! There was a real chance of winning.

    The Republicans really didn’t want to nominate Romney. But there was no other Republican wannbe president candidate in their ranks who had any kind of realistic chance of getting votes outside of the rabid base.

    Obama is a listless, lazy, ineffective president who would rather be globe trotting, or goofing off than focusing on the necessary work at hand. I voted for him in 2008 but I will not vote for either him or Romney in 2012. Obama’s entire campaign seems to be “I’m not Romney”. Geez.

    You could have actually won Mark, had you started that 3rd party for 2012. We will have to wait and see if 2016 becomes an auspicious time for a 3rd party start.

    Comment by joea99 -

  83. Genius!! I am huge fan of your blog posts.

    I keep waiting for Clinton to come back for a third term. Toss out those rules. We need Clinton!!!

    Keep writing, Thank you, Ronit Weinberg

    Sent from my iPhone

    Comment by skitwag -

  84. 3rd party with someone popular as president for looks, official functions and electability (maybe Tom Hanks) and you or someone else as VP to do all the heavy lifting. That way we get the person we really want and take away all the stress of baby kissing so you can get thins done!

    Comment by Bruce Layden (@Lookinglong) -

  85. You’re a knucklehead Mark!

    Comment by Give.mobi (@GiveDotMobi) -

  86. When you announce you’re running I will work in your campaign!

    Comment by Elizabeth Sheridan Vanneste -

  87. If you’re looking for a VP to run with, I’m available

    Comment by Mike Hoag Jr. -

  88. The Pinera Administration is doing something like what is described in Chile, oddly the two politicians bear striking resemblances.

    The main difference is that Chile’s funding comes from commodities rather than cheap debt. That and Chile has 7% of the US’ population.

    Comment by Patrick Dugan -

  89. I don’t believe that Kickstarter permits people to get funding for a political party, but IndieGogo might; IndieGogo is what Matt Inman (The Oatmeal) used to raise ~$1,370,511 for the Tesla Museum: http://www.indiegogo.com/teslamuseum. He couldn’t fundraise on Kickstarter.

    I would have felt comfortable if Laurence Kotlikoff, the economist at Boston University, had run for president. He seems sensible and would’ve had my vote. If only he hadn’t ended his candidacy…

    Comment by Caroline L (@LaMarEstaba) -

  90. Mark, I’ve thought the same thing about Romney and that’s probably one of the reasons I’m not 100% sold on him. He’s economic progressive/moderate, wrapped in a social conservative, touting his religion as his identity. That’s too confusing a message. He’s trying to be too many things to too many people – probably without realizing it.

    Comment by Todd Kelly -

  91. Mark, I think candidates should use Kickstarter to fundraise. I mean if people invest in the most random start-ups, wouldn’t they invest for a country’s better future?!
    -http://blogsharktank.blogspot.com/

    Comment by businessshark2 -

  92. The world is evolving fast. We have emerging middle classes in China and India. The world economy is not set up to serve that many middle class people. Not enough resources to go around. The world economy is not a machine that can be fixed by reading a manual. What might work today, might not work tomorrow. It will take, genius, risk, and luck to get this thing back on track and I don’t see the solution in the Republican or Democratic Parties. The result of our 2 party system is the same old tired arguments and that is not going to cut it. 3rd party would be great, but no party would be even better. People have prejudicial tendencies that subconsciously materialize when we see that (R) or (D) next to the name, depending on what party you tend to lean with. I’d rather just hear them out without the unintentional bias. There is a possibility we never fully recover from this, yet our leaders still put their parties ahead of the nation. 300 million of us. Are these the two best and brightest?

    Comment by Martin McFly (@salintex) -

  93. Please start a 3rd party. You and DeShaun Stevenson as VP

    Comment by YesMSG -

  94. http://uscentrist.org/about

    Comment by jib (@jjbonney) -

  95. As someone outside American I cannot help but be swung by articles like this.

    http://www.economist.com/node/21565285?fsrc/scn/fb/wl/dc/consumerexpectations

    It seems republicans are generally good for a minority of people where as democrats seem to be generally good the the country as a whole.

