Mitt Romney

==2002 Winter Olympics==
{{Further|2002 Winter Olympics}}

In 1998, Ann Romney learned that she had [[multiple sclerosis]]; Mitt described watching her fail a series of neurological tests as the worst day of his life.<ref name="bgseries4" /> After experiencing two years of severe difficulties with the disease, she found – while living in [[Park City, Utah|Park City]], Utah, where the couple had built a vacation home – a combination of mainstream, alternative, and equestrian therapies that enabled her to lead a lifestyle mostly without limitations.<ref name="saddle">{{Cite news |title=Ann Romney: From the Saddle to the Campaign Trail |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=3477592 |work=[[ABC News]] |date=August 14, 2007 |access-date=August 19, 2007 |archive-date=July 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725161817/http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=3477592 |url-status=live }}</ref> When her husband received a job offer to take over the troubled organization responsible for the [[2002 Winter Olympics]] and [[2002 Winter Paralympics|Paralympics]], to be held in [[Salt Lake City]] in Utah, she urged him to accept it; eager for a new challenge, as well as another chance to prove himself in public life, he did.<ref name="nyt-olympics-edge" /><ref name="nyt-olympics-man" /><ref name="bgseries5" /> On February 11, 1999, the [[Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games of 2002]] hired Romney as its president and CEO.<ref name="Fire Within">{{Cite news |author=Call, Jeff |url=https://magazine.byu.edu/article/the-fire-within/ |title=The Fire Within |magazine=[[BYU Magazine]] |date=Winter 2002 |access-date=February 7, 2020 |archive-date=February 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207130857/https://magazine.byu.edu/article/the-fire-within/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Romney Olympics.JPG|thumb|upright|alt=Photograph of Romney standing with microphone in middle of curling lanes|Romney, as president and CEO of the [[Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games of 2002|Salt Lake Organizing Committee]] for the [[2002 Winter Olympics]], speaking before a [[curling]] match]]

Before Romney took over, the event was $379 million short of its revenue goals.<ref name="Fire Within" /> Officials had made plans to scale back the Games to compensate for the fiscal crisis, and there were fears it might be moved away entirely.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ULgKAAAAIBAJ&pg=3197,1083753|title=Officials deny Salt Lake could lose 2002 Olympics|agency=[[Associated Press]]|newspaper=[[The Bryan Times]]|date=January 12, 1999|page=13|access-date=February 6, 2020|archive-date=February 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204190642/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ULgKAAAAIBAJ&pg=3197,1083753|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, the Games' image had been damaged by [[2002 Winter Olympic bid scandal|allegations of bribery]] against top officials including prior committee president and CEO Frank Joklik. The Salt Lake Organizing Committee forced Joklik and committee vice president Dave Johnson to resign.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/US/9901/10/ioc.bribery/index.html|title=Man who led Salt Lake's Olympic bid denies wrongdoing|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=January 10, 1999|access-date=February 6, 2020|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804044153/http://edition.cnn.com/US/9901/10/ioc.bribery/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Utah power brokers, including Governor [[Mike Leavitt]], searched for someone with a scandal-free reputation to take charge of the Olympics. They chose Romney based on his business and legal expertise as well as his connections to both the LDS Church and the state.<ref name="bgseries5" /><ref>{{cite book|last1=Ostling|first1=Richard|last2=Ostling|first2=Joan|title=Mormon America: The Power and the Promise|url=https://archive.org/details/mormonamericapow00ostl|url-access=registration|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|year=1999|isbn=978-0-06-066372-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/mormonamericapow00ostl/page/134 134]}}</ref> The appointment faced some initial criticism from both non-Mormons and Mormons that it represented cronyism and made the Games seem too Mormon-dominated.<ref name="nykr2002">{{cite news |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/01/21/lives-of-the-saints |title=Lives of the Saints |last=Wright |first=Lawrence |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=January 21, 2002 |author-link=Lawrence Wright |access-date=February 7, 2020 |archive-date=March 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200324033934/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/01/21/lives-of-the-saints |url-status=live }}</ref> Romney donated to charity the $1.4 million in salary and severance payments he received for his three years as president and CEO, and also donated $1 million to the Olympics.<ref name="bg-olympic-ties">{{cite news|url=https://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/06/27/romneys_olympic_ties_helped_him_reap_campaign_funds/ |title=The Making of Mitt Romney: Romney's Olympic ties helped him reap campaign funds|last=Hohler |first=Bob |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=June 28, 2007|author-link=Bob Hohler|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008153329/http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/specials/romney/articles/part5_side/|archive-date=October 8, 2009 |access-date=February 7, 2020 }}</ref>

