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Home » Romney’s too nice—or maybe too mean

Romney’s too nice—or maybe too mean

The New Neo Posted on by

Anyway, he’s too something.

Notice how the MSM is concentrating on Romney rather than Obama, the economy, or anything else that matters? Blogs on the right are, too, at least to a certain extent. There’s been quite a bit of Monday morning quarterbacking about Romney’s response to Obama’s Bain attacks. Why won’t he take the gloves off? Or why did he? Or whatever?

I’m with Jen Rubin at this point:

The divergence between what the Obama campaign and the media (I repeat myself) are talking about (Bain, Bain and Bain) and the most important economic (and hence political) news of the year is breathtaking. To put it bluntly, we are looking at economic contraction. In laymen’s terms, that is a recession…

For the left flogging the Bain story and the right bemoaning Mitt Romney’s response, stop. Just stop.

The left, of course, won’t obey that command. The right would do well to. Romney must continue to respond, and going on the offensive again in a bit would be good. I happen to think he will do so.

I expected Obama to be relentless, negative, nasty, and run a dirty campaign in 2012. He hasn’t disappointed me. If Romney’s smart (and I think he is), he knew it too. But knowing it intellectually and actually experiencing it are two different things. He’s straddling a delicate line in trying to be calm and collected and yet respond forcefully and counterpunch as well. Defense and offense simultaneously, and keep his cool while being lied about. Not the easiest thing on earth.

Will it work? Darned if I know. This election has made me very, very nervous from the start.

I’ll give the last word on the matter to commenter “lael” at Ace’s:

It’s so funny that people complain about Romney being “too nice” or not “tough enough” toward Obama precisely when Romney is basically calling Obama a Chicago thug. A lying, corrupt Chicago thug. Has this escaped your notice, people? Has any establishment Republican ever come close to calling Obama a lying, corrupt Chicago thug– someone whose campaign is “beneath the dignity of a POTUS”?

Just because Romney’s keeping cool calm and collected, just because Romney doesn’t look or sound angry, doesn’t mean he isn’t…sticking the stiletto in deep. The astuteness of Romney, the jujitsu of Romney, is that he sticks the stiletto in (hidden in his hand, so onlookers hardly notice) precisely when the other guy is angrily and conspicuously waving around a big knife and making exaggerated stabbing moves in the air. So the other guy looks to onlookers like the violent thug, but at the end of the fight it’s the other guy who’s bleeding more, from deeper wounds.

As Miss Marple noted this morning,

1. In response to the president’s refusal to apologize, he pointed out that the entire thing is an attempt to distract from Obama’s terrible record on jobs.
2. On Rahm saying he should quit whining, he said when someone falsely accuses you of a crime, you get a bit upset. He is proud of his ethical business record
3. On business in general, he pointed out the forgiveness of government loans to political donors (Solyndra, etc.) stinks to high heaven.
4. On transparency, he pointed out the executive orders regarding Fast and Furious, which he said was unprecedented and something else (maybe suspicious).

So, he used the openings Obama gave him to talk about Obama’s terrible jobs record, the fake accusations and his own excellent ethical record, the graft and corruption with companies like Solyndra, and the White House involvement in Fast and Furious.

Romney’s seized the opportunity– the wonderful opportunity presented when the Obama campaign called Romney a felon, a charge so ridiculously over-the-top and obviously false that it thereby discredits itself, weakening its own attempt to charge Romney with corruption and lack of transparency– to point out Obama’s own arrant crony capitalist corruption (Solyndra) and the suspicious, potentially criminal opacity surrounding Fast and Furious. Fast and Furious, people. Romney is talking about these things with the MSM spotlight helpfully on him– because of this seemingly silly (non)apology story.

Not that I think many people other than newshounds in the blogosphere are paying all that much attention right now.

Comments

Romney’s too nice—or maybe too mean — 33 Comments

  1. We’re all so hyper and concerned that whenever there’s not a killing blow from Romney, we fret. I do. I like the killing blows. I like the Solyndra and NAACP speeches.

