Mitt turns mean

[babylonsister]

http://www.salon.com/2012/09/15/mitt_turns_mean/

Mitt turns mean
What was behind the Romney campaign's vicious attacks on the media this week?
By Jonathan Bernstein


Perhaps the most astonishing development this week, at least in the chutzpah department, was the Republican attack on the news media for … well, for covering a statement on the Middle East that Mitt Romney released, and then for covering his subsequent press conference.

This was a dastardly liberal plot by the media indeed; it’s hard to imagine what Romney could have done to prevent it. I mean, other than not issuing statements slandering the administration (“sympathetic”) and then holding press conferences to drive home the point.

snip//

What all this means is that when Romney’s initial comments were poorly received, he had no policy to fall back on. There’s no coherent Romney policy on Egypt, on Libya or on the Arab Spring, in general.

What could he do? Spend more time fighting the impression that he spoke rashly? That’s a loser. Retreat and acknowledge that his critics were correct? Unlikely for any candidate in a campaign; impossible for a Republican in this Tea Party era. Again, a candidate with well-developed policy proposals could fall back on those, leaving the impression that he was a candidate of considerable substance, notwithstanding the earlier intemperate remarks. That’s not going to work, however, if you don’t have anything to say on the issues.

And so the best retreat available was to attack the press. Sure, it made no sense. But Republican activists and voters love media-bashing, so they weren’t going to notice how absurd it was. The GOP-aligned media, meanwhile, could back off the uncomfortable choice of either ripping on their nominee (sort of defeats the purpose of having a partisan press) or defending a statement that basically accused the President of the United States of being anti-American. Well, maybe not uncomfortable for everyone at Fox News and conservative talk radio, but uncomfortable for enough of them that it was getting ugly for Romney. Shift the ground to the liberal press, however, and every Republican is on the same page.

Granted, that still doesn’t leave much for undecided voters, who are likely (if they’re paying attention) to find media-bashing more whiny than courageous. But you can’t have it all.

[Cha]

1. So Willard and the Willards have been Whining

about the press because of Mitt's big ol ugly mouth? Demonizing the press like he does to PBO? And, then Anngry gets out and Whines that everybody is Demonizing her mittard..genus MO, crabs.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021332785

[pamela]

2. Someday,

I'll be
visiting Obama at the White House
But all you're
Ever gonna be is mean

With apologies to Taylor Swift.

[Zoeisright]

3. He's always been a mean jerk. The mask is cracking

and it's starting to pour out.

[Indpndnt]

4. Exactly right.

The real Willard is making an appearance. I'll bet his prep school classmates recognize him now. This is the bully they knew.

[TroyD]

5. He was told to get mean by Bill O'Reilly & Sarah Palin

[yellowcanine]

6. After patriotism and religion, attacking the media is the last refuge of a scoundrel.

And the Mittster seems to indulge in all three.

[HopeHoops]

7. Turns?