A very telling statement, from Gerald Rafshoon, who was one of Jimmy Carter’s press secretaries:
Scour Romney’s record for a single example of real political courage — a single, solitary instance, however small, where Romney placed principle or substance above his own short- term political interests. Let me know if you find one…
Romney has shown no such conviction, no such courage and no such strength. His campaign has been an exercise in feeble appeasement. The only thing he appears to be dedicated to is abasing himself to the hard-right wing of the Republican Party. Consider the way he allowed a foreign-policy spokesman to be drummed out of the campaign simply for being gay.
Obama isn’t much better, of course, nearly always choosing the path of least resistance. We see that tendency in numerous examples — his cave in on the Bush tax cuts; his almost immediate surrender on the issue of civilian trials for war on terror detainees; his failure to hold anyone accountable for torture, rendition or warrantless wiretaps, all clear and blatant violations of America’s treaty obligations, statutory law and the Constitution; his refusal to clean house in the intelligence services to make sure those things never happen again; his expansion of illegal surveillance; and so forth.
But still, he’s a piker next to Romney when it comes to craven pandering and an abject lack of political spine. I can’t think of a single instance where Romney has ever showed political courage. He has the personality of a mirror, always reflecting the person he’s speaking to rather than informing them.
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slc1
May 16, 2012 at 9:16 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
The only conviction that Romney has is that he should be elected president next November. Other then that, he’s open to negotiations.
democommie
May 16, 2012 at 9:17 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I stole this from myself’s comment over at Dr. X’s fine blog.
“Writing about Romney’s character is like writing about Sasquatch. There’s a lot of speculation but nothing factual to work with. The difference between them is that one is a horrific monster, bent on the destruction of humanity, the other is a shy and gentle creature of the pacific northwest.”.
is that autoplaigerotocism?
Modusoperandi
May 16, 2012 at 9:25 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
So what’d happen if he talked to himself?
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven
May 16, 2012 at 9:39 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
And what happens if you get in his face and yell “Bloody Mary!” a few times?
Artor
May 16, 2012 at 9:41 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Modusoperandi- He does that frequently, complimenting himself on his hair, his money, how charming & intelligent he is, etc. And he never, never tells himself that he’s delusional.
Raging Bee
May 16, 2012 at 9:48 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
When a former CARTER appointee can call Romney spineless, and make a good case for it, that says a lot.
Phillip IV
May 16, 2012 at 9:52 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I would try, but first I’d need somebody to tell me what his principles and substance actually are. Everyone keeps talking about how he’s a moderate pandering to the right-wingers right now, but how do we know that this isn’t the real Romney, and he was just pandering to the moderates before? Where does the tactical compromise end, and where does the real objective begin? It’s just impossible to tell with the man.
raven
May 16, 2012 at 9:54 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Usually he does that. But occasionally he has shown flashes of real courage.
When the GOP VP nominee, Mrs. Oogedy Boogedy religious FAMILY VALUES showed up with a 17 year old pregnant daughter, Obama pointed out that he was born to an 18 year old mother and anyone who dragged Bristol into the discussion would be fired immediately.
Obama showed some backbone taking bin Laden out. He was in an awkward place, being a few miles from a Pakistani military academy in a town full of Pakistan military. In fact, the mission almost failed, with one helicopter crashing.
Then there was Libya. We actually managed to win one of our little brushfire wars in less than a decade.
dingojack
May 16, 2012 at 9:59 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Philip IV –
Q: How do you know when politicians are lying?
A: Their lips are moving.
:( Dingo
Bronze Dog
May 16, 2012 at 10:25 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
“Hello,” he lied.
slc1
May 16, 2012 at 11:08 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Re raven @ #8
Then there was Libya. We actually managed to win one of our little brushfire wars in less than a decade.
Hey, the credit on this one has to be shared with former French President Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Cameron. Their forces did much, if not most, of the heavy lifting.
Area Man
May 16, 2012 at 12:28 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
“…his cave in on the Bush tax cuts…”
Wut? I don’t want to start yet another liberal circular firing squad, but Obama has not changed his position on the Bush tax cuts, which is that they should expire for the rich but not for everyone else (although they should really expire for everyone — they’re simply unaffordable). What he did do was agree to a temporary extension of the entire package of cuts, which makes perfect sense as a stimulus measure when the economy is in the dumps, and it was the best he could do with Republican obstructionists. He was able to use their long-term plan to destroy the budget to defeat their short-term plan to destroy the economy.
fastlane
May 16, 2012 at 12:40 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I think democommie’s comment @ 2 qualifies as a Badass Quote of the Day.
Well played, +1 internets for you!
twincats
May 16, 2012 at 1:31 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Perhaps, but unlike Mittens’ flipflopping, pandering, and outright lying, your autopla-whatever-ism has at least served the useful purpose of directing another pair of eyes at Dr. X’s blog.
bmiller
May 16, 2012 at 5:17 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
raven: peruse the non-craven press and you’ll see how WELL Obama’s fun little Libyan adventure is turning out. We basically created another Somalia and destabilized the entire Sahel. It’s amazing how oppressive the “rebels” are once they are in a semblance of power.
Nope…yet another example of imperial overreach and hubris. Obama does Hubris very well*
* As bad as hubris is…the smug entitlement of Mitt is far, far worse.