Mitt Romney will join Donald Trump tonight in Las Vegas for a fundraiser, just a few days after the reality-show host reiterated his support for the ridiculous "birther" conspiracy theory. Asked by reporters yesterday whether Trump's ugly, borderline-racist antics gives him pause, Romney seemed unconcerned.
"You know, I don't agree with all the people who support me and my guess is they don't all agree with everything I believe in," Romney said. "But I need to get 50.1% or more and I'm appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people."
That's not much of a response. By Romney's reasoning, decency is irrelevant -- he should partner with anyone, no matter how vile, so long as it furthers his ambitions and gets him more votes.
The Obama campaign released a new video this morning, contrasting Romney's response to supporters' extremism with John McCain's.
There seem to be two broad angles to a story like this. The first is who Romney chooses to associate with. The Republican campaign says it rejects the conspiracy theory, but wants to benefit from ties to the conspiracy theorist.
Similarly, Romney aides insist their candidate shouldn't be held responsible for Trump's beliefs, but (a) the GOP campaign made the exact opposite case a month ago; and (b) when the former governor makes an appearance like this, it necessarily extends Romney's imprimatur to the man he chooses to partner with. Indeed, Trump isn't just some random supporter; he's a leading campaign surrogate, so his political tantrums are necessarily tied to the candidate that made him a key player on his team.
The second is that this is a test of Romney's capacity for leadership, and he's failing.
It's well within Romney's power to denounce Trump's idiocy and ally himself with more respectable figures -- he might even benefit politically if he did, earning new respect by standing on principle. That, however, would take some courage, which is a character trait the Republican candidate is lacking.
In other words, cowardice is once again getting the better of Mitt Romney, just as it did two weeks ago on gay adoptions.
The cowardice was also on display when the right disapproved of Richard Grenell. And when Rush Limbaugh went after Sandra Fluke. And when the campaign was asked for Romney's position on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. And when Romney wouldn't state his views on the Violence Against Women Act or a watered-down version of the DREAM Act. And on and on.
Romney has been presented with several opportunities to show he's capable of leadership, but he's so afraid of what conservatives might say, he just doesn't have the intestinal fortitude to do the right thing.
No Profile in Courage Award for you, Mitt.
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Actually Obama is hitting on exactly what is wrong with Mitt Romney. He isn't a leader. He has no core beliefs. He just isn't much of a man.
Ah, but he has five digits and a pen. That is all he needs, according to Grover.
Yuck.
At what point can liberals give up the euphemism, "borderline racist"? Is it not completely clear that this is a conspiracy theory which, were the color of his skin a few shades lighter, would never have gained traction, and certainly wouldn't have been sustained? If it's not "racism" we're seeing, then it's not "borderline racism," either. It might be "willful ignorance," or for Trump, "cynical exploitation of the willfully ignorant and racist". Take the kid gloves off.
Romney will suffer not one jot or tittle from cozying up to the likes of Donald Trump. Why not? IOKIYAR.
He's not a leader. He's not even a cheerleader. He's just a wimp that gripes from the corner of the room.
This is almost laughable when it comes to talking about Syria, when everybody knows all it is about is the oil. Hardly anything is said about other countries in despair that really have no economic wealth that some worthless rich person craves. And you wonder why these worthless rich bozos go to hell; this is just too unbelievable. This whole issue is just full of greed and don’t even waste your time trying to pretend you really care about those people in pain and despair. This is just the typical GOP/Republican falsehoods and outright liars. This is totally where China and Russia get oil from Syria and are blocking any efforts to stop the butchering and murdering. And now the Republicans and others try to have a big worry about it to make it look like they care, when all it is about is greed. Republicans who are just as worthless as these rich bozos, you are full of crap.
Your post might be a stapler misfire. Is this thread related to Syria at all? In any case, really, Deb, hell? Focus on the here, and now, for a moment. Check out this story, for a ray of hope, and be sure to take a good look at the information in the graphic.
Germany hit 50% production of electricity from solar power last weekend
Deb: If any of what you said was factual, you airheaded bimbo moron (why is it Republican women are such great arguments in favor of keeping them in the kitchen? But then, Republican men who can't deal with real women wouldn't have any sex at all if it weren't for Republican women giving to them twice a year), you might have a point to make. But just for starters, Syria doesn't produce any oil. So whatever else you have to say, you idiot, is as useless as everything else you bring to this forum.