    The election, however, will tell us which philosophy is ascending: free market constitutionalism or fascism (jand fascism is socialism). The latter may be too strong a word in that Obama’s fascism lacks a nationalism. Or does it? In a America where Obama control was total, how nationalistic might he be? 58th state anyone?

    Even the performance of the economy seems to be inferior to philosophy. For one, the fascists merely state, “didn’t try hard enough.” And two, for the moment it still appears viable (propped up as it is by counterfeit money.)

  2. Romney is not a wimp. Anyone who could force Billy Bulger out of a comfy highly paid government job in Massachusetts has to be really tough.

    For those who aren’t knowledgeable about MA politics, Billy was the Senate President of the legislature for years, and one of the most corrupt politicians in MA history. Everything was for sale, minimum of $5,000. My wife’s company once had to make a $50,000 payoff to his law partner to do business in certain parts of Boston.

    Part of Billy’s power rested on the implicit behind the scenes threat of his older brother, James, aka, Whitey. Whitey, formerly the FBI’s most wanted criminal, is now awaiting trial for committing nineteen murders. (The State Police claim the real number is closer to fifty, but who’s counting.). He was one of Boston’s most violent criminals who made his money from drugs.

  3. I agree with the observations of the commenter “lael”, at Ace’s: Romney is using Obama’s accusation as an opportunity. I hope it works.

    Still: not the optimal strategy. A better strategy would have been (in addition to bashing Obama) to also explain (in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun) why free markets are awesome, and why Romney’s time at Bain was therefore awesome. Sigh.

    Re taxes
    I would have been totally happy if Romney had flipped the bird to the Obama Campaign, and had refused to offer ANY tax records whatsoever, and had basically said: I’m wealthy. Deal with it. I forthrightly follow whatever tax laws are put into place by the Congress of the United States. Deal with it.

    To me, the most damaging part of Romney’s actions, re Bain and re tax returns, is that Romney appears to possess a subtle deep shame over his own wealth, and over his own time at Bain. This is to be expected of a person who has not yet internalized the philosophic reasons which prove the superiority of small government and free markets. So, I have to live with Romney’s shame. But, I do believe that voters sense Romney’s shame, and I do believe it hurts Romney. But, nothing can be done. We can only encourage Romney to grow in his understanding. He is a talented intellect. If he can rein in, a bit, his intellectual arrogance, and his natural condescension, he is fully capable of understanding the issues as well as anyone, or even better. Let us pray.

  4. Gcotharn- I think the shame is or humility rather is cultural. Mormons don’t often boast in themselves. He has said he is.proud of his record at Bain. That is enough. He’s hammering O right now on his “you didn’t build that bridge” speech. Good. Now Americans decide which vision they want. And we wait…

  5. I just wish the conservative pundits would spend less time criticizing Romney and more time on Obama. I used to read American Spectator, but it has become a forum for people who are so much smarter than Romney. Strange that none of them were drafted for the Rep candidacy.

    BTW, why doesn’t anyone go on and on about how smart Romney is.

  6. I fault Romney on two things. One, he does not explain how reducing government regulation and taxation can increase jobs. With lots of people subsisting on food stamps, unemployment insurance, or disability payments, Romney has to explain how they can be better off with him in charge rather than that cool guy who cares. He can also point out that the philosophy of that other guy will lead to the dead end of government control of all aspects of life.

    Secondly, Romney’s work rate is unimpressive so far. Maybe he is playing rope-a-dope, but one appearance a day and lots of days off does not compare well to that guy who is making five campaign stops a day.

  7. I’m pleasantly surprised with Romney’s campaign to date. He has been forceful but calm unlike BHO who as usual blusters, boasts, and condescends. These wild accusations about Romney and his recent speech on the economy (the “you didn’t earn it yourself” diatribe) are going to haunt him in the end.