    I know these are very general and there are lots of exceptions.

    What do you make of these type of polls Mark? Do they over simplify the issue or is there some substance to be taken from them?

    Comment by Dónall O'Brien -

  96. In an alternate universe, Mitt Romney ran for president in 2008 and won with Barack Obama as his running mate. By the 2012 election, Romney had used his experience in investing debt to turn the economy around, while Obama became the first vice-president to keep our attention by playing his role as motivator and student to Romney. Romney wins 2012 in a landslide victory against Sarah Palin and her running mate Rick Perry.

    Over the course of 8 years, Obama learns much from Mitt to continue progress in social, economic, and foreign policy.

    In 2016, after much economic growth and playing a vital role in the 2 successful terms of President Mitt Romney, Barack Obama runs for President with Hilary Clinton as his running mate.

    He wins, and becomes our first mixed-race president, while Hilary becomes the first woman president.

    ————-
    Btw, I’d like a third party. Please write a blog post on your vision for a third party in America.

    Comment by William Herring (@WilliamHerring) -

  97. Excellent post. Agree with the premise but disagree with the solution of a third party. We just need quality independent candidates (Cuban in 2016!), able and willing to think for themselves, free from the limitations of conforming to a party line. We wrote about this back in 2010, but it’s a applicable today as it was then. http://www.theantipopulist.com/2010/11/speak-softly-but-carry-big-stick.html

    Comment by theantipopulist.com (@theantipopulist) -

  98. This is the main problem with politics. Most people do what they need to do to get elected and not do what is best for the people. I hate the fact I voted straight party this year but I feel that was the only way to get anything done. Also it took Steve Jobs +10 years to turn Apple. Why do we think one person can do it in 4 years with a entity 26x the size of Apple.

    Comment by Charles Everett III (@ceveret3) -

  99. I agree with you, but unfortunately Romney has too many other flaws to ignore, not just his party allegiance, although that *is* part of the problem. I have friends on MassHealth and am jealous that it hasn’t been adopted nationwide yet. And I do believe that Romney would be better for the economy if he gets an agreeable congress.

    HOWEVER, I can’t vote for a liar, one who openly lies in order to win the audience in front of him, as though social media and YouTube and other ways to catch inconsistencies of message didn’t exist. I’m guessing he probably doesn’t understand that. I’m not saying Obama is the bastion of truth, and I do believe Obama has done his fair share of pandering to the audience in front of him and then doing the opposite when it came down to the wire.

    I think we *do* need a bunch of strong voices to band together and make third, fourth, and fifth party options available. I am in love with a certain third party candidate, but because I’m guessing my state’s presidential race will be close, I feel kinda obligated to vote for the guy who hasn’t sworn to outlaw my ability to marry or visit my partner in the hospital.

    It sucks. I am not a fan of either of them, but because of where I live, voting third party might be an unwise choice. I hate the electoral college, I hate that we don’t just go with a popular vote now that we’re in the information age and tabulating that would be fairly easy.

    I can’t wait for January to end, so all this horsepoop will be over. I know how I want it to turn out, but I’ll just be happy that it’s over for three more years.

    Comment by Del Tashlin -

  100. Mark, I think we need to complement a new third party with a new ranked voting scheme (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranked_voting_systems) where if you want a third party candidate and that person can’t win then your vote isn’t wasted. Since America has a political duopoly by virtue of our voting system (first-past-the-post), it doesn’t make much sense to invest time in yet another 3rd party until we resolve the issue of wasted votes. Once Americans could comfortably rank candidates and know that if their Green party guy doesn’t win, then their vote would go to the Democrat (or Tea Party/Republican, or pick another combo), then we could have new parties and get the crooks out.

