Top Romney Adviser Says Romney Can Change His Positions After The Primaries: ‘Like An Etch A Sketch'

[kpete]

Last edited Wed Mar 21, 2012, 03:20 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Think Progress

Top Romney Adviser Says Romney Can Change His Positions After The Primaries: ‘It’s Almost Like An Etch A Sketch’

By Alex Seitz-Wald on Mar 21, 2012 at 9:25 am

Mitt Romney can’t be held accountable for his extreme right-wing views, at least according to his campaign’s senior adviser, who said the candidate should be given a “reset button” on any positions he’s taken during the primary campaign if he wins the nominations and faces off against President Obama in the fall.

Appearing on CNN this morning, Romney Communications Director Eric Fehrnstrom was asked if he’s concerned that Romney may alienate general election voters with some of the hard-right positions he’s taken during the primary to appeal to conservatives. Fehrnstrom brushed this concern off:

HOST: Is there a concern that Santorum and Gingrich might force the governor to tack so far to the right it would hurt him with moderate voters in the general election.

FEHRNSTROM: Well, I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes. It’s almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all of over again.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/03/21/448804/eric-fehrnstrom-etch-a-sketch/

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[Gore1FL]

1. LOL

I think they have been using the 'Etch A Sketch' strategy on a daily basis.

[Cirque du So-What]

2. A mind is a terrible thing to erase

but in the case of Mitt der Shitt, it's obviously a much simpler procedure.

[mackattack]

56. Ha! Das war lustig

kannst du Deutsch?

[Cirque du So-What]

57. Nein

There are instances where certain phrases sound funnier to me in ersatz usage of different languages, however.

[cottage10]

3. Isn't this what the right wing is afraid of?

Electing someone who ends up being moderate and not extreme enough for them? I hope this gets around because it will sink Mitt and Santorum will be the nominee. Not that I want Santorum to be president; I just think he will be easier to beat than Mitt.

[hifiguy]

4. Not in the age of YouTube

Willard's stupid remarks will live forever on the intertubes.

[aquart]

47. Yep.

In the Etch-A-Sketch days you erased. But now you go viral.

[emulatorloo]

5. Not sure "We create our own reality" works that well anymore.

Although their super pacs will try their best.

[Lars77]

6. This proves America is hardly a functioning democracy anymore

[Botany]

7. Attn Eric Fehrnstrom

Have you ever heard of keeping things in the "thought bubble?"

Not only have you given the dems a nice attack ad but you have also
given the right wing base a reason to stay home in the fall. Good Job!

[Fritz67]

8. I repeat myself...

...from something I said on the Mrs. Santorum thread yesterday:

So Mr. Fehrnstrom, are you saying that Rmoney is lying and pandering like a typical politician now, or that he'll be lying and pandering like a typical politician if/when he's running in the general election?

[crazylikafox]

12. perfect campaign commercial

[tk2kewl]

9. like this?

[peace frog]

34. Exactly like that!

[Renew Deal]

10. That's the story of Romney's life. He'll say anything to anyone

[CanonRay]

11. Why not, he's changed them 2-3 times already

He actually doesn't have any positions, merely temporary stances. He also has no morals, feelings, thoughts, empathy......

[shanti]

13. hypocrisy, thy name is romney! n/t

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

14. Aren't they taking a gamble on this? The base of the party will stay home if Mittens

come back to the middle or appears to be too reasonable.

[CoffeeCat]

15. Even Democrats should be appalled at this mindset!

I have had it with the corporatist-political world viewing US citizens as mindless
dolts who are nothing but objects with which to be toyed. This "etch-a-sketch" comment spotlights the horrifying mindset that was showcased during HBO's recent "Game Change" movie about Palin.

Steve Schmitt said, in "Game Change, "News isn't meant to be remembered anymore! It's entertainment. Nothing is remembered for more than forty eight hours any more..." Gee, thanks for treating us like imbeciles.