  8. I notice that you follow the heard and focus on what the media tells you to focus on, even though they don’t tell you.

    ie. just survey your subjects and then see whether they help that media manipulation or do they provide an alternative focus?

    i dont see alternative focus, just one more alternative set of comments for the same thing, and in terms of msm’s actions..

    so rather than have something that covers the build ups to war, we have the same old focus on Romney because the media focuses on him, and not the build up.

    meanwhile, i sit and laugh at how in another thread is the claim no one can predict… but that’s not true… just ask any Jewish survivor of the holocaust who left early… ask the people who died… guess whose genes live on? the better predictors

    just cause the school unions and games have made the academic left liberal historians useless at this, doesn’t mean others are useless..

    but the reason those who believe there can be no predictions take that position, is that they refuse to break from the conditioning, and explore what the other hand is doing.

    they can obviously say they are being played… but they wont stop being played… you draw attention to the fact that they are hyperfocal on Romney, then help them be hyperfocal.

    you can think whatever you want, the horse can think of flowers or oats, but as long as the horse does what THEY want, the horse is serving them, not itself.

    letting them steer the conversation is a recipe to lose
    writing about the same subjects they write about is helping them steer since the more that copy and do that, the more power they have to set that conversation.

    Obama calls for tax hikes on the rich…(Election)
    Spambot of the day (Distraction)
    Is the internet… (Distraction)
    Boo hoo hoo (Romney)
    Predicting the cost of Obamacare (Election)
    I’ve noticed… (Election)
    Talk about… (Distraction)
    Three swans: part II (Distraction)
    The press and Romney at the NAACP: did you know he was a white Mormon? (Romney)
    Contrary conversationalists (Distraction)
    Romney’s going to Israel (Romney)
    The 50 best hairstyles of all time (women’s distraction)
    The Bain barrage backlash brouhaha (Romney)
    Separated at birth? (women’s distraction)
    Team Romney responds (Romney)
    Obama reforms welfare reform: because he can (Election)
    So, is being fat incurable? (women’s distraction)
    Bastille Day… (Distraction)
    To spank or not to spank (women’s distraction)
    Obama’s campaign m.o. (Election)
    So, what will the October surprise be? (Election)
    Spambot of the day (Distraction)
    Romney’s too nice–or maybe too mean (Romney)

    if you count Obama election related stuff, is also Romney related by opposition, then all you have for the past two pages are women’s distractions (fat, fashion, self pleasure), distractions, and election/Romney
    [edited for length by n-n]

  9. and this is an interesting non romney thing

    Europe’s New Anti-Semitism
    Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks

    http://www.jidaily.com/f1a48?utm_source=Jewish+Ideas+Daily+Insider&utm_campaign=21125e1313-Insider-Email&utm_medium=email

    The case — like the banning of shechitah (ritual animal slaughter) by the Dutch parliament, now thankfully reversed — illustrates the deep difficulty Jews are facing in Europe today. Both cases initially had nothing to do with Jews. They were directed predominantly against Muslims, whose population vastly outnumbers that of Jews in almost every country in Europe. They are part of the backlash against the misguided policy, adopted by most European countries in the 1970s, known as multiculturalism. This was meant to promote tolerance. Its effect was precisely the opposite. It encouraged segregation of ethnic minorities, not integration, and instead of getting people to ignore differences it made an issue of them at every stage.

    and this

    I have argued for some years that an assault on Jewish life always needs justification by the highest source of authority in the culture at any given age. Throughout the Middle Ages the highest authority in Europe was the Church. Hence anti-Semitism took the form of Christian anti-Judaism.

    In the post-enlightenment Europe of the 19th century the highest authority was no longer the Church. Instead it was science. Thus was born racial anti-Semitism, based on two disciplines regarded as science in their day: the “scientific study of race” and the Social Darwinism of Herbert Spencer and Ernst Haeckel. Today we know that both of these were pseudo-sciences, but in their day they were endorsed by some of the leading figures of the age.

    Since Hiroshima and the Holocaust, science no longer holds its pristine place as the highest moral authority. Instead, that role is taken by human rights.

    It follows that any assault on Jewish life — on Jews or Judaism or the Jewish state — must be cast in the language of human rights.

    Hence the by-now routine accusation that Israel has committed the five cardinal sins against human rights: racism, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, attempted genocide and crimes against humanity. This is not because the people making these accusations seriously believe them — some do, some don’t. It is because this is the only form in which an assault on Jews can be stated today.

