What is it about Massachusetts politicians who run for president?
Here, they are intelligent people with reasonable, if lofty, ambitions. On the national stage, they turn into caricatures. Whatever their politics, they become arrogant, stiffly coiffed candidates who lack the common touch.
Comments
Please don't call Mitt a Massachusetts politician. He is neither.
Kerry served his country and he continues to serve the state. Romney has always been about himself, and his five sons are following suit by producing NOTHING that society can use!
Yes, yes, yes. Or compare the public service of the Kennedy family to the Romneys. The Romneys come up looking shabby.
Kerry and Dukakis, Massachusetts politicians? Yes. And don't forget the Kennedys. But Romney? No, not one of ours- just another traveling salesman, with a grip full of cheap goods.
Accept the fact that New England, and Masschusetts especially, is VERY different from the rest of the country. Since Dukakis' nomination, I have told friends, the US will never elect anyone from Mass as president. (I certainly hope it proves true this time around.) The wealthy and the egg-headed have very little in common with the sun-burnt farmers of the central plains, drawlin' slow-talkers of the South, and super-friendly folk of the Midwest. Don't get me wrong, I love it here. Blue-state, yeah! Mass has a lot of admirably smart, big-hearted people, but its so different here it's as if there's an invisible fence around this tiny NE corner of the US. Is it the Mayflower effect? Friends who visit often comment No one makes eye contact here.
Don't forget Ted Kennedy, who didn't even get as far as the Democrat nomination (against Jimmy Carter) because he couldn't answer a question in an interview about why he wanted to be president.
In fact the only Democratic presidents we've had since JFK have all been southern Democrats. All the Northern Liberals who ran got trounced. Not because they were bad candidates, but because of a fear of (gasp!) Liberals. WHat's word for the phobia that's a fear of smart people?
It's not rocket science, leaders who have lost touch with reality -- but still flourish in an area where the people share the same myths -- do not do hold up well when exposed to a different environment that more closely evaluates them, either because the people share a different set of myths, or because the process, for whatever reason, is more thorough or logical.
Mitt's problem is obvious. He is as phony as the day is long. Pure and simple. The man will say anything to get elected, which, of course, got him in trouble at that fundraiser.
Mitt is in his own category. Please don't campare him to John Kerry, Mike Dukakis and, God-forbid, Ted Kennedy. None of those men were compulsive liars. Kennedy likely couldn't answer the question about why he wanted to become President because public service was as second nature to him as breathing. Ted, warts and all, cared so much about normal people and their struggles. Though economicly privelidged, Ted Kennedy suffered other types of trials and he identified with those who suffered and struggled. Compare their records of public service. Mitt was not fit to shine Ted Kennedy's shoes. So many of us here in Massachusetts have a story about how Senator Kennedy helped them.
When Mitt ran for Governor in Massachusetts, he maintained that, national ambitions aside, he had no greater desire at that time than to be Governor of Massachusetts. Two years into his term, he lost interest in the Governor's job and was out on the national circuit, often bad mouthing Massachusetts to boot. He's got the soul of a used car salesman (with apologies to used car salesmen everywhere).
Meanwhile Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton use $70K of taxpayer to make a video to APOLOGIZE to Pakistan TV for a video. Administration PROTECTS al Qaeda in Egypt and Libya. It REFUSES to tell the American public what we all know. The attacks were carefully planned to occur on 9/11.----Do you believe the Administration's explaination or do you believe the president of Libya, who ought to know what happened in his country. The US government was warned. No protection was given to the ambassador on 9/11. And it blames Americans for exercising their right of free speech. Film had nothing to do with the attacks. ----And the Result of the administration backtracking and refusal to make good on its VOW to punish those responsible is yet MORE violence in more countries. Administration has been told by al Qaeda that it must release the blind Sheik who is serving an life sentence, else more Americans will be attacked. Administration is actually CONSIDERING this possibility. Obama not only knows that sanctions against Iran are not working, he gives WAIVERS to countries. Barack Obama is not a Commander in Chief who wants to protect Americans. Does barack Obama and Hillary Clinton even acknowledge that America was attacked by Islamic terrorists and that there is a WAR? NO. Obama just says there is a WAR on women. ----He goes to Vegas the day after the killings. Contrary to what Professor Warren says, Obama is not a Commander in Chief. ---He is not a leader. He is just a scheming POLITICIAN.