Romney and Nixon

[Stinky The Clown]

It occurred to me today, finally, who I am reminded of whenever I see Romney talking. Its Nixon.

Not in a political sense. Not in overt mannerisms or speech patterns. Rather it is in the obvious air of discomfort of the man in who he is. Nixon always made me think he was a guy who would sleep in a suit with the suit coat buttons buttoned. Romney sends off many of the same uptight vibes of a man who really is uncomfortable with his own skin. Such a man, it seems to me, has to worry overly about the artifice of outward appearances since he simply can't stand the sight of himself from the inside.

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1. here's a pic of nixon relaxing on the beach:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://zero-drop.com/%3Fp%3D1149&h=1600&w=1182&sz=370&tbnid=Gr-_JhmNCna3YM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=67&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dnixon%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bbeach%2Bshoes%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=nixon+on+the+beach+shoes&docid=TP6ELFjYRenU4M&sa=X&ei=IO0ZT9rLGpLlggeLx-XnCw&ved=0CFoQ9QEwAw&dur=2156

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2. more about nixon on the beach in wing-tips:

http://willrabbe.com/microblog/2011/1/18/how-did-nixon-relax-at-the-beach.html

How did Nixon Relax? At the Beach!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 8:30AM
Concerned with Richard Nixon's popular image as an uptight curmudgeon who was incapable of having fun, his campaign advisors hoped to portray the president as a "man of the people" during his reelection in 1972. As such, a photo shoot was arranged to showcase "Nixon the man" -- all the president had to do was take a casual stroll on the beautiful beach of San Clemente, California. These images would surely evoke the Kennedy-esque aura of camelot -- certainly Nixon was able to let his hair down from time to time?

Not exactly. The photo shoot backfired, and the result only further reinforced the stereotype that Nixon's people had hoped to avoid. Why? Because the president insisted on wearing his wingtip dress shoes as he meandered along the surf. Yes, shiny black wingtip oxfords, on the beach no less. Photo below: