I know, I know. We've been saying it. But I'm deadly serious. It occurred to me today that the single thing that ties everything Mitt Romney does together is this one simple thing. And I'm not sure where it comes from.
His remarks and his demeanor over the last 24 hours were astoundingly inappropriate and yet, he seems unaware of their inappropriateness.
This is a recurring theme, folks. And I think it warrants some examination.
In no particular order:
"I get speaker's fees from time to time, but not very much."
"I'm running for office for Pete's sake, we can't have illegals"
"Not as closely as some of the most ardent fans. But I have some great friends that are NASCAR team owners."
"If you could learn anything from the economic history of the world it's this: Culture makes all the difference."
"I love this state. The trees are the right height."
"I like those fancy raincoats you bought. Really sprung for the big bucks."
"I'll tell you what, ten-thousand bucks? $10,000 bet?"
"You know, it's hard to know just how well it will turn out. There were a few things that were disconcerting..."
"My Wife Drives A COUPLE of Cadillacs"
"Corporations are people, my friend…"
"I'm not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there."
"I should tell my story. I'm also unemployed."
"PETA is not happy that my dog likes fresh air."
"I'm not sure about these cookies. They don't look like you made them. No, no. They came from the local 7/11 bakery, or whatever."
"I like being able to fire people who provide services to me."
"I love this state. The trees are the right height."
"I love tithing," Ann Romney tells the magazine. "When Mitt and I give that check, I actually cry." "So do I," Mitt Romney adds, "but for a different reason."
Folks, the common strain through all of these is this: Mitt not only says the wrong things, he seems unable to understand how his words will be interpreted and received by those who hear them
before uttering them. This is serious.
When you're talking about raincoats and cookies, worst case, you're being a dick. But as President, you need to have a bit more self-awareness than that. It's serious and it's dangerous.
And before you chalk it up to his uber-wealthy life of sequestration, I'd like to just tell you that it is my opinion, having known and been intimately involved one or two people in his same wealth category in my life, I don't buy that as the reason. And while it's true that many of them are not always gracious people, they do know what to say and how to say it and when. Or at least how their words might be taken by the listener.
No.
Something else is wrong here.
Who the fuck doesn't know that you don't say:
"I'm not sure about these cookies. They don't look like you made them. No, no. They came from the local 7/11 bakery, or whatever."
or
"PETA is not happy that my dog likes fresh air."
I'm suggesting there's something else wrong with this guy.