I recently posted comments about Mittens, which speak to his management style and personality, but I think I have enough now to make a diary of it.
That R-MONEY has been "personally" screwing up his campaign has been apparent for some time.
After the RNC, The New York Times ran a story about Clint Eastwood's debate with a chair.
http://www.nytimes.com/....
For all the internal finger-pointing about Clint Eastwood’s rambling conversation with an empty chair on Thursday night, the most bizarre, head-scratching 12 minutes in recent political convention history was set in motion by Mitt Romney himself and made possible by his aides, who had shrouded the actor’s appearance in secrecy.
Romney extendied this invitation to Eastwood, with no apparent limitations on what Eastwood would say, no vetting of his comments, no requirement that his comments be written out, or any actual knowledge of what he would actually say for a programmed five minute slot. That suggest that Mittens thinks he "knows" stuff about people "just because." I wasn't aware that Mittens had any training in "reading" people, but I could be wrong.
Mittens also had a hand in deciding what music Rafalca, Marie Antoinette Romney's horse, would dance to at the Olympics. I am not aware that Mittens had any musical training, so again, I could be wrong.
What I am starting to see really scares me. Mittens appears to be willing to trust his instinct when it comes to some deciding what to do and how to conduct some activities that would appear to be "important" (or at least very public) in some sense. I guess the recent flap cause by Mittens' misstatements which were personally reviewed (since Mittens held firm to his misstatements, I can't call it a FLIP FLOP) over the statement made by the US Embassy in Egypt before the US Consulate in Benghazi was attacked and Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and others were killed is a demonstration of that flaw in Mittens.
Mittens was described by his son Tagg in a FOX News broadcast (so you KNOW it is FAIR and BALANCED). Please watch the video for yourself. I was particularly upset by the facial expression that Mittens pulls at the end. It says to me "Guilty as charged."
http://www.youtube.com/...
Tagg Romney describes Mittens as ALWAYS being the first in line to get food at family get-togethers, and that Mittens starts eating immediately and is often done eating before the rest of the family even gets to the table.
As a grandfather myself, this tells me a lot about Mittens. As Tagg says, Mittens can't be bothered waiting for his grandkids to take food. Mittens gives his grandkids a LOUSY example of eating together as a family, which is often a time when you teach your kids and grandkids values, manners, and discuss with them how you, they and the world are "getting along."
Mittens seems to think that he is so superior that he knows better than all of the "experts" that he hires to ostensibly be responsible for the conduct of these "important" activities. However, it would appear that the outcomes can range form "not so hot" to "disastrous," based on the conduct selected by Mittens.
There may be more such examples that I am not presently aware of. Putting Seamus the dog on top of the wagon for a ride to Canada might also fit the pattern of "Mitt who knows better that the experts," at least in the eyes of Mittens.
I see this as a very dangerous pattern for a guy who wants to be in the most powerful job in the world, and who, if successful in the quest, would have his finger on "the button," as well as on lots of other military toys, and in command of hundreds of thousands of professional military personnel.
What if "Mitt who knows better that the experts" were to decide that he understands the strategy and tactics needed to convince the Russians, the Chinese, or the Iranians that they should do something "Mitt's way" instead of some other way. What does this kind of personality, who is apparently willing to place some $10,000 bets based on his gut or his personal sense that he "knows," do when the pressure is on, and he has what seems to be one big chance to "make something happen?"
I personally have very serious doubts about letting such a person handle such enormous power, based on his demonstrable willingness to do things based on no apparent expertise at all. I really think this guy could be dangerous under such circumstances. I would welcome your thoughts on this matter, especially if you are trained in assess behavior.
Jonathan Capehart reported some VERY interesting details, like the fact that R-MONEY is a "specialist" in stage design, having had the last say on the RNC podium, vetoing six different designs by professionals.
But today's New York Times has a picture that says VOLUMES (you know, a picture is worth a thousand words and all that). This one is worth MILLIONS of words.
The caption says:
Mitt Romney’s staff wiping a ramp before his arrival Friday at a rally at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
I can only say "WOW." Mittens needs his flunkies to WIPE DOWN A RAMP before he puts his royal shoe bottoms on it?? Are you F'in kidding me??
How "out of touch" and "entitled" is this ... [put in YOUR OWN pejorative term]?
I think Mittens (who is also a lawyer, admitted to Michigan Bar 1976) is proving the old lawyer's adage:
"He who represents himself has a FOOL for a client."
