Romney made a point of taking a road trip overseas during this Presidential race, which seems a bit unusual. Having a background with the Olympics (he organized the 2002 Salt Lake City games), it seemed like a natural thing to do, and a good opportunity to appear like a statesman, and make an impression.
Well, he did make an impression. One out of two isn't bad, is it?
The trip seemed like an utter disaster on so many levels, that it really is not funny. Frankly, he probably would be better served just staying home. Perhaps he should have stayed in the world of business that he knows and loves so well, and where he was such a huge success. This being a statesman thing requires considerably more tact than what Romney has shown this past week.
He started out in Britain for the Olympic Games, and it seemed like it would be a positive through and through.
It wasn't.
Romney offended Britain, which is traditionally America's closest ally, by expressing doubts about security, and claimed that he saw "a few things that were disconcerting" about the preparations for the Olympic Games. In the process, he drew rebukes from the Prime Minister of Britain, the Mayor of London, and many others throughout the nation, not to mention many political opponents here in the United States . It certainly made news, but it was not the right kind of news to make.
You would figure that, after a gaffe like that, he might tone it down a bit, and go under the radar the rest of the trip, right?
Nope. He was nowhere near done offending people just yet. In fact, London and the Olympics were really just his warm up.
When he went to Israel next, he once again made headlines of the wrong sort. He snubbed the Palestinians not only by not meeting with their President, but also by referring to the city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel . Officially, the United States recognizes Tel Aviv as the capital, since Jerusalem is a bit of a hot potato for many world leaders, given the situation of the city, which is very divided, and which is hardly a settled question yet on the international political scene. This raised more than a few eyebrows.
Yet, he was not done. Citing the economic disparities between the Palestinians and the Israelis, he claimed that "culture", among other things, played a large part of the more favorable status of the Israelis. To make sure I am not taking this out of context, let me put down the exact quote here:
"And as I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things", he said.
One of the things that this statement does not acknowledge is that Israelis, in effect, control the Palestinians under their jurisdiction, and have ruled over them for a long time. Most people would agree that a people that occupy another, as the Israelis do with the Palestinians, never put the interest of those they are occupying over those of their own people. So, the Palestinians, in a very real sense, have not been allowed to emerge as a people, as nation. Whatever Governor Romney's take on the cultural differences between the Israelis and the Palestinians, or perhaps of Jews and Arabs, a statesman should certainly recognize this fact, and show a bit more sensitivity and common sense. Instead, he gave a clear indication that he was choosing sides, and in the process, showing unconditional support for Israelis and the status quo in the Middle East. It obviously angered many.
Palestinian Labor Minister Ahmed Majdalani responded tersely, "The statement reflects a clear racist spirit. If Romney came here to rally Israeli and Jewish support in the U. S. election, he can do that without insulting the Palestinian people."
Apparently he cannot.
Romney also showed unconditional support for Israel in the event that they act out against Iran , saying that "any and all measures" should be used to neutralize the threat that Iran poses. Many will interpret this to be tantamount to supporting a war against Iran , possibly just supporting Israeli action, although this comment did not exactly eliminate as a distinct possibility a more active role for the United States . That will raise alarm bells for those who are wary of foreign wars – especially in that region.
Finally, after raising so many eyebrows to that point of his trip, he went to Poland . This trip went a bit more smoothly, as he gave a speech without any hitches, and even met and gained the support of former leader Lech Walesa, although the Solidarity movement distanced itself from Romney. They are, after all, a union, and feel that Romney is too hostile to unions. They reaffirmed their support of unions in America , and in effect, went the other way with Romney, more or less going against him in a de facto manner.
At what was supposed to be a pro-Romney rally, there was an enormous banner instead supporting Ron Paul, while a number of people in the assembled crowd apparently began chanting "Obama! Obama!"
So, Romney now will head back to the United States , with his Republican Convention looming, and continued speculation about who will be his running mate in the upcoming election. He is probably quite satisfied with himself, having raised a good amount of money in Israel , and receiving recognition from foreign dignitaries. But for many of us Americans back home, whom this man is trying to lead, his trip and all these various gaffes were a source of embarrassment. Numerous British, Palestinians, and Poles all expressed, on some level, their desire that he go home.
I would love to do the same myself, and without animosity, wish he would just go back to his mansion(s) in Massachusetts , and disappear from public life. Go enjoy those millions stocked in foreign bank accounts, and retire that patronizing attitude. Nobody will criticize you, or even really care what your opinion is about these matters, if you do not presume to be fit to lead the world's leading superpower, simply because you happened to enjoy success in business. If this foreign trip was a prelude to what a Romney Presidency would look like, God help us. It looks like he would compete with George W. Bush for gaffes and idiocy, not to mention the "born with a silver foot in his mouth" factor. The privileged son feels entitled to the highest office in the land, but he has struggled throughout his Presidential bid this time around, enduring many of the same limitations that ultimately doomed his 2008 campaign. People do not trust him, they feel he is the consummate politician. He was not very popular among Republican, and seemed the reluctant choice for many, who accepted his emergence as the de facto candidate with reluctance, hesitation.
The popular conception will likely be that this trip was not a success, although Romney probably got some things achieved (monetary support in Israel , and a foreign big name endorsement from Lech Walesa). He and his team, as well as FOX News, will surely spin this as a success. But it seems another diversion type of tactic, t detract from the relentless attacks by the Obama campaign to associate Romney as an elite, as a member of the 1%, and not as a job creator, but rather an outsourcer of American jobs. Of course, they would not keep on pounding that point if it were not having an effect, and perhaps a large part of the reason that it has had success is that, indeed, the reason that people do not fully trust Romney, including many unenthusiastic fellow Republicans, is that there is this perception of him as an elite that is out of touch with ordinary, average Americans. I still remember him suggesting to an assembled crowd that he knew what it was like to be unemployed. He was kidding, or at least it was meant to be a joke. But it came across as condescending, coming from a man who is worth over $200 million dollars. There are millions of people who are struggling to make ends meet, who cannot afford health insurance, and who get laid off or lose their jobs, and cannot pay the bills, cannot keep up. Often times, their children suffer. Making light of that for political gain is not going to win you their trust, nor of those who recognize the gravitas of our present national predicament. Romney is rightly seen as a liability, and that is why those outsourcing claims stick so well.
I am not a huge fan of late night comedian Jay Leno by any stretch of the imagination, yet I will end with a joke that he recently told about Romney, and why he is taking so long to announce who his Vice President will be, which perhaps is indicative of the reputation that Romney has earned in the public overall:
"Mitt Romney's search for a vice president continues, as you know. One of Mitt Romney's problems is that he's never hired an American for a job before, so this is new."
Ouch!
There is perhaps a grain of truth to this punch line, and this truth for Romney hurts. At least, it hurts his campaign, and his White House Ambitions But if he is elected, it is America that could be hurting even worse for it.
Romney Angers Palestinians with pro-Israel Comment by Amy Teibel and Karen Laub (Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/romney-angers-palestinians-pro-israel-202214239.html
Here are some other links to interesting articles about Romney's recent trip abroad:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/mitt-romney/9431064/Mitt-Romneys-Olympics-gaffe-overshadows-visit-to-London.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/30/us-usa-romney-poland-idUSBRE86T0W820120730
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/07/30/2921766/mitt-romney-cheered-in-poland.html
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/hiccup-romneys-foreign-trip-smooth-16890458#.UBeEAWGX2uJ
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