Joe Conason:...Fear and Loathing in the Romney Campaign

[babylonsister]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/08/02/kiss_my_ass_fear_and_loathing_in_the_romney_campaign_114980.html

'Kiss My Ass': Fear and Loathing in the Romney Campaign

By Joe Conason - August 2, 2012


If Mitt Romney's purpose in traveling abroad this summer was to prove his credentials as a potential world leader, the verdict is mixed at best. Neither his tendency to utter bizarre insults nor his shallow, ideological approach to policy inspired much confidence, although he managed to garner support from Israel's right-wing prime minister and an eccentric former leader in Poland. (Our allies in the United Kingdom may never want to hear from him again.)

On the trip's final leg, the world saw the most unattractive side of the Romney campaign, when the traveling press secretary loudly told reporters to "kiss my ass" and "shove it," in a display of the attitude that trickles down from the top.

Contempt toward the press is an important aspect of this attitude. For most of the campaign so far, Romney has pursued a media strategy that has become increasingly typical of Republican presidential candidates: Speak with Fox News, and avoid the rest of the national press corps. That is because Fox journalists (an oxymoron?) are far less likely to ask questions that the candidate doesn't wish to answer, such as the inquiries shouted at Romney in Warsaw on Tuesday.

snip//

Although Gorka called reporters later to apologize, his blustering attitude revealed the Romney campaign's fury over the negative fallout from the trip -- and its arrogance toward the press, which it regards as an obstacle to its ambitions.

The emerging truth about the man who will soon accept the Republican presidential nomination is that -- like Sarah Palin -- his handlers cannot trust him to cope with unscripted questions. That was particularly true on this trip, where his plenteous gaffes would only have multiplied if anyone had been able to ask a tough question.

And as with Palin, the difficult task faced by the Republican campaign is to protect Romney from the press scrutiny that is so essential to our process, and so damaging to his prospects.

[Gabi Hayes]

1. wtf is he doing on realclear? is it a link from elsewhere? I never go there, but will for this.by

the way, don't forget--he's co-author of perhaps the single best media analysis of the Clinton witch hunt. a refresher for most here, a wakeup for lurkers, newer members:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Hunting-President-Ten-Year-Campaign/dp/0312273193

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

A CANCER ON THE JUDICIARY March 21, 2000
By Joel S

Format:HardcoverTHE HUNTING OF THE PRESIDENT documents a sickness at the very center of this nation's soul. A few people, convinced of their exclusive ownership of the truth, proved willing to tell any lie, despoil our nation's institutions and traditions, and break laws in order to displace from power a man they hated. The assault on the president is a challenge as serious as Watergate to our nation's ability to self-government, but in this case, the cancer is on the judicial system, metastasized to the press and the Congress.

THE HUNTING OF THE PRESIDENT shows that the anti-democratic activity originated at very high levels, probably including the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, members of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, and other officers of the court. These sworn guardians of justice perverted the principles of equity to turn the court system into their instrumentality to grasp political power. For example, the book exposes serious lies in Paula Jones' case, lies at which Judge Susan Wright winked as she judged the president solely guilty of contempt. Also, in the process of using the courts for political purposes, very basic rights guaranteed in our Constitution, including the protections of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments, have been damaged. Grand jury secrecy has been turned into a mockery, and reporters turned into informants for the prosecution. The power of money may have been used to buy testimony. The press itself is used not to report news but to influence opinion. These developments are frighteningly similar to what occurred in the Soviet Union as it slid into dictatorship.

....more at link

[bullwinkle428]

2. Anyone catch the interview with (Romney advisor) Dan Senor on NPR yesterday?

Sweet Jesus...it was something straight out of Bizarro World! If one were to look up "denial" in Webster's multimedia dictionary, you would simply listen to the audio clip. He kept repeating the "listen and learn" talking point that he was spewing "Chatty Cathy" style before the disastrous tour even began, and couldn't imagine why anyone would think that gaffe-mania was anything but a smashing success...

[Voice for Peace]

3. There's a Republican operating belief that they can create reality by re-framing it.

History has shown there's some truth in that notion; but luckily
it only works as long as everyone else remains blindfolded.

The most important work is getting the real facts out there, again
and again, artfully -- as I believe the Obama gang is doing.

[Voice for Peace]

4. great article!!

thanks for posting -

[Gabi Hayes]

5. did you read the comments? see below for link

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/08/02/kiss_my_ass_fear_and_loathing_in_the_romney_campaign_114980-comments.html

I was shocked to see some rational responses, which amusingly dealt with the fantasy world in which most of the other commenters reside

it really is amazing to see how delusional they are, and points to the difficulty/near impossibility in engaging in rational discussion with their likes

course, they say the same thing about us commsymps

[Voice for Peace]

6. thanks! I can only read so much of the comments

though it's nice to see a bit of sanity interjected -- not that
the Obama opposers likely read or understand such comments.