Meet the next President of the United States

[Bartholomeus Crane]

I doubt it. For the simple reason that right now foreign policy is just about the least important issue for the US electorate.

Really, Romney, if it weren't for the horses, should have just stayed home and stumped some more in the battleground states. This was a wasted trip for him.

In London he was supposed to show off his prior experience in running an Olympics and to show off his international acumen. In both he failed. Miserably. He offended the hosts, and looked like a fish out of water. Just look at that picture some posts back: he looks like he shat himself but is trying desperately to put a brave face on it!

In Israel I suppose he was trying to woo the Jewish voters. He showed himself inept again, and frankly, it doesn't matter much. I guess he did it for Florida and Sheldon Adelson. For the latter he turned diplomatic flattery into low-down inane grovelling. For the former the major issue is still the economy anyway and Israel a long way down the list. The press in Israel being what it is (vicious), he pretty much got slated when he started kissing Bibi's arse, and tried to tie US foreign policy to Bibi's 27% party's policy. Shutting out the press from everything didn't help either: what about all that transparency then?

In Poland he was probably trying to go after the Catholic vote. Well, that didn't work our too well either, they basically showed up with Ron Paul banners, and 'Solidarity' said thanks but no thanks for his endorsement the moment they found out he is big on going after the unions in the US. Meanwhile the only news that leaked back to the US is that another 'aid' went nutty and started cursing out the press.

Way to make friends Romney!

All in all though, none of this will have moved the needle much if anything in the US. He tried to copy Obama's (in comparison) rapturous welcome abroad from 2008, and he failed and got nothing in return at home and a lot of doubts about his ability (even sanity) abroad. Moreover, he showed that when it comes to foreign policy he basically has no game whatsoever. It almost looked like he forgot to do his homework assignment. So much for the Republican strongpoint then. It may not 'trickle down' to the voters, but really, he should have just stayed home and stumped some more in the battleground states.

[Bartholomeus Crane]

Could it be that Romney has been advised to offend as many foreigners as possible, in order to show that he, as a great American patriot in the style of GW Bush, doesn't give a flying fuck what some bunch of damn foreigners think?

... except for the Israeli far-right obviously ...

Have you been watching the Rachel Maddow show again?

[Bartholomeus Crane]

Wow 282 pages. TL;DR: this guy is a retard, especially after this week's bumbling around europe? But americans/'republicans' will probably still lap him up?

Most republican voters have a semi isolationist mentality. He more likely stands to lose more votes if he'd made a decent show of it; and would most likely gain more votes if he tells Joe Republican that he's just scoping out new bombing ranges, or places for a military base.

So he doesn't stand to lose much vote wise, if foreign countries dislike him, because "MERIKA NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF 'MERIKA, NOT POLANDLAND OR WHEREVER"...

If he uses a press secretary that tells the press to "kiss my ass" when asked an awkward question, it makes you wonder what the rest of the campaign team is like.

Which, you have to admit, is a bit surprising. At least twice during his trip his campaign team made rather big mistakes or gaffes. With the press basically blocked from any access at all, naturally they jumped on that. But Romney doesn't 'look' like the kind of person who 'likes' his team making mistakes. He's more of a 'dot the i-es' type-of-guy. Not the most fun naturally, but at least thorough. Or, if you will, the kind of person who likes firing people on his team that make mistakes.

Well, none of that is coming through in this campaign, and least of all his trip abroad. Romney didn't look like he had done his homework, and neither did his team. You can talk about awkward in public or person, but this sort of thing is just sloppy and ignorant. And it wasn't the first time either.

Mr. Efficient and successful doesn't look efficient and successful at all. And less and less over time.

[Sykes]

Could it be that Romney has been advised to offend as many foreigners as possible, in order to show that he, as a great American patriot in the style of GW Bush, doesn't give a flying fuck what some bunch of damn foreigners think?

... except for the Israeli far-right obviously ...

Have you been watching the Rachel Maddow show again?

No idea who that is, sorry.

A quick Google suggests it's some US TV personality so no, I'm not American and have no idea who she is or what she thinks about anything.

[Aramendel]

A quick Google suggests it's some US TV personality so no, I'm not American and have no idea who she is or what she thinks about anything.

She routinely rages against the right wing, it is actually not bad. Not sure if if you could call her left wing or anti-right wing (aka "sane").

[Bartholomeus Crane]

Could it be that Romney has been advised to offend as many foreigners as possible, in order to show that he, as a great American patriot in the style of GW Bush, doesn't give a flying fuck what some bunch of damn foreigners think?

... except for the Israeli far-right obviously ...

Have you been watching the Rachel Maddow show again?

No idea who that is, sorry.

A quick Google suggests it's some US TV personality so no, I'm not American and have no idea who she is or what she thinks about anything.

She's an MSNBC talking head. A bit of a numbers wonk who actually has an interest in trying to present facts. Left leaning (for the US anyway), but not overly so I would say.

I just brought it up because in one of her latest shows (she's on holiday though, so done by a replacement), the same question was asked as well: whether this abysmal performance was actually deliberate. Perhaps along the line of Romney's Free Stuff Speech (a pretty sad spectacle if ever there was one).

The answer, BTW, is probably not. For all of Romney's talk about how he was such a successful businessman, and must therefore also be good enough for president; the reality is not just that his message/platform is pretty dire, he's also not much good at politics, or at least any good at getting a good political team together to hide that fact.

