Mitt Looks the Part (Barfage? yes, but interesting points)

The American Prospect ^ | May 23, 2011 | Robert B. Reich

[Retired Greyhound]

Obama was elected because voters are shallow.

It was the American Idol election.

[MBB1984]

Agree that the article is mostly correct. Unfortunately, most voters in the general election are concerned much more with style rather than substance, with sizzle more than steak. In that regard, Romney has that going for him. However, in the primary more voters are substance and issue oriented.

My main disagreement is that Reich states that Obama acts Presidential. Obama actually acts feminine and indecisive and even frail.

[Servant of the Cross]

"He looks, sounds, and acts presidential"?

Barf. This reminds me of David Brook's infatuation with creased pants.

Mitt is smarmy and creepy. I wouldn't buy a used car from him!

Hey! I resemble that comment!

[MattinNJ]

My wife, who is to the right of me (truly frightening if you knew me) say the GOP should go with Mitt because he looks presidential. When I point out that he is not a conservative and is a RINO at best, she gives me that Cuban stare and says "Do you want to beat Obama, or not?"

She guffaws at T-paw et.al..

Look, FReepers can make a great argument for an amazing, but obscure congressman like Mike Pence or Col. West (my favorites), but 1/3 of the voters will only pay attention in the last month or so.

You gotta look the part. Sad, but true.

Don't flame-if she or I could wave a magic wand we would be weeping tears of joy as Palin, West, or Pence were sworn in. Not gonna happen.

[Signalman]

Based on Reich's analyis, Charlton Heston, would have easily won...and he was a true Conservative, at least in his later years...

[LS]

Absolutely true. But the Swiftboats probably did more to win that election for Bush-—and, don’t forget this-—in Ohio they had a “gay marriage” initiative on the ballot. This was HUGE, and gave Bush Ohio by a comfortable, but not huge, margin (115,000 votes as I recall). Without those two things, Kerry would have won.

[LS]

Thanks. I think Matt in NJ makes some good points. My wife, who is not pro-life but is down-the-line Republican in almost every other way, likes the Mittster. On the other hand, I know that if he were the nominee-—coming from a Southern Baptist background as I did-—he would lose a significant chunk of the Baptist/conservative vote, just because he’s a Mormon.

[SoDak]

I fear she could be right.

[Buckeye McFrog]

personally I think he kind of looks like Herman Munster

[bill1952]

Mitt Romney is the perfect candidate for people uncomfortable that their president is black. Mitt is their great white hope.

He just had to do it, didn't he?

[Darren McCarty]

I'm not a Reich fan, but I have to agree somewhat.

20 years ago, it wouldn't be a contest. Mitt would probably have been the nominee last time. But, it's the age of quick archives and the internet. You don't have to be Winfield Scott to be deemed an inconsistent flip flopper these days, and have the connotations that come with it. Untrustworthy.

The other side of the looks and demeanor end of things is that in a bad economy, Mitt Romney looks and acts the part of corporate CEO, more so than even Trump. Romney comes out of corporate casting 101, but looks like the guy who lays off the workers.

Combine that and the flip-flopping, and people think he'd sell his family out for a nickel or power. Romney couldn't close the door in 08, and he had a much easier shot then than he does now post Obamacare.

[Darren McCarty]

Bush was also helped that John Kerry was a traitor back in 1972.

[ansel12]

Reich meant this one, he made a lot of accurate observations.

[FreeKeys]

Voices also matter. Deeper registers signal gravitas; higher and more nasal emanations don't command nearly as much respect

I've always thought that. AND I've always thought that was one of Newt's fatal flaws.

(being a slippery chameleon among them)

[spacewarp]

It actually sounds like Robert actually was disappointed that Mitt is starting to show well against Obambi.

After all, he wasn’t saying Mitt was a good candidate. Just that there’s a perception he is because he looks like he fits the bill. He’s worse than x for this reason and y for this reason, and to call him an empty suit is an insult to suits, but hey, the Republicans are racists, so they’re going to pick Mitt because he looks more like a President than O.

All in all, it’s a nasty, vile argument from a nasty, vile little man.

[Belle22]

“[Unfortunately for Dems like Reich], Obama’s positions are by now well known, while voters can [still] project anything they want onto Mitt [as they did last time with Obama.]”

Having flirted with the truth, Reich then has to squander analytical points by playing the race card. The actual racists are those who continue to hold Obama to a lesser standard than the one applied to white presidents.

People who voted for Obama in the name of race and giving him a chance find that it hasn’t changed their lives for the better and he doesn’t appreciate their sacrifice.

Of course, we also don’t need Karl Rove telling us to go along with the establishment and stop trying to think for ourselves.

[MattinNJ]

Me too. She’s always right.

[LS]

Actually, that’s a good point. Although Lincoln had a high, screechy voice-—but in a different era-—while Stephen Douglas had a baritone booming voice.

[FreeKeys]

Interesting.

[FreeKeys]

Although Lincoln had a high, screechy voice-—but in a different era-—while Stephen Douglas had a baritone booming voice.

I wonder, was photography far enough along so that people could see the candidates in the newspaper?