    Comment by A Republicant (@Republicant624) -

  101. I’ll be ready for that 3rd party nomination next time ’round.

    Comment by jaydotkaydot -

  102. Romney didn’t create universal healthcare. If anything, as a way to try to get in good with Ted Kennedy he thought it would look good for him to be behind it. He did not a damn thing else in Massachusetts. His acumen as a businessman was just to be greedy and corrupt. He basically wanted companies to fail, in order to make huge profits off of them. Also, he help create the idea of outsourcing, which caused job loss and lower wages for American workers. He’s terrible on social issues. Plus, he blantantly lies and flip-flops to suit his needs. I really question why this is somebody you would support?

    Comment by William Hill -

  103. Mark,

    Please do not get into politics and start a 3rd party. The last thing I would ever want to see is an incredibly brilliant and diligent individual who creates plenty of jobs as it is to get involved in politics and have that as a distraction. If I hear CNN complaining that this guy used to eat “Ketchup and mustard sandwiches” and now we are supposed to vote for him on the air it would annoy me beyond belief. You do a great job creating business opportunities and jobs for our country and I hope you never stop because like me you are passionate about that.

    Comment by Richart Ruddie -

  104. Brilliant and spoken like any rational person would think, AKA a MODERATE. The fact that we are forced to choose between a two-party system is so archaic and ineffective. A 3rd party is sorely needed in our country. It’s unrealistic to think or force sheep, I mean people, into decided between black or white. Nothing else in the world functions effectively that way, why are our politics still run this way?

    Comment by Rob DLG (@Rob_DLG) -

  105. I really enjoy reading your blog and the sensibility in which you write! Too bad congress has failed the American people greatly! No wise investor has ever turned profits over any tax rate, well it easy money!

    Comment by Whit DuBois (@Whit_DuBois) -

  106. Mark,

    You don’t know me, I don’t know you (except through the media). This is a great post. I work in finance and enjoy your thoughtfulness and candidness on CNBC. Please start a third party. Third parties that have failed typically have come from the extremes. I truly believe a third party from the center could succeed or at least change the conversation that has become so partisan and so hard lined that it will be extremely difficult to create progress. A fiscally conservative, socially progressive (or in more abstract but truer words, fiscally intelligent, socially caring) party can work and would work. There are so many smart, educated people who feel this way. We just need a leader with the charisma, resources, and passion to get it done. Be that man.

    Comment by Greg Pidgeon -

  107. If this guy had been given some media exposure, he might have at least raised some questions and got some people to think

    Comment by Virgil Bierschwale -

  108. Spot on Cuban. Let me know when you start your Kickstarter party.

    Comment by ddting -

  109. Sooooo Mark who are you going to vote for? 🙂

    Comment by David Weylie (@DaveWeylieBro) -

  110. It would be amazing to see you run for President. It would be even more awesome if you were to fund it via KickStarter. Not sure running for President would be feasible for this term, though.

    Comment by Corey Grusden (@cgrusden) -

  111. Way to mess up typing loser.

    Hurry up and run for president already.

    Comment by evan holober (@edubmma) -

  112. Great read.. I think you’re ready to run for President!

    Comment by imontemayor1 -

  113. let’s not forget the female issues. This is why they are both fighting for he female vote. The horrific statements of the Romney camp are an insult to intelligence

    Comment by Gypsey Montes -

  114. It’s stupefying and stunning that anyone would put their trust in Romney given his “etch-a-sketch” campaign. Your point about Congress is lost on many blind partisans. Romney is a fantasy candidate…an illusion…all light and no heat. He is the promise of a deadlocked Congress at best. How is that a choice

    Comment by jib (@jjbonney) -

  115. Mark, you almost always hit the nail on the head. I totally agree. Romney should embrace what he does best and not try to double talk his amazing record to appease his party.

    Comment by Jason Yeats -

  116. Geezus Mark……are you describing Obamney?

    Comment by Marc Baysek -

Comments are closed.