(Jeff Danziger’s website)
__
John H. Richardson, at Esquire, points out the scenery at the Tampa convention that you won’t see on tv:
The Tea Party is holding its event in Liberty Plaza, which is surrounded now by a twenty-foot fence and black plastic eight feet high so nobody can even see into the lot. First time I came, I didn’t have a badge, so they made me walk back to the convention center and apply for admission online, then walk back — except that the massive security fences that surround and divide the entire downtown area force you to walk eight blocks to get across the two blocks to the convention center. In the August humidity and rain. Past many police officers in brown khaki with ominous black devices strapped to their legs. And if you dare to step off the curb while a car is in any portion of the road, the officer barks at you: Sidewalk! On style points, especially an hour after Maine’s Ron Paul delegates walk off the RNC floor all in a huff at being stifled by the Romney machine, especially after all the talk about nanny states and the supposedly crippling embrace of the liberal safety-first mentality, they lose the argument on style points alone — this is the most totalitarian celebration of freedom you could imagine. It reminds you, however bad security has been at these things in years past, that Republicans alternate their love of liberty with a love of imprisoning their fellow citizens so passionate it puts our prison system in the company of Iran and Russia…
Marc Ambinder, Glibertarian Ambassador to the Totebaggers, explains today’s conventional wisdom for the readers of GQ‘s Death Race 2012 blog:
There are almost no high-information swing voters; that is, people who pay attention and know about issues tend to make up their minds early. And those who watch the conventions on cable are, by almost all accounts, people who know they’re going to vote for, people who enjoy the spectacle, people who get off on the partisan vibes of the cable networks. Legacy network viewers, on the other hand, have a greater chance of paying attention to things other politics. So I watched Romney and Christie on NBC rather than MSNBC or FOX News. At four minutes past the hour, viewers were treated to a grim report from New Orleans, where correspondent Lester Holt updated the progress of Hurricane Isaac while trying to avoid a wind-driven water-boarding.
But then came bright and bubbly, beautiful and ebullient Ann Romney. More than 20 million Americans were hearing her voice for the first time. Ostensibly, Mrs. Romney here to serve as a validator for her husband, to introduce him, to gender him.
Gender distinctions still exist in political rhetoric. Women have different ways of knowing. They have unusual challenges. They keep the men in line. And they (in the world of persuasive political rhetoric aimed at Republican women) still want to know certain things about male presidential candidates. Softly, Republican independent women, white women, were the target audience. Ann Romney provided cues for them to help them buy into the idea of Mitt Romney as a plausible candidate, as a human being, and as a man…
But really, the best reflection of him is her; if women voters think of Ann Romney, then they’ll soften their impression of him, which needs burnishing. Nationally, Romney leads Obama among male voters by the margin that Obama leads Romney among female voters. But more women than men vote—10 million more, in 2008….
Alex Pareene, at Salon, is not impressed by the evening’s much-anticipated keynote speaker:
Chris Christie accepts the nomination a bit early
… His keynote speech was a lengthy tribute to the greatness of Chris Christie, who is not on the ballot this year. I think the idea is to replicate an Obama in 2004 moment, but that moment depends on the nominee losing.Chris Christie spent basically no time talking about Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee for president. But I guess Ann had the “Mitt Romney is great” slot. Christie was the “the Republican Party is the inspiring party of big ideas” slot.
“We have become paralyzed by our desire to be loved,” said Christie. “Tonight we’re gonna choose respect over love.” I honestly don’t even understand what this riff has to do with this election, though it is pretty clearly an attempt to define the Christie brand….
There wasn’t much red meat for the convention audience — no real invocation of the “we built this” bullshit the entire convention is petulantly built around — which just makes it even more obvious that Christie’s speech was aimed at the home audience….
hep kitty
Chris Christie is a craven opportunist – who knew?!
Hal
Is Christie respected? People talk about how at least he speaks his mind, but how many teachers can you bully, or constituents can you flip the bird to before folks get sick of your bullshit.
Also, I much enjoyed John Kasich’s speech in which Ohio is doing just great, but we still need Mitt Romney because Obama is destroying America. Funny how he was able to turn the state around despite his inability to destroy public bargaining.
hep kitty
I saw a lone black lady clapping on the convention floor. I thought, “that must be Condi” and then I was like, now that’s a racist thought, shame on you. But the camera zoomed in and there she was. The lone black lady clapping on the convention floor.
