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Late Night: Mitt Romney’s Charm Offensive |
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| By: Swopa Friday August 24, 2012 8:00 pm |
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Congratulations! You’ve just about survived the summer — which, politically speaking in this presidential election year, means the dreary interlude between the early-spring nominating contests and the fall cage match campaign.
And as your first reward for making it through, next week’s Republican National Convention offers a rare moment of almost-suspense: What will happen when the proverbial irresistible force of the GOP’s money and obsession with image-making runs into the immovable object of Mitt Romney’s insincere, unlikable personality?
The campaign aides are determined to overcome perceptions that Mr. Romney is stiff, aloof and distant. So they have built one of the most intricate set pieces ever designed for a convention — a $2.5 million Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired theatrical stage. From its dark-wood finish to the brightly glowing high-resolution screens in the rafters that look like skylights, every aspect of the stage has been designed to convey warmth, approachability and openness. [...]
… The most ambitious element of stagecraft … will be the podium — which features 13 different video screens — the largest about 29 feet by 12 feet, the smallest about 8 feet by 8 feet and movable. All the screens will be framed in dark wood.
“Even the frames are designed to give it a sense that you’re not looking at a stage, you’re looking into someone’s living room,” said Russ Schriefer, one of Mr. Romney’s senior advisers who is running the convention planning for the campaign.
Wow… now if only they had something besides uptight, white male Republicans to put in those frames! And since by now you’ve heard about Romney’s race-baiting “joke” on the campaign trail today — which Mitt thought was a big hit (“the crowd loved it and got a good laugh”) — you can bet that the GOP’s imagemeisters will do their best to make sure all this “approachability and openness” includes very little spontaneity, especially from their presidential candidate.
The timing of the conventions work against Romney as well. The 2008 Republican gathering actually did an effective job of presenting John McCain and Sarah Palin as “mavericks,” rather than acolytes of the now-airbrushed-out George W. Bush — enough so that it boosted McCain to his only poll lead of the entire campaign. But this year Mitt & Co. barely have a couple of days of owning the spotlight before the Democratic convention takes over the national conversation.
Not only that, but the “maverick” McCain brand soon evaporated even without the interruption of an opposing convention. Romney’s campaign team has been even more flummoxed all year long about how to present a positive image of their guy, so it’s not exactly a sure bet that they’ll figure out a lasting (and winning) solution now… no matter how many commercial marketing gurus they drag in.
After all, the most crucial part of modern presidential campaigns are the televised, live debates in October. And all the mythmakers’ magic will be stripped away then, with only Mitt Romney by his awkward, inauthentic, hamfisted self facing President Obama.
Maybe if they have him show up for the debates holding a frame of dark wood around his face…
42 Comments
SWOPA!
Funny, I find Willard’s charm offensive.
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Swopa!
So the Republicans think that spending an obscene amount of money on a stage set for an obscenely rich asshole is going to make him seem more palatable to the public? I think their problem is that Rmoney has already introduced himself to the American people.
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Owe you a drink DrD. Shoulda read first. :)
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No matter how much lipstick ya apply, it’s still a pig…! ;-)
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A greedy, entitled pig.
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Always good to read you, Swopa.
Our annual day of the dead parade generally coincides w/the election. I still think making fun of the “Cadavericks” was about as good as it could get. But this year, I am sure we will top that. Because every day the Rmoney circus infuriates and entertains like nothing ever before.
Every day that Akin stays in the mix is a good day.
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Who has no idea how to hide it. The question shouldn’t be, “would you have a beer with Mitt Rmoney”, it should be, “Would Mitt Rmoney have a beer with you”? I’d guess the answer would be no, unless you’re worth several millions at least.
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LOL! It is rather the obvious reaction. A frosty amber ale would be nice.
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And the more they see, the less they like.
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I’m not even sure that Rmoney realizes that he should hide it. The only time he comes off as sincere is when he’s patronizing.
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It’s my honor. :)
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I am not sure he realizes that there is anything to hide.
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Yup. Only Mittens could manage to be sincere about being insincere. No point staking out this pumpkin patch, Linus.
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Mittens is teh stuped. He reminds me of Nixon but without the wonderful, quirky personality.
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Or Dubya without the overt sadistic streak.
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I agree but he’s got many in the GOP wincing every time he opens his mouth. Hell, even W could sound not rich. What’s that say about Willard?
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ROTFLMAO!
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I think that Dubya assumed that aw shucks personna because he was such a bumblefuck. Willard is at least marginally competent and never had to pretend to be anything other than an arrogant pampered child of privilege.
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The guy is a cartoon character. There is nothing sincere or “real” about him, except his sense of entitlement.
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That is him to the very hollow core of his being.
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Yup. And from what we’ve seen of Ann, I’d say they’re a match made in heaven the other place.
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Or in Kolob.
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Good point.
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Oh, yeah. If anything she’s worse.
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charlesjaco @charlesjaco
Mason Dixon MO phone poll of 625 voters taken Wed. & Thurs. McCaskill +9 over Akin. Romney +7 over Obama. 47% think Akin should withdraw.
Charles Jaco was the reporter who discovered Todd Akin supported “legitimate rape”. And Missouri is consistently inconsistent.
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At last the truth can be told…Cardassia is Kolob.
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Two cardboard people making cardboard babies. All dry and one dimensional.
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No matter what the Republicans do to the stage in Tampa, it is not going to work. Here is why.
The Republicans have a “Romney Chow” problem.
Years ago a company decided to develop the world’s best dog food.
The company searched the world for the best ingredients.
The company consulted reknowned veterinarians and nutritionists to blend these premium ingredients into the tastiest and healthiest dog food.
The company hired avant garde graphic artists to design eye-popping packaging.
The company contracted with the best agency on Madison Avenue to develop a compelling ad campaign and spent lavishly on it in every media market in the nation promoting this dog food.
Sales were dismal.
The company assembled the best analytical team money could buy to determine what was wrong. After considerable study the team submitted its report. It was one sentence long. “The dogs don’t like it. “
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Swopa!
Is that a charm offensive or his offensive charm? Rmoney remains the worst major party candidate from either party that I have seen in my 60 years. Hell, he is worse than most of the third party candidates that actually went national during my lifetime (I can’t actually think of any that are worse, but I am not sure that I remember them all). Even Lyndon LaRouche looks good by comparison.