With still more than 2 months until the election, maybe you are like I am -- getting weary of the ads and attempts to manipulate your thinking.
Regardless of your "side," who among us really trusts what we see in ads? So how do we really take the measure of a man (or woman). I find that I
learn the most in those little unscripted moments.
With Obama, contrary to what some would like to make us believe, we've likely all formed our opinions of the guy personally. He's an incumbent who has
been on the scene in front of us for a few years now. At this point, we think what we think and few are going to be convinced he's different than how
each of us already perceives.
So I've been more interested in finding clues about Romney. Yes, I "see" him as stiff and awkward, but so are many people in front of cameras or
crowds, so that tells me little. Besides the optics though, I now personally think I have had enough clues to form a quality opinion and, well, I am
not a fan.
-- We know about his dog Seamus.
-- We know about his elevator restrictions as governor.
-- We know he made an insulting joke about the "7-11" grade hometown bakery made cookies.
-- We know his bad joke when he unintentionally insulted NASCAR fans for their cheap rain ponchos.
-- We know about his youthful "high jinks," where he led a gang that ambushed an outsider kid, pinned him down and cut his hair.
Here is a good new tidbit that was kind of the last straw for me to draw my final conclusion and it comes from his own son.
This took place in a fluffy FOX interview with Mike Wallace in one of the Romney homes. Mike asks Mitt's son Tag what family meals are like. This is
the response. Tag thinks its kind of funny. Mitt smiles and takes another bit from the food on his plate. Ann's look hints to me Tag's response is
cringe-worthy for the rest of us.
If you can't access the video, here's the brief exchange.
CHRIS WALLACE: So, Tagg, what are family meals like?
TAGG ROMNEY: A little bit of craziness. Dad always goes in line first because he doesn't want to wait for all the grand children because it takes
forever. Parents are cutting their meat and he's usually finished by the time the rest of us sit down.
Who does that? How many of you are so selfish that you do that? Is that something your grand dad did? So he goes first and then at least does not even
wait for others? Okay, he has a big family. Mine is a LOT bigger, 2x in size actually and my dad now would never have done something like that. Now
one of the grandkids might have made a plate for dad, but you'd not see him up in line before all the little kids.
Okay, I don't pretend there is any malice there, but to me, well, it says the guy really is the selfish, entitled jerk he seems to be -- even when he
is trying so hard not to be. It makes it very easy for me to see that'd he'd give little thought to the impact of his actions, whether closing a
plant, outsourcing jobs, etc. The man is just not a connected thinker who cares about the human toll left in his wake. Maybe I'm too harsh, but it is
what my gut says.
What about you?
edit on 29-8-2012 by pajoly because: formatting
edit on 29-8-2012 by pajoly because: title change, partly in
protest because the thread was illogically moved to the "People & Politicians" forum.