TheMightyTrowel
@Hal: I liked it better when Machiavelli said it.
dan
@TheMightyTrowel: I think he was channeling A Bronx Tale more than Machiavelli. Plays more to his tough-guy Jersey image.
magurakurin
So, a morbidly obese man is going to teach us how to say no and tighten our belts? When was the last time Christie said no to his third helping of pork chops at the dinner table? Fix the deficit? Here’s an idea, Chris. How about obscenely rich fat fucks like yourself pay your fair share in taxes? Or would that be too much sacrifice or you? Have another half gallon of Breyers you fucking asshole.
LGRooney
Can anyone explain to me why whenever I see wider images of the convention it is nothing but a sea of white faces, mostly men by a wide margin, yet in my WaPo this morning I had no less than 3 photos of black women Republicans?
Baud
@hep kitty:
I thought the “Christie 2016” button was a tad gauche.
WereBear
And yet, in the end, they wind up with neither.
That’s what hate does for all of us.
Ben Cisco
@LGRooney: Those rats, they won’t fuck themselves, you know.
Dan
Christie photoshop bait for those inclined:
http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/246377/slide_246377_1444591_free.jpg
Enhanced Voting Techniques
So Christies thinks the Republicans problem is they are just to gosh darn nice to everyone. lol
Chyron HR
Mr. Creosote then added, “Why won’t you love me, Bruce? I have all your albums!”
danielx
Well, that’s all there is to that. Tonight and every night, nobody but noooo-body in Chris Christie’s vicinity is going to feel the love except campaign contributors. Actually, I’ll bet Chris Christie isn’t feeling the love either – I suspect there was a lot of muttering about that fuckin’ New Jersey yankee and his mooslim judges. They need them some Sarah to restore the balance in their world view.
hilts
@magurakurin:
Well said. Christie is not the right person to lecture anybody about belt tightening.
hilts
@Dan:
This photo perfectly captures the essence of Chris Christie – A hectoring, bullying blowhard
arguingwithsignposts
Maybe it’s just early, but that Marc Ambinder snippet made no fucking sense whatsoever to my non-Villager ears. Also, he seems to have a problem with verbs.
Linda
@LGRooney: Sure. I can explain. The Republicans put the delegates with more minorities to the front, so everybody could see them better.
And, chew on this: Christie didn’t really have to have a “Barak Obama” moment to be the front-runner for 2016. Bill Clinton gave a hideous, long-winded speech in the 1988 convention. One that everybody said would end his national career.
gene108
I’m happily ignoring the convention. I just want voting day to roll around and get this over with. I’d say November, but I’ve had issues with SAD lately and don’t look forward to winter.
Also, too: At this point, if you still have doubts about who to vote for that’s your problem. I shouldn’t have to suffer through 2+ more months of campaigning because you have issues about making decisions.
@Hal:
I’ve been living in NJ for the past 15 years and the bar for NJ governors to be “respected” is pretty low, since I’ve been here.
I’ve lived through:
Whitman
Interim Gov (Whitman to EPA)
McGreevey
Interim Gov (McGreevey resigns)
Corzine
Christie
I don’t particularly like Christie and think he’s been a disaster for the poor in the state, but like I said, I think the bar for an NJ governor to be “respected” has been set pretty low.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@arguingwithsignposts: I think he gets paid by the word because what I got out of it was “no one is watching this convention but us political junkies because of Isaac”
arguingwithsignposts
@Linda:
a ) would be hilarious if not so pathetic.
b ) good point. see also, Mitt Romney, who was the front-runner despite having all the charisma of a cardboard box.
dmsilev
Looks like I picked a good week to get the hell out of the country.
However.
Things I never expected to happen to me in Switzerland #1: Nearly getting run over by the Domino’s Pizza Delivery Scooter in downtown Geneva. Domino’s? Seriously? Dear Switzerland, on behalf of all Americans with vaguely decent taste in pizza, I’m sorry for having inflicted this on you.
Kane
Someone has been watching too many reruns of The Sopranos.
Jamey
@Dan: “Invisible Sammich!1!!”
J.D. Rhoades
Someone has been watching too many reruns of The Sopranos.
I know, I was watching, and trying to decide if he was Bobby Bacala or Big Pussy.
Joey Maloney
@Jamey: More like, “Invisible Millionaire Donor!”
