I was at a gathering of journalist types Tuesday evening and remarked that I think of Mitt Romney as the GOP’s Al Gore. Let me count the ways.
- Voters aren’t very excited about his bid (he’s not the kind of guy that inspires passion).
- His stage presence is … to be kind … stilted.
- He has become a professional politician.
- They’re basically the same age (March 1947, Romney, and March 1948, Gore).
- They both went to Harvard (Romney as a grad student, Gore as an undergrad).
- Their fathers were career politicians.
How they are different:
- Gore went to Vietnam; Romney got a deferment (dove/hawk irony, yes?).
- Gore went to Divinity School at Vanderbilt and then law school; Romney went to France as a missionary and then to Harvard where he studied business and law.
- Gore began serving in Congress at age 28; Romney was still in college at that age.
- Gore only ran for president once.
I don’t remember any Al Gore missteps like the $10,000 bet, but the bet made me think of the John Edwards hair cut and how political reporters can elevate the trivial in their search for a click-on-it (and share!) headline.
Then that made me think about the dog kennel on top of the car, from the 2008 campaign. It’s pretty sad that this is what I remember about Romney from four years ago; it’s a testament to imagery.
And like John Kerry, Romney has been attacked as a waffler, flip-flopper, a “which way is the wind blowing?” kind of guy.
What do you think? Am I all wet?
Known for gnawing at complex questions like a terrier with a bone. Digital evangelist, writer, teacher. Transplanted Southerner; teach newbies to ride motorcycles. @kegill (Twitter and Mastodon.social); wiredpen.com