"Sure, there are some racist @!$%#s out there, but they vote, don't they? I'm running for president, for Pete's sake!"
Apparently Mitt Romney does not know the meaning of accountability or admitting mistakes from his privileged and elite upbringing. Romney has never had to deal with any situation where he has been forced to take responsibility for his actions and stand up foe what is right. Mitt is giving Trump complete approval to continue his racist attacks on our president with the protection of the Romney campaign and the GOP. Can you imagine the outrage from conservatives and Mitt himself if a top surrogate of President Obama's somehow attacked Mitt for his "weird" Mormon faith? http://www.sunstateactivist.org
It is for the very reason that Romney's own family history is so problematic (his grandfather's polygamy in Mexico) that he should distance himself from such filth. If he had any cojones and/or character (we know he has neither), he would say, "Trump could not be more wrong. And not only is he wrong, this attack is repugnant and contemptible. If he wants to continue to support me, that is great. I hope he will vote for me. I hope he will show that support with a check. A very large check. And I also hope he will shut the hell up about all this birth certificate excrement which I find close to, if not actually, racism." THAT is what Romney SHOULD do. Fat chance.
It should be a real hoot to watch.
Las Vegas , How appropriate .
Home of the hucksters , organized crime and gambling .
Say America , Want to roll the dice with the future of the country?
Have I got a bet for you.
Another point one may look at in this scenario , romney can get away with hanging out with people who make racist claims that President Barak Obama is not an america , with pretty much zero repercussions , yet the dem leadership and obama are to frightened to stand up for workers in wisconsin , for fear of what being what ? Labeled as PRO WORKER?
The disconnect is rather astonishing , wall st , romney , trump , koch et al. can openly be hostile to american workers and pump billions into undermining wages benefits , jobs , rights and entitlement programs ....Claim the president is a socialist .....But being ACTIVELY pro american worker will end your political career and lose you the election ...IMO its just another example of dem leaders playing from a losing position , and that does not inspire real leadership either
For all the talk on the right about Obama being a rubber stamp for liberal policies (which he is not), it seems that is all they want from their candidate - someone who will do whatever the crazy tea party base tells them to do. It isn't Mitt Romney that scares me, it is the other elected Republicans that will be pulling his strings that gives me hot flashes at night. A man with no backbone will not stand up for what is right regardless of the issue. At least McCain had a pair, much more than I can say for Romney.
Rudy Giuliani said that Mitt Romney was a man without a core. Newt Gingrich call Romney a liar. If President Obama was hanging around someone who said Mitt Romney was not born in this country, what would the right wingnuts be saying? What would the media be saying. But yet it's alright for Romney to pal around with something like Donald Trump, and where is the media going after Romney for this. Where is Chuck Todd, Jake Tapper, Ed Henry, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC? Any time you can take a none story like the media did with the comments Hillary Rosen made, and do you darnest to make it a story, like the media did. But this same media sat on their ass when you see a candidate for President of the U.S. hanging out with a racists birther, who is telling everyone that the President of the United States was not born in this country, so he is not really the President. Despite proof to show that this birther talk is alot of B.S. I blame the media just as much as I blame that coward Mitt Romney.
Where is Chuck Todd, Jake Tapper, Ed Henry, CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC?
Busy counting their millions they accumulated for being news readers/stenographers.
We know whose team they are on .
Besides that we need a horse race to sell Pharmaceuticals and Cheerios not to mention the Citizen United released corporate dough flowing into the coffers.
The Republicans want to start another war with Syria or Iran. Only if people like Mitt Romney promise to send their children to fight that war.
Fat chance of that happening. After all, Mitt's sons are too busy doing their patriotic duty of campaigning for their father.
It is of particular concern to me that Romney is only looking for "50.1 percent". He is not in the business of 'leading', his concern is simply to 'get elected.' If he can get the barest majority of the votes in the Electoral College, he will be satisfied.
Running for president, I think, implies that you intend to serve the country as a whole, not just convince a bare majority to vote for you. Romney's words remind me of the difference between a student who truly wishes to learn a subject and one who just needs to make a passing grade.