Enhanced Voting Techniques
since this is an open thread. Bah on the polls. What is the freaking point of polling if they keep on taking their “likely voters” in and out?
jibeaux
It was quite a while back that SNL did a Christie parody bit, the premise was that all the Republicans wanted him to run and loved him but he was sticking them with Romney while promising in front of them that’d he’d run in 2016 after Romney loses, to Romney’s face, etc. He’d gesture up and down his body and say things like, “look, this just can’t go national.” It was spot on for being 6 or so months old.
Also, if you’re not on Frank Conniff’s (TV’s Frank) FB or twitter feed, do fix that. He saved up a boatload of Christie jokes and set them all free last night. .
Enhanced Voting Techniques
Oh to put “we don’t care about love, we want respect” into perspective Washington post latest poll has Romney’s unfavorably at 51%, still.
Emma
@Linda: Yes, but IIRC Clinton’s speech was a wonkfest. This was…. tawdry.
jibeaux
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: There’s just something about it coming from a New Jersey lardass that makes it sound very Cosa Nostra.
amk
So the fat fucker is demanding respect instead of commanding respect ? Typical bully of an asshole.
hep kitty
Anybody see that “badass” fist-pump picture of Christie on a white background, think it was put out by the RNC and, of course, Morning Ho was most impressed! You gotta see it, can’t find it on interwebs right now, however.
Chyron HR
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
Well, you put your likely voters in, and you take your likely voters out. That’s what it’s all about.
Elizabelle
Christie’s speech was ugly.
Divisive and dishonest; he’s running against a “them” that doesn’t exist in real life, but in the psyche of Republican voters. He’s running against the monsters under their beds.
Hard truths — no. Fantasies and tough-guy posturing.
Suffern Ace
@hep kitty: Not a mau mau fist bump but a muselini fist pump I presume.
arguingwithsignposts
@Chyron HR:
you can’t explain it!
Raven
Bout time for someone to begin the fat joke whine.
hep kitty
Honestly, a lame night with super-corny entertainment and some seriously uptight women trying to look extra cute.
Also, I guess since I am unmarried and have no children, as far as Ann Romney is concerned, I might as well not bother to exist.
Cris (without an H)
The poignant (or pathetic) thing about the #RNCPowerGrab tag is the implication that the “power” in the party was ever held by anybody else. The teabaggers sound like high school students, incensed that the school administration is making rules without soliciting their input. The party bosses were always in charge, kids. You signed on with the more authoritarian branch of American politics when you registered GOP, don’t act so surprised when your betters dismiss you.
Elizabelle
@Dan:
I think that photo is even more effective than Todd Akin’s sperm-repelling lady juices.
Talk about shutting it down.
hep kitty
@Suffern Ace: Yeh, predictably, it’s like a boxer’s punch, zactly. And, sorry, but it’s not exactly the most slimming picture of Christie either.
hep kitty
@Cris (without an H):
Oh I thought that was strictly for Paulites, how delightful!
Jennifer
Fat Bastard ’16!
Cris (without an H)
@hep kitty: Michelle Malkin assured us it’s not just about Ron Paul! You know why we can believe her? Because it’s always all about her
Applejinx
It’s fascinating and alarming to watch.
I wonder if the teabagger types are going to end up freaking out and beating up somebody, like Condi Rice or that Puerto Rican lady. The GOP clearly don’t really have control, as much as they insist they do.
Mark S.
I thought Paul Ryan was the worst possible choice for VP, but I take that back: Chris Christie would have been even worse. He seriously has the most off-putting personality I’ve ever seen in a supposed potential presidential candidate. He’s arrogant and abrasive, and he can’t stop talking about how much he hates teachers.
Oh fuck you fat boy. I’ll believe in your party’s new era of truth-telling when you fuckers abandon supply-side economics.
Cris (without an H)
I’m seeing an ad for Atlas Shrugged II at the top of the comments now. Looks like the marketers decided trains aren’t sexy enough, so they’re pushing Dagny to the fore. Not quite Snorgtees, but there’s a hint of that direction.
