After New Hampshire primary: Will voters ‘fire’ Romney?

Staff Report

Does Mitt Romney really enjoy “firing people”?

Probably not if he doesn’t need to. Few people would relish hurting others. Still, his poor choice of words during the New Hampshire GOP primary was insensitive, especially at a time of high unemployment.

In context, however, the former venture capitalist was stating a basic point of standard economics: People must have the freedom to drop a service, such as health insurance, if it doesn’t measure up. Personal choices drive markets, either up or down. Layoffs are often necessary. An economy can’t remain static.

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Not so fast, say Mr. Romney’s opponents, including a few Republican presidential candidates. Closing a company and laying off its workers while also making a profit from the transaction is unethical, they say.

“If somebody comes in, takes all the money out of your company, and then leaves you bankrupt while they go off with millions, that’s not traditional capitalism,” Newt Gingrich said.

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