I Have a Theory About Romney's Recent Behavior

[Doctor Jack]

I think that after the convention, Romney and Co. expected Obama to sink fast following the August jobs report. When it didn't even seem to slow Obama down one bit, they (finally) realized that people are not going to flock to Romney because of the economic conditions. They either still don't blame Obama or they don't trust Romney, probably a bit of both. So they decided their economic argument was a bust, and started to look elsewhere for something to run on. Two stories likely caught their attention. First, people were hitting Romney for not mentioning foreign policy, at all, during his convention speech and second, a poll came out showing Obama with a 10 point lead in who people trust on foreign policy. I think they decided to go with the old Rove strategy of "attack your opponent on their strength", in an attempt to pull in some hawkish independents ("security moms" and so forth). Almost immediately after they decided to pivot to foreign policy, the protests in the Middle East started, their campaign got overexcited and way ahead of themselves, and tried to go for the jugular on national security. Of course they ended up looking totally unhinged and even sociopathic. However, since they can not run on cultural issues, they can't run on the economy, they decided they could not back down from this. Instead, they went all in and hoped somehow people would turn against Obama on national security issues, and thus close the rather large gap between Obama and Romney in the polls.

Of course, this plan seems to have completely imploded and this has all been a sign of absolute desperation, but I think this may explain why they are doing what they are doing. Nothing from the past 48 hours out of that campaign seems rational and like something that a candidate that feels like they are going to win, would do. If Romney was ahead in the polls and if they felt they were going to win, they would not be acting like this. It has been said before, trying to "shake up" a campaign and "go bold" fails 99% of the time. The candidate always just ends up looking panicked and makes career ending mistakes.

[Angry Dragon]

1. Stock market goes up over 200 today

So Wall Street likes what Obama is doing

Stock Market doubles under Obama ........ that helps all the 401ks

Romney promises to steal your money and put it into his pocket
That is how he ran business, why would he run a country any different??

[Indpndnt]

9. Exactly right. nt

[Laura PourMeADrink]

16. AND, he thinks Bernanke doesn't know what he's doing. oops, can capitalize on that.

[B Calm]

30. Voters see republicans crying

that the democrats are not cleaning up the republican mess fast enough.

[ncgrits]

2. Well put. Rings true! nt

[justiceischeap]

3. I also think for a lot of people, it's a case of "better the devil you know"

people may not agree with President's Obama's policies, but most level-headed people can see he cares about the country and the people in it. I don't think the RMoney has proven he cares about anything other than becoming President. I don't think his reasons are clear as to why he wants to be President, other than it's the best "CEO" position to have to round out one's resume.

[bigbrother05]

4. Think his NeoCon advisors have come to the forefront

The Boltons in his camp will always overwhelm the economic and values types. As he never really had any core values, he'll follow the chicken hawks without a second thought. They have always believed that only a war can define a great President.

[progressivebydesign]

24. Yes. this week has the cockroaches coming out in the daylight. I noticed that.

They are fighting with everything they have right now, they DESPERATELY want a new war. They can't handle America at peace, there is no money in it for Cheney, et al.

[HopeHoops]

5. My theory is that he can't get it up anymore, even with Viagra, and Ann needs him to be an asshole.

That's probably all that turns her on. Then they roll over and pass out, but he FEELS like he got laid. Republicans are sexually repressed on all levels.

[HurricaneWarning]

27. Sad but true

Who can argue with that?

[Cha]

42. Thats quite a theory you have there, HopeHoops..

Tragically it could explain a LOT.

[Sherman A1]

6. I have another theory

Romney was always going to be the GOP placeholder for this year. They are not looking at 2012 in any serious fashion. They have their eyes set on 2016 when the White House is an open seat.

[7wo7rees]

11. +1

Herman Cain? WTF?

[Nay]

25. Yeah, that's my theory, too. They don't care if he wins - if he does, fine; but if he doesn't,

then they wait 4 years and have a good old time blaming everything on 8 years of the black guy/democrat. Most of these heavy hitters have themselves all set up for any calamity, so it's all a game to them anyway. One term more or less doesn't bother them the least.

[TeamPooka]

45. He's the rebound boyfriend killing time until the GOP triple's down on Jeb Bush in 2016 nt

[zentrum]

36. This is what I think too

And mainly because they are focused on turning the Senate red.

The average voter isn't paying much attention to Congress because the Republicans and the media direct all attention to the fight between the two personalities--Obama and Romeny. The plan is to get a Republican Congress and obstruct Obama even more completely over the next four years, so that when he (and us) are really maimed they can come roaring back in 2016 and claim all three branches.

This time around Rove is all about the Senate, and prefers working in the shadows (which the Senate more is) than the light of the very public WH. He's working under the radar and Romney is the magician's distraction.