I just can't resist; R-MONEY's campaign is SEMI-QUICK. Or maybe, if that is not clear, I could say (enunciating VERY carefully) HALF-FAST. Courtesy of ... Mittens.
Since I am not a professional in the area of psychology or psychiatry, I would really like to hear what people with more knowledge and experience in those field might say about Mittens. It could be very instructive. Please weigh in (and you can tell me I don't know my elbow from my ... , if you think that is the case).
I have added some new material that was published in POLITICO on September 16 below the fold.
Update #2 - September 21, 2012 below
Update on September 17, 2012 12:30 AM EST
Funny thing. After I wrote my diary on September 15, here comes POLITICO on September 16 with an article that describes the screwed up R-MONEY campaign. While this article is long on discussion of Stuart Sevens, it does have some interesting comments about how R-MONEY manages his campaign team and operation. It makes for an interesting read.
http://www.politico.com/...
I will pull some excerpts from that article below, and I will provide my outline as we go.
Politico’s Disclaimer
This article is based on accounts from Romney aides, advisers and friends, most of whom refused to speak on the record because they were recounting private discussions and offering direct criticism of the candidate and his staff, Stevens in particular.
Whose Responsibility?
To pin recent stumbles on Stevens would be to overlook Romney’s role in all this. As the man atop the enterprise — in effect, the CEO of a $1 billion start-up — Romney ultimately bears responsibility for the decisions he personally oversaw, such as the muffling of running mate Paul Ryan’s strict budget message and his own convention performance.
The Republican National Convention speech
… Only one paragraph from the McConnell-Scully draft wound up being used, about a rose that Romney’s father had put on his mother’s bedside table each day. The speech that was actually delivered, it turned out, had been cobbled together by Stevens and Romney himself.
[…]
The hasty process resulted in a colossal oversight: Romney did not include a salute to troops serving in war zones, and did not mention Al Qaeda or Afghanistan, putting him on the defensive on national security just as the Middle East was about to erupt. It was also very light on policy specifics, much to the chagrin of conservatives who were certain the addition of Ryan and inclusion of Wehner meant a real battle of ideas was about to begin.
Other Blunders
… Last week, Romney diluted his repeal-“Obamacare” message by saying on“Meet the Press” that he would keep part of the plan. Then Romney’s incendiary late-night statement after the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya led many conservative allies to say he had squandered credibility as a potential commander in chief.
R-MONEY runs the campaign … and that is the problem
But whatever Stevens’s shortcomings, presidential candidates get the campaigns they want. And Romney, who in an interview with POLITICO last month said his leadership style very much centers on having a variety of smart people offering advice and him being the decider, has taken a very active role running his own campaign.
In a way, that’s the problem. Romney associates are baffled that such a successful corporate leader has created a team with so few lines of authority or accountability.
… the family, with his sons and Ann Romney involved in many decisions; …
R-MONEY is a “sticker” [I would call that a bad personnel manager, but what do I know?]
A Romney official explained: “Mitt is a sticker — he stays with you. He had a reputation at Bain for sticking with people. They made a bad investment, he hung with them. … None of this is going to be fixed. This is the organization, and this is who Mitt is betting on to win. There aren’t going to be further changes.”
A person who recently was alone with Romney added: “Big changes would destabilize the thing.”
Blame R-MONEY, say the conservatives (and I would agree – yikes, I am agreeing with CONSERVATIVES! –not on message, on management style)
But Stevens is hardly to blame for what many conservatives consider a campaign that is specifics-free and lame. That blame goes straight to the man running his own campaign: Romney himself, according to a number of people in and out of the campaign.
Sept 21, 2012 Update
Now the story is coming out that Mittens had Peggy Noonan, Saint Ronnie's speechwriter, prepare a speech for the opening of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Naturally, Mittens being Mittens, and knowing more than anybody else about EVERYTHING, dumped the speech he paid her to write and wrote and prepared his own speech.
http://www.boston.com/...
Romney, during the run-up to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, wanted someone to help draft the remarks he would deliver to billions around the world as part of his welcome in the opening ceremonies.
Noonan, a well-known speechwriter for President Reagan with a knack for lofty phrases that live up to major moments, was a logical choice.
So she came up with a draft speech. Romney decided to scrap it.
When he walked to the podium in Salt Lake City, wearing a puffy jacket over his coat and tie, the text he carried in the binder under his left arm contained his prose, not Noonan’s.