The political machine on both sides believes that the American people are stupid, ignorant, incapable of rational thought and easily persuaded with a snappy marketing campaign. Yep, throw us some "red meat" and come up with a catchy slogan--and we're sooooo on board!

I don't agree with ANYTHING Mitt Romney has to say, and I agree less with the rabid right-wing of the Republican party that is being duped here. So, Romney kow tows, lies and puts on his best fake face for the extremists in his party--then his people admit that words and promises mean nothing. When will people realize that the political world views us as idiotic fools.

Dare I say--Obama has done the same thing. No one expected a non-reform healthcare bill. No one expected the further erosion of our Constitution. No one expected that Obama would sign on to indefinite detention of United States citizens. No one expected that he would morph his staff and cabinet into a Goldman Sachs fraternity. No one expected that Guantanamo would still remain open. Yes, Obama has done some great things--and I am relieved to know that a Republican is not in the White House. But still---it appears that both sides engages in this kind of "etch-sketch" campaign politicking, and it's so wrong.

Another example of how we are seduced and then used (for our votes)--and then cast aside like one night stands--while our elected representatives continue their long-time love affair with their corporate masters.

We have a sick, sick system.

[polichick]

16. Is there a Democratic ad in the can yet? The material...

...just keeps on coming!

[tanyev]

17. You might want to hold off saying that out loud until Mitt has the nomination officially locked.

[liberal N proud]

18. OMG - This is what they expect to offer as a leader of the free world

An Etch A Sketch




Someone has to do a graphic with Romney as an Etch A Sketch

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

19. LOL - I think Romney literally has a reset button in the back of his neck

It's an outrageous statement but we all knew it was coming. Of course Romney will reverse course on everything he's ever said in his campaign and pretend he never said it.

[TrogL]

20. Authoritarian voters won't care

They're used to this. In fact, they expect it. In fact, they would probably be upset if this didn't happen because they'd be afraid that Romney wasn't an authoritarian leader.

Authoritarians live in a virtual reality, a "bubble" of sorts where actual, evidence-based reality is forbidden and the party line of the moment is the only "truth". Think "we have always been at war with Oceania" in 1984.

If the Romney campaign was incapable of changing its tune on the fly, this would horrify authoritarian followers. They might actually have to approach evidence, face reality and actually think.

[jwirr]

21. IMO that will only cause confusion in his supporters.

[still_one]

22. and the pathetic thing is the much of the American populous will accept that /nt

[agentS]

23. Way to maintain candidate integrity, R-money!

I know being flexible is important in politics, but so is consistency.
You want the people who voted for you in the primary to vote for you in the general, right? IF YOU CHANGE TOO MANY OF YOUR POSITIONS, THEY MAY NOT VOTE FOR YOU- isn't that how elections work, right?

I wonder how much contortion an Etch-A-Sketch can do?

[Skinner]

24. My attempt to illustrate this story on an Etch A Sketch.

http://www.ohioart.com/lets_sketch.jsp

[SemperEadem]

26. nice, Skinner!

[bleever]

38. DUzy for Skinner.

This could go viral like the Rmoney pic.

[grantcart]

54. OK I tried it. Its hard, yours is very good.

[SemperEadem]

25. that's called flip-flopping and it'll be what keeps him sunk

he'll only prove what everyone on the thugs side who is pissed at his buying this election have been saying all along.

[Kalidurga]

27. Etch-a-sketch Rmoney...

Best thing about this is it was gift from a RWer. This is the first time I have ever seen a campaign admit that, this is their strategy. Not, the first time I have seen the strategy, but I digress. I hope the meme catches on with the RWers. Probably won't they aren't real quick on the uptake.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

28. Watch out, Eric. Mitt likes being able to fire people.

Or now maybe he doesn't?

[xxqqqzme]

29. Well that explains Rmoney's

idiot gaffes, flubs and stumbles. He has a communication director who is just like him.

