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Mitt Romney Says Obama Has Given Up but is Romney even Trying?
By: Hrafnkell HaraldssonSep. 21st, 2012more from Hrafnkell Haraldsson

It is so bad that Leslie Savan at The Nation wonders if Mitt even really wants to be president, if the nomination wasn’t enough validation. She makes that point that “Every time Romney gets an opportunity to reset the narrative of the election, he makes some psychologically revealing mistake,” and avails herself of some compelling evidence:
“There’s not really a campaign here,” one Republican close to GOP fundraisers complained to Real Clear Politics. “He’s getting ready for the debates, and he’s out fundraising. You’ve got enough money!” Lindsey Graham and Peggy Noonan have also bemoaned his semi-AWOL schedule.
It really does seem as if Mitt is trying to lose – or at the least – not trying to win. If I were a Republican, I would be very, very concerned.
Because this election is not supposed to be about Mitt Romney. And you wonder if Mitt might have forgotten that. Or if he ever even realized it.
He is going through the motions but you really do have to wonder. CNN reports that the Romney campaign is embarking on a “new line of attack against Obama” but at this point a new line of attack would be not saying egregiously stupid things, which, where Mitt is concerned, seems to be an impossibility.
Fox News trumpets Mitt’s new offensive, his attack on Obama for saying that changing Washington must come from the outside.
Watch the latest video at <a href=”http://video.foxnews.com”>video.foxnews.com</a>Here you have the Tea Party going on for the past four years about how you’ve got to be an outsider, how you’ve got to get rid of insiders, and then Romney jumps up and says that inside is a good place to be. And sticking with his attempts to make Obama look weak, he claims Obama has raised “the white flag of surrender.”
“The president today threw in the white flag of surrender again. He said he can’t change Washington from inside, he can only change it from outside,” Romney said. “Well, we’re going to give him that chance in November. He’s going outside!
“I can change Washington, I will change Washington. We’ll get the job done from the inside. Republicans and Democrats will come together. He can’t do it.”
I wonder if he realizes how stupid that sounds after the past four years of Republican obstructionism; if he is even aware that Senate Republicans just refused to allow votes on 17 judicial nominees before going on recess.
Work together? Really? At what point in the past four years has any Republican worked together with Barack Obama without losing his job, like Charlie Crist, former Republican governor of Florida?
And I truly hope using ancient, deceptively edited videos of Obama from when he was a state senator are not part of this new line of attack, because that sort of backfired too. It is pretty bad in this day and age when a Republican presidential campaign can get skewered by a mainstream news outlet, NBC in this case. The whole fiasco is symptomatic of how poorly Mitt is managing his own campaign.
And yet the entitled Ann Romney tells the Republican Party they’re lucky to have Mitt. “If you love someone, you see them maligned, attacked, all these things that happen in a campaign, you get very defensive” doesn’t quite cut it. As Sarah Jones and Jason Easley said here last night, “In other words, stop maligning Mitt Romney with his own words!”
There’s an expression used in the NFL with regards to one team “running up the score” on another: If you don’t want the score run up on you, do not let the other team score.
This applies to the Romney Campaign as well. If you do not want scorn heaped on you, stop saying stupid things. The regularity with which Mitt sticks his foot in his mouth is really unprecedented except, perhaps, in comparison to Sarah Palin. But Palin was only a vice presidential candidate. She wasn’t running for the highest office in the land except in her own mind.
It is difficult to escape the conclusion that Mitt Romney wants to convince Ameicans that Obama has quit on them in order to cover up the fact that he himself isn’t even really trying. Maybe Mr. Entitled doesn’t understand that he has to, that he doesn’t get the job just because he thinks it should be his.
Typically, the mainstream media makes excuses, like CNN Chief National Correspondent John King’s, ”I cannot think of one campaign that has not had a rough patch like this, including then Sen. Obama’s campaign back in 2008.”
Seriously, John? You cannot compare them.
And here’s the truly funny part, the part that is so revealing about how out of touch both Romney and mediia are, from CNN’s Tom Cohen:
The Romney team has struggled to build momentum after a grueling primary race, stymied at times by self-inflicted wounds that have helped fuel a Democratic depiction of the multimillionaire former businessman as being out-of-touch with working-class Americans.
Wrong. The Democrats have not depicted Romney as an out-of-touch multimillionaire businessman. Romney is those things. And he either doesn’t bother, or doesn’t know how to hide it. It almost seems to pain him to say that he cares about people when he self-evidently does not. He really is that out of touch with the reality experienced by not only the 47 percent but the 99 percent.
Until the Romney campaign realizes this simple fact (their candidate’s out-of-synch reality bubble), they will not be able to turn anything around. We know that won’t happen because Romney himself is incapable of seeing just how isolated from reality he is.
