At a 2004 meeting of the Republican Governors Association, Mitt Romney questioned why a man as rich as John Kerry would want to be president.

As The L.A. Times points out, Romney’s in the midst of constructing quite a mansion himself right now:

The clip has emerged as Romney plans a massive remodel of his La Jolla, Calif. mansion, a beach home currently valued at around $12 million.

The 3,000-square-foot house will be turned into a mega-mansion, complete with an elevator for Romney’s cars and a 3,600-square-foot basement, according to 2008 plans obtained by Politico.

That’s not nearly as big as the White House, though, which boasts 55,000 square feet of floor space, according to the White House Historical Association.

Also, to be fair, John Kerry is even richer than Mitt Romney. Romney could be worth an estimated $250 million, while Kerry could be worth as much as $282 million.

But I actually bring all this up as an excuse to remind myself and others that, while liberals consider Mitt Romney’s wealth a mark against him, I consider his success considerably more appealing than Obama’s years-old rhetoric against the rich. Vetting Mitt Romney on this issue turns up a lighthearted joke at the Republican Governors Association meeting. Vetting Barack Obama on it turns up this, remember?

In a newly-uncovered interview from the Hyde Park Citizennewspaper circa December 28, 1995, Barack Obama explains his philosophy on income inequality in the United States, especially in light of economic difficulties:

In an environment of scarcity, where the cost of living is rising, folks begin to get angry and bitter and look for scapegoats. Historically, instead of looking at the top 5% of this country that controls all the wealth, we turn towards each other, and the Republicans have added to the fire.

No contest in my mind as to which of the two I’d rather have as my president.