Obama Bad; Romney Worse (News, Switzerland)

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Obama Bad; Romney Worse (News, Switzerland)

"While this weak president is gaining stature, his opponent is gradually disintegrating. ... There is one question one must ask in light of Romney, and some of the other clowns who vied for the Republican nomination: What is going on with the Republicans? Isn't the party more out of touch with reality than the Democrats they denounce as elitist?"

By Patrik Etschmayer

Translated By Ulf Behncke

September 22, 2012

News – Switzerland – Original Article (German)

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney: Has he finally done himself in by alienating a huge portion of the country? And wht does this say about the Republican Party?

MOTHER JONES VIDEO, U.S.: Mitt Romney's remarks to Republican doners last May, in which he appears to dismiss half the electorate, Sept. 18, 00:36:39

OK. As it stands now, Mitt Romney look like a goner. Romney's campaign is desperately trying to change tack after independent news magazine Mother Jones posted the so-called 47 percent video. Granted, a lot can happen in seven weeks, but no matter what Romney says right now - it just keeps making his situation worse.

This election is a "hole-in-one" - a "slam-dunk" for Republicans. Or at least, it should have been. Barack Obama's presidency has really been kind of a flop. And not only because of Republican opposition in the House of Representatives, which made governing for the past two years almost impossible.

During the first two years, Obama had majorities in both houses. However, instead of ushering in the promised change ("Change you can believe in"), he first attempted to be president of all Americans (even those who wish he would drop dead) and work with Republicans. Heck - he even appointed some Republicans to his cabinet. The result was two almost entirely wasted years during which a lot of debate took place but little changed. This was mainly because Republicans wanted to deny Obama any success - even if it meant damaging the country. Obama realized this only too late. He was principled, albeit naive.

Then, in 2010, when Republicans took over the House of Representatives again, the pig was slaughtered and the following two years degenerated into trench warfare. Obama was hardly able to push anything through and the budget crisis became part of everyday business. The economic stagnation which is now laid at his doorstep is part and parcel of the political stalemate and uncertainty that goes along with it.

It looks, however, that Obama now realizes that "Mr. Nice Guy" in Washington was something that worked nicely in Frank Capra movies, but was destined to fail in real life, because unscrupulous opponents never return niceties, but rather exploit them for their own purposes.

So while this weak president is gaining stature, his opponent is gradually disintegrating. In words and action, Romney constantly contradicts himself - and not just in the "47 percent" video. He condemns health reform, which is just like what he himself introduced in Massachusetts. One day, he promises to retain parts of it; the next day, he says of course that is not the case. He attacks U.S. foreign policy after the attack in Benghazi with patently false allegations. He talks of a fortune he says he amassed himself and his donations to charity, as if neither connections, stocks and funds he inherited nor an education at expensive institutions paid for by his father, played any role in his career. And he refuses to disclose his tax returns, claiming they are irrelevant. If that is truly the case, then why not publicly disclose them?

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And now he's trying to trivialize statements that he made as "inelegant." These are statements which imply that retirees, military personnel and low-income workers are parasites who depend on government hand-outs (many of whom are core Republican supporters). He suggested that once in office, these are people he won't have to represent or care about - nor would he want to. That, however, has backfired badly. Satirist Andy Borowitz wrote in The New Yorker that his campaign team should have Romney's mouth wired shut until the election - probably not the worst idea.

There is one question one must ask in light of Romney, and some of the other clowns who vied for the Republican nomination: What is going on with the Republicans? Isn't the party more out of touch with reality than the Democrats they denounce as elitist? With his statements, helpless maneuvering and panicked excuses, Romney has actually managed to alienate voters who, only a week ago, would have undoubtedly voted for him.

Posted by Worldmeets.US

The Republican backlash - Obama sound bites from the last election and from 1998 - material well known and used ad nauseam four years ago - gives the impression of abject desperation. It is a desperation borne out of not knowing what the product in hand is, whether or not anyone would want to try it, and whose only chance to win is to show that it is better than the competing product, even as a continuous stream of evidence piles up that the opposite is true.

Thus, until the election, the U.S. political landscape will have to live with a new type of comparison: Obama - but worse - Romney.

SEE ALSO ON THIS:

FTD, Germany: 'Germans Cannot Grasp Why People would Vote Romney'

Rceczpospolita, Poland: Romney is the Better Choice for Poland
Izvestia, Russia: Obama: 'Not a God, But a Partner'

Telegraph, U.K. New Video 'Could Kill' Mitt Romney's Chances of Becoming President
Independent, U.K.: Obama's Foreign Policy of Reconciliation in 'Tatters'
Global Times, China: America is 'Disrespectful' of Other Cultures

MacLeans, Canada: Behind Mitt Romney's Response to Killings at Consulate in Libya
Die Zeit, Germany: Romney's 'Nostalgia' is Ill-Suited to a Fast-Changing World
Die Tageszeitung, Germany: Muslim Unrest Raises Stakes of U.S. Election Even Higher
Le Figaro, France: U.S. Democrats in Combat Mode; Face Unemployment Headwind

La Repubblica, Italy: The Right to Vote Being Imperilled in America!
Al Mesryoon, Egypt: Romney: Can Such a 'Vacuous Figure' Lead the Strongest Nation?

Rzeczpospolita, Poland: Election in America: Romney Gives Poland an Opening
Neviditelny Pes, Czech Republic: If Romney Wins, He Can Keep His Radar!

China Daily, China: America's Unsettling Political 'Hate Speech'

Guardian, U.K.: Paul Ryan Sets Up Romney Stall but No One is Buying

Guardian, U.K.: Democratic National Convention 2012 - Live Coverage

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