Netflix Documentary Shows "Mitt" Like You've Never Seen Him

Townhall.com ^ | January 24, 2014 | John Hanlon

[Kaslin]

Editor's note: This review is cross-posted at JohnHanlonReviews.com

“I can’t fake it,” then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney said as the political advisers and family members nearby deflated. They knew what that meant.

The scene, which occurred during the heated 2008 GOP primary battle between Romney and his rising political adversary, Senator John McCain (R-AZ), occurs early on in the new Netflix documentary, Mitt. The film premieres on Netflix at 11 AM today and offers a rarely-seen look at the former Governor and his family as they trudge through two seemingly-endless presidential campaigns.

Director Greg Whiteley was given great access to Romney during those campaigns, and he uses it to craft a delicate but commanding voyage into what it means to be a presidential candidate today. The feature begins and ends with the results of the 2012 election. We all know how the election ended but few of us know what it’s like working day-to-day on a presidential campaign and seeing the disparity between a candidate’s real personality and the caricature of him that’s presented to the public (“the flipping Mormon,” as Romney says).

Leaving superficiality aside, Mitt offers up an intimate look at this skilled politician, and a man who— if things had been different— could’ve been president of the United States.

When he notes he can’t “fake it,” he’s talking about the long odds against him in the 2008 primary. After losing Florida (thanks in part to Governor Charlie Crist’s endorsement of McCain), Romney knows that his opponent is unbeatable. The former Governor could, as some presidential aspirants would, continue to give the same stump speeches, the same talking points and the same fundraising calls he’s done a million times before. But he refuses. He can’t fake something he doesn’t believe in anymore.

And one of the most compelling aspects of Whiteley’s well-organized feature is how open the candidate is to the camera, even during moments of great sadness and heartbreak. While some of the candidate’s best-known attributes are on display (his business acumen, for one), the documentary also presents a more fully-rounded portrait of Romney and his family. The camera shows the family’s real frustration when Crist goes back on his word (he said he wouldn’t endorse a candidate primary) and Romney’s hesitance about the number of primary debates he has to endure (“how many more debates do I have to go to?” he asks). It’s here we see the man under the spotlight, adjusting to a non-stop campaign calendar that gives him little time to think.

Clocking in at a brisk 94 minutes, the film focuses its first third on the primary race in 2008, and its latter two sections on the 2012 general election—after Romney has decimated the relatively-weak primary field. In the presidential campaign, the documentary shows the Governor at his humblest. He speaks out about the good fortune that he was born into and his incredible pride for his father. After noting that his Dad—Michigan Governor George Romney— began life with nothing and ended up a successful businessman and politician, Mitt concedes “I started where he [George] ended up.”

For fans and critics alike, it’s hard not to admire and like the man himself (who, in one scene, even irons his own suit jacket while wearing it) after seeing this feature. It’s also hard not to look differently at presidential candidates, who know from history alone, how much of a sacrifice running for president is.

“My time on the stage is over, guys,” Romney says at the end, and it’s true. It’s just tough to think that while he was on the stage, we didn’t get to see him as he really was.

To check out more reviews of all the latest films, click here.

[GraceG]

[ Mitt did wipe the floor with Obama in the second debate and should have continued to stick it to him in the last debate and the rest of the campaign, but his milquetoast advisers were afraid of alienating the fictional “moderate” voters and had him tone it down. ]

So the “Rove Wing” of the GOP is what neutered Mitt... Seems about right...

Not that Mitt wasn’t already somewhat gelded...

[GraceG]

[ The only cndidate that could have beaten Obama was Ron Paul.

Both sides knew this.

The RNC elite needed to lose this election, because they make more money as the untested underdog. ]

I agree, Ron Paul was “Crazy enough to actually win” because as I saw it Ron Paul was the only Republican who wouldn’t have listened to the Rove type advisors in the race.. He would have drawn off enough disaffected wingbats from Obama as well.

He may not have actually won, but he would have come closer than Mittens the wonder Kitten.

At the very least by being so far out of it Ron Paul would have at least provided CONTRAST, something that seemed to be missing due to the Rovers influence on Mitts Campaign.

[EnquiringMind]

After 5 years of the WORST President EVER, you people are still bashing Mitt? Good Lord......

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Who the heck would watch this crapola? Utah?

The sooner this is in the remainder bin, bundled with Saran wrap with “The Man From Plains”, and Al Gore’s “An Unfortunate Truth”, for 50 cents, or three bundles for 25 cents, the better.

[Tennessee Nana]

[Williams]

Thank you. Romney ran a very conservative campaign, including calling for the self deportation of illegal aliens. He lost for many reasons including the IRS suppression of the tea party, anti Mormon prejudice, conservatives’ belief he was a liberal, and his own campaign’s timidity because they thought he had it won.

Oh and Paul Ryan sucked as a VP candidate.

But Romney may have been our last chance to stop what Obama and Hilary are doing to America.

[Tennessee Nana]

Remember the changes Willard made to the rules at the start of the GOP Convention in 2012 ???

One being for delegates..

a delegate couldn’t change his mind and vote for someone other than the one he was there for or something like that..

and other things to tie the hands of TEA Partiers ...

well I am listening to a local talk show here in SE TN and a Republican committee woman for our state party is explaining about some of the new things on the agenda for the GOP winter meeting...

one of them is that states have to hold their primaries AFTER March 1st..

only 4 states..Iowa, NH, SC and one other will be allowed to hold them in Feb..

Florida wants to hold theirs in Feb too but Florida is fixing to be punished further than they were in 2012 if they don’t toe the eGOP line..

(also I heard the other day that the GOP are wanting to hold their 2016 convention in June not wait until Aug..)

so I put both items together..

primaries not until March 1st and the candidate must be chosen by June..

short running time..

the committee woman (who loves Willard BTW and has been a dizzy delegate for him)) said the TEA Party and others claim that the primaries after March 1st would hurt any grassroots candidates while benefitting candidates with large war chests and big donors...

(Like Willard and the $100M he spent in 2012..)

Oh no the twit chirped, It wont..

So the GOP is making the way smooth for Willard in 2016..

Another thing she said was that in 2016 the field must be smaller than 2012..

so the GOP is going to decide who will be allowed to even file to run ???

I can just see this benefitting Willard no end..

Lots of talk about Ron Paul and the annoying fact he stayed in till the almost end..

How dare he do that to po lil Willard...

[CatherineofAragon]

I wasn’t aware of any of that, but your post makes me recall two things....

One, the other day I read here that the GOP is panicking over Christie’s troubles and wondering if they should try Romney again...

...and two, Karl Rove said in a Fox interview that the Tea Party, in the end, will vote for whomever the nominee happens to be.

Try us and see.

[Tennessee Nana]

One of the reasons for the delegate change in 2012 was because Willard was afraid of the Conservati8ve Governor Sarah Palin..

she was popular, better fitted to be POTUS than he was, and she was there in Florida with bells on..

he denied her access to the convention and a speaking part which she should have had, and then he shut out any hope that the delegates would vote for her instead of him as they could have done in accordance with some state GOP’s rules..

[Tennessee Nana]

I tried calling in to say that the GOP should disqualify any candidate who has already had the GOP nomination LOL

but I couldn’t get through..

the next time I hear gleeful talk about the oh so wonderful eGOP or anything about po lil hard-done-by Willard, I’ll call in to say that..

;)

[highball]

Who the heck would watch this crapola?

Hopefully, every Republican presidential candidate for the next hundred years. A lot can be learned from Mitt's utter failure.