Wag
I didn’t watch the convention last night, but was anyone else struck by Ann Romney’s dress? In the photo on the front page of today’s Denver Post her outfit matches exactly the red backdrop, making it seem like she’s a floating talking head without a body. It just looks weird. You’d think some designer would have caught that
Ash Can
@Cris (without an H): Yep. I did see a couple of enlightened non-GOPers chime in with tweets along the lines of “yeah, no kidding, what did you expect?” And, of course the poor butt-hurt Paulistas/Teahadists were all saying, “We’d expect this from the Dems, but not the Republicans.” What the poor dears have selective amnesia about is that if it had happened the same way it did at the 2008 Dem convention, Ron Paul himself would have commandeered the mic yesterday and called for the delegate vote tabulation to be halted and for Romney to be nominated by acclaim. If that had happened, there would have been enough bricks dropping to the floor to build another ice rink.
hep kitty
@Jennifer: “That looks like a bebeh! Get in mah belleh!”
hep kitty
@Mark S.: Heard him say something about how seniors understand the importance of sacrifice for the next generation, something like that, yeh right! – predictably met with tepid applause.
FlipYrWhig
Since when is Ann Romney “bubbly”? Every time I’ve seen her, her face has been a sneering, icy rictus.
The Thin Black Duke
@FlipYrWhig: “Who you gonna believe? Me or your lying eyes?”
Shawn in ShowMe
@The Thin Black Duke:
Ann Romney once shot a man to watch him die. Chris Christie would do well to remember that next time he decides to wander off the reservation.
Cassidy
@Cris (without an H): Taylor Schilling is pretty hot. I’d watch almost anything with her in it. Almost.
@Raven: I’ve said something a couple of times, as it really does bother me. It’s not so much a defedning Christie thing, but I just hate seeing the “acceptable” insults to be about being fat. To me it just says that no matter how far we’ve come, we’re leaving someone behind and we both know the saying about that. But, I’ve said my peace before and I’m not gonna be a nag about it. People will say and do what they’re comfortable with.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
meh. I had inexplicably horrible dreams last night.
The first one involved zombies (ZOMBIES!) which wasn’t really that bad except that they wanted to eat me.
The next one was far worse. My youngest sister tried to kill herself (no suspension of disbelief required) and then we got attacked by a family of oxycontin addicts and a crooked sheriff.
That was awful. I know it’s stupid, but I need to call my sis. I’m worried that something happened to her. I’m just waiting for her to be up.
jimmiraybob
At times like this it’s best to take a couple of deep breaths and recall the basics.
Romney/Ryan 2012: “We’re not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact-checkers”
RESPECT!
WOLVERINES!
ANGLO SAXONS!
That is all.
SBJules
@FlipYrWhig: I fell asleep early last night & did not catch Ms. Romney’s speech. The L.A. Times reports that she said I love you women and wore a brillant Red Osccar De La Renta dress(just like all housewives?). I just saw Tom Brocaw gush over her on the TV this morning. Give Me Michelle in J crew anytime. It is hard for me to decide if I dislike her husband or her more.
Culture of Truth
I just saw Tom Brocaw gush over her on the TV this morning.
Of course he did. FYI, she was terrible.
Culture of Truth
I’m not saying that to be partisan. Ann is a nice person but a bad speaker. Chris Christie is a good speaker and a bad person.
Their nominee, incidentally, combines these two attributes – horrible person and terrible speaker.
Cassidy
@Culture of Truth: Where do you get nice from? Does she throw her scraps to people and we don’t know about it?
hep kitty
Someone please please find that pic of Christie that was on Morning Ho this am!
Shawn in ShowMe
@Culture of Truth:
What’s nice about her? Or are you grading on a curve, i.e. compared to Nikki Haley and Cbris Christie, Ann Romney is a nice person.
Elizabelle
@Culture of Truth:
You made me laugh, because it’s so true.
1badbaba3
Hmmmm, the tea party hiding behind a 20 ft. fence with 8 ft. of black plastic covering it so that noons can see inside? Sounds inclusive. My only question is, were they hiding something, or hiding from something?
Probably just didn’t want to get their lily white asses kicked by angry Grannies. Chicken shits.
So much for transparency.
@hilts: @Jennifer: Hee hee hee all the way home.
Elizabelle
You know what did humanize Mitt for me last night?
Watching his uneasiness with Chris Christie’s ugly, divisive, bellowing red meat speech last night.
He seems privately appalled at what the people he would “lead” expect and respond to.
Dog who caught the wrong car.
Cris (without an H)
I’m given to the generous assumption that most of these public figures are “nice people” in the sense that they would be pleasant company. We’re living in Hannah Arendt’s world. There’s no disconnect between a guy you’d like to have a beer with and a guy who will let the uninsured die.
