Letters to the editor for Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015

Allow Romney to make his case

Mitt Romney’s admirable qualities should not be overlooked — high intelligence, personal character, business success, turnaround specialist — as well as being knowledgeable and fluent on public policy issues, including foreign policy details, impressively demonstrated in his first debate with President Obama in 2012.

It should be noted that Romney’s defeat in Nov., 2012, after a drawn out and expensive primary process, came at a moment in time when Obama’s approval rating “spiked” up to 52 percent, according to the Gallup Poll. Uncontested for renomination, Obama raised and spent an unprecedented $1 billion mobilizing his base and focusing Romney attack ads in the “battleground” states.

In spite of these challenges in 2012, Romney won one million more votes than John McCain did in 2008, and President Obama drew 3.6 million fewer votes in 2012 than he received in 2008. Polls taken after the election showed Romney defeating Obama decisively, if the race had been “re-run.”

Before Mitt Romney is dismissed as a candidate, he should be permitted to “make his case” to voters as to why he should be president in 2016.

Jim Hartman

Genoa