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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

The Romney I Never Knew

Let me tell you a bit about my flawed thinking. Before I can vote or support a candidate, I have to like him. His positions matter, too, but I first have to feel some kind of connection. And in the case of Mitt Romney, it hasn't been there. Aloof though he may be, I feel closer to Obama than some ascotted rich dude who just stepped off his corporate jet.

But do I have Romney wrong? According to BuzzFeed Politics, he's a much more likable person during "off the record" discussions.
With the cameras off and the journalists' notepads a safe distance from their pens, Romney candidly answered questions about his speech preparation, the impact his father's career had on him, and his Massachusetts gubernatorial record. He seemed, reporters said later, like a different person: funnier, more intellectually honest, comfortably dorky, and even prone to introspection.
Amazingly, this is the Romney being shielded from public view.

Maybe his handlers should rethink that position.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

When you write off half the population as beneth you, he doesn't deserve the Presidency. He must distance heimself form th e"shoived down our throat", teabaggers.

Anonymous said...

Bernie,

The media was always going to paint any Republican nominee in the most negative light possible. That is their standard operating procedure. Therefore it is no surprise that there is a Romney you don't know. That isn't the fault of his handlers, it is the result of media coverage.

Scott Armstrong

Anonymous said...

bullshit.
big bad media.
the man is accurately portrayed by his own spewing mouth.

Anonymous said...

Scott:

really? REALLY?

his own campaign has done a more than adequate job of that. please don't blame the media.

Anonymous said...

If you can't admit that the majority of the media is in the tank for Obama, you're either blissfully ignorant or purposely lying.

It's not even debatable.

Anonymous said...

The media is in the bag for Obama and polls show most voters, left and right, have figured this out. You'll never know the real Romney because the media doesn't want you to.

The real Obama appears to be a thin-skinned racist who still nearly chain smokes and (like Clinton) cheats at golf to break 100.

You're looking for a People Magazine president. Your guy was John Edwards.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Bernie. You tend to get all subjective about pols. You get all gaga over the bullshit slogans and promises, style over substance, when it comes to picking pols.

Romney ain't all that great a candidate, but on his worst day he is George Washington compared to the dumbass amateur in the Oval Office.

-Clem

Mark Baker said...

shouldn't you dem haters be out scouring the grave yards for voters?
Don't forget to get the buses lined up and all the $10 bills so you can pick up the homeless and derelicts to vote for your boy.

he's going to need all the help he can get.

Anonymous said...

More than half of the population is beneath him financially. That is just a fact. I cant fault him for stating a hard truth.

The average american is not nearly as intelligent as the majority of the followers of this blog. Is that a wild insult? No. Merely a fact.

Anonymous said...

Scott is very close to being part of the tinfoil hat crowd

Christina Georgiou said...

When Mitt Romney was governor of Massachusetts, he had an elevator blocked off in the state capitol building and deemed it only for his private use. Even the state reps and senators were barred from using it. This, despite the fact he's got 24/7 state police protection.

Back in June, a state Rep from Massachusetts (yes, a Democrat, but paying his own way, not paid for by the party or Obama campaign) visited Easton, and I interviewed him. If I'd had more space when I worked for Patch, there would be a lot more in this article, but some of what he had to say is here:
http://easton.patch.com/articles/mass-state-rep-visits-easton-in-support-of-obama

BTW, no other news agencies showed up, as the press conference was fairly last minute and overlapped with one the mayor was holding on blight. I've interviewed a number of politicians in my life, and I don't think Scibek was particularly exaggerating.

Not sure I'm going to vote Obama, but I KNOW I'm NOT going to vote for Romney. Do the research, there's NOTHING good about this guy. When it comes to foreign policy, I think he'd be a nightmare.

To me, too, that elevator says a lot--and a guy that holds himself so far above others and others' needs doesn't deserve to be president. Not only that, "We, the People" don't deserve him--unless we're so stupid that we vote him in.

Anonymous said...

He seemed like a pretty hateful, spiteful, ascotted asshole in the 47% video.

Anonymous said...

So the private elevators says a lot about him, but does the fact that he took no salary while governor mean anything? Nah lets just ignore that.

Anonymous said...

"We the people don't deserve him--unless we're so stupid that we vote him in."

Thank God you got around to discussing Mr. Obama.

Instead of worrying about elevators, why don't you look at the numbers? A real unemployment rate well over 10% and MUCH HIGHER among minorities, young people graduating from college without any hope of finding a job, a skyrocketing debt that you, your children and grandchildren will have to pay off; and a plummeting dollar that is making everything more expensive.