Cassidy
@Cris (without an H): I don’t know. Ann Romney reminds me of Madeleine Stowe in Revenge.
schrodinger's cat
Did anyone really the Chunky Bobo’s Romney fluffing blog entry this morning? It was disgusting. How much botox does Ann have in her face I wonder? and red is so not her color.
Culture of Truth
from what little I have seen, compared to Christie and everyone else at that “fuck love” hatefest, she’s a nice person
schrodinger's cat
@Culture of Truth: That is a low bar indeed. To me she does not come across as warm and friendly but cold and sneering.
Corner Stone
@FlipYrWhig:
Rictus! Yes!! That is the exact word I was searching for last night. Thank you!
hep kitty
@schrodinger’s cat: I think she tried. “Calling all mothers” sorta thing. “Oh, I know all the hard work you do” and I loved the “women who want to work but also want to be moms, too.” Nothing in there about moms who have to work. I was paying close attention to what she did, and didn’t, say.
But, just like Mitt, she falls flat because she has absolutely no idea what she is talking about. Not.a.clue. Very fake, pageant-like.
Michelle is real people.
Corner Stone
I kept waiting for Christie to drag his dad on stage and literally pee on his back. I felt bad the poor guy just had the whole world see how very little his son thought of him.
shortstop
@FlipYrWhig: Sneering, icy rictus occasionally punctuated by hysterical outbursts of utterly unconvincing bonhomie. “I love you, women!” and the accompanying shrill giggles sounded absolutely desperate last night.
I wish I could find the clip that I think really defines her. Lawrence O’Donnell ran it the other night. Some Villager I didn’t recognize straight-up asks Romney if it’s a problem that people really don’t like him. Romney har-hars and fumbles and mumbles, and Ann stands in the background staring at the reporter with a taut, frozen smile and the most venomous eyes you’ve ever seen.
First rule of politics is not to show your emotions like that. She never does anything but.
shortstop
@Corner Stone: And the killer part is that he thought he was “connecting with women” by saying all that.
Corner Stone
@Dan: The pic is a little like nutpicking comments but I still gotta say I am enjoying it immensely.
Corner Stone
I just had a revelation. The super secret TBA speaker at the RNC? It has to be, can be no one else but ~
BILL CLINTON!
It’s gonna be like the old WWF style hero v heel transformation! He’s going to come out and peel off his shirt and tie to reveal a R & R For America T-shirt!
This will inevitably set up a death match for 2016 when Bill runs on the R ticket and Hills runs on the D ticket. It’s gonna be fuckin epic!
Corner Stone
Ha ha ha! MSNBC has a title right now that says “Ann Romnet puts human face on husband”
That goes soooo many ways I don’t know where to start!
gelfling545
@Chyron HR: You forgot the part about shaking them all about.
Citizen_X
@Dan: Yikes. Where’s iron-bikini Princess Leia?
schrodinger's cat
@hep kitty: I did not see the speech, my comment was based on seeing at her at other times on TV.
1badbaba3
@Dan Jesu Christe (pun intended) that just might make me learn how to shoot a motherfuckin’ gun.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@Dan: I immediately pictured a hoagie between his hands.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@Corner Stone: lol.
LEATHERFACE!
hep kitty
@Corner Stone: Does every convention call for recollections of parents OR grandparents who struggled and worked oh-so-hard so their kids/grandkids could grow up to be flaming a-holes!
hep kitty
S-hand-torum: There are big hands and little hands, calloused hands and strong hands, cracked hands and big fat burly, smack-you-upside-the head hands, normal hands and “different hands” like Bella’s.
and OH HOW WE HAVE SUFFERED from exploiting our little girl’s illness!
(looks into camera / clenches lip / squeezes out a faux tear)
Elizabelle
Charlie Pierce blog’s photo of Governor Chris “Sopranos” Christie.
@hep kitty:
and a post or two down: Smarmy Santorum, with his hands outstretched. Good illustration.
Corner Stone
Ann Romney:
“I hear your voices!”
When I’m on my balcony looking down at peasant scum I can sometimes hear them begging for food and mumbling about being homeless. Someone make them leave so I can get some sleep!
A Ghost To Most
@danah gaz (fka gaz):
Nah, he’s just showing you how long his imaginary dick is, if he could find it
hep kitty
@Elizabelle: Thanks for the link! That’s the pic I have been talking about. Fat man punches air.
shortstop
@hep kitty: Chris Hayes, the sharpest analyst on MSNBC, noted last night that this stuff is all nostalgia for a time when social and economic mobility was not only possible but the norm. To keep the rubes voting Republican, the GOP needs to convince them that they have the same opportunities for mobility that their grandparents and great-grandparents had.
