Sarah Jones has written a fine article in Romney’s overseas excursion and his relationship (or lack of it) with the press. I have condensed and commented below:
According to the BBC, Mitt Romney took a total of three questions from the American press the entire six-day tour. Three. It’s called unilateral, one-way communication.
And the only reason he took those questions as he left his scolding by British Prime Minister Cameron is that Romney had to publicly walk back his previous Olympic preparedness gaffe with a do-over that would get reported in the press. Those three questions were it for the entire six days according to the BBC:
“But US media have been complaining that Mr. Romney only took three press questions – outside Downing Street in London – during the entirety of his six-day trip.”
Let us not forget that after his disastrous run in Britain, Romney closed his fundraising event to the press in Israel as if he could hide from the press forever. That decision caused even more of an uproar; after all, our press sent their reporters overseas to cover him. So he changed his mind and let them in.
So this is how the Mittster is dealing with the gaffes made on the overseas trip. Romney blames the press for blowing his gaffes into a major explosion. He apparently thought they would ignore his comments as they do in the USA, but the British press got him, as did the Israeli press. And then the world.
Romney thinks the press should focus on other issues when he is making world headlines like “Mitt the Twit”, “Worse than Sarah Palin”, “Racist” and “Kiss my ass”. In Mitt Romney’s mind, he is the victim here – not the British that he insulted, not the Palestinians that he insulted or the Jews that he insulted or the U.S reporters that his press secretary told to “kiss my ass.” Mitt Romney is the victim.
The conservative media has been pushing the meme
Mitt Romney is running for leader of the free world, but he isn’t strong enough to take more than three questions from the press during an entire 6-day tour. Three questions. that the Romney camp was just insisting on respect and that’s why his press secretary told a Politico reporter to “shove it”.
Three questions, and for that we are getting the whine fest of the year courtesy of Mitt Romney and his defend-the-king-from-you-people-with-moats-of-whine campaign. It is exactly this kind of whining that earned Mitt the Newsweek cover hailing him as a wimp. They ask, “Is he just too insecure to be President?” Mitt responds by blaming the media, which amounts to an answer in the affirmative.
Yes, Mitt Romney is too insecure to be President.
Since joining PoliticusUSA in February of 2009, Sarah Jones has been quoted by The Atlantic Wire, The Week, The Richard Dawkins Foundation and more. Along with her life long interest in feminism and social justice, Sarah has a background in TV/Film (TV host, news anchor, producer & writer) and has written and produced award winning documentaries. Sarah graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a major in Psychology & Latin.
