He talks about his dad as a Presidential candidate.

Tony Strickland, Matt Romney and Bob Haueter

Mitt Romney, a Republican Candidate for President of the United States, made a big splash a few weeks ago, when his campaign reported raising $23 million in the first quarter. The amount is far greater than any other Republican candidate, and it threw him into the spotlight of what is shaping up to be a very interesting race.

His son, Matt Romney, visited with Santa Clarita residents Thursday night, at an informal IHOP dinner meeting.

When he addressed the crowd, he emphasized some of the traits that he most admires about his father.  

Most of all, he commended his father’s ability to fix problems.

Matt Romney with KHTS Talk Show Host Fred Arnold and his wife

“When he became Governor of Massachusetts, he inherited a 3 billion dollar deficit. Everyone was almost forcing him to raise taxes. Instead, he figured out a way to reduce inefficiency, and he closed the deficit, and ended up with a surplus,” said Romney.

The Olympics that Romney took over and salvaged amidst scandal was also an example Matt Romney used to describe his father’s problem solving skills.

He said his father believes strongly in three pillars.

Strong families, he said, are key to America’s strength.

The second pillar is the economy.

“One of the best things we can do is to make George Bush’s tax cuts permanent,” he said. “With a strong economy, we can overcome challenges.”

The third pillar Mitt Romney believes in is a strong national defense.

He said his father likes to quote Ronald Reagan when he said that “In his lifetime, none of the four wars he ever saw were a result of having a strong defense.”

When the question was asked about how Romney’s Mormon beliefs would play into the race, Matt was quick to say that it would actually benefit him.

“I see it as an asset. When I talk to my friends, who are Evangelical Christians, they say that my dad is the best candidate that represents their values. It’s understandable that there are differences in doctrine between different religions, but our faith and our values bring us together.”  

Mitt Romney himself will be in Santa Clarita May 4th for a fundraiser, which will be hosted by Congressman Buck McKeon.