[Brigid]

30. Guess what, Mr. Fehrnstrom:

Your candidate's been doing that for years.

[gratuitous]

32. Why wouldn't or shouldn't Fehrnstrom say this?

First, it's absolutely true. Second, he can say it without fear that it will come back to haunt the general election campaign. Third, the popular media will tacitly agree that they will not remember stuff from the primary campaign and they will certainly not be so gauche as to bring it up to Romney should he secure the nomination.

And if any of you lot are such Captain Buzzkills that you bring this to CNN's attention come August or September, be assured that you will be ignored (if you're lucky) or subjected to withering ridicule.

[KamaAina]

33. You do know how to erase an Etch-A-Sketch, don't you?

Shake it really, really hard!!!

[Liberalynn]

35. Mitt you always have been lying scum

you always will be lying scum! You can't erase or change that! Its who you are at your core!

[Enrique]

36. Romney: "I don't mean a word I say"

Vote for Romney!

[kiranon]

37. "And I approve this message for now." More Romneyism or isn't.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

44. He has his fingers permanently crossed behind his back

[NCcoast]

39. Because the only thing Mitt stands for

is perpetuating and expanding the corporate oligarchy. And he'll say whatever anyone wants to hear at any time to that end.

I've heard him saying what a wonderfully business friendly place China is. And as we've just seen Bain Capital is selling video surveillance equipment to the Chinese government to help them maintain their police state control. Birds of a feather.

[MisterP]

40. welcome to the content-free, horse-race neolib vs. neolib "races" that've been going on since 1980

[livetohike]

41. Really? Start over - not with the Internet and 24/7 news cycle. All those previous etch-a-sketch

pictures are saved - forever .

[yardwork]

42. Think so? Maybe the Republican voters are stupid enough to fall for this.

[LiberalLovinLug]

45. More like resigned

Its a real balancing act for the candidate to appear to say the "right" things, but still leave a passage back to the center when he's the nominee. Just exchange center > right and you have the Obama blueprint. A few teabaggers will boycott the vote if Mittens wins the primaries, but the GOP would be banking on the many more moderate conservatives coming back to the fold to take up the slack. Just like progressive Democrats, a lot of die-in-the-wool Republicans will be thinking "who else?"

[Chemisse]

43. Unbelievable! They don't even PRETEND that Romney is sincere.

[sarge43]

46. Comedians and editorial cartoonists are going nominate Fehrnstrom for Man of the Year.

He just gave them the gift that keeps on giving.

[Flatpicker]

48. This makes

RW America look like a bunch of idiots.

Doesn't make any of us look good. Like we have the attention span of a fruit fly.

I'm hoping for a video montage of all this with the song "Will The Real Mitt Romney- Please Stand Up" by Eminem playing over it.

[obxhead]

49. Being a "flip flopper" is ok!

As long as you're a Republican that has god on your side.

[hayrow1]

50. Running in '68 his George Romney was destoryed by claiming he had been brainwashed

This spectacular etch-a-sketch comment, in my view, is the end of Mittens and the beginning of the serious draft Jeb Repuklican movement. Ironically on the very day Jeb endorsed Mitt. Seems fixed? Is the BFEE becoming a little too obvious?

[Historic NY]

51. Willard the phoney....deceiving and flipping.

[pokerfan]

52. k&r

[BlueMTexpat]

53. For Etch-A-Sketch's "take" on this,

see the WaPo's Alexandra Petri.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/post/mitt-romney-and-the-etch-a-sketch/2012/03/21/gIQAYZ0USS_blog.html

Petri goes to great lengths to get the other side's point of view. Here, for example, is Satan's take on Rick Santorum:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/post/satan-speaks-out-on-rick-santorum/2012/02/22/gIQA5VkPVR_blog.html

[DCBob]

55. There is truth to this but a politcal advisor should never ever say it.

Gaffitis must be contagious in the Romney campaign.

[Zhade]

58. Sadly, it worked for Obama.

NT!