Disecting the Mini-Platform

In the Yepsen Piece I highlighted yesterday noted a 10-point list of issues Gov. Romney sees. I sort of glazed over it, but thought I'd highlight the items.

•Raising the bar on education: Romney said, "It's time to raise the bar on education by making teaching a true profession, measuring progress, providing a focus on math and science, and involving parents from the beginning of a child's school career."

That's a thin quote. Gov. Romney has much more to say on the issue in his speeches.

• Extending health insurance to all Americans: Romney, who helped fashion a bipartisan health-insurance plan for Massachusetts, said, "The health of our nation can be improved by extending health insurance to all Americans, not through a government program or new taxes, but through market reforms."

We've been through the governor's innovative health-insurance plan a couple of times. Any big program is apt to have its problems, but I'm very optomistic on this one.

• Stopping runaway spending: A good idea and one Republicans used to practice. Romney says the problem goes "beyond pork-barrel spending. We must address entitlement programs." (We await the controversial details of just how he'll do that.)

As mentioned below. Excellent that Gov. Romney mentions the bigger proplem of entitlements instead of simply the safe political jab at pork.

• Getting immigration right: Romney said, "The current system puts up a concrete wall to the best and brightest, yet those without skill or education are able to walk across the border. We must reform the current immigration laws so we can secure our borders, implement a mandatory biometrically-enabled and tamper-proof documentation and employment-verification system, and increase legal immigration into America."

Correct.

•Achieving energy independence: "This will mean a combination of efforts related to conservation and efficiency measures, developing alternative sources of energy like biodiesel, ethanol, nuclear, and coal gasification, and finding more domestic sources of oil such as in ANWR or the outer continental shelf," he said.

He's gotta say this. I have little hope of it happening for a long time. Good to know he's for drilling in ANWR.

Wind power is conspicuously absent.

• Simplifying the tax system: Again, Romney doesn't wade into thorny details. Should it be a national sales tax, a flat tax or a reconfiguration of the current system?

I suspect a reconfiguration of the current system. In which case it would take a couple volumes of the encyclopedia to get into details.

•Investing in technology: "Corporations today spend more on tort liability than they do on research and development," he said. "While the government already invests heavily in defense, space and health technologies, it is time to invest substantially in technologies related to power generation, nanotechnology, and materials science."

Interesting. Gov. Romney seems to be working on two tracks here (two more than most politicians can handle). He mentions tort liability which indicates that he's interested in easing the pressure on private industry so that they can work more on research and development. He also mentions government research. I'd like to hear more about this, but in the past, government research has been best used when persued for a specific purpose (most notably for defense and space exploration). Otherwise it's largely wasted.

•Defeating the jihadists: "The defeat of this radical and violent faction of Islam must be achieved through a combination of American resolve, international effort, and the rejection of violence by moderate, modern, mainstream Muslims," he said. "An effective strategy will involve both military and diplomatic actions to support modern Muslim nations....America must help lead a broad-based international coalition that promotes secular education, modern financial and economic policies, international trade, and human rights."

Nods head. Good, good.

•Competing with Asia: "This means ensuring our children are educated to compete in this new market, our trade laws are fair and balanced, and our economy and tax laws welcome new investment. If America acts boldly and swiftly, the emergence of Asia will be an opportunity," said Romney "Trade and commerce with these huge new economies can further strengthen our economy and propel our growth. If America fails to act, we will be eclipsed."

Personally, I see Asia having some difficulties over the next 25 years as Japan and China's populations age. Still, there's never a bad time to see that trade laws are fair, tax laws liberalized, and any economic opportunity seized.

• Affirming America's culture and values "American values are at the heart of America's historic rise to world leadership. These include, among others, respect for hard work, sacrifice, civility, love of family, respect for life, education and love of freedom," he said.

Y'know, that's been so overused by Republicans and Democrats that it's become more than a bit of a cliche. Luckily, we know that he means it.