“Mitt Romney’s Criticism of President Obama Amid National Moment of Grief Backfires”?

“Mitt Romney’s Criticism of President Obama Amid National Moment of Grief Backfires”? ◊

By John Jensen ◊

09/12/12

Politicians on both sides of the aisle, beware!  There is a new standard for what constitutes an embarrassing political gaffe.

The Romney campaign released a statement at 10:30 p.m. last night, faulting the President for a lack of clarity on foreign policy, technically violating the informal 9/11 cease fire between the campaigns.

This morning, after the news had broken that the U.S. Ambassador to Libya and three other embassy staffers had been killed by violent protesters, Romney stood by his prior evening’s criticism.

In his article “Mitt Romney’s criticism of President Obama amid national moment of grief backfires,” Jonathan Lemire writes that Romney was himself criticized for criticizing President Obama’s foreign policy in the Middle East and the Administration’s handling of the raid on the U.S. embassy in Cairo, Egypt.  According to Mr. Lemire, Romney drew criticism from Obama spokesperson Ben LaBolt, Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), and Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY).

Additionally, it was “telling” that “several conservative columnists and high-profile Republicans did not echo Romney’s criticism of the White House.”

As reported by Mr. Lemire, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) simply stated that “We honor the Americans we lost in Libya, and we will stand united in our response.”  And Rep. Pete King (R-L.I.) said, “I think he was right on the larger point,” said  “But I probably would have waited a day or half a day.”

Did you see it?  The giant fireball of backfire that humiliatingly burned off Romney’s hair and eyebrows? Yeah, I didn’t catch it, either.  Apparently, “backfire” now means drawing completely predictable criticism from the other party coupled with the failure of any major figure in your own party to affirmatively express support for something you’ve said.

Needless to say, this sets an remarkably high bar for all politicians. A statement must receive no criticism from the other party and 100% support, which much be affirmatively expressed, from your own party, or else it has blown up in your face.

Too bad, it used to be that one of your campaign spokespersons had to go on national television and denounce the central message of your campaign as “nauseating” and then have half a dozen other prominent figures in your party do more or less the same before you got slapped with the “backfire” label.  Did any MSMers ever assert that the President’s attacks on Bain had backfired? Just asking.

Now, it appears, routine criticism from partisan adversaries
coupled with anything less than 100% affirmative support
from your own party is an embarrassing blunder.

Now, it appears, routine criticism from partisan adversaries coupled with anything less than 100% affirmative support from your own party is an embarrassing blunder.  The candidates will have a rough go of it.  It will be a wonder if a third-party or write-in candidate doesn’t win the election after Romney and Obama immolate themselves with what I’m guessing will be daily “backfires” for the next 8 weeks.