Romney said one of those necessary ingredients “when it comes time to run against Hillary Clinton” is that the Republican candidate be able “to bring all their family together as I have to get on the campaign trail.”

My Translation: My family supports me and it really ignited our fire for the race.

AP’s Translation: MITT IS ATTACKING GUILIANI BECAUSE OF HIS PAST FAMILY TROUBLES! THE NERVE OF THAT MAN! AS A SINGLE-CHILDLESS-MALE I’M OUTRAGED! (embellished of course).

Not everything Romney says should be interpreted as a slight. This is just another example in a growing pattern where anything Mitt says is spun horribly out of context and then corrected later. People get the idea that Romney is run by anonymous “handlers” because AP and others at the HA staff are too busy “reading between the lines” to take what he says at base value. Romney’s already done an interview with Michelle and we had that off-the-cuff radio interview clip. The idea that Romney’s every word is determined by handlers rather than simply being plain speaking, if a little naive sounding, is ridiculous.

Romney himself was accessible, posing for pictures at an ice cream social his campaign hosted, taking a half-hour to answer reporters’ questions on the porch of the Grand Hotel (in contrast to Thompson, who took five questions at his press availability), and Giuliani, who ducked reporters when he left after his dinner address Friday night) and working Mackinac as if it were a national question.

Eh so-so.

People who hold true to their values are not being self righteous, they are being honest and are engaged in daily effort to achieve the goals in their lives.

Bwhahahahaha… FlipFlop Mitt is amongst those who “hold true to their values”??? That’s precious.

csdeven Guess I’ll take your advice and choose. LOL
jeanie on September 23, 2007 at 9:31 AM

Then I guess in the future you’ll be honest about your propensity to project your problems onto others? Good.

Hollowpoint on September 23, 2007 at 3:07 AM

Telling the truth is not the same as slinging mud.

The self righteous tone is what bothers me
jeanie on September 22, 2007 at 9:02 PM

People who hold true to their values are not being self righteous, they are being honest and are engaged in daily effort to achieve the goals in their lives. (And, BTW, they are succeeding.) Those that view that as self righteous have the problem, usually because they are not reaching the same standards. Mitt doesn’t make that person feel that way. They choose to feel that way.

Sorry Mitt, as much as you’ve tried so far you are not going to be able to buy the Presidency. All you’ve managed to do is peg the needle on our collective BS meters.

Maybe this will help, as well:

The 30-second ad, the same one he began running this week in New Hampshire, will air during NBC’s “Meet the Press,” between appearances by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, whose new book, “The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World,” blames the Bush administration for runaway spending.

I’m still holding him to my shallow but necessary criteria: Can he beat Hillary?

jeanie on September 22, 2007 at 9:02 PM

Let’s start with the basics – shall we – as compared with, Rudy or, [gasp]… Fred.

Does Mitt have any family problems? Clinton does.

Does Mitt have a history of success? Clinton doesn’t.

Well, you go ahead and answer, just one question, before debating me on this, because, well, you brought up the question.

What in Mitt’s past could Hillary really talk smack about, without looking like a complete fool, right out of the gate?

Clue:
Has Clinton to date said anything smack about Mitt?

because my interpretation of his speech is fairly clearly derogatory toward the man, despite his almost unbearably Presidential “look.”

But no matter. Fred hugged me. I love him.

Also, Newt is fantastic.

So it has come down to who is lovable enough to send a… uumm, love letter?
Big, tall, Fred.
.
.

Or, go ahead, give a bear hug, to the overweight, fluffy, lovable Newt. Watch out, he gets very sensitive though when you criticize him.

.
thuja,
Take heart, the people supporting candidates for such emotional nonsense. They probably are recent converts from the “emotional” party anyway.
We cut them a lot of slack around here.

that Romney would be an excellent President. & then I come back to my friend’s home in Paris and read this. It’s very discouraging.

thuja on September 22, 2007 at 8:21 PM

Maybe this ongoing lively debate, between the Fred shills and the clear thinkers, will cheer you up.
And I quote on September 22, 2007 at 7:10 PM

..this explains why Mitt has been and is leading in the primary polls.
Mitt is not known as well nationally because he hasn’t focused on campaigning nationally, because…… get this..

[drum rolls]

- now listen very carefully to this, you Fred shills…..

…….We. Are. Not. In. A. National. Election. Right. Now.

You Fred shills, must, learn to listen carefully.

He’s playing on the idea here that family is a qualification in and of itself, which I understand works for him vis-a-vis Giuliani and the social cons he’s trying to woo but annoys me as a member of the large and growing single-and-childless demographic. You would think a guy who takes so much irrational flak for his religion would be more careful about making too much of others’ personal lives. Try harder next time, Mitt.

I spent most of the day arguing with wealthy leftist gay men–one is a personal friend of Bush’s new AG choice–that Romney would be an excellent President. & then I come back to my friend’s home in Paris and read this. It’s very discouraging. I still support Romney. He just needs to be a little more careful about these things.

I have heard Mitt described a few times(and no I don’t have a link)as having rock solid principles. I have a feeling this might be true no matter how much he sounds like the Beaver.

jeanie on September 22, 2007 at 6:24 PM

Well said!

WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is scolding his party in a nationally broadcast ad Sunday and in an open letter to party leaders that asserts that the blame for Washington’s dysfunction does not rest just with Democrats.

The story goes on to say:

In the ad and in the letter, Romney wags his finger at the party, portraying Washington Republicans as riddled by scandal and profligate spending

Gosh, I had seen that ad and it was very good and I didn’t remember any “finger wagging”.

There isn’t any.

Yes, I know that the AP is using a metaphor here, but this story spins Romney as a scolding, finger wagging guy (like Clinton?) and that is just not an accurate description, at all.

It sounds kinda petty to me, like OMG he hadn’t unbuttoned the top button of his shirt like Obama does.

Maybe it wasn’t his most dynamic appearance but “brutal”? And this came from someone who admits to not being a Romney supporter, and who ends by saying, “But no matter. Fred hugged me. I love him.” and “Newt is fantastic”.

Watch the “Ask Mitt” segment that Mcguyver posted. This can be seen and judged on its merits – spin free.