Romney restructured the organization's leadership and policies. He reduced budgets and boosted fundraising, alleviating corporate sponsors' concerns while recruiting new ones.<ref name="nyt-olympics-edge" /><ref name="bgseries5" /> Romney worked to ensure the Games's safety after the [[September 11 attacks]] by coordinating a $300 million security budget.<ref name="nyt-olympics-man">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/12/sports/olympics-the-man-in-charge-romney-s-future-after-salt-lake-a-guessing-game.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110201015612/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/12/sports/olympics-the-man-in-charge-romney-s-future-after-salt-lake-a-guessing-game.html |archive-date=February 1, 2011 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Olympics: The Man in Charge: Romney's Future After Salt Lake A Guessing Game|author=Zernike, Kate|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 12, 2002}}</ref> He oversaw a $1.32 billion budget, 700 employees, and 26,000 volunteers.<ref name="Fire Within" /> The federal government provided approximately $400 million<ref name="bgseries5" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-feb-03-na-olympics3-story.html|access-date=February 7, 2020|title=GOP spat began with Olympics|first=Bob|last=Drogin|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 3, 2008|archive-date=February 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207130855/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-feb-03-na-olympics3-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="karloly" /> to $600 million<ref name="dobhuntOly">{{cite news|last1=Dobner|first1=Jennifer|last2=Hunt|first2=Kasie|title=Romney led Olympics to success&nbsp;– with some help|agency=[[Associated Press]]|publisher=[[Yahoo! News]]|date=February 18, 2012|url=https://news.yahoo.com/romney-led-olympics-success-help-085513182--spt.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041111/http://news.yahoo.com/romney-led-olympics-success-help-085513182--spt.html|archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref><ref name="heldoly">{{cite news|last=Helderman|first=Rosalind S.|title=Romney's work on Olympics, Mass. projects reveals complex history with earmarks|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/romneys-work-on-olympics-mass-projects-reveals-a-complex-history-with-earmarks/2012/02/15/gIQAHJ72HR_story.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=February 16, 2012|access-date=September 5, 2017|archive-date=January 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180106034206/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/romneys-work-on-olympics-mass-projects-reveals-a-complex-history-with-earmarks/2012/02/15/gIQAHJ72HR_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> of that budget, much of it a result of Romney's having aggressively lobbied Congress and federal agencies.<ref name="heldoly" /><ref name="isikoly">{{cite news|last=Isikoff |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Isikoff |title=Salt Lake City Olympics Earmarks a Double-Edged Sword for Romney |url=http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/18/10444876-salt-lake-city-olympics-earmarks-a-double-edged-sword-for-romney?lite |work=[[NBC News]] |date=February 18, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603073730/http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/18/10444876-salt-lake-city-olympics-earmarks-a-double-edged-sword-for-romney?lite |archive-date=June 3, 2012}}</ref> It was a record level of federal funding for the staging of a U.S. Olympics.<ref name="karloly">{{cite news|last=Karl|first=Jonathan|title=In '02 Romney touted D.C. connections, federal funds|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/03/exclusive-in-02-romney-touted-d-c-connections-federal-funds/|work=[[ABC News]]|date=March 2, 2012|access-date=February 7, 2020|archive-date=January 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114225247/https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/03/exclusive-in-02-romney-touted-d-c-connections-federal-funds/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="isikoly" /> An additional $1.1 billion of indirect federal funding came to the state in the form of highway and transit projects.<ref name="ap-hunt">{{cite news|first=Kasie|last=Hunt|agency=[[Associated Press]]|title=Romney cites Olympics success, rivals are leery|newspaper=[[Deseret News]]|location=Salt Lake City|date=February 18, 2012|url=https://www.deseret.com/2012/2/18/20394184/romney-cites-olympics-success-rivals-are-leery|access-date=February 7, 2020|archive-date=February 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207130855/https://www.deseret.com/2012/2/18/20394184/romney-cites-olympics-success-rivals-are-leery|url-status=live}}</ref>

