Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi Endorses Mitt Romney–Sort Of [Video]
Kristi Yamaguchi, an Olympic gold medalist and World Champion in figure skating, has endorsed GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney‘s management of the troubled 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in a new campaign ad from a pro-Romney Super PAC (political action committee).
“Mitt Romney brought a huge sense of hope,” Kristi Yamaguchi says in the ad.
Yamguchi’s remarks in this particular video about the 2002 Olympic Games don’t constitute an explicit endorsement of Romney’s candidacy for president, but as a practical matter, it’s pretty close.
Both ABC News and MSNBC report that Yamaguchi has donated to Romney’s 2012 campaign and did so in 2008 as well. ABC adds that “While Yamaguchi has not made an official Romney endorsement, the figure skating champion appeared alongside Romney in February for a 10-year anniversary celebration of the 2002 Olympics.”
Mitt Romney, the businessman and former Massachusetts governor, is credited with turning around the 2002 Games that were on verge of financial collapse and fraught with corruption. According to the ad, Romney “faced a $400 million budge deficit and turned that around into a $100 million surplus.”
The ad apparently is airing (or will air) on television in a number of swing states during the 2012 London Olympics but not on the NBC network itself.
In addition to her amateur and professional figure skating success, Kristi Yamaguchi is an author, entrepreneur, television personality, and fashion designer. She also was the season six celebrity winner of Dancing With the Stars in 2008.
Also appearing in the ad by the Restore Our Future political PAC are Olympic gold medalist skaters Jimmy Shea and Derek Parra.
Here is the 30-second ad that touts Gov. Romney’s involvement with the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics:
Tags : 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, 2012 London Olympics, 2012 presidential campaign, Kristi Yamaguchi, Kristi Yamaguchi endorses Mitt Romney, Kristi Yamaguchi Mitt Romney, Olympic Games, olympics
Posted: July 31, 2012
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Jul 31, 2012
Smart lady. Romney has a resume; BHO has BS. Community organizer? What is that? Obama's campaign slogan is "FORWARD", but should be "FROWARD".
Aug 1, 2012
I am disgusted by Kristi Yamaguchi's endorsement of Mitt Romney. Know that you have lost a generation of fans.
Aug 1, 2012
What, why!? Boo
Aug 1, 2012
Lost another one to the dark side….
Aug 2, 2012
Anyone who supports that Rich, Corporate Raider and thief has either popped the "Greedy Rich Person" Gene or is already rich and greedy. Obama is very little better, but Romney? You've got to be kidding. Really, guys can't you come up with anyone better? This is like "The Price is Right" for Romney trying to buy the White House with even better lies than Obama.
Aug 3, 2012
Are you really that shallow? As a fan of hers, you suddenly don't like her because she supports a candidate? Come on! Some of my best friends are people from the opposite side of the political aisle. AND, I'm on Obama's side of the aisle – I just don't like him. Doesn't make me a bad person…….or maybe it does.
Aug 3, 2012
Oh wait, the quick answer is, I must be a racist. I am a very proud Native American.
Aug 3, 2012
In turning around the 2002 games, Romney got a big helping hand from U.S. taxpayers. The federal government poured $1.5 billion into the Salt Lake games – more than twice the amount spent on any previous U.S. Olympics.
Aug 3, 2012
Romney's policies will hurt a lot of people, gays, iranian civilians, those who are poor. He wants to go back to the Bush W policies that caused the recession in the first place and take away regulations to protect the public from filthy rich corp's abuses of labor and the environment. Ugh. I cant believe the former partner of Rudy Galindo would support this callous flip flopper meanie. PLus, he put his dog on the roof of his car and let it vomit in stress! He also was a school yard bully. Very bad choice.