The reality is that Romney just doesn't have much substantive to say about many issues, and not just foreign policy issues really. Much of it is just copy-pasta from one or the other side of the Republican party, mangled about a lot to make it somehow palatable for the rest of the party as well. In the end it is a mixed gruel of mashed-up half-thought-through left-overs hidden under a well-financed sauce so as to lubricate it on the way down. It doesn't take much to spoon that away and it is pretty clear that there's just nothing worthwhile underneath.

Ofcourse with the Republican party the way it is right now (split and radicalised), it was bound to head in that direction. I just thought that Mitt would be better at hiding or even managing it. But he isn't. He's got no control and not much aptitude for it either it seems.

[Nartek]

If he uses a press secretary that tells the press to "kiss my ass" when asked an awkward question, it makes you wonder what the rest of the campaign team is like.

My Domestic Policy? Fuck you.
My Foreign Policy? FUUUUUUUUUUCK YOU!

[Glyken Touchon]

If he uses a press secretary that tells the press to "kiss my ass" when asked an awkward question, it makes you wonder what the rest of the campaign team is like.

Which, you have to admit, is a bit surprising. At least twice during his trip his campaign team made rather big mistakes or gaffes. With the press basically blocked from any access at all, naturally they jumped on that. But Romney doesn't 'look' like the kind of person who 'likes' his team making mistakes. He's more of a 'dot the i-es' type-of-guy. Not the most fun naturally, but at least thorough. Or, if you will, the kind of person who likes firing people on his team that make mistakes.

Well, none of that is coming through in this campaign, and least of all his trip abroad. Romney didn't look like he had done his homework, and neither did his team. You can talk about awkward in public or person, but this sort of thing is just sloppy and ignorant. And it wasn't the first time either.

Mr. Efficient and successful doesn't look efficient and successful at all. And less and less over time.

"Mr Leader" showed up the inadequate preparation (they speak English so they're just like us, right?) but wasn't anything beyond an oops. This shows how unproffessional his team seem to be. Anyone in a call centre (or any public facing job) knows that you can't have a temper no matter what the situation, so someone who is employed to deal with PR and the press really should know better. Wherever I've worked, if the press office did the same, they'd be out on their ear before they'd finished saying it.

[zergl]

Tax Return drama going into overdrive?

Harry Reid: Bain Investor Told Me That Mitt Romney 'Didn't Pay Any Taxes For 10 Years'

Unverified (and unverifiable as Reid isn't naming the source) accusation atm, but the ball is in Mitten's court now and while that topic was very uncomfortable before, this should turn it into living hell for his campaign. Can't see him wriggle out of this now without releasing his tax returns regardless of how toxic they are.

[Aramendel]

Can't see him wriggle out of this now without releasing his tax returns regardless of how toxic they are.

Unless he really did not pay any taxes for 10 years. Then he would still be better off not releasing them.

[Evelgrivion]

Can't see him wriggle out of this now without releasing his tax returns regardless of how toxic they are.

Unless he really did not pay any taxes for 10 years. Then he would still be better off not releasing them.

Either way, it works the same way the birther controversy did; the rumor is ugly enough that if it gets any traction, countermeasures are needed to clear it up. It's good ammunition for pundits, and the odds are that Romney has a lot of nastiness that he wants to keep buried. By coming up with rumors and ideas for why he isn't, keeping them secret will look even worse. Either way, Romney's campaign can't easily win against this play.

[Aramendel]

By coming up with rumors and ideas for why he isn't, keeping them secret will look even worse. Either way, Romney's campaign can't easily win against this play.

Agreed. I must say I am really curios how the votes will be in the end because it will show well if money can buy votes or not (not literary, but by using this money for the campaign).

[zergl]

Can't see him wriggle out of this now without releasing his tax returns regardless of how toxic they are.

Unless he really did not pay any taxes for 10 years. Then he would still be better off not releasing them.

Well, if he really did not pay any taxes for 10 years there is quite possibly literally no way to wriggle out of this.

[Aramendel]

He could just keep repeating his old hollow arguments. It might only convince a minority, but that is still better than confirming accusations. He also might also hope the (at least) 3:1 money advantage of the republicans is enough to make those accusations take a back seat in their voters minds. You just need to bombard them with enough information.

[Aurora148]

They are trying to deflect from his tax returns by demanding that Obama release his college transcripts too. As if they are somehow equal.

[Lallante]

They are trying to deflect from his tax returns by demanding that Obama release his college transcripts too. As if they are somehow equal.

One of Obama's teachers told me in confidence that Obama got no college credits in 10 years

[Sponk]

They are trying to deflect from his tax returns by demanding that Obama release his college transcripts too. As if they are somehow equal.

I see they've dredged up the video of his birth, too.

  Spoiler:

You can rent the long form

[Ruri]

He could just keep repeating his old hollow arguments. It might only convince a minority, but that is still better than confirming accusations. He also might also hope the (at least) 3:1 money advantage of the republicans is enough to make those accusations take a back seat in their voters minds. You just need to bombard them with enough information.

Clearly you haven't seen the ads that superPACs put out. "Informative" is not on the list of traits I'd assign them. You're right that relentlessly ignoring it will work if they put out enough white noise. Thank the Bush II geniuses for that revelation.

[Aramendel]

Information != Informative

[Nordstern]

Can't see him wriggle out of this now without releasing his tax returns regardless of how toxic they are.

Unless he really did not pay any taxes for 10 years. Then he would still be better off not releasing them.

Well, if he really did not pay any taxes for 10 years there is quite possibly literally no way to wriggle out of this.

Bush got re-elected, so your argument is invalid. All you need is more Swiftboating.