What do you think is going through Romney's head right now? I see him

[coalition_unwilling]

as a walking embodiment of cognitive dissonance but, for the life of me, cannot seem to put myself inside his head to imagine how he is thinking about his own situation. I have this sense that he's wound tighter than a drum right now and we may be treated soon to a full public meltdown. But that's just a 'vibe' I'm picking up, not a sense of how his mind might be operating.

Specifically, do you think Romney is debating whether to drop out? Is he debating whether to release his tax returns? Do you think this situation has prompted any introspection by him? Do you think he's so full of rage that the tiniest little spark will cause him to explode in full public view?

While comedic replies will certainly be appreciated, serious ones will also. I am working on an essay about cognitive dissonance and Romney and am looking for some additional ideas.

[ananda]

1. Arrogance..

.. that's what it is.

He thinks he can just dig his heels in and cry "attack"
and "apologize" and the world will somehow bow in
his favor. Hah!

[monmouth]

4. His arrogance will be what saves him from a meltdown. This is a person who is not used to the word

"No" or being challenged on anything he wants. I truly doubt he realized what he was getting into with this race. He may have thought battling Obama was on a par with the primary challengers and is now shocked. I think he has told Ann more than once he's "darned sorry" he got into this. Had he known then what he knows now he would have found another hobby. He truly thought this would be a walk in the park, handsome republican "him" against a young black guy? Cakewalk. He's never had a challenge like this and his worldview has been rocked.

[coalition_unwilling]

9. Should explain what I mean by "cognitive dissonance." When a person

holds conflicting feelings about the same subject, the conflict produces anxiety (or 'dissonance') and, as I understand it, the person will try to reduce the anxiety by somehow reconciling the opposing feelings.

Example from recent history:

Bush claimed there were WMD in Iraq before the U.S. invasion and occupation
BUT . . . No WMD were ever found in Iraq

One way to reduce the dissonance (anxiety) is to conclude that Bush was a liar. Another way is to add a belief that the WMD were somehow shipped to Syria before they could be found.

In Romney's case, he was the CEO of Bain from 1999-2002 when it benefitted him to be (back when he ran for governor of MA) but he is not the CEO of Bain from 1999-2002 now (according to papers filed with the FEC in 2011). Both positions cannot be true, as Josh Marshall and others have pointed out, and the cost of trying to maintain both is massive cognitive dissonance.

[nolabear]

31. There are some personality types who don't experience cognitive dissonance.

We do on observation, but they don't. If he's as narcissistic as he seems to be, the problem, to him, doesn't lie with him but with everyone else.

The good, and bad, thing about narcissism and the defenses people build up to support it is that they're fragile. If that water keeps dripping it's possible he'll get worse and worse at defending himself, all the while being enraged that we don't just "get" it.

[coalition_unwilling]

32. Thank you for that observation. I had already published a version of my essay

on my blog but thanks to your and Jackpine Radical's comments, I have held off on publishing it anywhere else, so that I can edit it to take into account this point.

I think Romney's followers may be the ones experiencing the cog diss but Romney may be psychopathic enough not to experience it.

Thanks again.

[Duer 157099]

33. Close. I say just "air" n/t

[lunatica]

2. You know that quick, jerky, stubby little walk he has? It's because his sphincter

is so tight.

[pinboy3niner]

3. A migraine

[coalition_unwilling]

12. Hah! Good one! (But please do see my elaboration upthread!) - n/t

[Wounded Bear]

5. He's getting that deer in the headlights look...

the cornered mouse posture.

I think it would be unprecedented for him to retire from the race. The RW of our country would go into full meltdown along with W Mitt.

[randome]

6. His thoughts will be spinning faster and faster because he knows, just KNOWS...

...that he can still turn this thing around. The idea that he has committed political suicide might crop up from time to time but he invariably pushes it aside so he can see the chess board more clearly.

Not realizing there IS no chess board. It's a game of Risk and he has been outplayed.

And all his armies are stuck in Kamchatka.

[Solomon]

7. I think he's genuinely pissed that us little folk have

the right to vote. It's just not fair. What the hell do we know about the way the world works.

[SunsetDreams]

8. Money

that's his bottom line

[onehandle]

10. The bunching up of his magic underwear distracts him 24/7. nt

[Scuba]

11. Same as always....

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[IDemo]

13. "Maybe it's time Lovey and I took a three hour tour somewhere."

[Jackpine Radical]

14. Romney has no conception of the connection between actions and consequences.

He's entitled. He has never fad to suffer the consequences of anything he did. Assaulting a gay fellow student and cutting off his hair? A harmless prank.

Tying a dog carrier to the top of his car for a 12 hour trip? An amusing anecdote.

Tripping a woman so he could win a contest? Charming. His family adores him for it.

Moving thousands of jobs out of a Michigan factory? Another amusing story to be told to the undoubtedly grateful Cheeseheads who got the jobs.

Insult the clothes of a bunch of "little people" at a NASCAR event? Surely they're thrilled to get a few moments of attention from the Magnificent One, and will be telling their grandchildren about their one glorious instant in the light.

Vietnam? Demonstrate in support of the war & go to France to escape it.

Hide his tax returns? Hey, so what? It'll blow over.

What's in his head? I doubt that there's much of anything resembling cognitive dissonance a la Rokeach or Festinger.

