That gosh darn Kate O’Hare, she’s got the scoop again… and the REAL story.
Mike meets Mitt on Wednesday (Sept. 26) in the Buckeye State to talk about how to get America back to work.
Kate O’Hare September 26, 2012 1:47 AM ET
Mike Rowe is host of Discovery’s “Dirty Jobs” and the new “How Booze Built America,” airing Wednesdays, but he has a spin-off career as creator of mikeroweWORKS.com, a website and a movement dedicated to functioning as a PR campaign for traditional, hands-on jobs.
“I really believe,” Rowe tells Zap2it, “that part of the reason that three million shovel-ready jobs entirely imploded is the fact that [President Barack Obama] was trying to sell that notion to a country that doesn’t want to pick up a shovel.”
Back in early September, Rowe, as he did for the then newly elected Obama in 2009, wrote an open letter to GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney about the state of work in America, stating, “If you read the whole thing, I’ll vote for you in November.”
While Rowe says he “will make no public endorsement, one way or the other,” it does appear that the former Massachusetts governor did indeed read the letter, as seen in this photo tweeted out on Sept. 6 by his traveling press secretary, Rick Gorka, with the note “Gov catching up on news after debate prep, incl. an interesting letter about skilled labor from @MikeRoweWorks“
Read the rest of the article HERE
15 Comments
Mike,
Every day I am amazed at how naive the public is. As I read the comments on here I am amazed again. The media has done such a good job at launching class warfare against the working man and millionaires. Fact is like you have said and as your show proves; people are less willing to do dirty jobs. Both Romney and Obama have stressed the importance of college and the importance of financial aid to allow students to go to college. Here is a news flash for everyone. The government does not like trade schools and thus they make the rules ridiculously hard for any trade school to get a hold of government money to help students. Why don’t they like trade schools? Most are for-profit. Obama says he wants to make financial aid more available, but what he means is more available to state schools only. How do I know this? I’ve worked in financial aid at a tech/trade school for two years. As of Aug, I was laid-off because of a significant drop in student enrollment. They simply could not afford the tuition. While we have access to title IV funding, since the school was a for-profit school we were not allowed to participate in many of the grant programs and many of the scholarships out there exclude non-traditional schools as well. Everyone is talking about getting people to work, but no one wants to talk about how to fund the education first needed to get back to work. Mike, I think this needs to be address in your talks with Romney (or Obama) in the future.
Ciao mr Rowe,
I am Italian and I speak English like Tarzan. My vocabulary of American terms is composed of nine or ten words, seven bad words, two adjectives and one pronoun. Then I stop. My grammar is dramatic, so this comment might be embarrassing. Sorry.
I am your fan since I have my eyes wide open on your program, broadcast in Italy by DMAX channel . In Italian’s television sad landscape your program represents a clever and comical interlude definitely not to be missed. But when yesterday I’m seen you on stage to Mitt Romney during his election campaign (the Italians follow American events carefully, especially at this time) my reaction to this was to say out loud “”Oddio Michele, che cazzo stai facendo lì sopra?” which in Italian means: “Oh my God Michael, what the heck are you doing over there?”.
I am afraid there has been a great move. Perhaps it benefits to your visibility, to your program and maybe even to your wallet, but I don’t think it can be useful to the cause that you carry on.
Mr. Romney will not ever serve this cause, doesn’t care about anything of the workers, unskilled workers and no other than swells his personal gain. He also said it in one of his memorable gaffe off-air.
I live in Italy where for 16 years we have had to endure the fake promises of our ex-Prime Minister and the consequent collapse of the welfare state . The price they’re paying just those subjects that you defend, as always. The interest to their problems from the ex-Premier took the space of election campaigns. Mr. Romney, like Mr. Berlusconi, would sell his mother for one more vote. Think about it, Michael, before you lend your pretty face dirty to subjects like these.
My love for you has not died. I will continue to see your program, but in the suspect that there are you taking the piss, I will smile less. It’s a pity.
Big greetings.
Sofia
President Obama does not deserve your derision just because he didn’t take the time you pat you on the back during a very difficult time in the country, and the idea that he was against people working with shovels is laughable. The idea that Mitt Romney does care about workers simply because he read your letter is also laughable. Frankly, it makes you sound petty, and I didn’t think that you were that kind of person.
I was such a big fan of ‘Dirty Jobs’! I’m not sure that I’ll be able to see you as completely sincere now.
Mike, you are a great example of what a person who has a cause that they believe in enough to put politics aside and risk his career can achieve. I am sure that I will eventually find something on your website I will disagree with. But so what? I do not agree with my mother or my wife all of the time and I still like them! Talk to whoever will listen because you are absolutely right. We live in a pampered society that has forgotten how to work hard and expects to be given all of the niceties the world has to offer. Please continue to use your superpower of common sense to speak to anyone who will listen. Especially politicians! Remember the 40 words and keep it up.
Great fan of your work Mike! Got to admire a guy out getting his hands dirty with hard-working people when he could be making decent money sitting on his duff in an air conditioned studio doing voice-overs.