  10. Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves. -Lord Byron

  12. I’m beginning to really anticipate a Romney and Obama debate. I suspect Obama has never actually faced anyone with the courage to question his self perceived greatness face-to-face. It could well be the beginning of the great unraveling.

  13. Being raised and living around Mormons for most of my life, they are taught to be “Christ-like” in their demeanor and daily actions.

    As I’ve told my Mormon neighbors, I would like Romney to be more like the angry Christ casting the money changers from the temple instead of the Christ laying down with the lambs in his run for the Presidency.

  14. Artfldgr: I don’t purport to have the perfect alternative media here. I write about things that interest me, and what you call “women’s distraction” happens to interest me, as does pop culture, the arts, food, science, literature, poetry, all the other parts of life (although for the life of me I don’t know how a post on child-rearing, i.e. spanking, is a “women’s distraction”; seems it affects parents in general and even human beings in general).

    When you have your own blog you can write about whatever you want. Here, I write about what interests me. Politics is a large part of it. And regarding politics, I think this election is highly important. You may differ.

  15. “I think this election is highly important. ”

    Now that is an understatement! 😉

    Its curious that people who realize what an utter disaster a second coming of BHO would be are so focused on Romney’s shortcomings. Romney was not my choice, though I warm to him as the days pass, but compared to BHO??? What I think about BHO is not fit for even adult company. Do I trust Romney to turn the course away from the crash and burn destination we are on now? I’m of the opinion he’ll slow down the ship and veer slightly to the right. I absolutely trust BHO to push the throttle to full speed ahead if returned to the Oval Office.

  16. To 3 above:

    interesting, gcotharn, that Romney may not (yet) have fully realized the (conservative) truth of a system that is built to allow the freedom that drives humanity forward.

    Thanks, Curtis, for directing us to comment #3 at: http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2012/07/17/Bus-Driver-Catches-Seven-Year-Old-Falling-From-Building . . .
    Please see comment number 3

    Artfldgr: are you planning to migrate out of the U.S.? Just curious. I like your comments – and I think if I were that filled with the feelings and drive that you have (to have amassed all that history), I’d be packing my bags for Antarctica.

  17. How much you wanna bet that the guy who caught the falling girl leans right? I’m thinking a lefty would let her fall, expecting the almighty gubmint to intervene. Would be curious to find that out, because I do know that there are good (although misguided) democrats, even though they would never give conservatives the same benefit.

  18. Did you all see Romney’s Pennsylvania speech today in which he takes on Obama’s denial that entrepreneurs are responsible for their success? Powerline has an excerpt and links to the whole speech on C-Span. He demolishes Obama and at the same time praises all those who make an effort to rise. It was a great speech, and the audience reaction was really strong. He does not come across as a 1%er, rather as one who appreciates every effort made by every person.

  21. “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” ~ Napoleon Bonaparte

  22. art,

    wth !

    Bit the hand that feeds you no?

    Kalneva,

    I wonder these things to believe it or not. I wondered about the idiot taking the video with the cell phone camera. I mean hello!!! put the damn camera down and start moving your body in position!!! Damn liberals ! 🙂

  23. I’m with Parker,

    The last thing Romney needs to do is do anything that can be painted as weird or over reacting.

    Remember John McCain looked like an idiot when he suspended his campaign and went to Washington when it was very apparent that the credit crunch had halted the gravy train. Obama painted him as over reacting.

    Romney gets it.
    He is a better candidate than he was given credit for by his peers and by the voters. Sure I wanted other candidates but imagine the field day Obama would be having with Santorum at the moment.

    Obama looks like he is a mad man to me. Saying the craziest stupidest things because he knows the media is on his side trying to get Romney to bite.

    Notice Obama didn’t even say anything THAT crazy the other day. He didn’t say – the government should take all successful people’s money or even raise successful people’s taxes by 50 %. He said something obvious but with the wrong focus. It’s almost as if he was baiting Romney.