Psychopaths don't have cognitive dissonance.

[coalition_unwilling]

17. Brilliant analysis that undermines at least a part of my thesis (and with which

I concur). There may be some cognitive dissonance implications for his erstwhile supporters, but I think you may have a point about Romney himself.

Please see my reply #9 upthread where I detail what may be Romney's cog dissonance.

Just out of curiosity, what do you think is going through his head right now (cog dissonance aside)?

And thanks for this! I'm really glad you responded.

[global1]

15. IMHO Rmoney Believes This Is His Turn, His Destiny - To Be The Next President.......

what is running through his head is - the words President Rmoney and he's hearing "Hail To The Chief" being played in the background. He's dug in and he will do anything to attain this goal. This is what he's been running for all his life. His father implanted that thought in him a long time ago. He's willing to do anything - say anything - even if he continually contradicts himself in the process. Unfortunately for him - his lies are beginning to catch up with him and the tangled web he wove is becoming a problem for him. He's put himself into a box. Dammed if he does - dammed if he doesn't.

I'm thinking that he won't be releasing any more of his tax reports. He's going to try and coverup and obfuscate as long as he can and he's hoping his money and the money he gets from the SuperPacs and the help he gets from all of his surrogates and the Repug governors around the country to disenfranchise voters will get him into the White House.

He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He believes he's above everyone and everything - even above the law. In his mind he's an untouchable.

He'll do anything and everything to make this happen. He's got the money to do it and he will forge ahead. He's got this far to this point doing this and he will continue doing the same.

The Presidency is his "entitlement". This is his destiny. This kind of thinking could bring us all down - if we as voters let this happen.

I'm hoping that the Repugs see this character flaw - but I don't think they will. Who was it that said "If Rmoney is our nominee we will lose the presidency." The so-called female Repug talking head with the Adam's Apple.

The Repugs want the power back. They seem like they are willing to overlook Rmoney's character flaws because they know that he'll just be happy having the title and they will put their people in to make the decisions and run this country. Just like they did with Dubya.

Just like Rmoney's name is on the SEC documents that he was the head of Bain - during 1999 - 2003 - he'll have his name on the documents to run this country - but he'll take a leave of absence from that responsibility and let the others do it - so he doesn't have to face the consequences and take the heat.

He is not qualified to be the President of these United States and many people know it and more and more are coming to know this with every passing day. I hope the Obama people keep up the heat on him as they know he's totally not qualified and would be dangerous to us.

[coalition_unwilling]

19. Nice response. It's such a foreign mentality to me that my limited powers of

empathy and sympathetic imagination fail utterly.

I see Romney as a 'user' - he views people as mere instruments in satisfying his desires. That's why he can fuck so many people over by the restructurings and what-not and not display the slightest bit of remorse about it.

But I'm an armchair psychologist at best. Fascinated by this cognitive dissonance idea and have been ever since I took Psych 101 way back when.

[Spazito]

16. Outrage that he is being questioned and not believed on his say-so...

Outrage that his wealth and how he accumulated it is under examination

Outrage that the media is actually covering the issue instead of showcasing the red herrings his campaign is proffering

Confusion because his obfuscation regarding Bain, etc, worked when he ran as Governor and it should have worked in this race as well (in his mind).

[KurtNYC]

18. I have worked for these kinds of people...he is not thinking

about dropping out. No way.

He just goes more into tunnel vision. Blocks out his "bedwetters" and focuses like a laser beam on being glowingly vague and "putting Obama on defense." He thinks he can win this week with his "crony" bunk and his VP pick. He thinks he is hitting back effectively at the Bain 1999-2002 stuff.

[cindyperry2010]

20. pissed off desparation

why aren't they listening to me and buying the b. s. i am slinging

[marlakay]

21. I think he is mad and waiting

hoping this will blow over...

[ecstatic]

22. He's an angry, insecure bully

He has no intention of dropping out or releasing more returns. In his mind, he's going to MAKE us put him in the White House and he doesn't feel that he should have to answer to regular people.

I don't think he'll have a public meltdown --it's clear he's held in most of his emotions for much of his life, except for when it comes to acts of violence against classmates, pets, women (the tripping incident), or his own children (butter incidents).

[coalition_unwilling]

24. I don't know - he seems like a pretty tightly coiled spring right now. I can

sense the rage behind the facade. Only question, imo, is whether the rage will out in prime time.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

23. He's thinking about Ed Gillespie

and what he'd like to do to him.

[coalition_unwilling]

25. I think I have an answer to this question now:

[Skidmore]

26. I don't think he is even considering dropping out.

He is a pathological liar and narcissistic to boot. A more self-serving individual in the public arena has rarely been seen. Whatever shakes out, he will have another lie absolving himself of responsibility.

[chknltl]

27. A Ceti Eel larva of course.

Ceti eels, found on Ceti Alpha 5(6), incubate their larvae between protective plates that line their backs. The slime-covered larva will seek out a larger animal, enter its skull through the ear and wrap itself around the cerebral cortex. This causes the subject intense pain and makes them very susceptible to suggestion.


Source http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Star_Trek_animals#section_2

[coalition_unwilling]

28. Ha-ha. Good one! :) - n/t

[asjr]

29. Air.

[coalition_unwilling]

30. Hah! May be the thread winner! Much appreciated! - n/t