[Sherman A1]

46. Agreed

This is a case of misdirection.

[Patiod]

48. Yeah, but here's the problem

If people are not enthusiastic about the top of the ticket, they will stay home.

The hard core base, the Freepers and Teabaggers, they'll come out, but Average Joe who is registered Republican but doesn't always vote, he'll stay home, and therefore won't be voting R in the downslate races.

1/3 of the Senate and all of the House is up for grabs, and they cannot afford to write off the election in areas that haven't been gerrymandered to guarantee a Republican victory.

No, I really believe they just royally screwed themselves by pandering to Dick Armey's insurance-company-funded Army of frothing-at-the-mouth teabag lunatics. The Republicans' choices sucked: go with one of the lunatics, or go with Romney who was set on buying himself the nomination. Someone like Huntsman could have given Obama a run for his money, but they opted with Mr Moneybags.

[D23MIURG23]

37. I can buy this about some republicans, but not the party as a whole.

If that is really the case, why all the obstructionism and pettiness from the senate and house? Why McConell openly prioritizing a one term Obama?

I can see this as an explanation for why Jeb didn't run, but not much more.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

38. Christie's speech at the RNC was all "me me me". nt

[uponit7771]

50. +1 and don't forget VID laws, why implement them in this election instead of 2016?

[ecstatic]

44. LOL. Did they forget to tell Adelson? nt

[oldhippydude]

7. the campaign does not seem to have any strategic, or tactical sense..

i think the recent attacks on foreign policy (remember they screwed that up last month in Europe), are actually the red meat arguments foisted by Sarah Plain, and the neocons..

the result is that they look silly..

[pamela]

8. Good analysis.

This was also a "dog whistle" to the base on cultural issues, though. It appeals to the rabid anti-Muslim contingent and plays on the "Obama is a Muslim" fear-mongering. It was just an all around ugly, nasty piece of work.

[7wo7rees]

10. Doctor...

...I concur.
And you could sell papers with with that opinion. But who buys papers anymore?
You win. But what do you win?
It's a game show now.

[Curmudgeoness]

12. I think desperation leads to very poor judgment.

The Romney campaign is grasping at straws at this point, and they are not thinking things through before they act. This is a preview of how he would act as president. Scares the shit out of you, doesn't it?

[LynneSin]

13. I truly believe that Romney thought he had a 'gotcha' moment with Libya

I think Romney expected that what happened in Libya would hit Obama hard and Romney went for the kill. But it was both poor timing, poor choice of words and little fact to what he said. Romney came out the loser instead.

A skilled politician would have found the way to turn the tables on Obama without sounding crass. Shame in Romney!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

39. Hence the smirk. How'd the last smirking Repugnant chimp work out? Not so well & lots of graves? nt

[Cha]

43. Oh Big GOTCHA Moment for Mitt..too bad his head was up his ass

and a smirk on his face.



Here's another less tragic..



But, mitt smirks through it all.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021332785#post17

[yardwork]

14. That makes a lot of sense. I think we're also seeing how lost the Rethugs are without Rove.

Only an evil genius could sell today's Republican Party to half of America. Rove managed to do it. Without Rove, they've got nothing.

[HurricaneWarning]

31. But why

I bothers me that it's the Republicans who are bringing him down. They are making the strongest arguments against him. Do they know something we don't know? I almost feel that they know something is going to happen and they want to pin it on a Democrat. After following the politics of Bush, I'm starting to get paranoid.

[Blanks]

49. Some of it is Ron Paul supporters.

There is a video passed around on Facebook that shows how they marginalized Ron Paul delegates at the convention.

For some reason in my Facebook circles I know as many (or more) Ron Paul supporters as 'dedicated' republicans. I'm seeing more from the Ron Paul supporters than I am from Romney supporters.

While it may not damage republicans overall it is seriously affecting Romney.

[patrice]

15. I'm wondering if they weren't expecting policy sympathesizers in Libya & Egypt to rally to their

cause.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

17. Agree. The plan was that next time something happens, foreign-policy wise, pounce and pounce first

NO MATTER WHAT the subject.

Romney follow orders. Oops... it backfired majorly. they didn't plan or foresee what transpired.

Now....lay low until in blows over.

Bet some asses are rolling for coming up with this plan

To me, his most effective meme is that Obama is a nice guy, but doesn't know how to fix the economy, and I do.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

28. Rule #1 with Conservatives - NEVER ADMIT YOU ARE WRONG

Mitt was spectacularly WRONG but admitting it is against the rules so the entire Right Wing Noise Machine is in play to claim he was right.

[defacto7]

18. That's about as good of a synopsis of Romney's political strategy as I can think of.

Great job putting it together in package form.

