The worldwide press has not been kind to Mitt Romney upon his return from Europe. Romney's overseas show and tell has erupted into something of a debacle for his campaign. I'm not one to thrive on schadenfreude so I don't sit back and laugh at his expense. Nor do I grin about his shortcomings while abroad because at the end of the day, he is still a face of our country. As he travels overseas he represents America, for better or for worse.
His foibles and demeanor simply further represent the fact he hasn't the heart, grace, compassion, or tact to be President. The same faults he carries Stateside were amplified overseas. I happened to be traveling out of the country while Romney was on his European tour. Many folks I met stated their interest in our upcoming election and voiced concern for not who Mitt Romney is, rather what he represents. Hubris seems to be a common theme.
My mother is active in Democrats Abroad in Germany, where she lives much of the year. Candidates often campaign in countries where there are U.S. interests or a large population of expatriate voters. It is a common campaign strategy to appeal to voters abroad while engendering confidence in foreign populates, but this strategy does not usurp activities at home. The American people come first; our jobs, education, health, and well being take priority.
I hope to see less time dedicated to overseas campaigning this year. There is so much discord at home right now that our leaders owe it to us to demonstrate how they will bridge that divide. The strife at home is getting dangerously heated. Who is going to finally step in and shift our paradigm so this election is focused on compromise and working in harmony instead of battling to win? Wow, now *that's* a foreign concept!
This post is part of a weekly conversation with our Moms Matter 2012 political bloggers. To see the original question and what the other writers have to say, see Should Mitt Romney Be Campaigning Abroad?
Image via jnn13/Wikimedia Commons
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Comments 56
I agree it would be nice to have limited campaigning outside the country. It would also be nice if the media could start focusing on the issue's plaguing our country rather than all the crap that doesn't matter. If Mitt won't release his tax returns and Obama won't release his birth certificate lets call that even and talk about who is going to fix our country. Let's talk about their plan's and what will work and what won't. This blog seemed to have nothing to do with its tittle. What exactly did he do that proves to you he isn't fit to be president, and how has Obama proved he deserves four more years? It would be nice if you blogger on this site (on both sides of the fence) get rid of the misleading headline's and start talking about the things that matter. All I learned is you talked to people over there that don't like him. I hear from people outside this country all the time that don't like Obama, so what does that prove? The people you know are smarter than the people I know. continued
So you don't feel Mitt Romney has the grace to be president but you think Obama does? Did he show grace when he left the President of Israel waiting for a meeting for hours? Was he showing grace when he gave the queen of England an i-pod full of his speeches, or how about when he kept talking over her during her toast during his first trip there as president? Was he showing grace when he asked the Dalai lama to leave the White House out the back door next to the trash? Was he showing grace when he passed his message to Putin to wait until after the election when he could do more? Seriously, can we talk facts now. Please.
Way to jump on the bandwagon, Ilina. I'm going to venture to say that the only coverage of Romney's trip that you examined were from US media, which we all know is very biased and liberal. I have learned to take everything the manipulative media says with a grain of salt. That being said, I don't really see what your mother being active in the Democrats Abroad in Germany has to do with anything. They'll be parroting the same things that the American media is, so I don't see how that would open you up to different opinions. Romney did exactly what you said -- he campaigned in other countries where Americans have lots of interests. Just because one of Romney's aids said "kiss my ass" or something else inappropriate to the equally rude press has no significance to Romney's ability to be President. If you think he is unqualified, fine. You are entitled to think that. But actually have some compelling evidence to back it up. Don't just parrot what the liberal media and all the other liberal bloggers on this site say. Think for yourself.
And Wamom jumps the shark with birther nonsense. Really?
Littlefrog-How did I jump on the birth-er business. He refuses to release his birth certificate and Romney wont release his taxes, aren't both those things none issue's. Oh I am so sorry I forgot how much you like to spin. But if you want to know my opinion based on fact I will serve it up for you. My boyfriend is black and was born in 1964 and his birth certificate read's under race as 'colored.' Barak Obama was born before that and the documents he released say 'African American' which was not a term used until the late 80's when Jesse Jackson discovered it in a poem he liked. Until that point I never questioned whether or not he was eligible to run for office. My point was these are both NON ISSUE'S and its time to talk facts. By the way I responded to your bogus comment on the other blog. It might be to many facts for you to consume.
Thank you, billsfan! I am SO sick of this conversation and I'm glad someone else has noticed this too. Don't these bloggers read what their colleagues write?
Even though I don't plan on voting for candidate Romney, I don't think him going abroad makes him a unfit President. Obviously, he is a smart enough to be our President - look how far he has come! If President Obama was such a bad President, then he wouldn't be the President right now.
@Pinkmani "If President Obama was such a bad President, then he wouldn't be the President right now". While I see where you are coming from with this logic, it is a tad flawed. Just because Obama hasn't been impeached doesn't mean that he is a good President, either. In fact, Obama has added 5 trillion in new debt and the unemployment rate remainds steadily above 8%. Although these things are not good for this country or for Obama's record, they aren't illegal. Therefore, there would be no legal basis to impeach him. Would you say "well, if Carter served his full term, then he must not have been a bad President?" Absolutely not. Carter was one of the worst, if not THE worse, President in American history.