    Of course we have an infrastructure that allows businesses to succeed easier than let’s say Mexico because there is law and order and not so much decay in the infrastructure and an expansive middle class. What Obama’s speech was geared to do is make the people who LOVE leaders and LOVE the government as a father figure FAINT!

    Independent minded entrepreneur spirited people with initiative who have long learned that the government is no paternalistic all knowing cradle to grave care taker take risks and build businesses and even if they aren’t building businesses are at least doing the best for their family by socking away money for their kids college and/or their next house. Meanwhile the liberal down the street (yes I knew these people) with the Toyota 4 runner and the 6 cylinder Honda Accord talking about Republicans hating the environment would bemoan that their kids didn’t have government provided daycare when their kids were young. I mean REALLY!!! You cared more about your things you stupid neighbors!

    Anyways. I just don’t get the mindset of fainting liberals at rally’s. It’s just over the top nanny-statism wishers who probably have 50% body fat and haven’t gotten out of the house much anyways this year. Meanwhile I’m working my ass off every day – own two homes – just bought my sweetie a ring and I pay gargantuan taxes for the neighbors and their idiotic pet causes though we are borrowing 40% of every dollar spent.

  25. Yes. Like a good poop. It is generative.

    Give it to Obama.

    MMMMM.mmmm.MMMMMM.

  27. Karl Rove had, I think, an excellent analysis of Obama’s(cough)campaign last night on O’Reilly. He’s going for each ‘Base’ Interest Group and staying, obviously, waaaay-away from his Idiocy-Wreckage Record. He’s no longer even pretending to ‘Unite’. It’s ALL About the various ingredients of the Base and getting them to the polls.

    Uncle Karl pointed out that there’s a HUGE “quiet” voting block for Repubs–White Working Class–that can neuter that crap. Krauthammer said if the election were held tomorrow, Obam-Bam would win by a squeak. Same at this time for Carter over Reagan in 1980. But, he says that the post-convention facts will be changed and–Please God–Mitt will win. Hewitt & Limbaugh both strongly maintain that it will be a Huge Win for Mitt. Your lips to God’s Ears, Hugh & Rushbo!!

  28. My wife who doesn’t really pay attention, made an excellent point. She said, “didn’t that happen in the 90’s?”.

    For a lot of people, that was a long time ago, and I’m not sure if anyone who is not paying attention is really going to care. MSM has made their choice on who they will endorse, but I think that people will want to hear the candidates in their own voices. The debates are when and where this race will be decided.

  29. Romney should have a couple good zingers for the debate.

    Like, “look, you’ve never run a hotdog stand” or “when you were a community organizer what was one of your successes.”

    Back when you were smoking dope I was doing x,y,,z

  30. baklava: the first zinger is great – get that to the campaign. the second zinger of course would be discounted as racist.

    by the way, here is the new, handy definition of a racist: a racist is a conservative who is winning an argument with a liberal.

    We need Sununu to come up with the tagline …. “Oh, I’m a racist? that means you’re at the end of your talking points?” or “Oh, I’m a racist? Your hatred has brought you to that?” “Oh, I’m a racist? Are you one, too?”

  31. When the American military is ambushed, they do not retreat, for the enemy is likely anticipating their retreat, and is ready to slash the retreating Americans to bits.

    When the amazingly disciplined American military is ambushed, they ATTACK DIRECTLY INTO THE TEETH OF THE AMBUSH. To the enemy, this action is inexplicable. Almost inevitably, the weak point of an ambush is the exact point from which the fire originated. Though it seems counterintuitive, or maybe BECAUSE it seems counterintuitive: aggressiveness is the best tactic.

    Therefore:

    “Even a racist understands America better than Barack Obama.”

    Aggressiveness is the best tactic.

  33. The latest nonsense is “XX years of income tax returns”.
    How about also “all transcripts from every college or university attended”. Wherein we would find that Obama even flunked the gut courses…
    Or worse: once put down “Muslim” as his religion of choice…

    If he were half a bright as his swooning fans would have it, he would have gone into a judicial clerkship after Harvard Law. It’s what usually happens with the brighter boys and girls.
    But if you’re not at all bright “community organizer” beckons.

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