No doubt fearing that he is to be depicted as an out-of-touch plutocrat, Governor Romney is tepidly entering the federal giveaway sweepstakes. He will lose that contest. “A marginally better minimum-wage job” is not going to beat “a chicken in every pot,” especially when the chicken is eligible for federally subsidized health care, day care, Head Start, and the rest of the Democrats’ menu of welfare largesse. Instead of focusing on minimum-wage jobs, Governor Romney would do well to focus on creating the economic conditions that will allow the growth of better jobs: $45,000 a year and your self-respect does beat a chicken in every pot. From energy to services to manufacturing, the United States has the capacity to achieve strong economic growth and the jobs that go with it — if the regulators, the taxers, the spenders, and the would-be central planners can be brought to heel. Governor Romney should be beating them, not joining them.