Mitt's big joke

The keynote speaker at this year’s Restaurant Leadership Conference was Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential candidate. Romney is also the founder of Bain Capital, the private-equity firm that has invested billions of dollars in such restaurant chains as Dunkin’ Donuts, Domino’s and the parent of Outback Steakhouse.

A proclaimed fiscal conservative, Romney concluded his speech with a humorous illustration of why the federal government should be cautious about overtaxing business. He told this story:

Two men were talking when a young boy started coming toward them. “This kid is so dumb,” remarked one of the men. “What this.

He dug into his pockets, fished out two quarters and a dollar bill. He put the coins in one hand and the paper in the other, while the other man and the boy avidly watched.

“Okay, boy,” he told the kid, “you get to keep whatever’s in the hand you choose.” Then he closed his fists and held them both out toward the lad.

The boy chose the hand that was closed around the two quarters.

“See? What’d I tell you? He does that every time,” the man remarked in amazement to his acquaintance.
Later, that other man saw the boy in town.

“Kid, why’d you take 50 cents when you could’ve had a dollar?” he asked the youngster.

The boy looked at him with a sage look. “Think about it,” he said. “The minute I take the dollar, the game’s over.”