Tweety just played this clip of Rmoney campaigning for his mother's Senate run

[malaise]

for the Senate - he's been a moron for decades.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/as-adolescent-mitt-romney-dove-into-politics-in-hi
<snip>
Mitt Romney's roots in politics run in his family. His father George served as the Governor of Michigan from 1963-1969 and later as HUD Secretary in the Nixon Administration. George Romney was a natural and charismatic politician, but the younger Romney perhaps better takes after his mother Lenore, who lacked her husband's natural political gifts.

Lenore Romney ran for Senate in 1970, and 23-year-old Mitt Romney campaigned during his summer vacation for his mom. Romney appeared in a video made for her campaign. Lenore Romney ran as the moderate in that race and lost in 1970 to popular two term Democratic Senator Philip Hart.

In a 1994 video archived on C-SPAN's website Romney touted visting all 83 counties in Michigan with his mother during his Senate run as example of where he learned retail politics.

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He really lacks skills

[msongs]

1. skills? he is great at putting people out of work to make $$ for himself lol nt

[malaise]

5. That too

[onehandle]

2. Dobie Gillis Lives. Seriously, he sounds like a youth from ten years earlier than 1970. nt

[southernyankeebelle]

3. Mittens is no JFK who was rich but could relate to everyday people. Part of that was

being a WWII veteran where he worked with grunts. While Mittens was in France during the VN conflict. How in the world does he relate to everyday people while he is building a home with an elevator for his cars. Really how does he relate. I have no problem with him being rich but he has no idea what everyday people go through. He seems only interested in the rich.

[RZM]

4. As far as his skills, it all depends on who you compare him to

This is the big leagues here. He would never have made it this far without having considerable political skills.

It's a little bit like saying an active player in the NFL 'sucks.' The worst starting defensive tackle in the league was probably a superstar in high school and considered very good in college.

And Romney isn't even the worst in the game right now. He outlasted the other Republican wannabes, some of whom have had long and successful careers in politics. If you compare him to the best there is, he doesn't fare so well. But the best is by definition an elite group.

Actually one of the main criticisms of him (the flip-flopping) goes a long way to explaining his success. He's been able to change who he is to suit the audience. It's not often that a politician can be so obvious about that kind of thing and still win the nomination of a major political party.

[AleksS]

6. I don't know...

I don't know if that makes him the best, or just the richest.

He's outspent his competition by such ridiculous amounts, it isn't a testament to his skill really. Or, more likely, the fact that he HAD to outspend his competition by such tremendous margins to win may in fact speak negatively to his skill.

I remember reading in 2008 how by the time he dropped out of the race he had already spent 46 million dollars of his own money. Say that again: He spent $46 MILLION of his own dough in 2008 and still had to drop out of the race because McCain beat him. McCain who went on to a rather major beat-down in the general.

[RZM]

7. The money certainly helps

Without the money he wouldn't have a chance at all. But money doesn't get you there by itself either. It helps, but it can't win it for you.

[malaise]

8. But he has both money and a religious group backing him

and it's been that way for some time