And it is difficult to see how the upcoming debates will bring positive change. Romney will still be Romney, and that is what is sinking the Republican ship right now. The proper response is not to send his wife out to petulantly whine about people using her husband’s words against him. The proper response is to get Romney to act like a president and not a guy who made his living firing people; a guy who opens his mouth without thinking.
The disdain of a rich white millinaire for his social inferiors is what rings loud and clear in the eyes and ears of voters.
Well, that and Romney’s complete lack of new ideas and inability to articulate those ideas he might have. I say “might” because there is no evidence at all – to date – that Romney actually has any ideas. And he is going to be put on the spot at the debates. If he declines even then to offer voters some details of his plans, he might as well resign then and there and go back to ruining peoples’ lives, because that is something he is apparently very good at. I am just going to throw Ann Romney’s words back at her at this point: ‘Stop it. This is hard.”
You’re killing us, and we’d just as soon keep the killing to a bad dream what-might-have-been.
Photo from cfnews13.com
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Heidi
Sep. 21st, 2012 at 8:03 am
Mitt Romney allowed the far right of the Republican party to define him. He wouldn’t define himself, why? becasue he wanted this office so bad, he felt it was his time, that he would do and say anything to win the election.
Now he see this is back firing on him. When you pander to the far right of any base, it means you have to stop being who you really are and what you beleive in and you have to run away from the good things you have dcne.
Mr. Romney is learning this lesson and it will cost him the election because he didn’t have the courage or the grace to tell the Republicans “I am a Repblican, I beleve in fiscal responisbilty, but I also beleive in helping our fellow man rise up so that they can to enjoy sucess”. Because he left the core of his believes as a man and what his faith has taught him, he is going to fail.
KatzKids
Sep. 23rd, 2012 at 1:59 pm
I have to disagree with one of your points Heidi. Mitler has never been a better man – never. His behavior as a youth, tormenting another student, having him held down while gleefully chopping his hair off, his leading a blind teacher into a door reveals a sadistic, mean streak he’s never lost. Here’s a link to further prove that Bishop Mitt has always been a bully and a liar, with no care for anyone’s feelings other than his own. The practices of his religion, care for others & brotherly love was never practiced by Romney, except for his close, chosen circle.
www.scoop.co.nz/stories/H...
SinghX
Sep. 21st, 2012 at 8:25 am
True, Little Mittens is licking his wounds and wants to go home, but can’t; he’s forced to live out this nightmare for another 6 weeks in this political “Wonderland”…and there are many who will continue to play along with this charade, but…why? What other plans by the backer of this “Looking Glass” alternative reality are being conjured as this event runs it’s course?
(Faster, Mitt, run faster!)
Where is all the whips on the backs of the disloyal? Where is that nasty little weasel, that authoritarian Red Queen, “The Grover”? I thought the “bearded one” had them all goose-stepping around his human chess board; how come he can’t control this Romney “upstart”? Is the plutocratic anarchy he created becoming a bit too hard to handle for the party of “NO!”?
Something smells funny. While we’re all distracted and discussing, speculating, using logic and reason, on why the Romney (GOP) campaign is failing, it’s all too clear to the observer that this is about a political Mad Hatter’s Tea Party gone haywire…who will be the first to scream,
“Off with his head!” The money backers, the party, the base…?
(silly old me–I’m using deduction and logic again…tsk)
Jonathan Burton
Sep. 21st, 2012 at 12:37 pm
This long and expensive charade will make all of those greedy billionaires think twice about dumping money into elections. After this ugly election is finally over and the GOP have been soundly whipped, people will be happy to petetion for C-Pac reform and overturning of Citizen’s United Vs. FEC ruling that has filled their airwaves with countless annoying political ads ad-nauseum. They will petition and demand an end to that annoyance once they have endured all of those ads on TV. Or maybe, hopefully, they get so disgusted that they tune out and turn off the set. There is a far better world living outside the box. Next time around, the playing field will be more leveled, one way or another.
Sally
Sep. 21st, 2012 at 8:31 am
I get your point, Heidi, but I have seen no evidence that Romney is not exactly who he says he is, right now. I don’t think he ever believed in fiscal responsibility…look at the huge amount of money he took to run HIS Olympics. Look at what he did at Bain..he was never fiscally responsible. And as far as helping his fellow man…when did he ever do that? He helped his fellow millionaires get richer.
The only thing he has ever accomplished that helps the middle class and poor was Romneycare, and I have to wonder if there isn’t some kickback there for the insurance companies. I find it hard to believe that he suddenly had a come to Jesus (or Joseph?) moment and decided to help citizens who weren’t filthy rich like he is. That is ONE thing he did for humanity, and now, of course, it was evil and he didn’t really mean it. That I buy.
Paws
Sep. 21st, 2012 at 8:51 am
Romney himself said in 2007 that you could not change Washington from the inside. So, once again his own words come back to haunt him.