In a rare moment of honesty, Joe Biden admitted yesterday that the middle class has gotten buried over the last 4 years. He's right, and it's because of the policies of Barack Obama.

And don't get me started about foreign policy! We just had a US ambassador killed, which I don't think has happened since Jimmy Carter. Al-qaeda is alive and well, and now in control of former allied countries in the Middle East.

Stop with the distractions, the only choice is Romney.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"You tend to get all subjective about pols. You get all gaga over the bullshit slogans and promises, style over substance, when it comes to picking pols."

Essentially, it is a subjective decision, Clem. You can pretend otherwise. I don't.

Anonymous said...

yes, but anon 9:39, Bush was worse!

In the unassailable logic of the left, this is sufficient reason to vote for the One.

Anonymous said...

Romney's private elevator bothered you?

How about Moochelle's private airforce 1 chauffeur service?

She won't wait an extra day for her husband to join her and the kids so she flies in her own airforce one yet. I forget what the tax payer costs havebeen for their trips and vacations but if i recall correctly its close to 1 billion over 4 years. In fact they've spent more money than the last 4 1st families combined.

Anonymous said...

I like Obama's affected blackscent when he's race baiting. He's very likable in a Farrakan sort of way. Not as likable as John Edwards or wife basher Brennan. But still pretty cool.

Anonymous said...

Yes the majority of the media is backing Obama, but that's their right. Why do people think everything should be "FAIR"?

It maybe dumb but they get to support whomever they want.

c said...

Romney was a one term governor who left office with a 65% disapproval rating. Why was his approval rating so low?

Anonymous said...

I don't like when it is shoved doiwn my throat!

Teabagger Tom

RS said...

I think we have seen a relaxed likable Rommey when he is with his kind of people. Unfortunately, his kind of people can afford a $50,000 dinner per person. Not many of those in my neighborhood.

Christina Georgiou said...

@ Anonymous 9:39 AM:

"...Scibak said, adding that the former Massachusetts governor's policies weren't beneficial to his state.

“(Romney) talked about creating jobs,” Scibak said, adding that Massachusetts was 36th in the nation when it came to job creation when Romney was elected, but fell to 47th out of the 50 states by the time he left office.

“My purpose in Easton is to say, 'don't look at the rhetoric, look at the facts,'” he said. “I've lived through this before. It's sort of like (the movie) Groundhog Day. His words, and even his gestures are the same.”

Massachusetts lost 40,000 jobs during Romney's time in office, Scibak said, adding that the rate was twice the national average."

from
http://easton.patch.com/articles/mass-state-rep-visits-easton-in-support-of-obama

Guess you didn't bother to read the article, which has plenty of verifiable facts, though not as many as I'd have used if I'd been free to do so at the time.

BTW, I'm registered "independent" and have been for the last 10 or so years. I got personally tired of voting for "the lesser of two weasels" a long time ago. I'm still undecided for this race exactly how I'll vote, but my choice will not be Romney.

Anonymous said...

When Ronmey was in office, he got to near full employment. Not easy (or necessary) to be at the top of the "job creation" list at that point.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Christina, I am really an independent myself, but I like to vote in primaries so I am not going to change.

Anonymous said...

I have voted many times for candidates I don't like because I like where they stand on issues. Personality should never matter when making important decisions about governance.

Bernie O'Hare said...

You're probably right, but that's the way I vote.

Bernie O'Hare said...

RS, I'm sorry, but you need $500,000 just to comment on this blog. I'll take a check.

Anonymous said...

" Anonymous said...
Yes the majority of the media is backing Obama, but that's their right. Why do people think everything should be "FAIR"?

It maybe dumb but they get to support whomever they want.

1:44 PM"

Really?!

You don't get why people expect an institution - one that is specifically protected in the very 1ST AMENDMENT to our Constitution, so that it can fulfill its mission of a check and watchdog on the government, no matter which group of skunks is in charge - to be fair?

This, LV Ramblers, is why we are in the place we find ourselves today. This is the rationale of morons.

-Clem

Anonymous said...

And, Romney kicked the dumb guy's ass tonight. Put the boots to him proper.

-Clem

Anonymous said...

Obama looked like he's had enough and wants out.

He had his ass handed to him.

Anonymous said...

90% of all Americans are employed.

The greatest majority have healthcare.

Osama Bin Laden is dead.

The Dow went from 6,000 to 13,000.

We're down 50% in wars started by GWB.

VOR