Romney emerged as the local public face of the Olympic effort, appearing in photographs, in news stories, on [[Pin trading|collectible Olympics pins]] depicting him wrapped by an American flag, and on buttons carrying phrases like "Hey, Mitt, we love you!"<ref name="nyt-olympics-edge" /><ref name="bgseries5" /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/government-elections-politics/choice-2012/artifact-10-mitt-romneys-olympic-pins/|title=Artifact 10: Mitt Romney's Olympic Pins|first=Azmat|last=Khan|work=[[Frontline (U.S. TV series)|Frontline]]|publisher=[[PBS]]|date=October 1, 2012|access-date=September 5, 2017|archive-date=September 24, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924225228/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/government-elections-politics/choice-2012/artifact-10-mitt-romneys-olympic-pins/|url-status=live}}</ref> Organizing committee chair [[Robert H. Garff]] later said, "It was obvious that he had an agenda larger than just the Olympics",<ref name="nyt-olympics-edge" /> and that Romney wanted to use the Olympics to propel himself into the national spotlight and a political career.<ref name="bgseries5" /><ref name="wapo021212" /> Garff believed the initial budget situation was not as bad as Romney portrayed, given there were still three years to reorganize.<ref name="bgseries5" /> Utah Senator [[Bob Bennett (politician)|Bob Bennett]] said that much of the needed federal money was already in place.<ref name="bgseries5" /> A ''[[The Boston Globe|Boston Globe]]'' analysis later found that the committee had nearly $1 billion in committed revenues at that time.<ref name="bgseries5" /> Olympics critic Steve Pace, who led Utahns for Responsible Public Spending, thought Romney exaggerated the initial fiscal state to lay the groundwork for a well-publicized rescue.<ref name="wapo021212">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/10-years-after-salt-lake-city-olympics-questions-about-romneys-contributions/2012/02/01/gIQABnCX9Q_story.html|title=10 years after Salt Lake City Olympics, questions about Romney's contributions|first=Amy|last=Shipley|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=February 12, 2012|access-date=September 5, 2017|archive-date=November 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114160742/https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/10-years-after-salt-lake-city-olympics-questions-about-romneys-contributions/2012/02/01/gIQABnCX9Q_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Kenneth Bullock, another board member of the organizing committee and also head of the [[Utah League of Cities and Towns]], often clashed with Romney at the time, and later said that Romney deserved some credit for the turnaround but not as much as he claimed.<ref name="nyt-olympics-edge" /> Bullock said: "He tried very hard to build an image of himself as a savior, the great white hope. He was very good at characterizing and castigating people and putting himself on a pedestal."<ref name="bgseries5" />

Despite the initial fiscal shortfall, the Games ended up with a surplus of $100 million.<ref>{{Cite news|title=SLOC plotting how to dole out Olympics profits|date=September 17, 2002|publisher=[[ESPN]]|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=1433186|agency=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=February 7, 2020|archive-date=August 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818011414/https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=1433186|url-status=live}}</ref> President [[George W. Bush]] praised Romney's efforts and 87% of Utahns approved of his performance as Olympics head.<ref name="fortune-2007" /><ref name="aap04-772">Barone and Cohen, ''The Almanac of American Politics 2004'', p. 772.</ref> It solidified his reputation as a "turnaround artist",<ref name="bgseries5">{{Cite news|url=https://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/06/28/in_games_a_showcase_for_future_races/ |title=The Making of Mitt Romney: Part 5: In Games, a showcase for future races |last=Hohler |first=Bob |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=June 28, 2007 |author-link=Bob Hohler |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100112073500/http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/specials/romney/articles/part5_main/ |archive-date=January 12, 2010 |url-status=live}} Also [https://web.archive.org/web/20130502134243/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8706760.html available from HighBeam]. Also available as {{cite news |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070819115033/http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0%2C1249%2C680196503%2C00.html |title=Mitt used Games role for political impetus |work=[[Deseret News]] Morning News |date=July 5, 2007 |url=http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,680196503,00.html |archive-date=August 19, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newsweek.com/mitts-mission-103243 |title=Mitt's Mission |first1=Jonathan |last1=Darman |first2=Lida |last2=Miller |magazine=[[Newsweek]] |date=October 1, 2007 |access-date=February 7, 2020 |archive-date=February 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207130855/https://www.newsweek.com/mitts-mission-103243 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.islandpacket.com/2008/01/12/128897/candidate-known-as-turnaround.html |title=Candidate known as turnaround artist |first=David |last=Lightman |agency=McClatchy-Tribune News Service |newspaper=[[The Island Packet]] |date=January 12, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130614230911/http://www.islandpacket.com/2008/01/12/128897/candidate-known-as-turnaround.html |archive-date=June 14, 2013 }}</ref> and Harvard Business School taught a case study based around his actions.<ref name="nykr2007">{{cite news |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/10/29/the-mission-3 |title=The Mission: Mitt Romney's strategies for success |last=Lizza |first=Ryan |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=October 29, 2007 |author-link=Ryan Lizza |access-date=February 7, 2020 |archive-date=January 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200119060623/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/10/29/the-mission-3 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[United States Olympic Committee|U.S. Olympic Committee]] head William Hybl credited Romney with an extraordinary effort in overcoming a difficult time for the Olympics, culminating in "the greatest Winter Games I have ever seen".<ref name="bgseries5" /> Romney wrote a book about his experience, ''[[Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games]]'', published in 2004. The role gave him experience in dealing with federal, state, and local entities, a public persona he had previously lacked, and the chance to relaunch his political aspirations.<ref name="nyt-olympics-edge" />