Totally agree with your premise that a four year degree is often over-rated and not necessary to make a good honest living in this country. However… Mitt Romney, while no-doubt a good provider for his family and a man with solid faith in his religion, is totally out of touch with the 99% of us that don’t travel in the Gulfstream / dressage circles.
The current Ayn Rand philosophy of “I’ve got mine, tough luck about you” is indicative of the greed and lack of compassion for our fellow American citizens that has destroyed the level playing field for the middle class. If these golden parachute CEO’s were so smart, how come have so many of our once great American brands have lost their luster? Who do these guys think buys their products? Not the Chinese or the Malaysians.
As a person in the media spotlight you are well aware of the power and credibility of your celebrity. You have worked hard and earned it honestly. Don’t squander it by even allowing a suggestion of support for the Romney/Ryan ticket.
Highest Regards,
WD Smith
Regardless of politics and politicians you got out there today and spoke up for manufacturing and the skilled trades. It took guts and I know you are getting some scrutiny for it. You gave our President a chance to have the same conversation (I remember you sent him a letter and posted it on mrW several years ago)- many are not paying attention to that. Thank you for your efforts and your dedication to changing the way we view and consider the skilled trades.
Mike we like your shows but your political logic stinks . . . why are you of all people on the stage as a stooge for a primary labor killer, Willard Romney, a pioneer in outsourcing US jobs to China? You think he is going to do anything for the little guy or a union worker???
The look on Mitt’s face behind your back spoke volumes. You were on the wrong stage with the wrong person for the working man Michael. Clearly you are not what you pretend to be Mr. Rowe.
As an IT professional with a spouse that is an iron worker (union iron worker actually) I am pretty darn moved by the letter and the work that Mike Rowe is doing. I see in my profession that jobs or workers considered “labor” are looked down on, but I go home to a dirty, dusty man who is helping to rebuild our country, literally. I am very proud of him and impressed by what he puts his body through. I support unions, because without them he would have one of the top ranked most dangerous jobs without the benefit of health insurance. He would also never be able to retire from a job that he could not do for the rest of his life. No matter how well he takes care of himself, this profession will break him.
Those dirty jobs are being bred out of us as a society. Vocational education is only suggested to students who are not succeeding in a typical high school setting. We as parents push our kids towards jobs based on how much money they will make, not what they could enjoy or excel at.
I have 4 children. Not all 4 will go to college. One may join the military, as I did (another option that schools will deter students from taking). One may go to college and have a great career. And one may follow in the footsteps of their dad and be a skilled laborer.
I will be equally proud of all.
The comment below would all be fine and dandy – if Obama hadn’t actually LAUGHED when commenting that, “Guess shovel-ready wasn’t so shovel ready after all!”
I think there ARE Americans willing to pick up the shovels, it’s just slowly being bred out of us with unions, including the ones teaching our children, and an increasingly entitlement society.
Success is out there! You just have to WORK for it. This platform more closely resembles Mitt/Rep. platform than the Obama and the dems.
THANK YOU.
Ruth
In response to Julies response, I have to say what Mike is doing is in the best interest of our workforce and our country.
But typically of liberal spin you try to make it a negative.
Go have another glass of Kool-aid!
Keep up the good work Mike!
Awesome, Mike !!! You make a whole lot of sense. Thanks for being a GREAT American.
Mike, I saw a portion of your sit down with mitt on youtube and I read the above linked article.
In the above post you say that in your letter you wrote: “If you read the whole thing, I’ll vote for you in November.” Yet in the linked article you say that it is political spin to say you are endorsing Mitt. both cannot be true, one or the other is a misdirection.
My disappointment with you and the video I saw, is that you appear to saying that Mitt understands the reality of plumbers and workman. Nothing can be further from reality. Now that may not what you meant or how the video is edited, but it is the appearance.
You have simplified the “shovel ready” projects debacle and seem to lay it at Obamas feet, ignoring all the republican obstacles to implementation of those projects.
i certainly cannot tell you how to vote, but I can say I am ashamed to see lend your celebrity power to Mitt, no matter how unintentional you want to say that is.
You have an influence on a portion of America that might not otherwise have the time or energy to really delve into the actions of a politician.
A related sad fact of U.S. politics is that many of us respond only to blithe, pithy, bumper sticker political view points.
Please clarify your position, as a loyal viewer it is important to me to know if you actually think Mitt understands that life and needs of “real” people.
Dear Mike,
My entire family are huge fans of yours and have been since Dirty Jobs started. We own the DVDs of your shows, and all of us, especially our 5 and 7 year olds love to watch them.
We are totally on board with your message about the value of hard work and are thrilled that Governor Romney read your letter and that you have appeared with him to reinforce that message.
We’d like to help spread your message. Would you please speak at our Tea Party Rally in Texas?
You are fantastically popular in our neck of the woods and we’d love to hear you speak about the honor of a good job done well.
Thanks so much for your consideration and for the spotlight you put on good ol’ hard work.
Julie
Politics is a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it! Mitt needs your in put. You’ve done the work. Now go and save our skilled brothers and sisters jobs.