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With rich friends, Romney defends American dream

May 3, 2012 | Modified: May 3, 2012 at 9:06 am
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An unlisted video on YouTube is surfacing online, of Mitt Romney campaigning at the Kentucky home of John Schnatter, the founder of Papa John's Pizza.

The video provides plenty of fodder for class envy, as an unapologetic Romney praises wealthy entrepreneurs, but more importantly he makes a great case for economic liberty and the American Dream.

"What a place this is!" Romney exclaims. "My goodness, who would have imagined pizza could build this? This is really something don't you just love this country? What a home this is. what grounds these are, the pool, the golf course."

"You know if a Democrat was here, he'd look around and say that no one should live like this. Republicans come here and say everyone should live like this," Romney says as the group applauds. "This is a really tribute to America, to entrepreneurship."



While explaining entrepreneurship, Romney cited the book "The Wealth and Poverty of Nations," written by Harvard professor David Landes in 1998.

"If you can learn anything from the history of the economic development of the world its this: Culture makes all the difference," he said, quoting Landes.

That culture, Romney suggested, was a "spirit of can-do entrepreneurship" drawn from the principals of the founding fathers including economic liberty.

"This would be the place on the planet that people could pursue happiness the way they choose, and by virtue of that, entrepreneurs of all kinds tried to begin businesses," Romney said. "Most of them failed, a few of them succeeded brilliantly, and the success of those few does not make us poorer, it makes us better off."

"That is what America is", Romney continued, "And as I watch this president attack success, I say that you are attacking the very foundation of American vitality," Romney said. "I don't think he understands it."

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