To boil it down, when people see reality for what it is, and they have the freedom to speak and react, the facts become clear. The only ones left on the side of the lie are those unable to bend; they're the hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil bunch.

A lesson for me is... you can't buy into it, you can't buy out of it. I hope that holds true to the end of this election.

Another thing, maybe he's out of the light right now because they're managing his meds, so they can kick him up for the debates. I'm not sure he has much left in him to make it through by himself.

[kurt_cagle]

19. Money problems?

I also have to wonder if part of their problem as well is that as they've continued sinking in the polls, the big money bank-rollers are beginning to cut their losses and shift their expenditures to the congressional races as they realize that Romney's not going to win. Everyone is convinced that Romney's got super-pac money coming out of his ears, but this money is not necessarily fully materialized yet and may very well be conditional. If Obama looks like he's going to make it to a second term, the corporate money in particular is going to start flowing in his direction as they realize that being a big Romney donor could have nasty repercussions for access into an Obama White House. GOP strategists at some point will recognize that spending more money into an oversaturated Presidential market will be a throwing good money away when congressional races may be in doubt.

I don't believe that they are in trouble financially yet, but the Romney burn rate is probably hitting the hard reality of suddenly faltering fuel sources. The added pressure is making the campaign take stupid risks for this point in the cycle, and I would not be at all surprised to hear that this or that campaign manager or consultant has decided to quit in order to spend more time with their family in the next 2-3 weeks as the blame game intensifies.

[HurricaneWarning]

32. Well, one can certainly hope.

I don't trust them.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

40. Yes. GOtV for Down-Ticket House & Senate & States. nt

[Jester Messiah]

20. I, too, have a theory.

The man's a putz, a nimrod, a jackass, a nincompoop. If brains were dynamite he couldn't blow his nose. If IQ were octane he couldn't run a lawnmower.

That's my working theory, anyway.

[panader0]

21. He suffers from premature ejaculation.

[Sedona]

22. Game change! Deja Vu all over again.

Excellent post and a belated welcome to DU

[GeorgeGist]

23. I believe he's a spoiled brat.

I predict he'll soon demonstrate that he's an extremely poor loser.

[HurricaneWarning]

34. I'll raise you.

I think he is a sociopath. The fact that so many notice he has no genuine feelings reminds me of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit calling sociopaths 'voids" They have no genuine feelings and have to mimic emotions they see in others. Is there any doubt?

[obxhead]

26. TPTB are happy.

Can they get a bit more $$$ under Romney? Sure.

They're still very happy under the Obama admin though. The election of Romney would actually hurt them far more come 2016 than the reelection of Obama.

The bottom line? We're all better off in the immediate future under Obama and even TPTB know this.

edit:
btw, welcome to DU

[Jennicut]

29. It's called desperation.

And it makes Romney look pathetic.

[lumpy]

33. Early onset Alzheimers

n

[Voice for Peace]

35. also the evil whisperers in Romney's ear.

The ones who pull his strings.

Why does he go for the neocons, and why are they so
supportive of him, the flake?

They clearly already have some kind of a hook in him;
I wonder what it is. Power? Salvation? God? Missouri? $$$$$$$$$???

They find a hook into the heart and ego, to make the president
think he is an important man. Then they brainwash him into waging
their wars.. Mitt may be their perfect mindless candidate.

[Cha]

41. Romney's always been his own worst enemy.. Now,

that's propelling him and his brigade of idiots to act out as if they were Cornered Rabid Rats.

Here's Jonathan Chait's view from NY Mag..

"Romney’s ‘Apology Tour’ Attack Line Crashes on the Shoals of Reality"

snip..

In the wake of his defeat in the 2008 GOP primary, Romney almost immediately started running for the 2012 nomination. At that time (well before the depth of the financial crisis was clear), Obama’s main political weakness appeared to be foreign policy. He was inexperienced in the field and associated (through a 2002 speech against the Iraq War) with a vulnerable dovish wing of the party. What’s more, he seemed vaguely foreign, and many Americans incorrectly believed he was Muslim. All this set the stage for Romney’s planned line of attack that Obama did not sufficiently love or appreciate his country and inappropriately coddled Muslim extremists, a line set forth in Romney’s campaign book No Apology, which castigated Obama for undertaking an international apology tour.

snip..

"What he failed to realize from the outset was that the embassy attack was an immediate, high-profile event that he could not hope to rewrite so brazenly. Forced to confront the yawning chasm between reality and the fantasy he had wallowed in so long, Romney was exposed and, justifiably, discredited."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/125196006

[Laelth]

47. Interesting. That rings true to me. n/t

-Laelth

[annabanana]

51. Great post, and an intriguing theory.

BIG welcome to DU!

[flamingdem]

52. Believable theory there

Fearmongering / national security is all they have left to pick off a few independents. But... failllll