Mitt Romney Quotes
Corporations are people.
A constant major issue in industrial democracies are the perceptions, rights and responsibilities of corporations. For those like Romney, corporations should have all the privileges, empathy, rights and obligations of individual people. To most others a corporation is morally and practically a different entity. See {586119}.
Mitt Romney, Governor of Massachusetts (Republican), Republican Candidate for President, Republican Presidential Debate, Ames Iowa, August 10, 2011
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
1st Baron Thurlow. This famous statement expressed the great concern and distrust that England had for corporations. Their worst fears were exceeded by the 20th century and was completely over the top by the 21st century when many corporations could control entire nations and even in America and the UK, they were very powerful and often acted against the public and even national interest with impunity. The chancellor was very concerned as to how the behavior of corporations would be controlled and regulated. For individuals, there was a combination of conscience and legal punishment to control behavior. Partnerships were an extension of individuals. But what was the corresponding mechanism for corporations? The same question is often asked in modern times when corporate scandals and excesses are brought to light. See {586120} for another version of this concern that was stated a few generations later.
Romney was trying to explain that the Supreme Court had recently ruled that for purposes of placing limits on campaign donations, corporations were entitled to the same rights of free speech and contributing money as people. The candidate chose this statement to express that view. However, the way Romney phrased it made many people suspect that perhaps, because of his lifetime corporate activity, he really thought that there were no differences between corporations and people. This suspicion reinforced a public feeling that Romney was much more corporately oriented than he was people oriented, and that hurt Romney with many voters.
McCain held this view despite the fact that most other politicians of his party supported removal of any corporate restraints.
This issue arose in 2014 with the Citizens United Case, when a 5-4 decision of the Supreme Court held that political contributions were a form of political speech and corporations had the right of Freedom of Speech. This time there were 4 dissenters.
The state of Texas had an enthusiasm for executions that was greater than and different from all the other states. Their execution numbers were closer to Iran and China than they were to other American states. The Supreme Court had ruled that corporations were people for purposes of being entitled to freedom of speech.
- Born: March 12, 1947
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Politician
Willard Mitt Romney is an American politician and businessman who has served as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and was the Republican Party's nominee for president of the United States in the 2012 election.
