Let’s specify that Mitt Romney probably would have been better off keeping any doubts about London’s preparations for the Olympic Games to himself. The British press jumped on the supposed insult to the United Kingdom implied in Romney’s description of the preparations being “disconcerting” and his question about whether the event would be embraced by the people of London. Prime Minister David Cameron, whose desire to emulate Barack Obama has at times bordered on the embarrassing, was just as quick in firing back at Romney by claiming that it was harder to organize an Olympics in London than “in the middle of nowhere,” which no doubt will not endear him to the people of Utah (where the GOP candidate headed up the 2002 Winter Games).
While the American media following Romney is declaring his trip a disaster even before it has gone on for one day, there’s no reason for Republicans to panic. Though the remark must be acknowledged as a gaffe, those claiming Romney has sunk the special relationship between the two countries seem to forget that supporters of a president who gave Cameron’s predecessor a set of movie DVDs that can’t be played on British systems are in no position to squawk too much about minor diplomatic errors. Yet, even if we acknowledge that Romney has once again shot himself in the foot, his gaffes are tribute to his awkward personal manner, not ignorance or incapacity. So while they are embarrassing and may get him off message, they are not the sort of thing that can do him serious political damage.
There are serious questions to be asked about the London Olympics, including the wisdom of the massive expenditure of funds at a time when Britain is suffering through austerity budgets as well as the fact that almost all Olympic hosts are generally left worse off than before they started. But because Romney is an unrepentant Olympic booster, he is probably the last person to pose such questions.
This kerfuffle does once again illustrate his capacity for running his mouth when he should keep it shut. Throughout the primary campaign we saw that the GOP candidate had the capacity to sometimes say far too much. Though a serious thinker about policy, he lacks the natural politician’s instinct to say what should be said at times as well as the same ability to avoid unguarded utterances. Obama’s cool and scripted responses have proven that avoiding gaffes is no guarantee of wisdom. But Romney’s team must come to terms with the fact that their man is always going to be vulnerable to moments like these. No amount of insulation from the press is going to stop him from saying things like this again.
But unless Romney liberates Poland as Gerald Ford did in a 1976 debate with Jimmy Carter (an example of a real policy gaffe), this sort of thing won’t do him much political damage. After all, Romney is in London for a photo opportunity and to raise money or to win British votes.
Well, at least he hasn't given the Queen an iPod with his speeches on it.
- Imply that the POTUS is inherently incapable of relating to anyone with an “anglo-saxon heritage”
- Diss the London Olympic Committee … just before visiting London
- Publicly discuss secret meetings with British Intelligence
Mitt is simply demonstrating his interpretation of “American exceptionalism”.
When it comes to matters of international relations and diplomacy, Romney is vying for the title of “dumber” to complement GWB’s apt moniker of “dumb”.
This is what happens when your foreign affairs expertise is limited to knowing the best locations to hide your wealth.
Romney to foreign policy advisors:
“Those English folks just don’t get me. Next time, start me off with a nation that is more like America … like Hawaii.”
President Obama gave Prime Minister Gordon Brown the collection of American films on DVDs that cannot work on a British DVD player. What Obama gave the Queen was an IPod with recordings of several of his speeches. I suspect Her Majesty found that gift to be as enjoyable as the Prime Minister found his.
This is just delicious. n nMitt "No Apology" Romney goes to the UK and the meme of his campaign (and moronic neocons in general) is Obama supposedly keeps "insulting" America's allies. So who is forced to apologize now?:-) n nThe greatest tragedy of all is this election isn't 100% about foreign policy (or even to the same extent as the one in 2004 was). If this was a choice between Barack Obama's handling of foreign policy and the thoroughly discredited GW Bush/Romney/Commentary agenda, Obama would win by 10%. n n
What? Obama surrendered the peace in Iraq. He has killed almost 1,500 Americans in Afghanistan, he could not close Guantanamo Bay, he helped turn Libya over to the Muslim Brotherhood and in 2009 he engaged in the most humiliating, sniveling apology tour in American history as he slithered through Asia. I saw his pathetic behavior with my own eyes on local TV in Manila. I heard it with my own ears. Obama does have one foreign policy success though. They love us in Kenya. Only a fool thinks Obama is anything but a menace in regards to foreign policy.
Jonathan Tobin, my friend, you must be jesting.
Governor Romney’s comments about the London Olympics did not offend me even one iota, nada, zip zero. He was asked a question and he answered it, honestly. With experience organizing The Olympics in Utah, he is an expert then on aspects of The Olympics that he is qualified to comment on and he did just that. He honestly found aspects of the planning, “disconcerting”. It is reassuring to know that a President Romney is detail oriented and a perfectionist in his work. That is probably why he succeeds, he is very cautious and meticulous. So, how is that a gaffe, Jonathan. If anything I am reassured that this man is honest and competent about making a sober assessment. We do not need a bullshiter for a US President, we have one right now and he is a disaster. NO, The public is fed up with being lied to. Treated like gullible fools and then baited and switched out. On the other hand Cameron’s comment is consistent with the character of London. Petty, offensive, humourless and repugnant. Let the British know that we are sick of their arrogance, their phoney snooty english dialect and their hideous invertebrate musicians. If Londoners had any redeemable characteristics you would have seen huge crowds of people protesting refusal of The ioc to devote a minute of silence to Munich. On the contrary, the city is on the fast track to becoming the first european city to name city streets public buildings, stadiums after terrorist murderers, like arafat and company and divest and boycott Israel.
Score one BIG ONE for Mitt, in my book.
How heart-warming it would have been had Romney instead used his prime time media moment in London not only to slap down Rogge and all the other anti-Semites who have refused to commemorate the Munich slaughter of 12 innocent Israeli athletes, but to also have remembered the massacre as an unforgettable example of why the west must never compromise with terrorists and their many state backers, no matter how much it may offend Muslim sensibilities. If Romney had said that he not only would have revealed himself to be a steely leader in contrast to the feckless Hussein Obama, but maybe would have impressed those Jewishly-conscious Democrats stuck in a time warp when Republicans still represented white-bread munching country-club anti-Semites.
This election is not about terrorism or foreign affairs….Chill !
Gaffes combined with the hysterical opposition of the media may very well stop him though. Did you see you see the abuse poured on the Rasmussen polling outfit today when they reported in their daily tracking poll that Romney was up by 5?
A rather late post here but Commentary is a new find for me. nAs a Brit – yes, one with the "phoney snooty english dialect" that Elie complains of – although I'm not quite sure what would be "phoney" about an Englishman speaking with an English accent, ……….but I digress. nI wanted to point out that Mitt Romney had already caused offense in the UK when he referred to England as being " just a small island. Its roads and houses are small. With few exceptions, it doesn't make things that people in the rest of the world want to buy. And if it hadn't been separated from the continent by water, it almost certainly would have been lost to Hitler's ambitions." nAs our troops are currently serving with yours – and besides those of the US, have suffered more losses than any other country in the cause of protecting our freedoms, this seemed a little harsh in assessing our determination to remain free from 1939 -1944. Please note the dates. n nAnd as an, admittedly small, island which, (to be more accurate, is known as the United Kingdom, England being only one constituent part of the Union) for all our ills, we are still the seventh biggest global economy and a significant investor in the US economy. n nAll in all – not great diplomacy from a man talking of an ally. n