That being said, it is clear that the President meant that change comes from the people – we’re the ones voting, bringing attention to issues in our communities, etc. Moreover, how can you change Washington if one half of Congress has one goal and one goal only that has NOTHING to do with actually improving the system and making the lives of all Americans better? The right likes to call Pres. Obama a dictator and what not – well, if he’s such a dictator, then why doesn’t he just issue a decree abolishing Congress and take over the government?
I find Romney’s whole campaign to be one big lie. He lies all the time, his ads are lies, and his surrogates and campaign staff all lie for him. I know there are some who say all politicians lie and maybe that’s true to a certain extent, but I’ve never seen a politician build a campaign on just lies. His campaign is in trouble now and is crumbling now under the weight of all those lies.
How anybody can vote for this guy is really beyond me. I don’t get it and I probably never will. I know Americans have a tendency to vote against their own self-interests, but this goes beyond that. His supporters KNOW he is lying; they KNOW he is being disingenuous; they KNOW he doesn’t care for anyone in the middle or lower classes. They know all of this and yet, they stand there and applaud his speeches as if he’s Moses reading the Ten Commandments.
It’s just mind-boggling.
buckeyewill
Sep. 21st, 2012 at 8:54 am
CHANGE does come from the outside, not inside.
Just ask Congressman John Lewis who 50 years ago was an outsider fighting the Southern Establishment,getting his head busted several times.
George Sirois
Sep. 21st, 2012 at 9:07 am
This is becoming an interesting social experiment. Romney has seemingly gone out of his way to alienate over half the country and his words and actions practically scream out, “I’m unfit for the job!”
However, this election will still be close because there are so many people in this country who will not be convinced that President Obama should be given another four years to finish what was started. No matter what Romney will do or say, he’ll get a lot of votes because he’s not Obama.
Ted Peters
Sep. 21st, 2012 at 10:16 am
I agree with Paws that it boggles the mind that anyone could vote for Romney for POTUS, but I think most Republicans will vote for whomever has the “R” after their name on the ballot. They are not really voting for Romney, but they are voting against President Obama. They don’t accept the fact that a black man is entitled to be president. They would vote for Elmer Fudd if he was the Republican candidate. Their rationale is that they will vote for anyone white who is not Obama. They stay tuned to Fox News to reinforce their bigotry and ignorance- anything to avoid having to deal with facts and reality. What keeps me awake at night is the realization that somewhere between 45 to 50% of my fellow Americans fall into this category. Truly astounding!
stenc
Sep. 21st, 2012 at 10:20 am
I really believe that the right wing are intent on stealing this election through voter suppression. They will do anything to win, ANYTHING. That’s what makes them so dangerous.
Ted Peters
Sep. 21st, 2012 at 11:17 am
It says a lot about the Republican ideology when they have to resort to blatant lies, deceptively edited video, voter suppression, and just plain old cheating in order to win elections. They will never win by using facts, telling the truth, and enabling voting rights because their ideology is to favor the most wealthy and the large corporations at the expense of the middle class and the less fortunate in our society. By the way, there is nothing Christian about this ideology, either, despite the fundamentalists’ support of the Republican party.
Barry Schwartz
Sep. 21st, 2012 at 11:31 am
Mitt Romney thought the same methods he applied in ‘business’ life would work in politics: that he could refile paperwork found to be fraudulent, and that would be the end of it; that he could have shady Swiss bank accounts; that he could get by with vaporware and misleading patter; etc. But, when you are running for president, you cannot simply take the money and run.
And Mitt Romney really has no ideas, perhaps none whatsoever worth mentioning, even that he keeps to himself, because his life has been about hoarding money without actually making or selling things. It’s not a nourishing medium for reflection on the problems facing humankind. You fire people so you can keep more of the money that comes in in the short term, and then you run with the money; how does that prepare you to think about an unemployment problem? You put that money in shady overseas investments to avoid paying taxes; how does that prepare you to talk about fiscal policy?
Lee in Iowa
Sep. 24th, 2012 at 6:06 am
I feel I am in good company among these responders. Thanks!
I wanted to speak up in defense of CNN’s newscasters. They are bending over backwards to try to be neutral in their coverage, when survey after survey shows, journalists really are Democrats; it’s only some of their bosses who are Republicans.
Also, they may be thinking about Democrats’ chronic problem at the polls: We are just not as likely to GO VOTE. (I personally put this down to the many many roadblocks put up…by these voter laws and voter purges, but also just by tending to be the people with less money. We don’t have a babysitter, maid service, backup parent, vacation time to wait in voting lines for hours, or whatever. So our days are more frenzied and our ability to vote is indeed narrowed by that.)
So as long as Democrats remain concerned, we are more likely to take that vacation day, hire that babysitter, make that extra effort, and VOTE.