He didn’t note (but I will) that exploiting the western European immigration story not only allows the GOP base to pretend that time has stood still for its own opportunities; it also bolsters the good-old-immigrants vs. bad-new-immigrants division.
Elizabelle
@shortstop: Caught that, and so true. Maybe Chris Hayes won’t be the only one saying it for long
It’s all about opportunity and mobility. No nostalgia and refusing to look at what’s missing in the here and now.
hep kitty
@Elizabelle: ”
The Republicans will just tell the lie again. And again. And once more, until people get tired of telling the truth in response.”
This is their core strategy, to overwhelm us, drown us with lies, shove them down our throats till we can’t breathe, waterboard us with lies and exhaust our minds trying to track down and repudiate each and every lie.
Corner Stone
If anyone here wants to drink themselves into a coma? Play a drinking game where you have a beer every time the MSM calls Paul Ryan a “wonk” and have a shot every time they claim Ryan is a budget “expert”.
Leave a will first.
Tehanu
Re Christie: go over to TBogg’s place today (link on sidebar) and check out the greatest pun in the history of the Intertoobz.
gbear
I read a bit of John Esquire’s piece and the uber-security that he’s writing about doesn’t sound too much different than what happened in St. Paul four years ago. It was impossible to get anywhere near the convention due to security fence and the police were herding protestors onto bridges where they couldn’t escape, making them wait there for hours, and then arresting them. It was an ugly scene here four years ago. I live a mile away from the convention center and the sound of choppers in the air and sirens on the ground was nearly constant. The local restaruants were hoping for a bump in traffic, but the conventioneers had so little interest in stepping out beyond the security fence that it was a total bust for local businesses.
Corner Stone
What the hell was with Ted Cruz’s Tony Robbins impersonation last night?
Elizabelle
@Tehanu:
The Outlaw Jersey Whale.
TBogg. We are not worthy.
FlipYrWhig
@shortstop:
Yup, I saw that exchange, and it was a textbook case of “looking daggers.” I don’t see warmth coming from that person. Not that women, or people, need to be warm; I’m pretty sure I’m not. But let’s not pretend that she is.
FlipYrWhig
@Corner Stone: One of my friends from high school went to Princeton and came back telling stories about how warped and creepy (and greasy) his randomly-assigned roommate was. It was Ted Cruz.
Elie
Ann Romney never delivered any real information about Mitt as a human being. She spoke of roles and events — but not the look in his eyes when he saw his firstborn, the things that keep him awake at night or really matter emotionally to him. Inadvertantly, she painted the cardboard figure we already see and provided no enlghtenment about who he IS. Mostly she spoke about other things — raising five noisy boys — but not how Mitt related to any of them or contributed to raising them (beyond paying the bills). She didnt even mention their faith and how much that means to Mitt. It was a complete flop.
She is as shallow as he is. Maybe that wasnt always the case, but living with Gordon Gekko in a bubble of luxury can dull one’s awareness.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Elie:
That’s my impression. People may or may not like Ann Romney, so what? She’s not running for president. She was billed as vehicle with which we would see Mitt Romney private side and she didn’t deliver.
FlipYrWhig
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: Mitt Romney doesn’t have a private side. You can tell. He has no vulnerability or complexity or self-doubt. He’s all self-regard, either smiley “I’m a hell of a guy” self-regard or mopey “Why don’t they see I’m a hell of a guy?” self-regard. He thinks he’s special. If anything, Ann is even worse.
shortstop
@Elie: Yes, exactly. All we know about him now that we didn’t know yesterday is that he didn’t crash the car when he drove her home from the dance. Great piloting, Mitt!
And when she said not once but twice, “He makes me laugh,” without providing any examples either time, was there anyone in the country of any political persuasion who didn’t think, “Oh, come ON. Mitt?!”
I still remember a story Michelle Obama told four years ago about her husband driving her and their new first baby home from the hospital — he was nervous as hell and went about 5 mph, peering anxiously over his shoulder at them in the back seat. That story stayed with me, and Obama didn’t remotely need to “be humanized” before she told it!
...now I try to be amused
What I heard was “No more Mister Nice Guy.” As if he was holding anything back. Snort.