Here is What Romney Thinks

Mitt Romney has had a bad couple of weeks. First, after the embassies in Egypt and Libya were attacked by insane mobs of likely extremists, and four people, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, were killed, Romney accused Obama of siding with the attackers. He cited a statement made by the United States embassy in Egypt, that seemed to be backing up Romney's point. The only problem was that the statement in question had, in fact, been released hours before the attacks on the two embassies, which made Romney look as if he were trying to politicize a national tragedy.

Two days before, the Romney Campaign's pollster, Neil Newhouse, issued a memo that attempted to dismiss the idea that President Obama was somehow consolidating his convention bounce in the polls. Or, rather, I should should say, Newhouse attempted, but did not quite accomplish his feat of dismissal. The memo came across as nervous, defensive and tense. It is not a good idea for a campaign to convey nervousness and tension to the voters 50 days before election day.

A new week, a new hope for Romney's campaign, and yet another opportunity wasted. All one need do this time is listen to a video, captured in May, of Romney speaking at a private fundraising. This is what he had to say of a certain percentage of the populace; "There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. There are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it." He also said this, "47 percent of the American People pay no income tax."

Ouch.

Who are these 47 percent, you ask? Well, before some conservatives go haywire, I should hasten to add that most of the above mentioned 47 percent do pay payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare. Those who pay none of these taxes are the extreme, dirt poor, who make up just 18 percent of the taxpaying population. Also among those Romney blasted in his private fundraising were the elderly, and people with wages of less than $20,000 a year. And, also among the 47 percent, are the people who are currently serving in the United States military and... wait for it... people who make more than $200,000 a year. In other words, people like Mitt Romney.

The next day, after the liberal magazine Mother Jones had dealt Romney this unexpected wallop, the Republican candidate stepped out side to put a lid on the situation. He told a reporter that his message was "Not eloquently stated." And therein lies Mitt's problem. Romney has a history of not stating things eloquently. Here is a list of just some of them;

"People are Corporations, my friend."

"I like being able to fire people."

"I'm not concerned about the very poor."

"I am also unemployed."

"Ann drives a couple of Cadillacs"

"Ten thousand bucks? $10,000 bet?"

"I'm not familiar precisely with what I said, but I'll stand by what I said, whatever it was."

This newest enlightenment comes at a very bad time for Romney. Amid rumors of infighting within his campaign, a number of very depressing polls, (depressing for the Republicans, that is) increasing media attention to the apparent directionless course of his campaign, and increasing apprehension on the Right, this video shows Romney in a most unflattering light, at just the moment in the race when he least wants it.

In the past few days, Romney has shown just how terrible a candidate he is. When Romney digs himself into a hole, his strategy of escape is to keep digging. I may have said this before, but the analogy could not be more appropriate here. Why else would Romney double down on the 47 percent comment? It is because of this; Romney has spent so much time flip flopping, on every conceivable issue, that he now has no more room to flip flop. He must show voters that he means what he says, even if what he said offended half of the country.