So true. It's clear that Romney's goal is just to get in to serve the corporate masters and not the people of this country.
R(money) can't buy you love but can it buy you a Presidency?
We could go a lot further than this. There are a lot more surrogates for Mitt Romney whom he should be ashamed of.
If you read the Time Magazine profile on Romey this weekend, the most important part came in the penultimate paragraph. A close associate of Romney said that George Romney had leadership skills and Mitt Romney has managerial skills. If Romney were any kind of leader, he would have long since called out Donald Trump and the birthers. He would have called out Limbaugh for his villification of Sandra Fluke. He would have called out those who insinuate that President Obama is not really an American and does not understand America. Oh wait, he can't do that -- he'd have to call himself out.
The more we talk about this birther nonsense the better the GOP likes it. It makes us look as ridiculous as they do by dwelling on it. Seeing as it's to their advantage to have a smaller voter turnout this kind of ridiculous back and forth, that has nothing to do with government, works in their favor by discouraging sporadic voters from going to the polls.
Shocked I tell ya, SHOCKED! This from the same man that when questioned on hiring illegal immigrants says 'I'm running for President for Pete's sake'...he will say and do anything to be elected and continue the GOP scorched earth policies to destroy our country.
Romney only wants the presidency to win brownie points in the Mormon Church. It's as clear as daylight.
His new BFF: Meg Whitman, who just announced she will cut 27,000 jobs at HP. For no particular reason, saying she'd like to invest in innovative ideas... What a laugh.
It seems that Romney is too cowardly to stand up to Trump because he knows that he needs the votes from those of low intelligence that he appeals to with his birther comments. Do we need a president such as Romney who would rather spend his time in his many lavish homes? I don't think that Romney has the fortitude or ambition to take on all the opposition from Congress as Obama has.
Your title made me laugh, Romney has absolutely no interest whatsoever in leading, only in winning. I don't even think he cares about ruling, he just wants the crown and will leave the deciding up to whoever puts the most pressure on him (i.e., pays him the most, either literally or figuratively).
When will the democrats learn not to try to point out in detail how wrong this is, and instead retort with a simple, unified message?
When Hilary Rosen said something that was mildly iffy when taken out of context, the rightwingers were out in force with a simple message that, essentially, Obama was against moms. Regardless of how unfairly that message characterized the situation, the message was all over the media for a couple days - and not just on the Rush Limbaugh/Roger Ailes outlets.
Here we've got a similar case only Romney is openly, actively campaigning with someone who espouses much more hateful and divisive statements, and all we get is a mishmash of reaction here and there... some just kinda laugh because it's Trump and well he's obviously a buffoon, some say "borderline racist", some talk about his whether Romney should keep his surrogates in line, some say it's a sign he can't lead, or that he lacks courage.
But it all gets lost because the message is all over the place. A fatal flaw of democrats has long been the assumption that truth and facts will prevail. Unfortunately the right has proven time and time again that it is MESSAGE that prevails.
So just expect to lose a lot of elections, and barely scratch out a few victories here and there until the progressive spokespersons get their act together and start delivering simple, stark messages.
Don't beat around the bush about a "missed opportunity to lead", or talk about Mitt's surrogates (75% of america just asked "his whats?"). Just start saying over and over again: "Mitt Romney chooses to campaign with a racist billionaire, for the money"
Don't put out blog posts about "Mitt's Mendacity" - I'm moderately well educated and I'm still not sure I know what that word means. Just say over and over again: "Mitt Romney is a liar."
Instead of arguing over which job stats are most accurate or what period to start counting them, just come out and say "George W. Bush let his cronies run this country into the ground and those same cronies are propping up Mitt"
Take the lead and just come out and say "The Republicans are sabotaging our government and the economy to help win this election"
Let's stop mincing words and chuckling to ourselves about how foolish and wrong these figureheads on the right are, and get a few simple messages of our own out there.
At one point my reasoning told me that Romney may be tolerable as president, but each day he says something more bizarre than the day before to show that he does not have the character to be president. Is this the way he is going to make decisions when he becomes president?
Would he have had the courage to bring this country back from the brink of collapse? I don't think so.