The Romney Campaign And Do-Overs

Filed in International, National by on July 29, 2012

There’s a pattern here, and I think it’s deliberate.  First, the Romney Campaign says something outrageous (Anglo-Saxon comment, questioning the preparedness of security at the Olympics, etc.) then they counter their initial statement with an do-over.

Here’s the latest:

Romney foreign policy advisor Dan Senor briefed the press on Sunday morning, saying, “if Israel has to take action on its own, in order to stop Iran from developing the capability, the governor would respect that decision.”

The headline that hit news outlets across the globe by the Associated Press was: “Adviser: Romney would back strike against Iran,” implying, perhaps, that the U.S. could contribute forces to such a strike.

Reuters ran with: “Romney backs Israel if needs to strike Iran: aide says.” Bloomberg’s headline: “Romney Says He’d Back Unilateral Israeli Strike on Iran.”

Three hours later we get this:

“Gov. Romney believes we should employ any and all measures to dissuade the Iranian regime from its nuclear course, and it is his fervent hope that diplomatic and economic measures will do so,” Senor said in the new statement. “In the final analysis, of course, no option should be excluded. Gov. Romney recognizes Israel’s right to defend itself, and that it is right for America to stand with it.”

None of these do-overs strike me as gaffes.  What Romney (and his campaign) says first is his official position.

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A stay-at-home mom with an obsession for National politics.

Comments (14)

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  1. Jason330 says:
    July 29, 2012 at 10:27 am

    A few news stories I’ve read imply that the GOP is thinking that American jewish voters are in play; 1. Because Obama isn’t kissing Bibi Netanyahu’s ass hard enough. And 2. Because Obama doesn’t have a big enough hard on for war with Iran.

    The GOP’s alternate reality bubble is indestructible.

  2. Truth Teller says:
    July 29, 2012 at 11:01 am

    Mittens announced today to Bibi that we would back them if they attacked Iran. However i don’t believe that Mittens who supported the Nam war than hid out in Paris is willing to put any of his five sons in harms only You Peoples sons to quote Ann.

  3. cassandra_m says:
    July 29, 2012 at 11:16 am

    Interesting that the first statement is largely reflective of the neocon belligerence that surrounds Romney AND surrounded BushCo. The walk back statement it to current US policy re: Iran. The BushCo neocons worked at invoking Israel and its long-term safety as cover for their sabre-rattling towards Iraq and Iran.

    Which is pretty amazing when you think about it. These people were nothing but foreign policy FAIL for 8 years under BushCo and here they are back — selling the same old stuff — without even an adjustment or apology for how wrong they were.

  4. Jason330 says:
    July 29, 2012 at 11:36 am

    If failure counted against GOP pols, there wouldn’t be any Republicans running for office for the next 50 years.

  5. heragain says:
    July 29, 2012 at 12:02 pm

    This is my favorite picture of Mitten’s trip, so far. Because in it he displays his awesome cultural sensitivity. https://twitter.com/CharlesDharapak/status/229550994638385152/photo/1

  6. puck says:
    July 29, 2012 at 2:33 pm

    Mitt is called a wimp on the cover of Newsweek. Do we have a word stronger than “devastating?”

  7. puck says:
    July 29, 2012 at 2:40 pm

    How effing much does Mitt hate America to go to the MIDDLE EAST and talk up WAR when his President and Secretary of State are in the middle of diplomatic efforts to tamp it down?

    And just how bloodthirsty does he think American Jewish voters are?

  8. pandora says:
    July 29, 2012 at 2:59 pm

    Looks like Mitt is Netanyahu’s pool boy:

    The meeting was due to take place today, at 1:30 P.M., at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. There were still contacts this morning between Romney’s media staff and Tal Alexandrovitch Segev, Yacimovich’s media adviser. Yacimovich and Herzog, who was due to accompany her, prepared themselves to meet the man who might, in a matter of months, be elected president of the United States.

    And then Romney went into a meeting with Netanyahu at the Prime Minister’s Bureau in Jerusalem. Minutes before the meeting, the candidate’s staff contacted Herzog to inform him that the meeting had regrettably been cancelled, “for reasons of protocol.” Herzog and Yacimovich have no doubts: Netanyahu, or his people, didn’t approve of the Yacimovich meeting and pressured Romney to cancel it – and succeeded.

    What a wimp!

  9. puck says:
    July 29, 2012 at 4:32 pm

    Now I see why the right is freaking out so much about the automatic defense cuts: They are planning to go to war with Iran.

  10. pandora says:
    July 29, 2012 at 6:12 pm

    Oh my…

    Romney’s declaration that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital was matter-of-fact and in keeping with claims made by Israeli governments for decades, even though the United States, like other nations, maintains its embassy in Tel Aviv.

    He did not say if he would order the embassy moved if he wins the White House, but strongly suggested so in a CNN interview.

    “My understanding is the policy of our nation has been a desire to move our embassy ultimately to the capital (Jerusalem),” he said, adding, “I would only want to do so and to select the timing in accordance with the government of Israel.”

  11. heragain says:
    July 29, 2012 at 7:11 pm

    As I pointed out on twitter, The Confederacy moved its capitol to Richmond. Four years later, they reconsidered. Time for Israel to reconsider.

  12. cassandra_m says:
    July 29, 2012 at 8:09 pm

    I second that, heragain.

    In other journalism — Haaretz notes: In Jerusalem speech, it was Romney’s voice but Netanyahu’s words

  13. Liberal Elite says:
    July 29, 2012 at 8:30 pm

    He’s putting Israel above the US? Does that sound like it conforms with the oath of office?

    And who the heck is Romney pandering to? Does anyone who isn’t already going to vote for him support this nonsense?

    oh… and this is not the way to secure the Jewish voters.

  14. pbaumbach says:
    July 30, 2012 at 9:44 am

    to Pandora’s point, “There’s a pattern here, and I think it’s deliberate. First, the Romney Campaign says something outrageous (Anglo-Saxon comment, questioning the preparedness of security at the Olympics, etc.) then they counter their initial statement with an do-over.”

    He wants the launch codes? Seriously? How do you do-over a nuclear strike?

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