Friday Mitt Romney gave Ohio college students some sage advice. Want to start a business? Borrow money from your parents. "We've always encouraged young people: Take a shot, go for it. Take a risk. Get the education. Borrow money if you have to from your parents. Start a business."
OMG, brilliant idea Mittens! Woo hoo, you fixed America. Borrow money from my parents. Now why didn't I think of that? Oh yeah. BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY.
Okay, I know my parents probably aren't typical Americans (actually, they're typical Americans), but let me introduce them to you. My father immigrated here from Mexico (LEGALLY thank you) with a couple years of college under his belt. He married my mom and they had five kids. My mom stayed home to take care of us because, like Ann Romney, that's what she thought was most important. My dad worked his way to middle management in a warehouse. We had a nice but not extravagant life in the suburbs back when you could do that on one middle-class income.
We were on our own for college. My parents divorced after 27 years of marriage and my mother entered the workforce for the first time in since the Paleolithic Age. She does clerical work in a low-paying job, but she gets health insurance and has the flexibility she needs to care for my severely-handicapped youngest sister who still lives at home. Who knows what my dad is up to. He's wrapped up in some crazy drama with his spendthrift second wife and her grandkids, who they're raising now for some expensive reason.
Anyway, now you know my life story. And there will be no business-starting monies coming from these two, who are barely hanging by a thread themselves.
Does Romney know this is what most of America is up to? Like, if you're going to run around the country talking about how you know we're all struggling and the economy is still in the toilet, maybe you should find out exactly what that looks like. For us regular people. Otherwise, heh heh, we might think you're kind of out of touch, you know?
Or, Romney could do us one better. Let US hit up HIS parents for a business loan.
Do you think Romney really understands what life is like for the majority of Americans?
Image via Austen Hufford/Flickr