Romney A Role Model? No Way! Mom Talk

As parents, we are challenged to be role models for our children. If that weren't tough enough, we must also help guide our kids to selecting others as role models.

For example, we teach kids to respect people in positions of authority: teachers, principals, police officers, mayors, senators, and presidents. Yes, presidents. It's hard to believe this time of year that our leaders vying for the highest public office act the way they do.

With that in mind, Mitt Romney made a statement recently that is causing me to break my own rule of not writing about politics. If he were to win the election, I could not imagine how I could point to him and say to my children, "There is a man we must honor and respect."

“There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what," Romney said at a $50k-a-person fundraiser. "All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to healthcare, to food, to housing, to you name it."

Here's the real kicker:

“My job is not to worry about those people," Romney said. "I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”

That kind of obnoxious comment shows total disdain for the very people he may be sworn to represent. He says point blank that it is not his job to worry about the people who vote for President Obama "no matter what."

Any civics teacher would tell you that is absolutely false. Our elected officials must and should represent everyone within their jurisdiction. Its a shame that Romney does not feel that way. It is a shame that he is a candidate for the highest office in the land and he does not feel that way.

Regardless of what our individual political views are, we still have a duty to teach our children to respect authority. Lord knows we haven't always had stellar characters in the White House. Electing presidents who lack moral fiber is a practice we, Americans, should stop.

Governor Romney, with all due respect, as a voter taking personal responsibility for my life, it is easy for me to say that you simply are not good enough to be a role model for my children.