General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWorst. Politician. Ever.
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/the_rumble/2012/09/mitt-romneys-epic-incompetenceIve been following politics for many years; Ive written a book on presidential campaigns and Ive delved quite a bit into the minutiae of the 2012 campaign. And Im increasingly convinced that Mitt Romney is the worst national politician Ive ever seen.
There are so many proof points to back up this supposition that I could go on for a while, but Ill just stick to Romneys train wreck of an interview on "Meet The Press" on Sunday. This was not exactly a hard-hitting inquiry, what with inquiries from David Gregory like, Do you feel like an underdog or do you feel like youre right in this thing? and a dearth of many follow-up questions.
Still, none of this stopped Romney from stepping on landmine after landmine. He was unable to offer a single tax loophole that he wanted to close. even though closing these loopholes and deductions is foundational to his argument that massive tax cuts for the rich won't actually lessen their tax burden.
WooWooWoo
(454 posts)like the poster boy for effective campaign strategies.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)Arugula Latte
(50,566 posts)NRaleighLiberal
(60,027 posts)WooWooWoo
(454 posts)he got people to like him, vote for him, and believe that he felt strongly about what he was talking about.
He sucked at the actual governing part, but the campaigning part, it's no comparison.
proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)He managed to be the worst president ever and still get re-elected. Millions of Americans thought his administration was horrible but they wanted to have a beer with him.
chollybocker
(3,687 posts)But "win" and "re-elected" should be within quote marks.
NRaleighLiberal
(60,027 posts)proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)ananda
(28,886 posts)Both 2000 and 2004 were stolen.
calimary
(81,532 posts)BOTH those elections were ill-gotten gains. Florida was far more glaring. Four years later, they got the theft thing down a little more smoothly, and stealthily. And changed venues when all eyes were laser-focused on Florida again. They did not return to the scene of the crime in 2004. They came up with a new scene entirely.
NRaleighLiberal
(60,027 posts)proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)NRaleighLiberal
(60,027 posts)ProSense
(116,464 posts)lost the popular vote in 2000 and stole the election in 2004.
I mean, "great candidates" don't have to rely on swiftboating and Rovian cheating to win. They don't have to suppress the vote across the country and employ vote switching and election tampering. The 2004 election was a disaster and black mark on democracy in this country. The long lines, thuggery, poll closings, blackouts had more to do with Bush's securing a second term than his actual campaign.
NRaleighLiberal
(60,027 posts)ProSense
(116,464 posts)terror alerts in the mix of the campaign.
lonestarnot
(77,097 posts)DonRedwood
(4,359 posts)the bush we got in national politics was all good old boy....but not the real bush. I watched the ann richards debates a few years ago and it freaked me out. Bush was on the attack, he was sharp, articulate and he went for the jugular.
By the time he ran for president he had perfected that good old boy act that made so many people drop their guard.
Don't believe me? find the video and watch it. Ann Richards was one of my all time favorite debators and he gobbled her up.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)"Watch the Bush Ann Richards debates: BUSH WAS A SHARK, nasty, biting, chomped the shit out of her...Don't believe me? find the video and watch it. Ann Richards was one of my all time favorite debators and he gobbled her up."
...Kerry gobbled him up. Bush was pathetic in the debates. Maybe Ann Richards was caught off guard or she wasn't a good debater, but Bush did not shine in any way in 2004.
Raster
(20,998 posts)I know I do.
calimary
(81,532 posts)Why would one imagine that to be a good thing? To collect a fun cutesy new nickname or something?
proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)He has no personality, zero charisma and hasn't told us what he wants to DO.
I heard a discussion yesterday - I think on Thom Hartman's show? They said that in order to beat an incumbent you need to do two things:
1. convince the voters that the incumbent is bad.
2. tell them what you are going to do that is better.
Romney has done the first but hasn't come close to the second. He is too secretive about his plans (and his tax returns). People won't vote for a candidate who hasn't convinced them he will be better than the other guy.
AnnieBW
(10,467 posts)At least he can sometimes put together a coherent sentence. And he did serve a full term as Governor, unlike the Wasilla-billy.
ProSense
(116,464 posts)He has been outraising and outspending Obama and has never led. His overseas trip was a disaster. He has become the personification of Etch-A-Sketch. He lies and repeats lies even after everyone has determined they're lies. He was upstaged at his convention by a chair. His likeability is the lowest of any candidate ever. For the "first time a convention has made people LESS likely to vote for presidential candidate" (http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021313000).
The only things keeping Mitt in this race are monied interest and racists.
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)isn't it? They'll vote for anyone. Democrats won't. Maybe that's why Republicans win more.
lonestarnot
(77,097 posts)ProSense
(116,464 posts)But heres the crazy thing: I actually dont think this was the most politically clueless thing that he did in the interview.
When asked by Gregory about the budget sequestration agreement, mandatory spending cuts, including to the Defense Department budget, that are part of the debt limit deal signed by President Obama and passed by Republican House last summer, Romney said this: "That was a big mistake. I thought it was a mistake on the on the part of the White House to propose it. I think it was a mistake for Republicans to go along with it."
This is a fascinating statement, not only because Romney attacks the White House (this is basically pro forma) but he is also attacking the 201 members of his own party in the House of Representatives who voted for the sequestration bill, including his own running mate.
Romney is either extremely desperate or inept. Either way, he sucks at this.
Romney Rips Paul Ryan: Calls Running Mates Vote For Defense Cuts A Big Mistake
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021303598
part man all 86
(367 posts)Raster
(20,998 posts)Initech
(100,108 posts)He's just so creepy, unlikeable and out of touch with reality that it's hard to believe he's this close to an actual presidency.
Kalidurga
(14,177 posts)That is really the only good thing I can think of about Mittens. He hasn't mass murdered or gone on a serial killing spree. But, he is still one very very bad person. He lies even when he doesn't have to. He changes positions in the same day now, he is like hyper moving the chairs around on the deck as the Titanic sinks. He calls talking about foreign policy a shiny object of distraction. He believes we should be talking about more important things like giving him a tax break. He does like raising taxes on the middle class and poor people this is shown in Massachusetts where taxes became fees and cost the middle class thousands of dollars. He saddled the state with debt and decided to not run again, which is a good thing. He really should quit the race, but I am just saying that because his face is making me ill.