Here is a “perhaps” about why a good man may struggle to let “his real self” show in a political world which, for good or ill, demands almost total emotional transparency (or the illusion of it) from their candidates.
The world is very different emotional space than it was in the 1960’s when Mitt Romney got much of his formative political education. Back then if a candidate cried, he was out. Now we cannot use the masculine pronoun for all the candidates, a good thing, and crying can help a candidate: male or female.
Back then appearing on a late night talk show and making jokes would have been beneath the dignity of the office of President of the United States. Now it is expected that all good candidates be able to do so.
I believe the world has changed and at least one presidential candidate hasn’t gotten the message.
A gaffe is no longer what a gaffe once was . . . it is hard to blow it with humor . . . only mean spirited or weird counts much now.
Is it is possible that Mitt Romney learned a political lesson from his father that is hampering his style?
Governor Romney’s father, the other Governor Romney of Michigan, was famously ruined (at least in conventional wisdom) by an unguarded comment about brain washing in Vietnam. It made him look foolish and presidential candidates back in the day could not afford to look reckless.
Now John McCain can say ill tempered things, as long as he self-deprecates, and give unguarded “truths” and not pay the price. Mike Huckabee makes a living at being the best interview on television. He is funny and unafraid to mention Elvis’ birthday in a major speech.
Acting like that would have politically killed the older Governor Romney, but the failure to do so may defeat the son.
A world that elected Bill Clinton playing the sax and messing with sex would not punish a candidate for such an off hand remark today as the older Governor made, if the candidate was capable of turning criticism with a joke.
Howard Dean’s scream finished him, because Howard Dean was and is an overly intense and fairly humorless person. He has no sense of self-irony.
Mitt Romney may have too much.
Only if the candidate seemed “weird” when he said it (see the Dean scream) or humorless would the irony button make it a killer gaffe.
Romney is incredibly disciplined as a candidate . . . it is not hard to guess why. A momentary loss of discipline ended Dad as a contender.
He is never in any danger of the killer emotional gaffe. He is also in the wrong era. The other very disciplined candidate, Senator Clinton, looked her best (I sympathized with her) when her true emotional state came to the surface.
Say what you will, but almost all of us are more Oprah and talk radio than we are John Wayne and stiff-upper lip. We are Wooster and not Churchill.
This is a terrible reason to reject a bright and capable man, but it could be that the “phoniness” many see in Romney is the result of learning a hard lesson from a political culture . . . that ironically would love a more free wheeling candidate willing to improvise and think out loud.
Romney needs to think “talk radio” and not just learn his father’s lessons.
Perhaps.